Application program, control method, and information processing device

Abstract

To solve the problem in which: consideration is not taken for a method for appropriately starting up an extended application for extending a function of a printer driver to execute print processing.SOLUTION: An information processing apparatus comprises print data generation software acquired at a first timing, and printing software acquired at a second timing different from the first timing and different from the print data generation software. When setting information corresponding to a start-up condition for the printing software is included in print setting information that is set by using a setting screen provided by the printing software, the information processing apparatus starts up the printing software.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to Application Program , a control method 、 and Information processing device .

Background Art

[0002] In Windows (registered trademark), a dedicated application for expanding the functions of a printer driver can be provided. This application is called a Windows Store Device App (WSDA). By providing the WSDA, a vendor providing a printing device can customize a printing setting screen when printing from a specific application (Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In recent years, further improvement in convenience in printing processing has been desired.

[0005] The invention according to claim 1 of the present application is an application program that supports print data generation software capable of generating print data printable by printing devices of a plurality of vendors and transmitting the print data to the printing devices of the plurality of vendors described above. When a print instruction is received, if no predetermined instruction is given on a predetermined screen provided by the application program, a process for displaying a preview based on the image data to be printed on a display unit is not executed. When the predetermined instruction is given on the predetermined screen described above when a print instruction is received, a preview based on the image data to be printed, in which at least some of the settings received by the setting screen are reflected And a button to cancel printing based on the aforementioned image data. The purpose is to have the computer execute the process to display the aforementioned information on the display unit. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned problems, the invention according to claim 1 of the present application program supports print data generation software that generates print data printable on printing devices of multiple vendors and transmits the print data to the printing devices of the multiple vendors, wherein if a predetermined instruction is not given on a predetermined screen provided by the application program when a print command is received, the program does not execute the process to display a preview based on the image data to be printed on the display unit, and if the predetermined instruction is given on the predetermined screen when a print command is received, the program displays a preview based on the image data to be printed, which reflects at least some of the settings received by the settings screen. And a button to cancel printing based on the aforementioned image data. The method is characterized by causing a computer to perform a process to display the above on the display unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The invention according to claim 1 of this application provides an application program that supports print data generation software capable of generating print data printable on printing devices of multiple vendors and transmitting the print data to the aforementioned printing devices of multiple vendors, wherein, when a print command is received, if a predetermined instruction is not given on a predetermined screen provided by the application program, the program does not execute the process to display a preview based on the image data to be printed on the display unit, and when a print command is received, if the aforementioned predetermined instruction is given on the aforementioned predetermined screen, the preview based on the image data to be printed reflects at least some of the settings received by the settings screen. And a button to cancel printing based on the aforementioned image data. This makes it possible to have a computer perform the process of displaying the information on the aforementioned display unit. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the printing system [Figure 2] Block diagram to explain data flow in printing [Figure 3] A schematic diagram illustrating the screen for configuring print settings. [Figure 4] Schematic diagram to explain layout printing [Figure 5] Schematic diagram of the user interface for the print preview function. [Figure 6] A diagram showing an example of registration information for startup conditions. [Figure 7] Flowchart of the startup process for the extended application in Embodiment 1 [Figure 8] Flowchart for configuring the launch of extended applications [Figure 9] Flowchart of the startup process for the extended application in Embodiment 2 [Figure 10] A diagram showing an example of a screen provided by an extended application. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the present invention as defined in the claims, and not all combinations of features described in these embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the present invention. Note that identical components are given the same reference numeral and their descriptions are omitted.

[0010] <Embodiment 1> Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a printing system. In this figure, the host computer 101 is an example of an information processing device and has an input interface 110, a CPU 111, a ROM 112, a RAM 113, an external storage device 114, an output interface 115, and an input / output interface 116. Input devices such as a keyboard 118 and a pointing device 117 are connected to the input interface 110, and display devices such as a display unit 119 are connected to the output interface 115.

[0011] The ROM 112 stores the initialization program, and the external storage device 114 stores application programs, the operating system (OS), a print data generation application, and various other data. The RAM 113 is used as work memory for executing the various programs stored in the external storage device 114.

[0012] In this embodiment, the CPU 111 executes the functions and flowchart-related processes described later on the host computer 101 by following the procedures of the program stored in the ROM 112. The printing device 102 is connected to the host computer 101 via the input / output interface 116. Here, the host computer 101 and the printing device 102 are configured separately, but they may also be configured as a single information processing device. The printing device is described using an inkjet printer as an example, but printing may be performed by other methods (e.g., electrophotography). The host computer 101 may be a desktop computer, a smartphone, or a laptop computer.

[0013] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the data flow in printing. FIG. 2(a) is a diagram showing the data flow when the extended application 203 is not associated with the application 201, the print data generation software 202, and the printing device 102. The user instructs printing from the application 201. The application 201 is software for creating the content to be printed, for example, corresponding to a document creation application or a spreadsheet application. When instructing printing, the user performs a setting process using the print setting screen provided by the OS or the print data generation software 202. By this setting process, the print data generation software generates print setting information. The print setting information includes setting information corresponding to the set values set using the print setting screen. The print setting information may also be called a PrintTciket. The OS generates intermediate data (also called input data) based on the application data output from the application based on the print instruction and passes it to the print data generation software 202. The data output by the application for printing is data in the Graphic Device Interface format (GDI format data) or data in the XML Paper Specification format (XPS format data). The print data generation software 202 generates print data interpretable by the printing device from the intermediate data based on the print setting information set by the user and transmits it to the printing device 102. The print data generation software 202 generates print data that can be used in printing devices of multiple vendors. That is, the printing device of vendor A can print using the print data generated by the print data generation software 202. Also, the printing device of vendor B can print using the print data generated by the print data generation software 202. The printing device 102 performs printing on the paper based on the print data sent from the print data generation software 202.

[0014] Figure 2(b) shows the data flow when the extended application 203 is associated with the print data generation software 202. The print data generation software 202 is software that is pre-installed in the OS. In other words, the print data generation software is available when the OS is installed on the device. On the other hand, the extended application 203 is software that is not pre-installed in the OS. Therefore, the user needs to operate the host computer to download the extended application 203 from the server via the network and install it. Also, when the printer 102 is connected to the host computer 101, the CPU 111 obtains device identification information from the printer 102. The CPU 111 may then obtain the extended application 203 corresponding to the obtained device identification information from the server via the network and install it. In other words, the print data generation software 202 and the extended application 203 are stored as separate files on the host computer 101. Note that the print data generation software 202 and the extended application 203 may be updated and upgraded, but this update process is also performed at different times. In other words, the timing at which the host computer 101 acquires the print data generation software 202 and the timing at which the extended application 203 is acquired are different. Also, the triggers for the host computer 101 to acquire the print data generation software 202 and the triggers for the host computer 101 to acquire the extended application 203 are different. When the extended application 203 is installed, the OS associates the print data generation software 202 with the extended application 203. The extended application 203 described in this embodiment includes a print settings screen extension unit 204, a layout extension unit 205, and a preview unit 206.

[0015] Note that the operation of the extended application 203 may end each time the processing of each unit ends. In that case, the OS will start the extended application 203 each time it receives a request to use each unit. Also, another form is conceivable. For example, when the processing of the print setting screen extension unit 204 ends, the OS ends the operation of the extended application 203, but the OS may leave the extended application 203 running even when the processing of the layout extension unit 205 ends.

[0016] Next, the layout extension unit 205 and the preview unit 206 will be described. The layout extension unit 205 performs layout processing based on the intermediate data before the print data generation software 202 processes it. For example, the layout extension unit 205 provides an assignment printing function (also called N-in-1 printing) that arranges and prints a plurality of pages on one sheet of paper. Also, the preview unit 206 can execute at least one of display and editing of the print data generated by the print data generation software 202. Also, each unit of the extended application 203 can display a UI, but it does not have to display the UI. For example, for the layout extension unit 205, it may only edit the intermediate data without displaying the UI and output the edited intermediate data to the print data generation software 202. Note that when the layout extension unit 205 can display a UI, for example, it may display a preview screen including a setting area for changing the preview image and print setting information based on the intermediate data. Needless to say, the configuration of the extended application 203 for realizing the present invention is not limited to having all of the above functions, and it may have only some of the functions or other functions. Note that the extended application 203 may simply be called print software. As described above, it can be said that the extended application 203 has at least one of the functions of displaying a setting screen, editing input data input to the print data generation software, and displaying print data.

[0017] The user initiates printing from application 201. At that time, the user performs the setting process using the print settings screen provided by the print settings screen extension unit 204, which is provided by the extended application 203. Based on this setting process, the print settings screen extension unit 204 generates print setting information. Details of the print setting function will be described later with reference to Figure 3.

[0018] The OS generates intermediate data based on application data and print setting information in response to a print command, and launches the layout extension unit 205 of the extended application 203. The intermediate data includes drawing data and print setting information corresponding to the content to be printed. For example, the OS generates XPS format data as intermediate data based on GDI data output from application 201. If application 201 outputs XPS format data as application data, the OS may pass that XPS format data directly to the layout extension unit 205. Alternatively, if application 201 outputs XPS format data as application data, the OS may generate XPS format data with modifications to the XPS format data that is the application data. The layout extension unit 205 edits the drawing data based on the drawing data included in the generated intermediate data and the print setting information generated using, for example, the screen shown in Figure 3. The layout extension unit 205 outputs the edited drawing data to the print data generation software 202. The print data generation software 202 generates and outputs print data that can be interpreted by the printing device based on the print setting information generated by the user based on the setting operation and the edited drawing data. Next, the OS launches the preview unit 206 of the extended application 203. The preview unit 206 acquires the print data generated by the print data generation software 202 and displays a print preview. After the user confirms that the desired print result will be achieved through the print preview, they instruct the system to start printing using the print preview UI. Upon receiving the print start instruction from the user, the preview unit 206 outputs the print data. The print data output from the preview unit 206 is sent to the printing device 102. The printing device 102 prints on the paper based on the print data sent from the host computer 101. With the above configuration, the user can use layout functions and print preview functions that are not available in the print data generation software 202 through the extended application.

[0019] Figure 3 shows an example of the print settings screen provided by the print settings screen extension unit 204 of the extended application 203. When printing from the application, the user uses this screen to set the print settings information. If the extended application 203 is not associated with the print data generation software 202, the standard print settings screen provided by the OS or the print data generation software 202 is generally used. The standard print settings screen only allows setting the print settings information corresponding to the functions provided by the print data generation software 202. In contrast, the print settings screen provided by the extended application 203 also allows setting the print settings information corresponding to the extended functions provided by the extended application 203. In the example in Figure 3, it is possible to set the layout printing settings provided by the layout extension unit 205 and the print preview function provided by the preview unit 206.

[0020] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the layout printing function provided by the layout extension unit 205 of the extended application 203. In layout printing, multiple pages from intermediate data based on application data are laid out to be placed on the surface of a single sheet of paper. In the example in Figure 4, two-page printing (2-in-1) is set, and the layout extension unit 205 generates drawing data 403 that places two consecutive pages 401 and 402 on the surface of a single sheet of paper. In addition to two-page printing, there are also settings to place even more pages on a single sheet of paper. In this embodiment, the layout extension unit 205 will be described below assuming that it has layout functions for two-page printing and four-page printing as part of its layout printing function.

[0021] Figure 5 shows an example of a print preview screen provided by the preview unit 206 of the extended application 203. Display item 501 is used to change the page displayed on the print preview. By manipulating this display item 501, the user can change the page to be displayed and also check the total number of pages to be printed based on the current print data and print settings. Display item 502 is a print preview screen that shows an image of the printed result for the specified page. Display item 503 is a button to start printing. Display item 504 is a cancel button; if the user presses this button, the subsequent printing process will be canceled. Note that the preview image displayed in Figure 5 corresponds to the content generated by the application.

[0022] A vendor providing a printing device can extend the functionality of the print data generation software 202 by using the extension application 203. However, there is a concern that if the extension application 203 is associated with the print data generation software 202 and is launched every time printing is performed, the overall printing time will increase. Therefore, by allowing the user to configure the launch settings for the extension application 203, they can switch whether or not to launch the extension application 203, thereby ensuring that the appropriate printing process is executed.

[0023] In other words, the user sets the ON / OFF setting for launching the extended application 203. For example, the ON / OFF setting for launching the extended application 203 can be set using the screen shown in Figure 3. Alternatively, the user may set the ON / OFF setting for launching the extended application 203 using another application before using the extended application 203. The OS checks the launch setting for the extended application 203 and launches it only if it is ON. This allows the user to choose whether or not to use the extended application 203. With this mechanism, if the user does not need the extended functionality provided by the extended application 203, they can reduce the overall increase in printing time by turning the setting OFF.

[0024] Furthermore, it is desirable that the extended application 203 be launched only when the user wishes to use the functions provided by the extended application 203. For example, if the extended application 203 provides a print preview function, the extended application 203 should only be launched when the user has turned on the print preview setting on the screen shown in Figure 3 and has instructed the user to print. To achieve this, the source from which the extended application 203 is launched needs to know what print setting information should be set for the extended application to be launched (hereinafter, the source from which the extended application is launched will be described as the OS). Therefore, we will now describe a configuration in which the extended application 203 registers launch conditions, and the OS launches the extended application 203 when the registered launch conditions are met.

[0025] To implement this configuration, first, a CUSTOM setting is added to the startup conditions of the aforementioned extended application 203, which determines whether or not to start the application based on the print settings information. If CUSTOM is selected in the startup settings, the OS will determine whether to start the extended application based on the registered startup conditions.

[0026] Figure 6 shows an example of registration information for startup conditions. In this embodiment, the extended application 203 provides layout printing by the layout extension unit 205 and a print preview function by the preview unit 206. In addition, the user can configure layout printing and print preview settings for the print settings associated with the print job in the print settings screen extension unit 204.

[0027] When the extended application 203 is associated with the print data generation software 202, it registers print setting information that serves as the activation trigger for the extended application 203 itself. However, the timing of registering this information is not limited to when the extended application 203 is associated with the print data generation software 202. The user can also change this information at any time through the extended application 203, and the timing of registering the activation condition information is not limited.

[0028] The registration information consists of three pieces of information: Feature, which indicates the target function; Options, which is a list of setting items that will be launched if set; and Timing, which indicates the launch timing. Timing is associated with a numerical value and the launch timing; if it is 1, the extended application 203 will launch before the print data generation software 202 starts; and if it is 2, the extended application 203 will launch after the print data generation software 202 starts. In the example in Figure 6, if the JobPreview setting, which corresponds to the print preview function, is ON, the extended application 203 is registered to launch after the print data generation software 202 starts. In addition, with the Feature called JobNUpAllDocumentsContiguously, which corresponds to the layout printing setting, if 2-page printing (PagesPerSheet_2) or 4-page printing (PagesPerSheet_4) is set, the extended application 203 is registered to launch before the print data generation software 202 starts.

[0029] It should be noted that the registration information for the startup conditions described in this embodiment is merely an example for realizing this configuration, and the content of the registration information is not limited to the information described above. For example, if there is a setting that needs to be started either before or after the print data generation software 202, it is conceivable that Timing could include a setting that targets startup in both cases, in addition to the aforementioned setting. Furthermore, if the extended application 203 is only started either before or after the print data generation software 202, it is conceivable that the Timing setting itself may not be necessary.

[0030] Figure 7 is a flowchart relating to the control of the startup process of the extended application 203 in Embodiment 1. In this embodiment, the startup of the extended application is described as being handled by the OS, but in reality, a configuration in which the OS has its own startup module is conceivable. Note that the flowchart in Figure 7 starts, for example, when the user sets print settings information using Figure 3 and then issues a print command using the application (i.e., an instruction to the OS to generate intermediate data). The flowchart in Figure 7 also starts when the print data generation software 202 outputs print data.

[0031] First, the OS checks the startup setting for the extended application 203 (S701). There are three possible startup settings for the extended application 203: ON, OFF, and CUSTOM. For example, the "Start Extended Application" option in the settings screen in Figure 3 has ON, OFF, and Automatic. If ON is selected for "Start Extended Application" using Figure 3, S701 determines it to be ON, and if OFF is selected, S701 determines it to be OFF. On the other hand, if Automatic is selected, it determines it to be CUSTOM. If the startup setting for the extended application 203 is ON, the process moves to S702, and the OS starts the extended application 203. If the startup setting for the extended application 203 is OFF, the startup process ends without starting the extended application 203. If the extended application 203 is not started, the OS inputs intermediate data to the print data generation software 202 and outputs print data to the printer 102, similar to Figure 2(a).

[0032] If the startup setting of the extended application 203 is CUSTOM, it is determined (S703) whether the startup timing is before the processing of the print data generation software 202, and the numerical value corresponding to the Timing to be checked among the startup condition information is stored in the variable n. Note that S703 is achieved by determining whether the flowchart in Figure 7 was started based on the user issuing a print command using the application, or based on the print data generation software 202 outputting print data.

[0033] If the flowchart in Figure 7 is started based on the user issuing a print command using the application, the OS determines that the startup timing is before the print data generation software 202 processes the data and stores 1 in the variable n (S704). On the other hand, if the flowchart in Figure 7 is started based on the print data generation software 202 outputting print data, the OS determines that the startup timing is after the print data generation software 202 processes the data and stores 2 in the variable n (S705). Next, the OS obtains information from the startup condition information where Timing matches the value of n stored in S704 and S705 (S706). For example, if the startup timing is determined to be before the print data generation software 202 processes the data in S703, then 1 is stored in the variable n in S704. Then, in S706, the item with Timing of 1 is obtained from the startup condition registration information in Figure 6. That is, "JobNUpAllDocumentsContiguously" and "PagesPerSheet_2 / 4" are obtained.

[0034] Next, the OS identifies the print settings information set by the user and compares it with the startup condition information obtained in S706 to check if there is any matching print settings information (S707). If the startup conditions in Figure 6 are registered, the OS checks whether the setting value of the print settings information JobNUpAllDocumentsContiguously is PagesPerSheet_2 or PagesPerSheet_4. If it is determined that there is matching print settings information, the process moves to S702 and the OS starts the extended application 203. In the example in Figure 6, there is only one setting with Timing set to 1, but it is also possible that the layout extension unit has multiple layout settings, each with its own setting. In that case, the OS checks all the registered information, and if there is even one match, it moves to S702 and starts the extended application 203. If, as a result of checking all the startup condition information, no matching print settings information is found, the OS terminates the startup process without starting the extended application 203. In other words, in this embodiment, if the extended application 203 is launched before the print data generation software 202 generates the print data, the extended application 203 performs editing processing on the intermediate data (input data).

[0035] Furthermore, for example, if the startup timing is determined to be after the processing of the print data generation software 202, the variable n is set to 2 in S705. Then, in S706, the item with Timing set to 2 is obtained from the registered startup condition information in Figure 6. That is, "JobPreview" and "ON" are obtained. Next, the OS checks the print setting information set by the user and compares it with the startup condition information obtained in S706 to check if there is matching print setting information (S707). If the startup condition in Figure 6 is registered, the OS checks whether the Preview setting value of the print setting information is ON. If it is determined that there is matching print setting information, the process moves to S702, and the OS starts the extended application 203. In other words, in this embodiment, if the extended application 203 is started after the print data generation software 202 has generated print data, the extended application 203 executes the preview image display process using the print data.

[0036] As described above, in this embodiment, the OS can start the extended application 203 only when the functions provided by the extended application 203 are to be used, based on the registered startup condition information. This makes it possible to reduce the performance degradation caused by the association of the extended application 203 for printing in which the user does not use the extended functions provided by the extended application 203.

[0037] In Figure 7, we described a case where three options—ON / OFF / CUSTOM—can be set as the startup setting for the extended application 203. However, the "Start Extended Application" option in Figure 3 may only be ON / OFF. In this case, the OS will not execute S703-S707. On the other hand, in Figure 7, there is also a case where only CUSTOM can be set as the startup setting for the extended application 203. In this case, the "Start Extended Application" option does not need to be present on the screen in Figure 3, and the OS will execute S702 and S703-S707 but not S701.

[0038] Furthermore, although this embodiment describes setting the startup of the extended application 203 using the screen in Figure 3, other methods are also acceptable. For example, starting the extended application 203 independently may display a screen 1000 as shown in Figure 10(A). Display item 1001 accepts the selection of the target printing device. Display item 1002 is used to display Figure 10(B). The user may also specify how to start the extended application 203 using display item 1003 in Figure 10(B). Also, if display item 1002 is selected in Figure 10(A), Figure 3 may be displayed. Note that display item 1001 in Figure 10A displays the printing devices registered in the associated print data generation software 202. If multiple printing devices are registered in the print data generation software 202, multiple printing devices will be displayed as options. In addition, if printer information is selected on the screen in Figure 10A, the status information of the selected printing device (printing device status, ink level of the printing device, etc.) will be displayed in display item 1001. The status information of the printing device may also be obtained via the print data generation software 202. Alternatively, the address information of the printing device selected in display item 1001 may be obtained from the print data generation software 202, and the extended application 203 may use the obtained address information to obtain the status information of the printing device. Furthermore, if ink ordering is selected, a web browser may be launched and a web page for printing orders may be displayed. Furthermore, if an ink model is selected, the ink information available for the printing device selected in display item 1001 may be displayed.

[0039] <Embodiment 2> In Embodiment 1, print setting information that serves as a startup condition is registered, and the OS starts the extended application 203 only when the corresponding print setting information is set, thereby realizing that the extended application 203 is started only when the user needs the extended function. However, in Embodiment 1, at each startup timing, it is necessary to compare the registered startup condition with the print setting information set by the user, which results in a time-consuming setting verification process. In particular, the more startup conditions that are set, the longer it takes for the OS to determine whether the print setting information matches the startup condition. Therefore, this embodiment proposes a method to reduce the time required to decide whether or not to start the extended application 203. In this embodiment, a common extended application startup setting is provided in the print setting information, which serves as a trigger for starting the extended application 203. Then, the print setting screen extension unit 204 of the extended application 203 instructs startup by changing the extended application startup setting based on the print setting information set by the user. The extended application 203 is provided by each vendor, but the aforementioned extended application startup setting is set commonly for the extended application 203 from any vendor. This means that the OS launching the extended application 203 only needs to refer to the extended application launch settings within the print settings information, for example. As a result, the amount of information the OS needs to refer to can be reduced, thus shortening the time it takes to decide whether or not to launch the extended application 203.

[0040] Figure 8 is an example flowchart showing the process for setting the extended application launch settings using the print settings screen extension unit 204. Note that Figure 8 may be executed when the OK button is pressed on the screen in Figure 3, or it may be executed each time the print settings information is changed on the screen in Figure 3.

[0041] Here, two extended application launch settings are provided: LaunchExtendAppBefore, which indicates that the extended application 203 should be launched before the print data generation software 202, and LaunchExtendAppLater, which indicates that the extended application 203 should be launched after the print data generation software 202. Each extended application launch setting can be set to ON or OFF, and setting it to ON indicates that the extended application 203 will be launched at the corresponding timing. In this embodiment, there are two settings to determine whether to launch before or after the print data generation software 202, but a configuration that uses a single setting and determines whether to launch before or after based on the setting value is also conceivable. In that case, the setting value needs to have three values: launch before the print data generation software 202 / launch after the print data generation software 202 / do not launch. Also, if the extended application 203 is launched only before or after the print data generation software 202, it is possible to determine this using the ON / OFF of a single setting value.

[0042] First, the print settings screen extension unit 204 checks whether the print settings information set by the user includes a setting to use the layout extension unit 205 (S801). If the user wants to start the system under the same conditions as the registration information shown in Figure 6, the print settings screen extension unit 204 checks whether 2-page printing or 4-page printing is set in the layout settings.

[0043] If it is determined that print settings information exists that uses the layout extension unit 205, the print settings screen extension unit 204 sets the LaunchExtendAppBefore setting to ON (S802).

[0044] Next, the print settings screen extension unit 204 checks whether the print settings information set by the user includes a setting to use the preview unit 206 (S803). If the user wants to launch the application under the same conditions as the registration information shown in Figure 6, the print settings screen extension unit 204 checks whether the print preview setting is set to ON. If it is determined that there is print settings information that uses the preview unit 206, the print settings screen extension unit 204 sets the LaunchExtendAppLater setting to ON (S804). This allows the appropriate extended application launch settings to be made according to the print settings information set by the user.

[0045] Figure 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the startup process for the extended application 203 in Embodiment 2. The OS starts the extended application 203 at an appropriate time based on the extended application startup settings set by the print settings screen extension unit 204. In this embodiment, the startup of the extended application is described as being handled by the OS, but in reality, a configuration in which the OS has its own startup module is conceivable.

[0046] Note that the processing when S901 in Figure 9 is determined to be ON or OFF is the same as in Figure 7, so the explanation will be omitted, and the process from S903 onwards when CUSTOM is set will be explained.

[0047] If the startup setting for the extended application 203 is CUSTOM, the OS determines whether the startup timing is before or after processing by the print data generation software 202 (S703). If it is before processing, the OS proceeds to S904; otherwise, it proceeds to S905. In S904, the OS checks whether the LaunchExtendAppBefore setting, which indicates whether to start the extended application 203 before the print data generation software 202, is set to ON. If it is set to ON, the OS starts the extended application 203. If it is set to OFF, the OS terminates the startup process without starting the extended application 203.

[0048] In S905, the OS checks whether the LaunchExtendAppLater setting, which indicates whether to launch the extended application 203 after the print data generation software 202, is set to ON. If ON is set, the OS launches the extended application 203. If OFF is set, the OS terminates the startup process without launching the extended application 203. As in Embodiment 1, the OS outputs intermediate data to the print data generation software 202 and print data to the printing device 102.

[0049] In this embodiment, part of the decision to launch the extended application 203 based on the print settings is made at the time of printing, and by setting the extended application launch settings, the load on the launch permission determination process performed by the launch module can be reduced. As a result, part of the determination process is handled at the time of print settings, and the time taken from the user's print start instruction to the completion of printing can be shortened compared to Embodiment 1.

[0050] <Other Embodiments> The above-described embodiment can also be performed by executing the following process: a recording medium containing program code for software that realizes the functions of the above-described embodiment is supplied to a system or device. The computer (or CPU or MPU) of that system or device then reads and executes the program code stored on the recording medium. This achieves the above-described objective. In this case, the program code read from the storage medium itself realizes the functions of the above-described embodiment, and the storage medium containing that program code constitutes the present invention.

[0051] For storing program code, storage media such as flexible disks, hard disks, optical disks, magneto-optical disks, CD-ROMs, CD-Rs, magnetic tapes, non-volatile memory cards, ROMs, and DVDs can be used.

[0052] Furthermore, the functionality of the aforementioned embodiment is not only realized by the execution of program code read by the computer. It also includes cases where the operating system running on the computer performs some or all of the actual processing based on the instructions of that program code, and the functionality of the aforementioned embodiment is realized through that processing.

[0053] Furthermore, the program code read from the storage medium may be written to the memory of a function expansion board inserted into a computer or a function expansion unit connected to a computer. Then, based on the instructions of that program code, the CPU or other components of the function expansion board or function expansion unit may perform some or all of the actual processing. The functions of the embodiment described above are realized through this processing. [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 102 Printing device 202 Print Data Generation Software 203 Extended Applications 204 Print Settings Screen Extension Unit 205 Layout Expansion Unit 206 Preview Units

Claims

1. An application program that supports print data generation software capable of generating print data that can be printed on printing devices of multiple vendors, and transmitting said print data to the printing devices of the multiple vendors, An application program characterized in that, when a print command is received, if a predetermined instruction is not given on a predetermined screen provided by the application program, the program does not execute a process to display a preview based on the image data to be printed on the display unit, and when a print command is received, if the predetermined instruction is given on the predetermined screen, the program causes the computer to execute a process to display on the display unit a preview based on the image data to be printed, in which at least some of the settings received by the settings screen are reflected, and a button to cancel printing based on the image data.

2. An application program that supports print data generation software capable of generating print data that can be printed on printing devices of multiple vendors and transmitting the print data to the printing devices of the multiple vendors, An application program characterized in that, when a print command is received, if a predetermined instruction has not been given on a predetermined screen provided by the application program, the program does not execute a process to display a preview based on the image data to be printed on the display unit, and when a print command is received, if the predetermined instruction has been given on the predetermined screen, the program causes the computer to execute a process to display on the display unit a preview based on the image data to be printed, in which at least some of the settings received by the settings screen are reflected, and a button to start printing based on the image data.

3. An application program that supports print data generation software capable of generating print data that can be printed on printing devices of multiple vendors and transmitting the print data to the printing devices of the multiple vendors, An application program characterized in that, when a print command is received, if a predetermined instruction has not been given on a predetermined screen provided by the application program, the program does not execute a process to display a preview based on the image data to be printed on the display unit; and when a print command is received, if the predetermined instruction has been given on the predetermined screen, the program causes the computer to execute a process to display on the display unit a preview based on the image data to be printed, in which at least some of the settings received by the settings screen are reflected, a button to start printing based on the image data, and a button to cancel printing based on the image data.

4. An application program that supports print data generation software capable of generating print data that can be printed on printing devices of multiple vendors and transmitting the print data to the printing devices of the multiple vendors, If, when a print command is received, a predetermined instruction is not given on a predetermined screen provided by the application program, the process for displaying a preview based on the image data to be printed on the display unit is not executed. If, when a print command is received, a predetermined instruction is given on the predetermined screen, the process for causing the computer to execute a process for displaying a preview based on the image data to be printed, in which at least some of the settings received by the settings screen are reflected, on the display unit. An application program characterized by causing a computer to perform a process to change the page displayed by the aforementioned preview.

5. An application program that supports print data generation software capable of generating print data that can be printed on printing devices of multiple vendors and transmitting the print data to the printing devices of the multiple vendors, If, when a print command is received, a predetermined instruction is not given on a predetermined screen provided by the application program, the process for displaying a preview based on the image data to be printed on the display unit is not executed. If, when a print command is received, a predetermined instruction is given on the predetermined screen, the process for displaying a preview based on the image data to be printed, in which at least some of the settings received by the settings screen are reflected, and an item to change the page displayed by the preview is displayed on the display unit. An application program characterized by causing a computer to perform a process for changing the page displayed by the preview by manipulating the items.

6. The application program according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the predetermined instruction is an instruction to display the preview on the display unit.

7. The application program according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that printing is performed by a printing device based on the image data and the settings set using the settings screen.

8. The application program according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that at least some of the settings include settings for a printing function that prints multiple pages on the same side of a single sheet of paper.

9. The application program according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the print data generation software is software pre-installed in the OS.

10. The application program according to claim 9, characterized in that the application program is software not included in the OS beforehand.

11. The application program according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the application program is downloaded from a server via a network.

12. The application program according to claim 11, wherein an application program corresponding to identification information obtained from a printing device is downloaded.

13. The application program according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the application program and the print data generation software are associated by the OS.

14. The application program according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the image data is in XPS format.

15. The application program according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the image data is in GDI format.

16. The application program according to any one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that it further causes the computer to perform processing to transmit the image data.

17. The application program according to any one of claims 1 to 16, characterized in that the computer further performs processing to obtain status information of the printing device using address information.

18. A computer-readable storage medium storing an application program according to any one of claims 1 to 17.

19. A control method performed by running an application program that supports print data generation software capable of generating print data that can be printed on printing devices of multiple vendors and transmitting said print data to the printing devices of the multiple vendors, A control method characterized in that, when a print command is received, if a predetermined instruction is not given on a predetermined screen provided by the application program, the computer is not made to execute a process to display a preview based on the image data to be printed on the display unit; and when a print command is received, if the predetermined instruction is given on the predetermined screen, the computer is made to execute a process to display on the display unit a preview based on the image data to be printed, in which at least some of the settings received by the settings screen are reflected, and a button to cancel printing based on the image data.

20. A control method performed by executing an application program that supports print data generation software capable of generating print data that can be printed by a plurality of vendors' printing devices and transmitting the print data to the plurality of vendors' printing devices, A control method characterized in that, when a print command is received, if a predetermined instruction is not given on a predetermined screen provided by the application program, the computer does not execute a process to display a preview based on the image data to be printed on the display unit, and when a print command is received, if the predetermined instruction is given on the predetermined screen, the computer executes a process to display on the display unit a preview based on the image data to be printed, in which at least some of the settings received by the settings screen are reflected, and a button to start printing based on the image data.

21. A control method performed by executing an application program that supports print data generation software capable of generating print data that can be printed by a plurality of vendors' printing devices and transmitting the print data to the plurality of vendors' printing devices, A control method characterized in that, when a print command is received, if a predetermined instruction is not given on a predetermined screen provided by the application program, the computer is not made to execute a process to display a preview based on the image data to be printed on the display unit; and when a print command is received, if the predetermined instruction is given on the predetermined screen, the computer is made to execute a process to display on the display unit a preview based on the image data to be printed, in which at least some of the settings received by the settings screen are reflected, a button to start printing based on the image data, and a button to cancel printing based on the image data.

22. A control method performed by executing an application program that supports print data generation software capable of generating print data that can be printed by a plurality of vendors' printing devices and transmitting the print data to the plurality of vendors' printing devices, If, when a print command is received, a predetermined instruction is not given on a predetermined screen provided by the application program, the process for displaying a preview based on the image data to be printed on the display unit is not executed. If, when a print command is received, a predetermined instruction is given on the predetermined screen, the process for displaying a preview based on the image data to be printed, in which at least some of the settings received by the settings screen are reflected, is performed on the display unit. A control method characterized by causing a computer to perform a process to change the page displayed by the preview.

23. A control method performed by executing an application program that supports print data generation software capable of generating print data that can be printed by a plurality of vendors' printing devices and transmitting the print data to the plurality of vendors' printing devices, If, when a print command is received, a predetermined instruction is not given on a predetermined screen provided by the application program, the process of displaying a preview based on the image data to be printed on the display unit is not executed. If, when a print command is received, a predetermined instruction is given on the predetermined screen, the process of displaying a preview based on the image data to be printed, in which at least some of the settings received by the settings screen are reflected, and an item to change the page displayed by the preview is displayed on the display unit. A control method characterized by causing a computer to perform a process to change the page displayed by the preview by manipulating the items.

24. An information processing apparatus having an application program that supports print data generation software capable of generating print data that can be printed on printing devices of multiple vendors and transmitting said print data to the printing devices of the multiple vendors, An information processing apparatus characterized by having a display control means that, when a print command is received, if a predetermined instruction is not given on a predetermined screen provided by the application program, does not execute a process to display a preview based on the image data to be printed on the display unit, and when a print command is received, if the predetermined instruction is given on the predetermined screen, executes the application program to perform a process to display a preview based on the image data to be printed, in which at least some of the settings received by the settings screen are reflected, and a button to cancel printing based on the image data on the display unit.

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