Printing Control Program

Abstract

To suppress erroneous printing, which is erroneous print output, while suppressing a decline in business efficiency.SOLUTION: A print control program is compatible with a print device registered in an operating system of an information terminal. The print control program generates a user interface including a confirmation screen for confirming print output from the print device to a user before transmitting print data to the print device if the print device is a VPN connection destination.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a print control program that corresponds to a printing device registered in an operating system of an information terminal. [Background technology]

[0002] Technologies for preventing the erroneous transmission of print data have been proposed. Patent Document 1 describes a printing process in which a print device is selected from multiple image forming devices registered in a computer by inferring the user's purpose of use from the features of the print data, and the selected image forming device is displayed to prompt the user for confirmation, after which the print job is printed. This type of printing process is said to prevent the erroneous transmission of print data and strengthen security. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-97479 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In recent years, the number of users who alternate between working in the office and working from home has increased, and problems have arisen where personal print data is mistakenly sent to a printer installed in the office when working from home. This problem is particularly noticeable due to the ability to register a "default printer" in the computer's operating system and the fact that application software remembers the printer that was last used.

[0005] Although such problems can be avoided by using the printing process described in Patent Document 1, the confirmation screen appears every time printing is performed, which is inconvenient. In particular, many users refrain from printing out work-related documents from home printers when working from home due to security concerns. In such cases, work-related documents are often printed out from printers installed in the office, which causes the confirmation screen to appear frequently during office work, resulting in a significant decrease in work efficiency. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problem, the printing control program of the present invention is a printing control program corresponding to a printing device registered in the operating system of an information terminal, and is characterized in that, when the printing device is a device to which a VPN connection is made, it generates a user interface including a confirmation screen that allows the user to confirm the printed output from the printing device before sending print data to the printing device.

[0007] The printing control program of the present invention is also characterized in that it is a printing control program corresponding to a printing device registered in the operating system of an information terminal, and when the printing device is a device to which the VPN connection is made, it selects a printing reservation process that reserves print output from the printing device and stores print data in a memory unit provided in the printing device.

[0008] The printing control program of the present invention is also characterized in that it is a printing control program corresponding to a printing device registered in the operating system of an information terminal, and when the printing device is a device to which a VPN connection is made, it provides information to an application program running on the operating system that the printing device cannot be selected.

[0009] The printing control program of the present invention is also characterized in that it is a printing control program corresponding to a printing device registered in the operating system of an information terminal, and when the network environment of the information terminal is different from the network environment to which the printing device belongs, it generates a user interface including a confirmation screen that allows the user to confirm the print output from the printing device before sending print data to the printing device.

[0010] The printing control program of the present invention is also characterized in that it is a printing control program corresponding to a printing device registered in the operating system of an information terminal, and when the network environment of the information terminal is different from the network environment to which the printing device belongs, it selects a printing reservation process that reserves the print output from the printing device and stores the print data in a memory unit provided in the printing device.

[0011] The printing control program of the present invention is also characterized in that it is a printing control program corresponding to a printing device registered in the operating system of an information terminal, and when the network environment of the information terminal is different from the network environment to which the printing device belongs, it provides information to an application program running on the operating system that the printing device cannot be selected.

[0012] The printing control program of the present invention is also characterized in that it is a printing control program corresponding to a printing device registered in the operating system of an information terminal, and the network environment that has produced the most print output from the printing device in the past is set as the default network environment, and if the network environment of the information terminal is different from the default network environment, it generates a user interface that includes a confirmation screen that allows the user to confirm the print output from the printing device before sending print data to the printing device.

[0013] The printing control program of the present invention is a printing control program corresponding to a printing device registered in the operating system of an information terminal, and is characterized in that the network environment that has produced the most print output from the printing device in the past is set as the default network environment, and if the network environment of the information terminal is different from the default network environment, a printing reservation process is selected that reserves the print output from the printing device and stores the print data in a memory unit provided in the printing device.

[0014] The printing control program of the present invention is also characterized in that it is a printing control program corresponding to a printing device registered in the operating system of an information terminal, and the network environment that has produced the most print output from the printing device in the past is set as the default network environment, and if the network environment of the information terminal differs from the default network environment, it provides information to an application program running on the operating system that the printing device cannot be selected. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a network. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an information terminal. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a printing device. [Figure 4] 5 is a flowchart showing the processing of a print control program according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a UI generated by a print control program according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart showing the processing of a print control program according to a second embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a UI generated by a print control program according to a second embodiment. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart showing the processing of a print control program according to a third embodiment. [Figure 9]FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a print setting screen in an application program. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart showing the processing of a print control program according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a UI generated by a print control program according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 12] 10 is a flowchart showing the processing of a print control program according to a fifth embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a UI generated by a print control program according to a fifth embodiment. [Figure 14] 13 is a flowchart showing the processing of a print control program according to a sixth embodiment. [Figure 15] 13 is a flowchart showing the processing of a print control program according to a seventh embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 23 is a diagram showing a UI generated by a print control program according to a seventh embodiment. [Figure 17] 13 is a flowchart showing the processing of a print control program according to an eighth embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 23 is a diagram showing a UI generated by a print control program according to an eighth embodiment. [Figure 19] 13 is a flowchart showing the processing of a print control program according to a ninth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] The present invention will be briefly described below. The printing control program of the first aspect is a printing control program corresponding to a printing device registered in the operating system of an information terminal, and is characterized in that, when the printing device is a device to which a VPN connection is made, it generates a user interface including a confirmation screen that allows a user to confirm the printed output from the printing device before sending print data to the printing device.

[0017] In the following, the term user interface will be abbreviated as "UI." For ease of explanation, the following will be explained assuming that the printing device is located in the office and the information terminal operated by the user is located outside the office, but this is of course not limited to this. In the following, the term "misprinting" refers to print data being mistakenly sent from outside the office to a printing device located in the office, resulting in the printout. For security reasons, users access the office network from outside using a VPN connection. Therefore, if the printing device is a VPN-connected device, a UI including a confirmation screen that prompts the user to confirm the print output from the printing device before sending print data to the printing device can be generated. This UI appears outside the office, preventing erroneous printing and ensuring security. Furthermore, since the UI does not appear every time printing is performed in the office, a decrease in work efficiency can be prevented.

[0018] The printing control program of the second aspect is a printing control program corresponding to a printing device registered in the operating system of an information terminal, and when the printing device is a device to which the VPN connection is made, is characterized in that it selects a printing reservation process that reserves print output from the printing device and stores print data in a memory unit provided in the printing device.

[0019] According to this aspect, when the printing device is a VPN-connected device, a print reservation process is selected that reserves print output from the printing device and stores print data in a memory unit provided on the printing device, thereby preventing accidental printing outside the office and ensuring security. Furthermore, because the print reservation process is automatically switched between selected and deselected in this way, a decrease in business efficiency is prevented.

[0020] A printing control program according to a third aspect is a printing control program corresponding to a printing device registered in the operating system of an information terminal, and is characterized in that, when the printing device is a device to which a VPN connection is made, the printing control program provides information to an application program running on the operating system that the printing device cannot be selected.

[0021] According to this aspect, when the printing device is a VPN-connected device, information that the printing device is unavailable is provided to application programs running on the operating system, so the printing device is not displayed in the application programs outside the office, preventing accidental printing and ensuring security. Furthermore, because the printing device automatically switches between selectable and unavailable, a decline in work efficiency is prevented.

[0022] A printing control program according to a fourth aspect is a printing control program corresponding to a printing device registered in the operating system of an information terminal, and is characterized in that, if the network environment of the information terminal is different from the network environment to which the printing device belongs, it generates a UI including a confirmation screen that allows the user to confirm the print output from the printing device before sending print data to the printing device.

[0023] According to this aspect, if the network environment of the information terminal is different from the network environment to which the printing device belongs, a UI including a confirmation screen for the user to confirm the print output from the printing device before sending print data to the printing device is generated, so that the UI appears outside the office, preventing erroneous printing and ensuring security.In addition, since the UI does not appear every time printing is performed in the office, a decrease in work efficiency in office work can be prevented.

[0024] A printing control program according to a fifth aspect is a printing control program corresponding to a printing device registered in the operating system of an information terminal, and is characterized in that, when the network environment of the information terminal is different from the network environment to which the printing device belongs, the printing control program selects a printing reservation process that reserves the print output from the printing device and stores the print data in a memory unit provided in the printing device.

[0025] According to this aspect, if the network environment of the information terminal is different from the network environment to which the printing device belongs, a print reservation process is selected in which print output from the printing device is reserved and print data is stored in the storage unit of the printing device, thereby preventing accidental printing outside the office and ensuring security.Furthermore, since the printing device is automatically switched between selectable and unselectable, a decrease in work efficiency is prevented.

[0026] A printing control program according to a sixth aspect is a printing control program corresponding to a printing device registered in the operating system of an information terminal, and is characterized in that, if the network environment of the information terminal differs from the network environment to which the printing device belongs, the printing control program provides information to an application program running on the operating system that the printing device cannot be selected.

[0027] According to this aspect, if the network environment of the information terminal differs from the network environment to which the printing device belongs, information that the printing device is not selectable is provided to the application program running on the operating system, so that the printing device is not displayed in the application program outside the office, preventing accidental printing and ensuring security.Furthermore, because the printing device automatically switches between selectable and unselectable, a decrease in work efficiency is prevented.

[0028] A printing control program according to a seventh aspect is a printing control program corresponding to a printing device registered in the operating system of an information terminal, and is characterized in that the network environment that has produced the most print output from the printing device in the past is set as the default network environment, and if the network environment of the information terminal is different from the default network environment, a UI is generated that includes a confirmation screen that allows the user to confirm the print output from the printing device before sending print data to the printing device.

[0029] If the network environment of the information terminal is different from the default network environment, it is highly likely that the information terminal is outside the office. According to this aspect, if the network environment of the information terminal is different from the default network environment, a UI including a confirmation screen that prompts the user to confirm the print output from the printing device is generated. Since the UI appears outside the office, printing errors can be prevented and security can be ensured. Furthermore, since the UI does not appear every time printing is performed in the office, a decrease in work efficiency in office work can be prevented.

[0030] The print control program of the eighth aspect is a print control program corresponding to a printing device registered in the operating system of an information terminal, and is characterized in that the network environment that has produced the most print output from the printing device in the past is set as the default network environment, and if the network environment of the information terminal is different from the default network environment, a print reservation process is selected that reserves the print output from the printing device and stores the print data in a memory unit provided in the printing device.

[0031] If the network environment of the information terminal differs from the default network environment, it is highly likely that the information terminal is outside the office. According to this aspect, if the network environment of the information terminal differs from the default network environment, a print reservation process is selected in which print output from the printing device is reserved and print data is stored in a memory unit provided in the printing device. This prevents accidental printing outside the office and ensures security. Furthermore, because the printing device is automatically switched between selectable and unselectable, a decrease in work efficiency is prevented.

[0032] A printing control program according to a ninth aspect is a printing control program corresponding to a printing device registered in the operating system of an information terminal, and is characterized in that the network environment that has produced the most print output from the printing device in the past is set as the default network environment, and if the network environment of the information terminal differs from the default network environment, it provides information to an application program running on the operating system that the printing device cannot be selected.

[0033] If the network environment of the information terminal differs from the default network environment, it is highly likely that the information terminal is outside the office. According to this aspect, if the network environment of the information terminal differs from the default network environment, information that the printing device is not selectable is provided to the application program running on the operating system. This prevents the printing device from being displayed in the application program outside the office, preventing accidental printing and ensuring security. Furthermore, because the printing device automatically switches between selectable and unselectable, a decrease in work efficiency is prevented.

[0034] The present invention will be specifically described below. 1, reference numeral 30 denotes an office area, and reference numeral 40 denotes an outside-office area. An example of an outside-office area is the home area of ​​a user who works in an office. A local area network (hereinafter referred to as "LAN") 31 is provided in the office area 30, and a printing device 20 is connected to the LAN 31. The printing device 20 is, for example, a multifunction peripheral equipped with an inkjet printer and a scanner. The LAN 31 is also connected to the Internet 34 via a gateway 32. The gateway 32 is configured by a router or the like. The LAN 31 can also be connected to the Internet 34 via a VPN 33 as needed. VPN is an abbreviation for Virtual Private Network, which is a virtual private line.

[0035] A LAN 41 is provided in the home area 40, and an information terminal 1 is connected to the LAN 41. One example of the information terminal 1 is a personal computer. A printing device 44 is locally connected to the information terminal 1, and is connected, for example, by a USB cable 43. USB is an abbreviation for Universal Serial Bus. One example of the printing device 44 is an inkjet printer. The LAN 41 is also connected to the Internet 34 via a gateway 42. The gateway 42 is configured by a router, etc. The information terminal 1 can also be connected to the Internet 34 via a VPN 33 as needed.

[0036] The configuration of the information terminal 1 will be described with reference to FIG. The information terminal 1 includes an operation unit 2, a display unit 3, a CPU 4, a RAM 5, a ROM 6, a storage 8, and an interface (hereinafter referred to as "I / F") 7. The storage 8 is composed of an HDD (hard disk drive), an SSD (solid state drive), a USB memory, etc. The storage 8 stores various programs and data, such as an operating system (hereinafter referred to as "OS") 9, an application program 10, a printer driver 11, and a printer monitoring program 12.

[0037] An example of OS 9 is Windows (a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation). In OS 9, printing devices 20 and 44 are registered in a device list as available devices, and for example, printing device 20 is registered as the "default printer." In most cases, multiple application programs 10, printer drivers 11, and printer monitoring programs 12 are stored, and not necessarily one program each. The printer monitoring program 12 that corresponds to the printing device 20 described above is the print control program according to the present invention.

[0038] The CPU 4 loads various programs stored in the ROM 6 and storage 8 into the RAM 5, which is a volatile memory, and executes them. The operation unit 2 is composed of a keyboard and a pointing device such as a mouse or a touchpad. The display unit 3 is configured by a liquid crystal display, etc. On this display unit 3, various UIs are generated by the OS 9, application program 10, printer driver 11, printer monitoring program 12, etc. The I / F 7 includes a communication interface for connecting the information terminal 1 to the LAN 41 and a connection interface for communicating with various peripheral devices connected to the information terminal 1.

[0039] Next, the configuration of the printing device 20 will be described with reference to FIG. The printing device 20 includes an operation unit 21, a display unit 22, a CPU 23, a RAM 24, a non-volatile memory 25, an I / F 26, a recording unit 27, and a paper transport unit . The CPU 23 loads various control programs stored in the nonvolatile memory 25 into the RAM 24, which is a volatile memory, and executes them.

[0040] The operation unit 21 is made up of a numeric keypad, a cross button, a decision button, a back button, and the like (not shown). The display unit 22 is configured by a liquid crystal display etc. Various UIs are displayed on the display unit 22. The I / F 26 includes a communication interface for connecting the printing device 20 to the LAN 31 . The recording unit 27 includes an inkjet recording head (not shown). The paper transport unit 28 includes a paper transport roller (not shown).

[0041] Next, the printer monitoring program 12 will be described. When printing is executed from an application program 10 such as a document creation or spreadsheet program on the information terminal 1, the OS 9 starts a printer driver 11, which then starts a printer monitoring program 12. In addition to when printing is executed from the application program 10, the printer monitoring program 12 may also be started when the print screen of the application program 10 is launched. The printer driver 11 generates print data based on the data received from the application program 10. This print data is sent to the printing device 20 via a spooler (not shown).

[0042] The printer monitoring program 12 is a program that is sometimes called a status monitor, and its basic function is to communicate with the printing device 20 and determine whether there are any abnormalities such as paper jams, ink shortages, open covers, etc. If any of these abnormalities occur, the printer monitoring program 12 displays the details of the abnormality on the display unit 3 of the information terminal 1 and notifies the user.

[0043] [First Example] A first embodiment of the printer monitoring program 12 will be described with reference to Figures 4 and 5. In the following description, the printer monitoring program according to the first embodiment will be referred to as 12A. 4 shows the process when the printer monitoring program 12A receives a print instruction from the application program 10. When the printer monitoring program 12A receives a print instruction from the application program 10, it acquires network information (step S101). In this embodiment, the network information is information on whether or not the information terminal 1 is connected to a VPN. For example, if a VPN connection is established using a function of the OS 9, the information can be acquired from the OS 9.

[0044] Next, if the information terminal 1 is connected via VPN (Yes in step S102), the printer monitoring program 12A displays a print confirmation screen on the display unit 3 of the information terminal 1 (step S103). This print confirmation screen is a confirmation screen that prompts the user to confirm the print output from the printing device 20, an example of which is UI90 shown in FIG. 5. UI90 displays a confirmation message (confirmation screen) saying "You are about to print to a printer connected via VPN. Is this OK?" along with selection buttons for "No" and "Yes." In this embodiment, "No" is the default selection button.

[0045] If the user selects "No" (No in step S104), the process ends without sending the print data. If the user selects "Yes" (Yes in step S104), the print data is sent to the printing device 20 (step S105), which causes the printing device 20 to print the data.

[0046] In this way, the printer monitoring program 12A according to the first embodiment is a program corresponding to the printing device 20 registered in the OS 9 of the information terminal 1, and when the printing device 20 is a device connected to the VPN, it generates a UI 90 including a confirmation screen that prompts the user to confirm the print output from the printing device 20 before sending print data to the printing device 20. This provides the following advantageous effects.

[0047] For security reasons, users access the LAN 31 in the office area 30 from the outside-office area 40 using the VPN 33. Therefore, when the printing device 20 is the device connected to the VPN, by displaying a UI 90 including a confirmation screen that prompts the user to confirm the print output from the printing device 20 before sending print data to the printing device 20, the UI 90 appears on the display 3 of the information terminal 1 in the outside-office area 40, thereby preventing erroneous printing and ensuring security. Furthermore, because the UI 90 does not appear every time printing is performed in the office area 30, a decrease in work efficiency in office work can be prevented. [Second Example] A second embodiment of the printer monitoring program 12 will be described with reference to Figures 6 and 7. In the following description, the printer monitoring program according to the second embodiment will be referred to as 12B. 6 shows the process when the printer monitoring program 12B receives a print instruction from the application program 10. When the printer monitoring program 12B receives a print instruction from the application program 10, it acquires network information (step S201). In this embodiment, the network information is information on whether or not the information terminal 1 is connected to a VPN. For example, if a VPN connection is established using a function of the OS 9, the information can be acquired from the OS 9.

[0048] Next, if the information terminal 1 is connected via VPN (Yes in step S202), the printer monitoring program 12B controls the printer driver 11 to send the print data to the printing device 20 as a reserved job (step S203). Here, a reserved job means a job in which the printing device 20 does not immediately print out the print data, but temporarily stores the print data in the non-volatile memory 25 of the printing device 20. In response, when the user enters a user number and password using the operation unit 21 of the printing device 20, the printing device 20 executes the printout. A reserve job is an example of a print reservation process in which print output from the print device 20 is reserved and print data is stored in the non-volatile memory 25, which is a storage unit provided in the print device 20.

[0049] Next, the printer monitoring program 12B displays a print result screen on the display unit 3 of the information terminal 1 (step S204). This print result screen is a screen that notifies the user that print data has been sent to the printing device 20 as a reserved job, an example of which is UI91 shown in Figure 7. UI91 displays a confirmation message (confirmation screen) saying "This is a reserved job because the printer is a VPN connection destination. Please perform the printing operation on the printer's operation panel," along with the user number and password, and a "Yes" selection button.

[0050] If the user selects "Yes," the process ends. If the information terminal 1 is not connected via VPN (No in step S202), the print data is sent (step S205), and the print device 20 prints out the data.

[0051] In this way, the printer monitoring program 12B according to the second embodiment is a program corresponding to the printing device 20 registered in the OS 9 of the information terminal 1, and when the printing device 20 is a device connected to a VPN, it is treated as a reserved job. This makes it possible to prevent erroneous printing and ensure security in the outside office area 40. Furthermore, because the reserved job is automatically switched between selected and unselected in this way, it is possible to prevent a decrease in work efficiency. [Third Example] A third embodiment of the printer monitoring program 12 will be described with reference to Figures 8 and 9. In the following description, the printer monitoring program according to the third embodiment will be referred to as 12C. 8 shows the process when the print setting screen is selected in the application program 10. In this case, the printer monitoring program 12C acquires network information (step S301). In this embodiment, the network information is information on whether the information terminal 1 is connected to a VPN. For example, if a VPN connection is established using a function of the OS 9, the information can be acquired from the OS 9.

[0052] Next, if the information terminal 1 is connected via VPN (Yes in step S302), the printer monitoring program 12C provides the application program 10 with information that the printing device 20 cannot be selected (step S303).If the information terminal 1 is not connected via VPN (No in step S302), the printer monitoring program 12C provides the application program 10 with information that the printing device 20 can be selected (step S304).

[0053] 9 shows an example of the print settings UI 92 of the application program 10. A pull-down menu 93 displays available devices selected by the OS 9. If the print device 20 is selectable, it will be displayed as "Printer zz-zzz," but due to the action of step S303 described above, it will not be displayed in the pull-down menu 93. In this case, the printing devices displayed in the pull-down menu 93 may be limited to locally connected printing devices (for example, the home printing device 44).

[0054] In this way, the printer monitoring program 12C according to the third embodiment is a program corresponding to the printing device 20 registered in the OS 9 of the information terminal 1, and when the printing device 20 is a VPN connection destination, it provides the application program 10 with information that the printing device 20 is not selectable, so the printing device 20 is not displayed in the application program 10 when outside the office, preventing erroneous printing and ensuring security. Furthermore, because the printing device 20 automatically switches between selectable and unselectable, it is possible to prevent a decline in work efficiency.

[0055] [Fourth Example] A fourth embodiment of the printer monitoring program 12 will be described with reference to Figures 10 and 11. In the following description, the printer monitoring program according to the fourth embodiment will be referred to as 12D. 10 shows the process when the printer monitoring program 12D receives a print instruction from the application program 10. When the printer monitoring program 12D receives a print instruction from the application program 10, it acquires network information (step S401). In this embodiment, the network information here is information about the network to which the printing device 20 is currently connected, and information about the network to which the information terminal 1 is currently connected. The information about the network to which the printing device 20 is currently connected is, for example, the local IP address of the printing device 20 in LAN 31, the IP address of the default gateway (gateway 32), etc. Furthermore, the information about the network to which the information terminal 1 is currently connected is, for example, the local IP address of the information terminal 1 in LAN 41, the IP address of the default gateway (gateway 42), etc.

[0056] If the network environment to which the printing device 20 is connected is different from the network environment to which the information terminal 1 is connected (No in step S402), the printer monitoring program 12D displays a print confirmation screen on the display unit 3 of the information terminal 1 (step S403). The determination of whether the network environment to which the printing device 20 is connected matches the network environment to which the information terminal 1 is connected may be made using multiple pieces of network information, or may be made using a single piece of network information. For example, the determination may be made based only on the network segment obtainable from the IP address, or may be made by adding other information such as a default gateway. The determination of whether the network environment to which the printing device 20 is connected matches the network environment to which the information terminal 1 is connected may also be made based only on other information such as the default gateway.

[0057] The print confirmation screen in step S403 is a confirmation screen that allows the user to confirm the print output from the printing device 20, an example of which is UI94 shown in Fig. 11. UI94 displays a confirmation message (confirmation screen) saying "You are about to print from a network environment different from the output destination printer. Is this OK?" along with selection buttons for "No" and "Yes." In this embodiment, "No" is the default selection button.

[0058] If the user selects "No" (No in step S404), the print data is not sent and the process ends. If the user selects "Yes" (Yes in step S404), the print data is sent to the printing device 20 (step S405), which causes the printing device 20 to print the data.

[0059] In this way, when the network environment of the information terminal 1 differs from the network environment to which the printing device 20 belongs, the printer monitoring program 12D generates a UI 94 including a confirmation screen that prompts the user to confirm the print output from the printing device 20 before sending print data to the printing device 20. This makes it possible to prevent erroneous printing and ensure security by displaying the UI 94 in the non-office area 40. And in the office area 30, because the UI 94 does not appear every time printing is performed, it is possible to prevent a decline in work efficiency in office work. [Fifth Example] A fifth embodiment of the printer monitoring program 12 will be described with reference to Figures 12 and 13. In the following description, the printer monitoring program according to the fifth embodiment will be referred to as 12E. 12 shows the process when the printer monitoring program 12E receives a print instruction from the application program 10. When the printer monitoring program 12E receives a print instruction from the application program 10, it acquires network information (step S501). This acquisition of network information is the same as step S401 in FIG.

[0060] If the network environment to which the printing device 20 is connected is different from the network environment to which the information terminal 1 is connected (No in step S502), the printer monitoring program 12E controls the printer driver 11 to send the print data to the printing device 20 as a reserved job (step S503). The printer monitoring program 12E then displays a print result screen on the display unit 3 of the information terminal 1 (step S504). This print result screen is a screen that notifies the user that print data has been sent to the printing device 20 as a reserved job, an example of which is UI95 shown in FIG. 13. UI95 displays a confirmation message (confirmation screen) stating, "This job has been reserved because printing is from a different network environment than the destination printer. Please perform the print operation on the printer's operation panel." along with the user number and password, and a "Yes" selection button. If the user selects "Yes," the process ends.

[0061] If the information regarding the network environment to which the printing device 20 is connected is the same as the information regarding the network to which the information terminal 1 is connected (Yes in step S502), the printer monitoring program 12E sends the print data (step S505), which causes the printing device 20 to print the output.

[0062] In this way, the printer monitoring program 12E according to the fifth embodiment reserves a job when the network environment of the information terminal 1 differs from the network environment to which the printing device 20 belongs. This makes it possible to prevent erroneous printing and ensure security in the outside office area 40. Furthermore, because the reserved job is automatically switched between selected and unselected in this way, it is possible to prevent a decrease in work efficiency. [Sixth Example] A sixth embodiment of the printer monitoring program 12 will be described with reference to Fig. 14. In the following description, the printer monitoring program according to the sixth embodiment will be referred to as 12F. 14 shows the process when the print setting screen is selected in the application program 10. In this case, the printer monitoring program 12F acquires network information (step S601). This acquisition of network information is similar to step S401 in FIG.

[0063] Next, if the network environment to which the printing device 20 is connected is different from the network environment to which the information terminal 1 is connected (No in step S602), the printer monitoring program 12F provides the application program 10 with information that the printing device 20 cannot be selected (step S603). Note that the determination in step S602 is made in the same manner as step S502 in FIG. 12. If the network environment to which the printing device 20 is connected matches the network environment to which the information terminal 1 is connected (Yes in step S602), information is provided to the application program 10 that the printing device 20 is selectable (step S604). 9, the print device 20 is not displayed in the pull-down menu 93. In this case, the print devices displayed in the pull-down menu 93 may be limited to locally connected print devices (for example, the home print device 44).

[0064] In this way, the printer monitoring program 12F according to the sixth embodiment is a program corresponding to the printing device 20 registered in the OS 9 of the information terminal 1, and if the network environment to which the printing device 20 is connected differs from the network environment to which the information terminal 1 is connected, it provides the application program 10 with information that the printing device 20 is not selectable, so that the printing device 20 is not displayed in the application program 10 when outside the office, preventing erroneous printing and ensuring security. Furthermore, because the printing device 20 automatically switches between selectable and unselectable, it is possible to prevent a decline in work efficiency.

[0065] [Seventh Example] A seventh embodiment of the printer monitoring program 12 will be described with reference to Figures 15 and 16. In the following description, the printer monitoring program according to the seventh embodiment will be referred to as 12G. 15 shows the process when the printer monitoring program 12G receives a print instruction from the application program 10. When the printer monitoring program 12G receives a print instruction from the application program 10, it acquires network information (step S701). The network information acquired here is information about the network to which the information terminal 1 is currently connected, and examples include the local IP address of the information terminal 1 on the LAN 41, the IP address of the default gateway (gateway 42), etc.

[0066] Next, the printer monitoring program 12G acquires default network information (step S702). Here, the default network information is information contained in a network DB (hereinafter referred to as "DB"), which is a database updated by the printer monitoring program 12G and stored in the storage 8 of the information terminal 1. The printer monitoring program 12G sends print data to the printing device 20, and upon receiving information from the printing device that printing has been completed successfully, updates the network DB. The network DB includes, for example, the date and time of printing, and network information of the information terminal 1 at that time (such as the local IP address of the information terminal 1 and the IP address of the default gateway). The default network information is the network environment in which print output instructions to the printing device 20 have been issued the most, and is, for example, the LAN 31 in the office area 30.

[0067] If the current network environment does not match the default network information (No in step S703), the printer monitoring program 12G displays a print confirmation screen on the display unit 3 of the information terminal 1 (step S704). The determination in step S703 is performed in the same manner as in step S502 in FIG. This print confirmation screen is a confirmation screen that allows the user to confirm the print output from the printing device 20, and an example of this is UI96 shown in Fig. 16. UI96 displays a confirmation message (confirmation screen) saying "You are about to print from a network environment with little experience of sending print data to the output destination printer. Is this OK?" along with selection buttons for "No" and "Yes." In this embodiment, "No" is the default selection button.

[0068] If the user selects "No" (No in step S705), the print data is not sent and the process ends. If the user selects "Yes" (Yes in step S705), the print data is sent to the printing device 20 (step S706), which causes the printing device 20 to print the data. Then, the printer monitoring program 12 updates the network DB (step S707).

[0069] If the current network environment matches the default network information (Yes in step S703), the printer monitoring program 12G executes steps S706 and S707.

[0070] In this way, the printer monitoring program 12G is a program corresponding to the printing device 20 registered in the OS 9 of the information terminal 1, and sets the network environment in which the most printouts from the printing device 20 were made in the past as the default network environment. If the current network environment of the information terminal 1 differs from the default network environment, a UI95 including a confirmation screen for the user to confirm the printout from the printing device 20 before sending print data to the printing device 20 is generated. As a result, the UI95 appears in the non-office area 40, preventing erroneous printing and ensuring security. And, since the UI95 does not appear every time printing is made in the office area 30, a decrease in work efficiency in office work can be prevented.

[0071] [Eighth Example] An eighth embodiment of the printer monitoring program 12 will be described with reference to Figures 17 and 18. In the following description, the printer monitoring program according to the eighth embodiment will be referred to as 12H. 17 shows the process when the printer monitoring program 12H receives a print instruction from the application program 10. When the printer monitoring program 12H receives a print instruction from the application program 10, the printer monitoring program 12G acquires network information (step S801). This acquisition of network information is similar to step S701 in FIG.

[0072] Next, the printer monitoring program 12H acquires default network information (step S802). If the current network environment does not match the default network information (No in step S803), the program controls the printer driver 11 to send the print data to the printing device 20 as a reserved job (step S804).

[0073] The printer monitoring program 12H then displays a print result screen on the display unit 3 of the information terminal 1 (step S805). This print result screen is a screen that notifies the user that print data has been sent to the printing device 20 as a reserved job, an example of which is UI96 shown in FIG. 18. The UI96 displays a confirmation message (confirmation screen) stating, "This job has been reserved because printing is being performed from a network environment where there is little experience of sending print data to the destination printer. Please perform the print operation on the printer's operation panel." along with the user number and password, and a "Yes" selection button. If the user selects "Yes," the network DB is updated (step S806).

[0074] If the current network environment matches the default network information (Yes in step S803), the printer monitoring program 12H sends the print data (step S807), which causes the print output to be performed by the printing device 20. Then, the network DB is updated (step S806).

[0075] In this way, the printer monitoring program 12H is a program 12 corresponding to the printing device 20 registered in the OS 9 of the information terminal 1, and sets the network environment in which the most print output from the printing device 20 was performed in the past as the default network environment, and if the current network environment of the information terminal 1 differs from the default network environment, sets it as a reserved job. This makes it possible to prevent erroneous printing in the out-of-office area 40 and ensure security. Furthermore, because the printing device 20 automatically switches between selectable and unselectable, it is possible to prevent a decline in business efficiency.

[0076] [Ninth Example] A ninth embodiment of the printer monitoring program 12 will be described with reference to Fig. 19. In the following description, the printer monitoring program according to the ninth embodiment will be referred to as 12J. 19 shows the process when the printer monitoring program 12J receives a print instruction from the application program 10. When the printer monitoring program 12J receives a print instruction from the application program 10, it acquires network information (step S901). This acquisition of network information is the same as step S701 in FIG.

[0077] Next, the printer monitoring program 12J acquires default network information (step S902). If the current network environment does not match the default network information (No in step S903), the printer monitoring program 12J provides the application program 10 with information that the printing device 20 cannot be selected (step S904). If the current network environment matches the default network information (Yes in step S903), the printer monitoring program 12J provides the application program 10 with information that the printing device 20 can be selected (step S905). 9, the print device 20 is not displayed in the pull-down menu 93. In this case, the print devices displayed in the pull-down menu 93 may be limited to locally connected print devices (for example, the home print device 44).

[0078] In this way, the printer monitoring program 12J is a program corresponding to the printing device 20 registered in the OS 9 of the information terminal 1, and sets the network environment in which the most print output from the printing device 20 was performed in the past as the default network environment. If the current network environment of the information terminal 1 differs from the default network environment, the printer monitoring program 12J provides information to the application program 10 running on the OS 9 that the printing device 20 is not selectable. This prevents the printing device 20 from being displayed in the application program 10 in the out-of-office area 40, preventing erroneous printing and ensuring security. Furthermore, because the printing device 20 automatically switches between selectable and unselectable, a decline in business efficiency can be prevented.

[0079] In addition to the above-described embodiments, the following means can be employed as a means for suppressing erroneous printing. (1) When the information terminal 1 has established a VPN connection, all printing devices registered in the OS 9 of the information terminal 1 are temporarily disabled, and the user manually enables the necessary devices. (2) When the information terminal 1 has established a VPN connection, among the printing devices registered in the OS 9 of the information terminal 1, only the pre-configured device (for example, the home printing device 44) is enabled, and all other printing devices are disabled. (3) When the information terminal 1 has established a VPN connection, among the printing devices registered in the OS 9 of the information terminal 1, only the locally connected printing device (for example, the home printing device 44) is enabled, and all other printing devices are disabled. (4) When printing is performed directly from a specific system, such as a server where personal information is stored, using the information terminal 1, if it is determined that the information terminal 1 and the printing device 20 are located far apart, the job is automatically reserved. The fact that the information terminal 1 and the printing device 20 are located far apart can be determined by comparing the network environment of the information terminal 1 with the network environment of the printing device 20. (5) When using the information terminal 1 to directly print from a specific system, such as a server on which personal information is stored, and it is determined that the information terminal 1 and the printing device 20 are located far apart, personal information such as address, name, and telephone number is omitted or blacked out so that the printed output is indistinguishable.

[0080] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments and modifications described above, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention described in the claims, and it goes without saying that these modifications are also included within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0081] 1...information terminal, 2...operation unit, 3...display unit, 4...CPU, 5...RAM, 6...ROM, 7...I / F, 8...storage, 9...OS, 10...application program, 11...printer driver, 12, 12A, 12B, 12C, 12D, 12E, 12F, 12G, 12H, 12J, ...printer monitoring program, 20...printing device, 21...operation unit, 22...display unit, 23...CPU, 24...RAM, 25...non-volatile memory, 26...I / F, 27...recording unit, 28...paper transport unit, 30...office area, 31...LAN, 32...gateway, 33...VPN, 34...Internet, 40...outside office area, 41...LAN, 42...gateway, 43...USB cable, 44...printing device

Claims

1. A print control program corresponding to a print device registered in an operating system of an information terminal, a network environment that has most frequently been used for printing output from the printing device in the past is set as a default network environment, and if the network environment of the information terminal is different from the default network environment, a user interface is generated that includes a confirmation screen that prompts a user to confirm the printing output from the printing device before transmitting print data to the printing device. A printing control program comprising:

2. A print control program corresponding to a print device registered in an operating system of an information terminal, a network environment that has most frequently been used for printing output from the printing device in the past is set as a default network environment, and if the network environment of the information terminal is different from the default network environment, a print reservation process is selected in which the print output from the printing device is reserved and the print data is stored in a storage unit provided in the printing device. A printing control program comprising:

3. A print control program corresponding to a print device registered in an operating system of an information terminal, a network environment in which the most printouts from the printing device have been made in the past is set as a default network environment, and if the network environment of the information terminal is different from the default network environment, information is provided to an application program running on the operating system that the printing device is not selectable; A printing control program comprising:

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