program

Abstract

To provide a technology for a program commonly used by a plurality of types of printers with different printing functions, thereby reducing the user's trouble in switching print ports.SOLUTION: A printer driver 23 is commonly used by a plurality of types of printers having different printing functions and sets the printer to be normally used in a PC 1. When receiving a print command from the editing application 22 incorporated in the PC 1, the printer driver 23 captures an image to be printed based on the print command and generates print data for printing the captured image to be printed. Further, when receiving a print command, if the print setting based on the print command satisfies a switch condition that can be handled by a printer other than the normally used printer, the printer driver 23 outputs the generated print data to a switch destination printer by using its corresponding print port, but outputs the data by using the print port corresponding to the normally used printer if the switch condition is not satisfied.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The technical field disclosed in this specification relates to a program that is commonly used by multiple types of printers with different printing functions. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, technology has been disclosed relating to a common printer driver (universal printer driver), which is one of the programs commonly used by multiple types of printers with different printing functions. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a common printer driver commonly used by multiple printer models, which selects one of multiple searched printers, sets the logical print port to which the IP address of the selected printer is set as the "print port to be used," and prints using that print port. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-232938 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] As mentioned above, with a universal printer driver, if you want to use a printer different from the one you used last time, you need to switch the print port by operating the user interface. However, this operation of switching print ports is time-consuming, and there is room for improvement.

[0005] This specification discloses a technology that uses a program that can be used in common by multiple types of printers with different printing functions, and that reduces the user's effort in switching print ports. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A program developed to solve this problem is a program executable by a computer of an information processing device, the program being a program commonly used by multiple types of printers with different printing functions, and causing the computer to execute a setting process to set a first printer that is a normally used printer from multiple printers connected to the information processing device, and further causing the computer to execute a generation process to, when a print instruction is received from an application program built into the information processing device, acquire an image to be printed based on the print instruction and generate print data for printing the acquired image to be printed, the print data being data in a format compatible with the multiple types of printers, and further causing the computer to execute an output process to, when the print instruction is received, output the print data generated in the generation process using a print port corresponding to the second printer if the print setting based on the print instruction satisfies a switching condition compatible with a second printer that is different from the first printer among the multiple printers connected to the information processing device, and if the switching condition is not satisfied, output the print data generated in the generation process using a print port corresponding to the first printer.

[0007] The program disclosed in this specification is a program that can be used in common by multiple types of printers with different print functions, and when a print instruction is received, it automatically determines whether the output destination will be the first printer or the second printer according to pre-set conditions using print settings based on the print instruction. This eliminates the need for the user to switch printers, and allows the output destination to be switched according to the print settings, reducing the user's effort.

[0008] A control method realized by the above program, an information processing device that executes the computer program, and a computer-readable storage medium that stores the computer program are also novel and useful. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] The technology disclosed in this specification realizes a program that can be used in common by multiple types of printers with different printing functions, reducing the user's effort in switching print ports. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 2 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a PC according to an embodiment and a diagram illustrating functions of each printer. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a property setting screen. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a switching condition setting screen. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a port switching setting screen. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an installation screen. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram showing the operation of each program for printing. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a detailed setting screen. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a detailed setting screen. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure for printer determination processing. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of output destination information. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] The following describes in detail an embodiment of a program embodied in the printer driver, with reference to the accompanying drawings. This embodiment discloses a printer driver executed on a personal computer (hereinafter referred to as "PC") that can be connected to multiple printers with printing capabilities.

[0012] As shown in Fig. 1(A), the PC 1 of this embodiment includes a controller 10 including a CPU 11 and a memory 12. The PC 1 is an example of an information processing device, and the CPU 11 is an example of a computer. The PC 1 also includes a user interface (hereinafter referred to as "user IF") 13 and a communication interface (hereinafter referred to as "communication IF") 14, which are electrically connected to the controller 10. Note that the controller 10 in Fig. 1(A) is a collective term for hardware and software used to control the PC 1, and does not necessarily represent a single piece of hardware that actually exists in the PC 1.

[0013] The CPU 11 executes various processes in accordance with programs read from the memory 12 and based on user operations. The memory 12 is, for example, a ROM, RAM, HDD, or flash memory, and is a storage area in which various programs and various data are stored. The memory 12 is also used as a work area when various processes are executed. A buffer provided in the CPU 11 is also an example of a memory. Note that the memory 12 is not limited to a ROM, RAM, HDD, etc. built into the PC 1, but may also be a storage medium readable and writable by the CPU 11, such as a recording medium such as a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM.

[0014] The user IF 13 includes hardware for displaying a screen for notifying the user of information and hardware for accepting user operations. The user IF 13 may be a combination of a display, a keyboard, a mouse, or the like, or may be a touch panel having a display function and an input acceptance function.

[0015] The communication IF 14 includes hardware for communicating with an external device such as a printer. The communication method of the communication IF 14 is Ethernet (registered trademark), Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), USB, LAN, etc. The PC 1 may be provided with multiple communication IFs 14 that support multiple communication standards.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 1(A), the memory 12 of the PC 1 incorporates an operating system (hereinafter referred to as "OS") 21, an editing application program (hereinafter referred to as "editing app") 22, and a printer driver 23. The editing app 22 is an example of an application program. The printer driver 23 is an example of a program. The OS 21 is, for example, Windows (registered trademark), macOS (registered trademark), iOS (registered trademark), Android (registered trademark), or Linux (registered trademark).

[0017] The editing application 22 is a program that accepts instructions such as creating, editing, printing, and saving images and documents. The editing application 22 may be, for example, Microsoft® Word or PowerPoint, or an application provided by the vendor of the printer connected to the PC 1. The editing application 22 accepts, via the user IF 13, for example, the designation of a printing device, the designation of an image to be printed, an instruction to edit print settings, and an instruction to execute printing. The editing application 22 may be able to accept, as print settings, the designation of sheet type and size, the designation of the number of copies, an instruction for double-sided printing, and the like.

[0018] As shown in Fig. 1(A), the PC 1 of this embodiment is connected to a plurality of printers including a first printer 3, a second printer 4, and a third printer 5. The first printer 3, the second printer 4, and the third printer 5 are, for example, printers of different models provided by the same vendor, and the print functions that they can execute are different.

[0019] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1B, the first printer 3 is, for example, a laser printer capable of monochrome printing only, capable of single-sided printing on sheets up to A4 size. The second printer 4 is, for example, an inkjet printer capable of color printing, capable of single-sided and double-sided printing on sheets up to A3 size. The third printer 5 is, for example, a laser printer capable of monochrome printing only, capable of single-sided and double-sided printing on sheets up to A3 size.

[0020] The printer driver 23 is a so-called universal printer driver that is compatible with multiple models, including at least the first printer 3, the second printer 4, and the third printer 5. The printer driver 23 of this embodiment is also capable of accepting settings for multiple printers as target devices for processing. For example, during installation, the printer driver 23 of this embodiment selects the first printer 3, the second printer 4, and the third printer 5 as target devices for processing. The printer driver 23 then accepts settings for a default printer from among the multiple target devices for processing, and registers the accepted printer information in the OS 21. In this embodiment, the first printer 3 is registered as the default printer for the printer driver 23.

[0021] The printer driver 23 of this embodiment is activated when a printing instruction is received with one of the first printer 3, second printer 4, and third printer 5 selected. The printer driver 23 generates print data for printing an image to be printed, for example, based on a print execution instruction received by the editing application 22 or the like. The printer driver 23 of this embodiment generates print data in, for example, PCLXL format or PWG raster format. The first printer 3, second printer 4, and third printer 5 can all print based on print data in both of these formats. The print data generated by the printer driver 23 is data in a format compatible with multiple types of printers.

[0022] Furthermore, when a print instruction is received from the editing application 22, the printer driver 23 can switch the printer to be used for printing based on the print settings, and can accept specifications of switching conditions and port switching settings for this purpose. The printer driver 23 is started, for example, when an instruction to set printer properties is received, and can accept various settings. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the printer driver 23 displays a property setting screen 51 that accepts printer property settings on the user IF 13. The property setting screen 51 includes, for example, a "Device Settings" tab 511, a "Switching Condition Settings" tab 512, and a "Port Switching Advanced Settings" tab 513.

[0023] 2 is an example of a property setting screen 51 in which the "Device Settings" tab 511 is selected. For example, when the printer driver 23 is installed, if the only printers connected to the PC 1 are the first printer 3 and the second printer 4, and then a third printer 5 is connected, an instruction to add the new printer, the third printer 5, as a printer to be processed is accepted by operating the "Add Printer" button.

[0024] When printer driver 23 accepts an operation on "Switching Condition Settings" tab 512, it displays switching condition setting screen 52 on user IF 13 of PC 1, as shown in FIG. 3, for example. Switching conditions are conditions for switching the printer to be used for printing from the normally used printer to another printer according to the print settings of the print instruction when a print instruction is accepted. Print setting items used as switching conditions include, for example, color settings, paper size settings, double-sided settings, special paper type settings, and special post-processing settings. Printer driver 23 of this embodiment can accept the setting of multiple conditions as switching conditions, and can specify different printers as output destinations for each of the multiple switching conditions.

[0025] The switching condition setting screen 52 is an example of a condition input screen. The process of accepting switching conditions on the switching condition setting screen 52 is an example of a switching condition registration process. By having the printer driver 23 display the switching condition setting screen 52, the user can set or change the switching conditions at any time, increasing the flexibility in determining the output destination. The switching conditions will be described in detail later.

[0026] Furthermore, when printer driver 23 accepts an operation on "Port switching advanced settings" tab 513, it causes port switching setting screen 53 to be displayed on user IF 13 of PC 1, as shown in Fig. 4, for example. Port switching setting screen 53 shown in Fig. 4 includes a selection field 531 that accepts the selection of "Default printer," radio buttons 532, 533, and 534 that accept three choices for "Notification of output destination printer," and radio buttons 535 and 536 that accept two choices for "Printer priority."

[0027] The printer driver 23 registers the printer specified in the selection field 531 of the port switching setting screen 53 shown in FIG. 4 as the printer to be used normally in the OS 21. The printer driver 23 also accepts a selection using radio buttons 532, 533, and 534 as to whether or not to notify the user of information about the printer that will be the output destination for outputting the print job. The printer driver 23 also accepts a setting for the priority order of the printers using radio buttons 535 and 536. The priority order is information that indicates the relationship between the printers specified as the switching destination under each switching condition. Specifically, the priority order is information that indicates the order in which the printers are determined as the output destination when the print settings of the accepted print instruction satisfy multiple switching conditions and the switching destinations specified under each switching condition are different.

[0028] The process of setting the printer accepted in the selection field 531 of the port switching setting screen 53 as the default printer is an example of a setting process. The port switching setting screen 53 is also an example of a selection screen, and the process of accepting the priority setting on the port switching setting screen 53 is an example of a priority registration process. Details of the notification and priority will be described later.

[0029] The selection of the device to be processed by the printer driver 23, the setting of the switching conditions, and the setting of notifications and priorities may be received by the installer 24 when the printer driver 23 is installed. The installer 24 shown in Fig. 1A is a program that installs the printer driver 23 in the PC 1. The installer 24 does not need to be stored in the memory 12 after the printer driver 23 is installed.

[0030] 5, the installer 24 displays an installation screen 61 on the user IF 13 of the PC 1. The installation screen 61 includes connection information 611 for each printer used by the printer driver 23, a button 612 for receiving an instruction to "set switching conditions," and a button 613 for receiving an instruction to "set detailed port switching settings."

[0031] When the installer 24 receives an instruction to set a switching condition by operating the "Set Switching Condition" button 612 on the installation screen 61, it displays a screen similar to the switching condition setting screen 52 shown in Fig. 3 and accepts the user's selection. When the installer 24 receives a switching condition specification on a screen similar to the switching condition setting screen 52, it stores information indicating the switching condition in a storage area of ​​the memory 12 that will be used by the installed printer driver 23 when installing the printer driver 23. By making it possible to input the switching condition when installing the printer driver 23, it is possible to register the switching condition for determining the output destination in advance and to allocate the output destination from the beginning of installation of the printer driver 23.

[0032] Furthermore, when the installer 24 receives an instruction to set detailed port switching settings by operating the "Port Switching Advanced Settings" button 613 on the installation screen 61, the installer 24 displays a screen similar to the port switching setting screen 53 shown in Fig. 4 and receives the user's selection. When the installer 24 receives various settings on a screen similar to the port switching setting screen 53, when installing the printer driver 23, the installer 24 stores information indicating the received settings in a storage area of ​​the memory 12 that will be used by the printer driver 23 after installation.

[0033] Next, various printing-related processing procedures in a PC 1 incorporating the printer driver 23 will be described with reference to the sequence diagram in FIG. 6. The following description will be given assuming that the switching conditions are set as shown in FIG. 3 and the details of port switching are set as shown in FIG. 4. Specifically, the first printer 3 is set as the printer to be used normally, and the second printer 4 or third printer 5 is set as the destination of the switching conditions. In this case, the first printer 3 is an example of a first printer, and the second printer 4 and third printer 5 are examples of a second printer. Note that the processing of the PC 1 and each processing step in the flowchart in the following description basically represent processing by the CPU 11 in accordance with commands written in programs such as the printer driver 23.

[0034] A user executes the editing application 22 to edit a document or an image. Then, the user selects to print the document or image being edited in the editing application 22 (S01). The editing application 22 acquires information about the printer set as the default printer from the OS 21 (S02). Based on the acquired information, the editing application 22 displays a print screen, which is a screen for accepting instructions related to printing, on the user interface (S03).

[0035] If the first printer 3 is set as the default printer, when the editing application 22 receives an instruction to make detailed print settings on the currently displayed print screen (alt: [detailed setting instruction received], S11), it passes the instruction for detailed settings to the printer driver 23 corresponding to the first printer 3, which is the default printer (S12). The printer driver 23 displays a screen for receiving the detailed settings, such as a detailed settings screen 71 as shown in FIG. 7, on the user IF 13 (S13). The detailed settings screen 71 is an example of a print setting input screen, and S13 is an example of a print setting display process.

[0036] 7 includes, for example, a radio button 711 for selecting color printing, a selection field 712 in which double-sided printing can be selected, printer information 713 indicating the printer selected as the output destination, an OK button 714, and a cancel button 715. Because the first printer 3 is the printer normally used, the detailed settings screen 71 displayed in S13 displays information indicating the first printer 3 as printer information 713.

[0037] The printer driver 23 receives print setting instructions input by the user on the displayed detailed setting screen 71 (S14), and determines whether the received print setting satisfies the switching condition (S15). The printer driver 23 compares the received print setting with the switching condition received on the switching condition setting screen 52 (see FIG. 3) and determines whether the print setting that satisfies the switching condition has been selected.

[0038] For example, in the setting of the switching condition shown in FIG. 3, the selection field 521 specifies a switching condition for switching to the second printer 4 when the setting value of the color setting in the print settings is "color." In this case, when the printer driver 23 receives, for example, an operation on the radio button 711 on the detailed settings screen 71, it determines that the setting value of the color setting has been changed to "color" and that the switching condition is met (alt: [applicable]). Then, since the specified switching destination printer is the second printer 4, the printer driver 23 changes the display of the printer information 713 indicating the output destination printer to information indicating the second printer 4, as shown in FIG. 8 (S16). By also displaying information about the output destination printer on the detailed settings screen 71 and changing the display of the output destination printer in accordance with the switching condition, the user can recognize the output destination printer when entering print settings.

[0039] 3, for example, a switching condition is specified in selection field 522 to switch to the third printer 5 when the setting value for the duplex setting in the print settings is "double-sided." In this case, printer driver 23 determines that the switching condition is met when, for example, the setting value for double-sided printing in selection field 712 on detailed settings screen 71 is changed to "double-sided" (alt: [applicable]). Then, printer driver 23 changes the display of printer information 713 indicating the output destination printer to information indicating the third printer 5 (S16). Note that if the selected print settings are canceled and the switching condition is no longer met, printer driver 23 returns the display of printer information 713 to the first printer 3, which is the normally used printer.

[0040] When the display of the printer information 713 is changed, the printer driver 23 determines whether or not all print settings selected on the detailed setting screen 71 are compatible with the changed printer (S17). If it determines that the changed printer includes print settings that are incompatible (alt: [Not compatible]), the printer driver 23 displays a warning message on the user IF 13 to warn of the incompatible print settings (S18).

[0041] If it is determined that all print settings are compatible with the printer displayed in printer information 713, printer driver 23 becomes able to accept OK button 714. When the user has completed inputting settings on detailed setting screen 71, he or she completes the detailed settings by operating OK button 714 (alt: [OK], S21). Printer driver 23 passes information about the print settings currently set to editing application 22 (S22).

[0042] The printer driver 23 and the editing application 22 share print setting information. When the printer driver 23 accepts an operation on the OK button 714, it outputs setting information indicating the print settings selected at that time to the editing application 22. The editing application 22 can input the setting information output from the printer driver 23, and adjusts and redisplays the displayed print screen based on the input setting information. On the other hand, when an operation on the cancel button 715 is accepted, the printer driver 23 discards all information on the user's operation accepted on the detailed setting screen 71. In this case, in S22, the printer driver 23 may output to the editing application 22 the print setting information used when the execution instruction was accepted in S12, or may output information indicating that the print settings were not changed. The editing application 22 redisplays the print screen displayed in S03 without changing it.

[0043] Furthermore, the print setting information may be written to a storage area in memory 12 that is shared by the editing application 22 and printer driver 23. In other words, both the editing application 22 and the printer driver 23 may read the print setting information from the same area and write the print setting information to the same area, thereby sharing the information. In this case, in S22 of FIG. 6, the printer driver 23 may write the detailed setting information to the shared storage area.

[0044] The editing application 22 receives a print instruction from the user on the print screen displayed in S03 or on the print screen redisplayed in response to an instruction for detailed settings (S31). The editing application 22 generates image data based on the image to be printed (S32) and passes the generated image data and information on the print settings to the printer driver 23 (S33).

[0045] The printer driver 23 generates print data based on the image data passed from the editing application 22 (S35). S35 is an example of a generation process. The print data generated in S35 is, for example, data in PCLXL format or PWG raster format.

[0046] Then, the printer driver 23 executes a printer determination process to determine the printer to which the generated print data is to be output (S36). The steps of the printer determination process will be described with reference to the flowchart in Fig. 9. The printer determination process is executed by the CPU 11 of the PC 1 based on the printer driver 23.

[0047] In the printer determination process, the CPU 11 determines whether the currently set print settings satisfy the switching conditions (S101). If it determines that none of the switching conditions are satisfied (S101: NO), the CPU 11 determines the output destination to be the first printer 3, which is the normally used printer (S102). Furthermore, the CPU 11 stores information about the currently determined output destination (S127) and ends the printer determination process.

[0048] On the other hand, if it is determined that the set print settings satisfy a switching condition (S101: YES), the CPU 11 determines whether multiple switching conditions are satisfied (S111).If it is determined that multiple switching conditions are satisfied (S111: YES), the CPU 11 determines whether a different printer is included as a switching destination printer set in each satisfied switching condition (S112).

[0049] If it is determined that only one switching condition is satisfied (S111: NO), or if it is determined that the switching destination for all switching conditions indicates the same printer (S112: NO), the CPU 11 determines the printer set as the switching destination as the output destination printer (S113).

[0050] On the other hand, if it is determined that multiple switching conditions are met and the switching destinations are different (S112: YES), the CPU 11 determines the output destination printer based on the priority order (S116). When multiple switching conditions are met, by determining the output destination according to a predetermined priority order, it is possible to avoid a situation where the output destination cannot be determined and output to an appropriate printer.

[0051] For example, if the default printer is the first printer 3, the paper size setting is "A3 size," and the double-sided printing setting is "double-sided," the CPU 11 determines that multiple switching conditions are met based on the switching conditions shown in Fig. 3. In this case, the switching condition in which the paper size setting is "A3 size" and the switching condition in which the double-sided printing setting is "double-sided" are examples of a first switching condition and a second switching condition. In this case, the second printer 4 is set as the switching destination in the paper size switching condition, and the third printer 5 is set as the switching destination in the double-sided printing switching condition, so the CPU 11 determines YES in S112.

[0052] The priority information is, for example, information accepted on the port switching setting screen 53 shown in FIG. 4. As described above, radio button 535 indicating "fastest printing speed first" and radio button 536 indicating "manual setting" are provided as priority options. For example, when radio button 535 is selected on the port switching setting screen 53 shown in FIG. 4, the CPU 11 selects, in S116, the printer with the fastest printing speed as the output destination printer. Specifically, since a laser printer is likely to have a faster printing speed than an inkjet printer, if there is a choice between a laser printer and an inkjet printer, the laser printer is selected first. The CPU 11 may also select the printer with the fastest printing speed based on information about the capabilities of each printer.

[0053] 4, the printer driver 23 displays a selection field 537 and accepts the setting of the priority order. The selection field 537 allows the printer driver 23 to accept the order of priority printers to be used for printers other than the printer that is normally used. The selection field 537 does not have to be displayed when the radio button 535 is selected. If the printer priority order is set in the selection field 537, the CPU 11 determines the output destination printer from among the switching destination printers based on the priority order accepted in the selection field 537 in S116. By determining the output destination according to the priority order selected by the user, it is possible to output to a printer that is suitable for the user's operation.

[0054] After determining the output destination based on the priority order, CPU 11 determines whether the printer determined as the output destination can support all of the print settings of the accepted print instruction (S117). If it is determined that an incompatible print setting is included (S117: NO), CPU 11 returns to S116 and selects the next printer based on the priority order. Note that if an incompatible print setting is included for any selectable printer, CPU 11 may, for example, display an error message and cancel the printing, or may accept a change to the print setting.

[0055] If it is determined that the printer determined as the output destination is capable of handling all of the print settings (S117: YES), the CPU 11 determines whether the configured notification information is "notify every time," "notify if different from the previous print," or "do not notify" (S121). The notification information is, for example, information accepted as an output destination notification on the port switching setting screen 53 shown in FIG. 4.

[0056] The port switching setting screen 53 shown in FIG. 4 accepts a selection by radio buttons 532, 533, and 534 as to whether or not to notify the user of information about the printer determined as the output destination. Specifically, the radio button 532 indicating "Notify every time" is a button that accepts an instruction to display information about the output destination printer on the user IF 13 every time a print job is sent to the printer. The radio button 533 indicating "Notify if different from previous print" is a button that accepts an instruction to display information about the output destination printer on the user IF 13 when the output destination of the print data is different from the previous print data. The radio button 534 indicating "Do not notify" is a button that accepts an instruction not to display information about the output destination printer on the user IF 13. The CPU 11 makes the determination of S121 based on the notification information accepted on the port switching setting screen 53.

[0057] If it is determined that the set notification information is "Notify if different from previous printing" (S121: Notify if different from previous printing), CPU 11 acquires information about the previous output destination (S122). CPU 11 stores the information about the output destination at that time in memory 12 during the printer determination process executed at the time of the previous printing. CPU 11 determines whether the previous output destination and the output destination determined this time match (S123).

[0058] If it is determined that the information does not match the previous time (S123: NO), or if it is determined that the set notification information is "notify every time" (S121: notify every time), the CPU 11 causes the user IF 13 to display information indicating the output destination (S125). In S125, the CPU 11 causes information indicating the output destination printer to be displayed as a pop-up message, for example, as shown in FIG. 10. S125 is an example of display processing. By displaying information indicating the output destination printer, the user can recognize the printer that will output the printed material.

[0059] After S125, or if it is determined that the set notification information is "Do not notify" (S121: Do not notify), or if it is determined that the output destination is the same as the previous time (S123: YES), the CPU 11 stores the information of the output destination determined this time (S127) and ends the printer determination process.

[0060] By accepting the selection to notify when the output is different from the previous print, the CPU 11 does not display the information when consecutive prints are to be sent to the same printer. Since it can be annoying for the user if information indicating the output printer is displayed each time printing is performed, the information is displayed when the output is to a different printer from the previous print so that the user does not mistake the output destination, and is not displayed when printing to the same printer, thereby reducing the inconvenience.

[0061] Returning to the explanation of the sequence diagram in Figure 6, after the printer determination process in S36, printer driver 23 determines whether the output destination printer determined in the printer determination process is a printer that corresponds to the currently selected print port (S37). If it is determined that the currently selected print port is not compatible (alt: [NO]), printer driver 23 calls the port switching API to switch the selected print port to a print port that corresponds to the output destination printer (S38).

[0062] Furthermore, the printer driver 23 outputs the print data using the selected print port (S41). S41 is an example of output processing. The output print data is output to the destination printer by processing of the OS 21 (S42). As a result, printing is executed on the destination printer.

[0063] As explained in detail above, the printer driver 23 of this embodiment is a universal printer driver that is shared by the first printer 3, second printer 4, and third printer 5, and when a print instruction is received, it automatically determines the output destination printer in accordance with preset switching conditions using print settings based on the print instruction. This eliminates the need for the user to switch printers, and allows the output destination to be switched according to the print settings, reducing the user's workload.

[0064] Note that this embodiment is merely an example and does not limit the present invention in any way. Therefore, the technology disclosed in this specification can naturally be improved and modified in various ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, each printer is not limited to a dedicated printer, but may be a multifunction printer, a copier, a fax machine, etc. Furthermore, the PC 1 may be replaced by, for example, a smartphone or a tablet computer. Furthermore, the number of printers connected to the PC 1 and the wording of various display screens are not limited to the illustrated example. For example, the PC 1 may be connected to an additional printer that is not compatible with the printer driver 23.

[0065] In addition, in this embodiment, when multiple switching conditions are satisfied and the switching destinations are different, the output destination printer is determined based on the order of priority, but this is not limited to this. For example, information on all printers selectable as output destinations may be displayed to allow the user to select, or print data may be output to all printers selectable as output destinations.

[0066] In addition, in this embodiment, the case where printers of different models are connected to the PC 1 has been described, but printers of the same model may also be connected. In this case, the output destination printer may be determined based on a priority order even among printers of the same model, or, if the printers are the same model, the output destination printer may be determined based on another condition, such as whether or not they are on standby.

[0067] In this embodiment, the installer 24 also accepts settings of the switching conditions and priority order, but this does not have to be the case. Also, the printer driver 23 accepts settings of the switching conditions and priority order by the user, but these may be registered in the printer driver 23 in advance, for example.

[0068] Also, in this embodiment, a selection from three types of notification settings is accepted, but it is not necessary to accept such selection. That is, a notification may be sent every time, or may be sent only if the printer is different from the previous time, or may be sent only if the printer is different from the printer normally used. Also, in this embodiment, information indicating the output destination printer is displayed on the detailed setting screen 71 that accepts detailed print settings, but it is not necessary to display such information.

[0069] Also, for example, when print data is output to a printer other than the printer that is normally used, the printer driver 23 may call the port switching API again to return to the print port of the printer that is normally used.

[0070] Furthermore, in any flowchart disclosed in the embodiments, the execution order of multiple processes in any multiple steps can be changed or they can be executed in parallel as long as no contradiction occurs in the processing content.

[0071] The processes disclosed in the embodiments may be executed by hardware such as a single CPU, multiple CPUs, or ASIC, or a combination thereof. The processes disclosed in the embodiments may be realized in various ways, such as a recording medium on which a program for executing the processes is recorded, or a method. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] 1 PC 3. First Printer 4 Second Printer 5. Third Printer 11 CPU 13 User Interface 23 Printer Driver

Claims

1. A program executable by a computer of an information processing device, the program being a program commonly used by a plurality of types of printers with different printing functions; The computer, Execute a setting process for setting a first printer, which is a printer that is normally used, from among a plurality of printers connected to the information processing device; Furthermore, the computer When a print instruction is received from an application program installed in the information processing device, a generation process is executed to acquire an image to be printed based on the print instruction and generate print data for printing the acquired image to be printed, the print data being data in a format compatible with the plurality of types of printers; Furthermore, the computer When the print instruction is given, if the print settings based on the print instruction satisfy a switching condition that can be handled by a second printer that is a printer different from the first printer among the plurality of printers connected to the information processing device, output the print data generated in the generation process using a print port corresponding to the second printer, and if the switching condition is not satisfied, execute an output process that outputs the print data generated in the generation process using a print port corresponding to the first printer; Furthermore, the computer displaying a condition input screen for inputting the switching condition on a user interface of the information processing device, and executing a switching condition registration process for registering the switching condition input on the condition input screen in the program; In the output process, When the print instruction is given, if the print setting based on the print instruction satisfies the switching condition registered in the switching condition registration process, output the print data generated in the generation process to the output destination of the second printer using the print port corresponding to the second printer. A program characterized by:

2. A program executable by a computer of an information processing device, the program being a program commonly used by a plurality of types of printers with different printing functions; The computer, Execute a setting process for setting a first printer, which is a printer that is normally used, from among a plurality of printers connected to the information processing device; Furthermore, the computer When a print instruction is received from an application program installed in the information processing device, a generation process is executed to acquire an image to be printed based on the print instruction and generate print data for printing the acquired image to be printed, the print data being data in a format compatible with the plurality of types of printers; Furthermore, the computer When the print instruction is given, if the print settings based on the print instruction satisfy a switching condition that can be handled by a second printer that is a printer different from the first printer among the plurality of printers connected to the information processing device, output the print data generated in the generation process using a print port corresponding to the second printer, and if the switching condition is not satisfied, execute an output process that outputs the print data generated in the generation process using a print port corresponding to the first printer; In the output process, When a print instruction is given, if the print settings based on the print instruction satisfy the switching conditions registered at the time of installation of the program, the print data generated in the generation process is output using the print port corresponding to the second printer, and the installer of the program prompts the user to input the switching conditions when installing the program, and registers the input switching conditions in the program. A program characterized by:

3. A program executable by a computer of an information processing device, the program being a program commonly used by a plurality of types of printers with different printing functions; The computer, Execute a setting process for setting a first printer, which is a printer that is normally used, from among a plurality of printers connected to the information processing device; Furthermore, the computer When a print instruction is received from an application program installed in the information processing device, a generation process is executed to acquire an image to be printed based on the print instruction and generate print data for printing the acquired image to be printed, the print data being data in a format compatible with the plurality of types of printers; Furthermore, the computer When the print instruction is given, if the print settings based on the print instruction satisfy a switching condition that can be handled by a second printer that is a printer different from the first printer among the plurality of printers connected to the information processing device, output the print data generated in the generation process using a print port corresponding to the second printer, and if the switching condition is not satisfied, execute an output process that outputs the print data generated in the generation process using a print port corresponding to the first printer; Furthermore, the computer When the print data is output in the output process, a display process is executed to display information indicating a printer that is to be the output destination on a user interface of the information processing device. A program characterized by:

4. In the program described in claim 3, In the display process, When the print data is output in the output process, if the printer to be the output destination is not the same as the printer that was the output destination in the previous print instruction, the information indicating the printer to be the output destination is displayed on the user interface, and if the printer to be the output destination is the same as the printer that was the output destination in the previous print instruction, the information indicating the printer to be the output destination is not displayed on the user interface. A program characterized by:

5. A program executable by a computer of an information processing device, the program being a program commonly used by a plurality of types of printers with different printing functions; The computer, Execute a setting process for setting a first printer, which is a printer that is normally used, from among a plurality of printers connected to the information processing device; Furthermore, the computer When a print instruction is received from an application program installed in the information processing device, a generation process is executed to acquire an image to be printed based on the print instruction and generate print data for printing the acquired image to be printed, the print data being data in a format compatible with the plurality of types of printers; Furthermore, the computer When the print instruction is given, if the print settings based on the print instruction satisfy a switching condition that can be handled by a second printer that is a printer different from the first printer among the plurality of printers connected to the information processing device, output the print data generated in the generation process using a print port corresponding to the second printer, and if the switching condition is not satisfied, execute an output process that outputs the print data generated in the generation process using a print port corresponding to the first printer; Furthermore, the computer execute a print setting display process for displaying a print setting input screen for inputting print settings on a user interface of the information processing device, the print setting input screen including an item for displaying a printer to be an output destination, and the item for displaying the printer to be an output destination displays the second printer when the print settings input on the print setting input screen satisfy the switching condition, and displays the first printer when the print settings input on the print setting input screen do not satisfy the switching condition; A program characterized by:

6. A program executable by a computer of an information processing device, the program being a program commonly used by a plurality of types of printers with different printing functions; The computer, Execute a setting process for setting a first printer, which is a printer that is normally used, from among a plurality of printers connected to the information processing device; Furthermore, the computer When a print instruction is received from an application program installed in the information processing device, a generation process is executed to acquire an image to be printed based on the print instruction and generate print data for printing the acquired image to be printed, the print data being data in a format compatible with the plurality of types of printers; Furthermore, the computer When the print instruction is given, if the print settings based on the print instruction satisfy a switching condition that can be handled by a second printer that is a printer different from the first printer among the plurality of printers connected to the information processing device, output the print data generated in the generation process using a print port corresponding to the second printer, and if the switching condition is not satisfied, execute an output process that outputs the print data generated in the generation process using a print port corresponding to the first printer; a plurality of switching conditions are provided, the plurality of switching conditions include a first switching condition and a second switching condition, the first switching condition and the second switching condition can specify different printers as output destinations, and there is a priority order between the printer specified in the first switching condition and the printer specified in the second switching condition; In the output process, When both the first switching condition and the second switching condition are satisfied, the print data generated in the generation process is output using a print port corresponding to the printer that is higher in the order of priority between the printer specified in the first switching condition and the printer specified in the second switching condition; The priority order is the order of fastest printing speed. A program characterized by:

7. A program executable by a computer of an information processing device, the program being a program commonly used by a plurality of types of printers with different printing functions; The computer, Execute a setting process for setting a first printer, which is a printer that is normally used, from among a plurality of printers connected to the information processing device; Furthermore, the computer When a print instruction is received from an application program installed in the information processing device, a generation process is executed to acquire an image to be printed based on the print instruction and generate print data for printing the acquired image to be printed, the print data being data in a format compatible with the plurality of types of printers; Furthermore, the computer When the print instruction is given, if the print settings based on the print instruction satisfy a switching condition that can be handled by a second printer that is a printer different from the first printer among the plurality of printers connected to the information processing device, output the print data generated in the generation process using a print port corresponding to the second printer, and if the switching condition is not satisfied, execute an output process that outputs the print data generated in the generation process using a print port corresponding to the first printer; a plurality of switching conditions are provided, the plurality of switching conditions include a first switching condition and a second switching condition, the first switching condition and the second switching condition can specify different printers as output destinations, and there is a priority order between the printer specified in the first switching condition and the printer specified in the second switching condition; In the output process, When both the first switching condition and the second switching condition are satisfied, the print data generated in the generation process is output using a print port corresponding to the printer that is higher in the order of priority between the printer specified in the first switching condition and the printer specified in the second switching condition; A plurality of the above-mentioned priorities are provided, Furthermore, the computer displaying a selection screen on a user interface of the information processing device, which allows the user to select a priority order of a plurality of printers, and executing a priority order registration process for registering the priority order selected on the selection screen; In the output process, When both the first switching condition and the second switching condition are satisfied, the print data generated in the generation process is output using a print port corresponding to the printer with the higher priority according to the priority registered in the priority order registration process. A program characterized by:

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