Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and program

Abstract

To provide a technique which can prevent the occurrence of an output result which a user does not intend.SOLUTION: An information processing apparatus includes notification means. On the basis of the fact that a transmissive object has been overlaid on the front of an object to be recorded with a special color ink, the notification means gives, via a display device, at least one of a first notification for warning that the transmissive object has been overlaid on the front of the object to be recorded with the special color ink and a second notification for inquiring whether a prescribed overlay state where the transmissive object has been overlaid on the front of the object to be recorded with the special color ink should be maintained or not.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a program for editing a recorded image using ink that exhibits special colors such as fluorescent colors and metallic colors.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for allowing a user to recognize an area in an image that is to be recorded with special color ink such as metallic color ink before recording by a recording device. Specifically, in Patent Document 1, for an image to be recorded using special color ink, an image including an area to be recorded with special color ink and an area to be recorded with normal ink and an image of only the area to be recorded with normal ink are recorded in advance or displayed on a display device. Note that since a display device or the like cannot display the color reproduced by special color ink, it will be displayed based on preset color information that can be displayed by a display device or the like.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] It is desirable to suppress the occurrence of output results unintended by the user.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a technique capable of suppressing the occurrence of output results unintended by the user.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To achieve the above object, an embodiment of the present invention is An object included in image data to be recorded using special ink, where An information processing apparatus having an editing means for editing an object displayed on a display device, and a display control means for changing the display on the display device based on the content of the editing by the editing means, wherein, due to the editing of the object by the editing means, a transparent object is said Based on being superimposed on the front surface of an object recorded using special ink, a first notification for warning that the transparent object is in a state of being superimposed on the front surface of the object recorded using special ink via the display device and the A predetermined overlapping state in which a transparent object is in a state of being superimposed on the front surface of an object recorded using special ink portion is allowed not to be recorded using the special ink A second notification for asking whether or not to and perform, and a notification means.

Advantages of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it becomes possible to suppress the occurrence of output results unintended by the user.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Embodiment for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment of an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a program will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the present invention, and not all combinations of the features described in this embodiment are essential for the solution means of the present invention. Also, the relative positions, shapes, etc. of the configurations described in the embodiments are merely examples, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention thereto.

[0010] (First Embodiment) First, an information processing apparatus according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. The information processing apparatus according to this embodiment is connected to a recording apparatus that records on a recording medium, and is configured to be able to execute various edits such as changing the arrangement position of an object, enlarging / reducing, adding / deleting, etc. to the image recorded by the recording apparatus. In this embodiment, the case where the information processing apparatus is provided separately from the recording apparatus will be described, but each function of the information processing apparatus described below may be configured to be held by a control unit of the recording apparatus or the like.

[0011] <Configuration of Information Processing Apparatus> FIG. 1 is a block configuration diagram showing an outline of an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment. The information processing apparatus 10 in FIG. 1 is configured by, for example, a general-purpose personal computer, and includes a central processing unit (CPU) 12, a ROM 14, a RAM 16, and an external storage device 18. The CPU 12 controls the entire information processing apparatus 10, such as program execution and hardware startup. The ROM 14 stores fixed data such as a control program executed by the CPU 12, a data table, an embedded operating system (OS), and a program. In this embodiment, each control program stored in the ROM 14 performs software execution control such as scheduling, task switching, and interrupt processing under the management of the OS stored in the ROM 14.

[0012] The RAM 16 is composed of, for example, SRAM (Static Random Access Memory) or DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) that requires a backup power supply. Note that the data in the RAM 16 may be retained by a primary battery (not shown) for data backup. In this case, the RAM 16 can store data such as program control variables without volatility. Further, a memory area is provided in the RAM 16, and the setting information of the information processing apparatus 10 and the management data of the information processing apparatus 10 are stored in this memory area. The RAM 16 is also used as the main memory and the work memory of the CPU 12. The external storage device 18 stores various applications and content data handled by these applications.

[0013] The information processing apparatus 10 includes an input interface 20, and is connected to input devices such as a keyboard 22 and a pointing device 24 via this input interface 20. Further, the information processing apparatus 10 includes an output interface 26, and is connected to a display device 28 via this output interface 26. Furthermore, the information processing apparatus 10 includes an input / output interface 30, and is connected to a peripheral device 32 which is a recording device (hereinafter also referred to as "printing") that records based on the image data output from the information processing apparatus 10 via this input / output interface 30. The connected recording device is configured to be able to record using special ink (described later). With these configurations, the user can input commands and various information using input devices such as the keyboard 22 and the pointing device 24 while checking the content displayed on the display device 28.

[0014] The display device 28 can use various known display devices such as an LED (Light Emitting Diode) and an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display). Also, on the display device 28, various information is displayed and the state of the information processing apparatus 10 is notified. Note that a soft keyboard provided with various keys such as a numerical input key, a mode setting key, a determination key, a cancellation key, and a power key may be installed on the display device 28 so as to receive input from the user via the display device 28. The display content on the display device 28 is controlled by the CPU 12. Thus, in the present embodiment, the CPU 12 functions as a display control unit capable of changing the display of the display device 28.

[0015] <Printing System> FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a printing system that performs spot color printing. Note that spot color printing is printing using special color inks other than normal inks (hereinafter referred to as "spot color inks" or "special color inks"). And "normal inks" are cyan ink, magenta ink, yellow ink, black ink, etc. used in general recording devices. In the present embodiment, fluorescent pink ink is used as the spot color ink. However, it is not limited to this form, and the number and color of the special color inks may be arbitrary. Also, colors that are not fluorescent colors may be used. For example, violet ink, green ink, orange ink, gold ink, silver ink may be used as the spot color ink. Also, other metallic color inks may be used. Also, an ink in which a special color ink and other inks (for example, normal inks) are blended may be treated as a special color ink.

[0016] The information processing apparatus 10 has, as software (programs), an OS 901, an application program (hereinafter referred to as an "application") 902, and a printer driver 903. The application 902 is software for creating content to be printed, and corresponds to, for example, an image editing application for creating poster data. The user specifies specific RGB data values for the characters and graphics print data for which spot color printing is to be performed later on the application 902. When the application 902 receives a print request from the user, it issues a print instruction to the OS 901. Upon receiving the print instruction, the OS 901 entrusts the subsequent printing-related processing to an OS printing system (not shown) provided in itself. Hereinafter, the description will be made on the assumption that the OS printing system operates in cooperation with the printer driver 903 provided by the recording device vendor.

[0017] When the OS printing system receives a display request for the printing settings screen from the application 902, it requests the printer driver 903 to display the printing settings screen, and the printer driver 903 displays the printing settings screen on the user interface section 904. On the printing settings screen, it is possible to specify the paper size, paper type, etc., and the spot color printing. When performing spot color printing, the user first selects the spot color to be used in the printing settings of the printer driver 903. Then, the user creates content on the application 902 and specifies the RGB data values corresponding to the use of the spot color ink for the characters and graphics printing data for which spot color ink is to be used.

[0018] The printer driver 903 provides an SDK (Software Development Kit) I / F 906. By using the SDK I / F 906, the application 902 can perform printing settings on the application 902 without opening the printing settings screen of the printer driver 903. Furthermore, the printer driver 903 can acquire the information of the peripheral device 32 by the information acquisition unit 907. Based on the information acquired from the peripheral device 32, the printer driver 903 can display settings adapted to the functions of the peripheral device 32 on the user interface section 904 or support them with the SDK I / F 906.

[0019] According to the printing instruction from the application 902, the printing data and printing settings of the application 902 are passed to the graphics processing unit 905 of the printer driver 903 via the OS printing system. The graphics processing unit 905 converts these data into a data format that can be interpreted by the peripheral device 32 and transmits them to the peripheral device 32 as a printing job. Then, ink is ejected from the recording head of the peripheral device 32 onto the recording medium fed to the peripheral device 32 to form an image. Here, when spot color printing is set, special color ink (also referred to as "spot color" in this specification) is ejected onto the pixels of the specified RGB values of the printing data for which printing is specified in special color.

[0020] Here, when spot color printing is set in the printer driver 903, an example of the peripheral device 32 that uses spot color ink and can perform printing with six predetermined colors (special colors) using spot colors will be described. When spot color printing is set in the printer driver 903, among the print data, pixels having specific RBG values corresponding to the set spot colors are printed using spot color ink. In the present embodiment, specific RGB values are assigned to each of the six predetermined colors. In the present embodiment, the specific RGB value is, for example, R = 255 (0xFF), G = 0 (0x00), B = 255 (0xFF), and pixels having the corresponding RBG value are printed in the color of fluorescent pink, which is one of the special colors, by using fluorescent pink ink. Further, the specific RGB value is, for example, R = 255 (0xFF), G = 85 (0x55), B = 0 (0x00), and pixels having the corresponding RBG value are printed in the color of orange, which is one of the special colors, by using a mixture of fluorescent pink ink, M, and Y ink. Note that, for example, if orange ink can be used as the spot color ink, printing in the color of orange may be performed by using only orange ink. That is, pixels of specific RBG values corresponding to the spot color only need to be printed using at least spot color ink, and may or may not be printed in a mixture with CMYK ink. Note that also in spot color printing, pixels that are not pixels of specific RBG values corresponding to the spot color are printed using only CMYK ink. Further, spot color printing is executed when spot color printing is enabled by a user operation. That is, when the spot color printing setting is not valid, pixels of specific RBG values corresponding to the spot color are also printed using only CMYK ink by referring to the RBG values as usual.

[0021] Specifically, when the printer driver 903 enables the printing setting for the fluorescent pink spot color and the RGB values of the pixels included in the transmitted print data are R = 255, G = 0, B = 255, the peripheral device 32 can perform fluorescent pink spot color printing. The same applies to other spot colors. That is, when the printer driver 903 enables the printing setting for each spot color and the RGB values of the pixels included in the transmitted print data are the RGB values corresponding to each spot color, the corresponding spot color printing can be performed by the peripheral device 32. On the other hand, if the printer driver 903 enables the spot color printing setting but the print data does not include pixels having the above specific RGB values corresponding to the spot color printing, the spot color printing is not possible. When the spot color printing is not possible, an error (warning) may be notified.

[0022] <Monitoring Process> In the information processing apparatus 10 having the configuration described above, an application 902 for editing image data is started, and editing processes such as changing the arrangement position of objects in the image data are performed. In the information processing apparatus 10, when the application 902 is started, an editing screen for editing the image data is displayed on the display device 28, and the editing process is started. Note that the application 902 is functioned by the CPU 12. In the present embodiment, the CPU 12 functions as an editing unit capable of editing image data.

[0023] Also, in the information processing apparatus 10, in parallel with the editing process, a monitoring process for monitoring the overlap between an object to be recorded with special ink (spot color ink) and an object with an opacity set is started. The monitoring process is executed in the application 902. Note that the image data edited by the editing process is stored in the external storage device 18 or the like, and is output to a peripheral device 32 such as a recording device by the CPU 12 via the input / output interface 30 as appropriate and used. As described above, in the present embodiment, the CPU 12 and the input / output interface 30 function as an output unit that outputs the edited image data to a recording device or the like.

[0024] Note that the image data to be edited may be created by the information processing apparatus 10 or may be input from another apparatus in advance. Also, in the image data to be edited, color information is set for each object and the background based on the colors expressed at the time of recording. Then, on the editing screen, based on the set color information, colors are assigned to the respective objects of the image data and displayed. Note that, for an object recorded using a special ink, since the color expressed by the special ink cannot be displayed by the display device 28, it is displayed in a normal color corresponding to the special ink based on specific color information (RGB value) that can be displayed by the display device 28. Specific color information representing such special ink is set in advance.

[0025] Therefore, on the editing screen, an object recorded with a normal ink other than the special ink is displayed in the color of the color information corresponding to the ink, and an object recorded using the special ink is displayed in a color based on the specific color information associated with the special ink. For this reason, the user can identify an object recorded using the special ink (hereinafter, appropriately referred to as an "object using the special ink") on the editing screen.

[0026] The user will perform various edits on the image while checking the image displayed on the editing screen. After the editing, the image data reflecting the content of the editing is stored in the external storage device 18 and output to the peripheral device 32. Since known techniques can be used for the setting of the color information representing the special ink to be displayed on the display device 28 and various edits of the image data, detailed descriptions thereof are omitted in the following explanation. Also, an object with an opacity set is an object with the degree of opacity set, and the object has a transmittance corresponding to the opacity, that is, it is a translucent object.

[0027] FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a detailed processing routine of the monitoring process. FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b) are diagrams showing an example in which a warning dialog is displayed. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the position of an object after a selection is made in the warning dialog, where (a) shows the position of the object when "No" is selected, and (b) shows the position of the object when "Yes" is selected. The series of processes shown in the flowchart of FIG. 2 is performed by the CPU 12 expanding and executing the program code stored in the ROM 14 in the RAM 16. Alternatively, some or all of the functions of the steps in FIG. 2 may be executed by hardware such as an ASIC or an electric circuit. Note that the symbol S in the description of each process means that it is a step in the flowchart.

[0028] When the application 902 is started and an editing screen is displayed on the display device 28, the information processing apparatus 10 starts the monitoring process. When the monitoring process is started, first, the CPU 12 determines whether or not the position of the object has been changed (S202). In S202, it is determined whether or not the object has been moved based on the input from an input device such as the keyboard 22 or the pointing device 24.

[0029] If it is determined in S202 that the position of the object has not been changed, the CPU 12 determines whether or not the application 902 has ended (S204). If it is determined that it has not ended, the process returns to S202. Also, if it is determined in S204 that the application 902 has ended, this monitoring process ends. Further, if it is determined in S202 that the position of the object has been changed, the CPU 12 determines whether or not at least a part of the transparent object has been overlapped on the front surface of the object using the special ink due to the change (S206). Specifically, in S206, for the two objects in the overlapping state after the movement of the object, it is determined whether or not the transparent object is arranged on the front surface and the object using the special ink is arranged on the back surface.

[0030] That is, in S206, first, it is determined whether or not two overlapping objects are generated by the movement of the object. At this stage, if it is determined by the CPU 12 that two overlapping objects are not generated, then in S206, it is determined as "NO". If it is determined that two overlapping objects are generated, then next, it is determined whether one of the two overlapping objects is a transparent object and the other is an object using the special ink. At this stage, if it is determined by the CPU 12 that at least one is not a transparent object or at least the other is not an object using the special ink, then in S206, it is determined as "NO". If it is determined that one is a transparent object and the other is an object using the special ink, then next, it is determined whether the transparent object is arranged in front of the object using the special ink. At this stage, if it is determined by the CPU 12 that the transparent object is not arranged in front of the object using the special ink, then in S206, it is determined as "NO".

[0031] Therefore, in S206, it is determined as "YES" when the following three conditions are satisfied. The first condition is that due to the movement of the object, two overlapping objects are generated. The second condition is that one of the two overlapping objects is a permeable object and the other is an object using special ink. The third condition is that the permeable object is disposed in front of the object using special ink. That is, in the present embodiment, for example, when a permeable object is disposed in front of an object recorded using normal ink, in S206, it is determined as "NO". Also, for example, when an impermeable object is disposed in front of an impermeable object, in S206, it is determined as "NO". Also, for example, when a permeable object is disposed in front of an object using special ink, in S206, it is determined as "YES". Also, for example, even if an object using special ink overlaps with a permeable object, when the object using special ink is disposed in front of the permeable object, in S206, it is determined as "NO". Thus, in the present embodiment, the CPU 12 functions as a detection unit that detects whether a permeable object is disposed in front of an object using special ink.

[0032] In S206, if it is determined as "NO", the process proceeds to S204, and notification processing like S208 is not executed. Also, in S206, if it is determined as "YES", the CPU 12 executes notification processing (S208). Specifically, the CPU 12 displays a warning dialog 302 on the editing screen. The reason for executing this process will be explained. Here, in the edited image data where a transparent object is arranged overlapping in front of an object using special ink, in the overlapping part of the two objects, the color information set for the special ink may deviate during rendering. In this case, during actual recording, in the overlapping part of the above two objects, recording using the special ink will not be performed. For this reason, there is a possibility that the final product will have a recording result unintended by the user.

[0033] Therefore, in this embodiment, when a transparent object is displayed in a state of being arranged overlapping in front of an object using special ink due to editing (in this embodiment, movement of the object), the warning dialog 302 is displayed. For example, as shown in FIG. 3(a), when one object is moved and the transparent object 310 is in a state of being overlapped in front of the object 312 using special ink (hereinafter, a predetermined overlapping state), the warning dialog 302 is displayed. Also, as shown in FIG. 3(b), when a predetermined object 314 is moved and the object 310 located behind the object 314 is in a state of being overlapped in front of the object 312, the warning dialog 302 is also displayed. Thus, in this embodiment, the CPU 12 functions as a notification unit that notifies at least one of a warning notification and a notification asking whether to maintain the predetermined overlapping state via the warning dialog 302.

[0034] In the warning dialog 302, a selection button 304 for selecting whether to maintain a predetermined overlapping state is displayed together with a warning message 306. The warning message 306 displayed in the warning dialog 302 is a message notifying that a transparent object overlaps an object using the special ink. In addition, in the warning dialog 302, a text 308 asking whether to maintain a predetermined overlapping state using the selection button 304 is also displayed. As described above, when the predetermined overlapping state is maintained, the special ink is not used for the overlapping part. Therefore, the text 308 is a text asking whether the special ink may not be used for the overlapping part of the two objects. For the selection button 304, a "Yes" selection button 304a and a "No" selection button 304b corresponding to the text asking whether to maintain a predetermined overlapping state are displayed.

[0035] When the warning dialog 302 is displayed, next, the CPU 12 determines whether the "Yes" selection button 304a is selected (S210). In S210, if it is determined that the "Yes" selection button 304a is not selected, that is, the "No" selection button 304b is selected, it is determined that "No" is selected for maintaining the predetermined overlapping state. That is, it is determined that "No" is selected for not using the special ink for the overlapping part of the two objects. Then, the CPU 12 invalidates the executed editing, returns the moved object to the position before the movement (S212), and proceeds to S204. Specifically, when the transparent object 310 is moved to the front of the object 312 using the special ink, as shown in FIG. 4(a), the object 310 is returned to the position before the movement. Also, as shown in FIG. 3(b), when the object 314 is moved by the editing, the object 314 is returned to the position before the movement.

[0036] Also, in S210, when the "Yes" selection button 304a is selected, the executed edit is validated, and the state where the transparent object is overlaid on the front of the object using the special ink is maintained, and the process proceeds to S204. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4(b), with the object 310 remaining overlapped on the front of the object 312, the process proceeds to S204.

[0037] As described above, in the information processing apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment, when at least a part of the transparent object is overlaid on the front of the object using the special ink during image editing, the warning dialog 302 is displayed. In this warning dialog 302, a warning message 306 indicating that the transparent object is overlaid on the front of the object using the special ink and a sentence 308 asking whether the special ink may not be used in the overlapped part are displayed. Also, in the warning dialog 302, a "Yes" selection button 304a and a "No" selection button 304b are displayed as options associated with the sentence 308. When the "Yes" selection button 304a is selected, it is determined that the use of the special ink is waived in the part where the transparent object overlaps the object using the special ink, and the state where the two objects overlap is maintained. Also, when the "No" selection button 304b is selected, it is determined that the use of the special ink is not waived in the part where the transparent object overlaps the object using the special ink, and the moved object is returned to its original position. Thereby, in the information processing apparatus 10, a recording result reflecting the user's intention can be obtained for the object using the special ink. In other words, the occurrence of a recording result unintended by the user can be suppressed.

[0038] Note that the content of the notification process is not limited to the above-described form. For example, the content of the warning dialog 302 displayed by the notification process may be any content for notifying the user that at least a part of the transparent object is overlapped on the front surface of the object using the special ink. Also, for example, the content may be for notifying the user that a part where at least a part of the transparent object overlaps on the front surface of the object using the special ink is printed without using the special ink. Also, for example, the content may be for prompting the user to perform an editing operation so that at least a part of the transparent object does not overlap on the front surface of the object using the special ink.

[0039] Also, the timing at which the notification process is executed is not limited to the above-described form. That is, the timing at which the notification process is executed does not have to be the timing when the position of the object is changed so that at least a part of the transparent object overlaps on the front surface of the object using the special ink. For example, it may be the timing when a print instruction operation is performed by the user while at least a part of the transparent object overlaps on the front surface of the object using the special ink. Also, in this form, when "Yes" is selected in the warning dialog, printing is executed while maintaining the predetermined overlapping state. And when "No" is selected, printing is not executed and the screen returns to the editing screen.

[0040] Also, in a state where at least a part of the transparent object overlaps on the front surface of the object using the special ink, a part of the object using the special ink where at least a part of the transparent object overlaps may be highlighted and displayed.

[0041] (Second Embodiment) Next, an information processing apparatus according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. In the following description, for configurations that are the same as or corresponding to those of the information processing apparatus according to the first embodiment described above, the same reference numerals as those used in the first embodiment are used, and detailed descriptions thereof are omitted.

[0042] In the second embodiment, it is different from the first embodiment in that when the same object overlaps again due to the re - movement of the object returned to the state before editing by selection in the warning dialog, the warning dialog is not displayed.

[0043] Hereinafter, the monitoring process executed by the information processing apparatus 10 according to this embodiment will be described in detail. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a detailed processing routine of the monitoring process executed by the information processing apparatus according to this embodiment. FIG. 6(a) is a diagram showing an example of not redisplaying the warning dialog, and FIG. 6(b) is a diagram showing an example of redisplaying the warning dialog.

[0044] When the monitoring process is started, first, the CPU 12 determines whether the position of the object has been changed (S502). If it is determined in S502 that the position of the object has not been changed, the CPU 12 determines whether the application 902 has ended (S504). If it is determined that it has ended, this monitoring process ends. On the other hand, if it is determined in S504 that the application 902 has not ended, the process returns to S502. Also, if it is determined in S502 that the position of the object has been changed, the CPU 12 determines whether at least a part of the transparent object has been overlapped on the front surface of the object using the special ink due to the change (S506). Note that since the specific processing contents of S502 to S506 are the same as those of S202 to S206, the detailed description thereof is omitted.

[0045] In S506, if it is determined as "NO", the process proceeds to S504. Also, in S506, if it is determined as "YES", the CPU 12 determines whether a warning dialog 302 has already been displayed for the combination of the target objects (S508). In S508, the CPU 12 makes the determination based on the combination of warning dialogs already displayed and stored in the storage area (described later). Regarding this combination of warning dialogs already displayed, for example, it is assumed to be initialized when the monitoring process starts. In S508, if the combination of the target objects (the overlapping transparent object and the object using the characteristic ink) is among the stored combinations of warning dialogs already displayed, it is determined that the warning dialog 302 has already been displayed. Also, if the combination of the target objects is not among the stored combinations of warning dialogs already displayed, it is determined that the warning dialog 302 is not being displayed.

[0046] In S508, if it is determined that the warning dialog 302 has already been displayed for the combination of the target objects, the process proceeds to S504. That is, in this case, the CPU 12 determines that the transparent object and the object using the characteristic ink are in the same combination and have been overlapped again (see Fig. 6(a)), and determines that the user has executed the editing after acknowledging the warning by the warning dialog 302. Therefore, the display of the warning dialog 302 in this case is omitted. Also, in S508, if it is determined that the warning dialog 302 is not being displayed for the combination of the target objects, the CPU 12 displays the warning dialog 302 (S510). That is, in this case, the CPU 12 determines that, due to the movement of the objects detected in S502, the two objects have been overlapped for the first time (see Fig. 6(b)), and displays the warning dialog 302.

[0047] Thereafter, the CPU 12 determines whether or not the "Yes" selection button 304a displayed in the warning dialog 302 has been selected (S512). In S512, if the "Yes" selection button 304a is selected, the executed editing is made valid, and the state where the transparent object is overlaid on the front of the object using the special ink is maintained, and the process proceeds to S516 described later. Also, in S512, if it is determined that the "Yes" selection button 304a has not been selected, the CPU 12 invalidates the executed editing and returns the moved object to its position before the movement (S514). The specific processing details of S512 and S514 are the same as those of 210 and S212 described above. Further, the CPU 12 stores the combination of objects targeted when displaying the warning dialog 302 as a combination for which the warning dialog has been displayed in a storage area such as the RAM 16 (S516), and proceeds to S504.

[0048] Specifically, in S516, as shown in Fig. 3(a), when the transparent object 310 is moved to the front of the object 312 using the special ink, the combination of the objects 310 and 312 is stored as a combination for which the warning dialog has been displayed. Also, as shown in Fig. 3(b), when the object 314 has been moved, the combination of the objects 310, 312, and 314 is stored as a combination for which the warning dialog has been displayed. Therefore, in the case of Fig. 3(b), in S508, it is determined whether or not the warning dialog 302 has been displayed according to the combination of the moved object and the two overlaid objects. Note that the combination of objects stored as a combination for which the warning dialog has been displayed is not limited to the above description and may be changed as appropriate.

[0049] As described above, in the information processing apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment, for the combination of objects for which the warning dialog 302 has been displayed, the warning dialog 302 is not redisplayed, that is, re-notification such as a warning is not performed. As a result, in addition to the effects in the first embodiment, it is possible to minimize the decrease in the workability of editing due to the display of the warning dialog 302.

[0050] (Third Embodiment) Next, an information processing apparatus according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. In the following description, for configurations that are the same as or corresponding to those of the information processing apparatus according to the first embodiment described above, the same reference numerals as those used in the first embodiment are used, and detailed descriptions thereof are omitted.

[0051] In the third embodiment, it is different from the first embodiment in that a warning dialog is displayed according to the overlapping position of a transparent object composed of a first part and a second part with respect to an object using special ink. The first part is a part having a color and transparency that do not affect the object located on the back surface when displayed on the editing screen. For example, it is colorless and transparent and can appropriately recognize the object located on the back surface. The second part is a part having a color and transparency that affect the object located on the back surface. That is, in a transparent object, the first part is a part that does not affect the recording of the object located on the back surface, and the second part is a part that affects the recording of the object located on the back surface.

[0052] Hereinafter, the monitoring process executed by the information processing apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment will be described in detail. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a detailed processing routine of the monitoring process executed by the information processing apparatus according to the present embodiment. FIG. 8(a) is a diagram showing an example in which a warning dialog is not displayed, and FIG. 8(b) is a diagram showing an example in which a warning dialog is displayed.

[0053] When the monitoring process starts, first, the CPU 12 determines whether the position of the object has changed (S702). If it is determined in S702 that the position of the object has not changed, the CPU 12 determines whether the application 902 has ended (S704). If it is determined that it has ended, this monitoring process ends. On the other hand, if it is determined in S704 that the application 902 has not ended, the process returns to S702. The specific processing contents of S702 and S704 are the same as those of S202 and S204 described above.

[0054] Also, if it is determined in S702 that the position of the object has changed, the CPU 12 determines whether, due to the change, the second part of the transparent object has been overlapped on the front surface of the object using the special ink (S706). Specifically, in S706, first, it is determined whether two overlapping objects have been generated due to the movement of the object. At this stage, if the CPU 12 determines that two overlapping objects have not been generated, then in S706, it is determined as "NO". If it is determined that two overlapping objects have been generated, then next, it is determined whether one of the overlapping objects is a transparent object and the other is an object using the special ink. At this stage, if the CPU 12 determines that at least one of them is not a transparent object, or at least the other is not an object using the special ink, then in S706, it is determined as "NO".

[0055] When it is determined that one object is a transparent object and the other object is an object using a special ink, next, it is determined whether the transparent object is disposed in front of the object using the special ink. At this stage, if the CPU 12 determines that the transparent object is not disposed in front of the object using the special ink, it is determined as "NO" in S706. If it is determined that the transparent object is disposed in front of the object using the special ink, next, it is determined whether the second part of the transparent object overlaps the object using the special ink. At this stage, if the CPU 12 determines that the second part of the transparent object does not overlap the object using the special ink, that is, only the first part overlaps the object using the special ink, it is determined as "NO" in S706.

[0056] Therefore, in S706, it is determined as "YES" when the following four conditions are satisfied. The first condition is that two overlapping objects are generated due to the movement of the objects. The second condition is that one of the two overlapping objects is a transparent object and the other is an object using special ink. The third condition is that the transparent object is disposed in front of the object using the special ink. The fourth condition is that the second part of the transparent object overlaps the object using the special ink.

[0057] In S706, if it is determined as "NO", the process proceeds to S704. Also, in S706, if it is determined as "YES", the CPU 12 displays a warning dialog 302 (S708). For example, as shown in FIG. 8(a), when only the first portion 804 of the transparent object 802 is arranged to overlap the front surface of the object 312 using the characteristic ink, in the overlapping region of the two objects, there is no influence during rendering. That is, it does not deviate from the color information set for the characteristic ink during rendering, and recording using the characteristic ink is executed in the region where the first portion 804 of the object 802 and the object 312 overlap. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 8(b), when the second portion 806 of the object 802 is overlapped with the front surface of the object 312, in the region where the second portion 806 of the object 312 overlaps, it deviates from the color information set for the characteristic ink during rendering. That is, the characteristic ink is not used during recording in the region where the second portion 806 of the object 802 and the object 312 overlap.

[0058] Therefore, in this embodiment, when the second portion of the transparent object as shown in FIG. 8(b) is arranged on the front surface of the object using the characteristic ink, the warning dialog 302 is displayed to notify the user of a warning and prompt the user to select whether editing is valid or invalid. Also, in this embodiment, similar to the first embodiment, when the second portion of the transparent object overlaps the front surface of the object using the characteristic ink due to the movement of a predetermined object, the warning dialog 302 is also displayed.

[0059] Thereafter, the CPU 12 determines whether or not the "Yes" selection button 304a displayed in the warning dialog 302 has been selected (S710). If it is determined in S710 that the "Yes" selection button 304a has been selected, the executed editing is validated, and the second part of the transparent object remains superimposed on the front surface of the object using the special ink, and the process proceeds to S704. Also, if it is determined in S710 that the "Yes" selection button 304a has not been selected, the CPU 12 invalidates the executed editing and returns the moved object to its position before the movement (S712). The specific processing details of S710 and S712 are the same as those of S210 and S212 described above.

[0060] As described above, in the information processing apparatus 10, when the second part of the transparent object that affects the recording of the object on the back surface is superimposed on the front surface of the object using the special ink, the warning dialog 302 is displayed. Also, when only the first part of the transparent object that does not affect the recording of the object on the back surface is superimposed on the front surface of the object using the special ink, the warning dialog 302 is not displayed. Thereby, in addition to the effects in the first embodiment, an effect of improving the convenience of editing can be obtained.

[0061] (Other Embodiments) Note that the above embodiment may be modified as shown in the following (1) to (4).

[0062] (1) In the above-described embodiment, when a translucent object on which a warning dialog is displayed overlaps the front surface of an object using the characteristic ink, it is assumed that this is due to a change in the position of the object. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Specifically, even when a translucent object overlaps the front surface of an object using the characteristic ink due to other editing processes such as enlargement / reduction, addition / deletion of the object, a warning dialog 302 may be displayed. That is, as a result of various edits, when a translucent object is displayed overlapping the front surface of an object using the characteristic ink on the edit screen, the warning dialog 302 will be displayed. In this case, if the "No" selection button 304b is selected in the warning dialog 302, in S212 or a process corresponding thereto, the edited object is returned to its state before editing. Also, if the "Yes" selection button 304a is selected, the edit is maintained.

[0063] (2) The above-described embodiment displays a warning dialog 302 including a warning message 306, a text 308 asking about the validity of the edit, i.e., whether the edit is valid or invalid, and selection buttons 304. However, the present invention is not limited to this. That is, as the warning dialog, at least one of the warning message 306 and the text 308 may be displayed, and the user may decide to return the edited object to its state before editing.

[0064] (3) The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that realizes one or more functions of the above-described embodiment to a system or device via a network or a recording medium, and having one or more processors in the computer of the system or device read and execute the program. It can also be realized by a circuit (for example, an ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.

[0065] (4) The above-described embodiment and the various forms shown in (1) and (2) above may be combined as appropriate.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0066] 10 Information processing apparatus 12 CPU 28 Display device

Claims

An object included in image data to be recorded using special ink, comprising editing means capable of editing the object displayed on a display device, an information processing apparatus having display control means for changing the display on the display device based on the content of the editing by the editing means, notification means for performing a first notification for warning that, based on the fact that a transparent object is superimposed on the front of the object recorded using the special ink due to the editing of the object by the editing means, the transparent object is in a state of being superimposed on the front of the object recorded using the special ink via the display device, and a second notification for asking whether to allow a portion in a predetermined overlapping state where the transparent object is superimposed on the front of the object recorded using the special ink not to be recorded using the special ink. The information processing apparatus is characterized by having the above.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the notification means displays options corresponding to whether to allow a portion in the predetermined overlapping state not to be recorded using the special ink.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein when an option corresponding to not allowing a portion in the predetermined overlapping state not to be recorded using the special ink is selected by the user, the display control means returns at least one of the transparent object and the object recorded using the special ink to the state before editing and displays it.

4. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the notification means stores the combination of objects targeted when performing the notification and does not perform a re-notification based on the stored combination.

5. The transparent object includes a first portion that does not affect the recording of the object located on the back surface and a second portion that affects the recording of the object located on the back surface. The notification means performs the first notification and the second notification based on the fact that the second portion of the transparent object is superimposed on the front of the object recorded using the special ink due to the editing of the object. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that...

6. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising output means for outputting the image data in which the editing content is reflected to a recording apparatus capable of recording using at least special ink based on the image data.

7. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the editing by the editing means includes at least one of movement, enlargement, reduction, addition, and deletion of an object.

8. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the special ink is an ink whose color expressed at the time of recording cannot be displayed by the display device.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that the special ink includes an ink that expresses at least one of a fluorescent color, a gold color, and a silver color.

10. Based on the object recorded using the special ink being overlaid on the front surface of the transparent object, neither the first notification nor the second notification is executed. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. Based on the non-transparent object being overlaid on the front surface of the object recorded using the special ink, neither the first notification nor the second notification is executed. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. Based on the transparent object being overlaid on the front surface of the object recorded using normal ink that is not the special ink, neither the first notification nor the second notification is executed. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 12, characterized in that the normal ink is at least one of cyan ink, magenta ink, yellow ink, and black ink.

14. An information processing method in an information processing apparatus for an object included in image data to be recorded using special ink, wherein the displayed object can be edited... Based on the fact that a transparent object is overlapped on the front surface of an object recorded using the characteristic ink by editing the object, a first notification for warning that the transparent object is in a state of being overlapped on the front surface of the object recorded using the characteristic ink is sent via a display device, and a second notification for asking whether to allow a portion of a predetermined overlapping state, in which the transparent object is in a state of being overlapped on the front surface of the object recorded using the characteristic ink, not to be recorded using the characteristic ink are sent. The information processing method is characterized by including a notification step of performing the above.

15. A program for causing a computer to function as the information processing apparatus according to any one of Claims 1 to 13.

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