Printer device, client terminal, printing system, and control methods therefor, and program

Abstract

The present invention allows a user to appropriately set the paper feed direction and the image rotation angle during IPP printing. This printer device receives, from a client terminal, a print job in a format according to Internet Printing Protocol (IPP) and performs printing on the basis of the received print job. The printer device is characterized by including: a communication means for communicating with the client terminal; a control means for causing a display means to display a first guide screen presenting a combination of a paper feed direction that can be established in accordance with the paper sheet size of a paper sheet set in a paper feed mechanism and the rotation angle of an image to be printed; and a generation means for generating first information indicating a combination of the paper feed direction and the rotation angle determined via the first guide screen. The printer device is also characterized in that the communication means transmits, in response to a request from the client terminal, the first information generated by the generation means.

Description

Printing device, client terminal, printing system, and control method and program thereof

[0001] The present invention relates to a printing system that uses IPP.

[0002] In recent years, printing systems have become commonplace in which, when submitting a print job from an information processing device such as a PC or mobile terminal to a printing device, a general-purpose printing protocol built into the information processing device's operating system is used, rather than via a dedicated printer driver provided by the vendor. The Internet Printing Protocol (IPP) is known as an example of a standard-based printing protocol (standard protocol) in such general-purpose printing systems. In printing systems using this IPP, IPP-compliant Print Description Languages ​​(PDLs), such as PWG-Raster and PDF, are used to instruct the printer to print. For example, in the case of PWG-Raster, the terminal is responsible for appropriately rotating the original image to be printed to match the paper feed direction supported by the printer's paper feed tray, converting it into a raster image for printing, and sending it to the printer. Non-Patent Document 1 defines a method for constructing database information based on a combination of paper size, paper type, paper feed tray, paper feed direction, and image rotation angle as a printer capability response, and then acquiring this database information from the terminal via IPP.

[0003] “PWG5100.7-2023 IPP Job Extensions v2.1”, The Printer Working Group, 2023, p. 39

[0004] For example, when printing on an envelope, there are patterns for writing the address side vertically and patterns for writing it horizontally, and furthermore, depending on the printer specifications, the envelope may be fed with the flap at the front or rear end, or the long edge first. When there are multiple combinations of paper feed direction and image rotation angle when printing like this, it was difficult for the user to set the appropriate paper feed direction and image rotation angle for the target printer.

[0005] The printing device according to the present disclosure is a printing device that receives a print job in a format conforming to IPP (Internet Printing Protocol) from a client terminal and performs printing based on the received print job, and is characterized in that it has a communication means for communicating with the client terminal, a control means for causing a display means to display a first guide screen that presents combinations of paper feed directions and rotation angles of the image to be printed that can be achieved for the paper size of paper set in a paper feed mechanism, and a generation means for generating first information that indicates the combination of paper feed directions and rotation angles determined via the first guide screen, and the communication means transmits the first information generated by the generation means in response to a request from the client terminal.

[0006] According to the technology disclosed herein, a user can appropriately set the paper feed direction and image rotation angle when using an IPP printing system.

[0007] Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0008] Figure showing an example of the configuration of a printing system using IPP. Block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a client terminal. Figure showing the hardware configuration of a printing device. Figures showing the hardware configuration of a printing device (a) to (c) are diagrams explaining the flow when feeding a long envelope from the rear tray and printing. Figures showing the paper orientation when setting a long envelope in the rear tray (a) to (d) are diagrams explaining the flow when feeding a square envelope from the manual feed tray and printing. Table explaining the combinations of paper feed direction and image rotation angle for general paper. Table explaining the combinations of paper feed direction and image rotation angle for various envelopes. Example of an IPP attribute response packet for media database information. Example of an IPP attribute response packet for paper feed completion information. Paper feed completion An example of an IPP attribute response packet for completion information. A flowchart showing the process flow for setting paper in the target printer when paper is set first. An example of media database information. (a) and (b) are examples of guide screens for correctly setting the paper feed direction. A flowchart showing the process flow when making print settings with a driver on a client terminal. An example of a print setting screen. An example of a print setting screen. A flowchart showing the process flow for setting paper in the target printer when a print job is received. (a) to (c) are an example of a guide screen for appropriately setting paper in the printing device. An example of a response packet for media database information according to variant 1. An example of a packet when sending PDL data according to variant 2.

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the technology of the present disclosure, and all configurations described in the following embodiments are not necessarily required for solving the problems. [Embodiment 1] <System Configuration> FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example configuration of a printing system using IPP (Internet Printing Protocol) according to this embodiment. The printing system of FIG. 1 includes a PC terminal 100 as a client terminal, a mobile terminal 200, printing devices 300 and 400 as printers, and a communication network 500 connecting these devices. The communication network 500 includes the Internet. The PC terminal 100 communicates with the printing devices 300 / 400 via a wired LAN and a router included in the communication network 500. The mobile terminal 200 communicates with the printing devices 300 / 400 via a wireless access point included in the communication network 500.

[0010] Printing device 300 has a cassette 310 and a rear tray 312 as a paper feed mechanism, and is capable of feeding envelopes from rear tray 312. Here, envelopes can only be fed from the short side when fed from rear tray 312. On the other hand, printing device 400 has a cassette 410 and a manual feed tray 412 as a paper feed mechanism, and is capable of feeding envelopes from manual feed tray 412. Here, envelopes can be fed from manual feed tray 412 from either the short side or the long side.

[0011] When printing using IPP (hereinafter referred to as "IPP printing"), the user starts the OS standard print driver of the terminal and acquires information about each printer on the communication network to determine the differences in the paper feeding capabilities of the printers as described above. Based on the acquired information, the OS standard print driver then performs print settings, rotates the original image to be printed appropriately as necessary, generates a raster image for printing, and sends it to the printer.

[0012] In this embodiment, IPP printing is performed on an envelope that has a flap and can be addressed in multiple directions (vertical and horizontal writing) using the printing device 300 or the printing device 400. Note that this embodiment will be described using an example in which IPP is used as the communication protocol, but the present invention is not limited to this and can also be applied to printing services that use other general-purpose printing protocols such as WSD (Web Services on Devices).

[0013] <Hardware Configuration> Figures 2 to 4 are diagrams showing examples of the hardware configuration of each device that constitutes the printing system of Figure 1. The hardware configuration of each device will be described below.

[0014] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a client terminal common to the PC terminal 100 and the mobile terminal 200. The CPU 101 reads programs from the ROM 102, internal storage device 104, and external storage device 105, loads them into the RAM 103, and controls the overall operation of the terminal via the system bus 109. The ROM 102 stores the CPU 101's control program and other programs. The RAM 103 temporarily stores programs and image data, providing a work area for high-speed terminal processing. The internal storage device 104 and external storage device 105 store an operating system (OS), various application programs, image data, and other programs. An OS standard print driver (hereinafter simply referred to as "driver") is initially installed on the PC terminal 100 and the mobile terminal 200. The operation unit 106 controls, for example, a keyboard or mouse in the PC terminal 100, or a touch panel in the mobile terminal 200, to receive instructions from the user. The display unit 107 is, for example, an LCD display that presents various information to the user. The communication unit 108 connects to the communication network 500, connects to an Internet provider, and performs data communication with the printing device 300 and the printing device 400. Note that with regard to connection to the communication network 500 and security, well-known methods such as mDNS, HTTP, IPP, and TLS are used.

[0015] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the printing device 300. The CPU 301 reads programs from the ROM 302 or internal storage device 313, loads them into the RAM 303, and controls the overall operation of the printing device 300 via the system bus 315. The ROM 302 stores data such as control programs executed by the CPU 301, data tables, and an embedded operating system (OS) program. The CPU 301 controls software execution, such as scheduling, task switching, and interrupt processing, under the management of the embedded OS stored in the ROM 302. The RAM 303 is composed of static random access memory (SRAM) or the like, and data is maintained by a primary battery (not shown) for data backup. The RAM 303 stores program control variables and other data that must not be erased. The image memory 304 is composed of dynamic random access memory (DRAM) or the like, and stores image data. A portion of the image memory 304 is used as a work area for executing software processing. The data conversion unit 305 performs necessary conversion processing on the input image data, such as analyzing the page description language (PDL) and CG rendering of character data. The PDL may be any IPP-compliant PDL, such as PWG-Raster, PDF, JPEG, or PCL. Among these IPP-compliant PDLs, there are rotation-compatible types, such as PDF, which can include image rotation specifications, and rotation-incompatible types, such as PWG-Raster, which cannot include image rotation specifications. Therefore, if the target printer only supports the latter rotation-incompatible PDL, the terminal must convert the original image into a raster image with the appropriate rotation and provide it to the printer. The various processes disclosed in this embodiment are based on the assumption that there are two different types of PDL formats used in IPP printing: rotation-compatible and rotation-incompatible. The reading control unit 306 performs various image processing, such as binarization and halftoning, on the image signal obtained by the reading unit 308 optically scanning the document and converting it into electrical image data via an image processing control unit (not shown), outputting high-resolution image data.The display / operation unit 308 is composed of the minimum necessary keys, such as numeric input keys, mode setting keys, a confirm key, and a cancel key, as well as LEDs (light-emitting diodes) and a 7-segment display, and presents information to the user and accepts instruction input. The print control unit 309 converts the image data to be printed into high-resolution image data by performing various image processing, such as smoothing, density correction, and color correction, via an image processing control unit (not shown), and outputs the image data to the printing unit 311. The cassette 310 is composed of one cassette containing paper of a predetermined size, and paper is fed from the cassette corresponding to the paper size specified in the print job. The cassette is equipped with a paper presence / absence sensor that detects whether paper is loaded and a paper width sensor that detects the width of the loaded paper. The rear tray 312 is also equipped with a paper presence / absence sensor and a paper width sensor. Regardless of the paper size, the cassette 310 and rear tray 312 are limited to feeding paper only from the short edge of the paper; feeding from the long edge of the paper is not supported. Depending on the printer specifications, the rear tray 312 may not be equipped with a paper width sensor. In that case, when the paper presence sensor detects paper, a list of paper sizes may be displayed on the display operation unit 307, and the user may specify the paper size that has been set by the printer itself. The communication control unit 314 connects to the communication network 500 and controls communications such as connections to an Internet provider. Note that well-known methods such as mDNS, HTTP, IPP, and TLS are used for connection to the communication network 500 and security. The internal storage device 313 is, for example, an HDD, and is used to store size information and image data of paper set in the cassette 310 and rear tray 312, for example.

[0016] 4 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the printing device 400. The printing device 400 and the printing device 300 share much of the same hardware configuration. A description of the common hardware configuration will be omitted, but the main differences are the cassette 410, the manual feed tray 412, and the finishing device 415, which are outlined below.

[0017] The cassette 410 included in the printing device 400 is a multi-tiered system consisting of multiple cassettes, and each cassette can be loaded with different sizes of paper. The manual feed tray 412 is located on the right side of the printing device 400 when viewed from the front, and can also accommodate paper feeding from the long edge. Paper can only be fed from the short edge of the paper from each cassette that makes up the cassette 410; feeding from the long edge is not supported. On the other hand, the manual feed tray 412 can accommodate paper feeding from either the long or short edge. The finishing device 415 is a mechanism that performs finishing processes such as stapling, folding, and hole punching on printed paper.

[0018] <IPP Printing Flow> Next, the flow of IPP printing using the PWG-Raster format for PDL will be described for each of the printing apparatuses 300 and 400, taking as an example the case of printing an address on an envelope.

[0019] <<In the case of the printing device 300>> Figures 5(a) to 5(c) show possible patterns when feeding and printing on a No. 4 long envelope from the rear tray 312 of the printing device 300. As mentioned above, when using the rear tray 312 of the printing device 300, the paper feed direction is limited to the short edge. When printing on an envelope, the paper feed direction is also limited for the flap portion, as shown in Figures 5(a) to 5(c). In other words, it is not possible to feed the envelope with the flap portion at the leading edge of the paper, and the user must load the envelope so that the flap portion is positioned at the rear end of the rear tray 312.

[0020] FIG. 5A illustrates the printing process for writing an address vertically on the front of an envelope. The original image of the address character string is portrait. The terminal driver must then rotate the original image to the appropriate orientation (i.e., the characters face forward when the envelope's flap is facing up), convert it into a raster image, and send it to the printing device 300. Because the envelope must always be fed so that its flap is positioned at the rear end relative to the rear tray 312, the driver rotates the portrait original image 180 degrees and inverts it, sending PDL data for a portrait raster image to the printing device 300. The user then places the envelope in the rear tray 312 of the printing device 300 with the flap positioned at the rear end. As a result, the orientation of the envelope fed from the rear tray 312 and the orientation of the raster image are correctly aligned, resulting in the printing results intended by the user.

[0021] Figure 5(b) shows the printing process for writing an address horizontally on the front of an envelope, with the flap of the envelope facing left when viewed head-on. The original image of the address character string is landscape. The terminal driver must then rotate the original image to the appropriate orientation (i.e., tilt the characters 90 degrees clockwise when the envelope flap is facing up), convert it into a raster image, and send it to the printing device 300. Because the envelope must always be fed so that its flap is positioned at the rear end relative to the rear tray 312, the driver sends PDL data for a portrait raster image, which is a portrait-oriented raster image obtained by rotating the landscape original image 90 degrees to the left, to the printing device 300. The user then loads the envelope into the rear tray 312 of the printing device 300 with the flap at the rear end. As a result, the orientation of the envelope fed from the rear tray 312 and the orientation of the raster image are correctly aligned, resulting in the printing results intended by the user.

[0022] Figure 5(c) shows the printing process for writing an address horizontally on the front of an envelope, with the flap of the envelope facing right when viewed head-on. The original image of the address character string is landscape. The terminal driver must then rotate the original image to the appropriate orientation (i.e., tilt the characters 90 degrees counterclockwise when the envelope's flap is facing up), convert it into a raster image, and send it to the printing device 300. Because the envelope must always be fed so that its flap is positioned at the rear end relative to the rear tray 312, the driver sends PDL data for a portrait raster image, which is a portrait-oriented raster image obtained by rotating the landscape original image 90 degrees to the right, to the printing device 300. The user then loads the envelope into the rear tray 312 of the printing device 300 with the flap at the rear end. As a result, the orientation of the envelope fed from the rear tray 312 and the orientation of the raster image are correctly aligned, resulting in the printing results intended by the user.

[0023] As described above, in all of the patterns shown in Figures 5(a) to 5(c), the orientation of the raster image in the PDL data received by the printing device 300 will be portrait. The IPP layer does not contain information that allows the driver to determine how the original image has been rotated. Therefore, the terminal driver writes information about the paper feed direction and image rotation angle into the header information of the PDL data before sending it. Based on the header information of the received PDL data, the printing device 300 determines which of the cases shown in Figures 5(a) to 5(c) applies in order to print in the correct orientation.

[0024] <<In the case of the printing device 400>> Figures 6(a) to 6(d) show possible patterns when feeding and printing on a square No. 2 envelope from the manual feed tray 312 of the printing device 400. As mentioned above, when using the manual feed tray 412 of the printing device 400, the paper can be fed from either the short side or the long side. It is also possible to feed the envelope with the flap positioned at the leading edge of the manual feed tray 412, or to eject the envelope with the flap positioned at the trailing edge. Here, we will only explain the case where the original image of the character string that will become the addressee is portrait-oriented, but printing will be performed in a similar manner when the original image is landscape-oriented.

[0025] FIG. 6A illustrates the printing process when an envelope is fed from its short edge to the manual feed tray 412 with the flap facing up when the printed address is viewed head-on. The original image of the character string that will become the address is portrait. The terminal driver must then rotate the original image to the appropriate orientation (i.e., the orientation so that the characters face forward when the envelope is facing flap-up), convert it into a raster image, and send it to the printing device 300. To feed the envelope to the manual feed tray 412 with the flap facing down, the driver rotates the portrait original image 180 degrees and inverts it, sending PDL data of a portrait raster image to the printing device 400. The user then places the envelope in the manual feed tray 412 of the printing device 400 with the flap facing down. As a result, the orientation of the envelope fed from the manual feed tray 412 and the orientation of the raster image are correctly aligned, resulting in the printing results that the user intended.

[0026] FIG. 6B shows the printing flow when an envelope is fed from its short edge to the manual feed tray 412 with the flap at the top when the printed address is viewed head-on. Because the envelope is fed to the manual feed tray 412 with the flap at the top, the driver converts the portrait-oriented original image directly (image rotation angle: 0 degrees) into a raster image and sends the PDL data to the printing device 400. The user then loads the envelope into the manual feed tray 412 of the printing device 400 with the flap at the top. As a result, the orientation of the envelope fed from the manual feed tray 412 and the orientation of the raster image are correctly aligned, resulting in the print result as intended by the user. Note that, unlike the case of FIG. 6A, the printing start position of the original image is offset by the width of the flap. Therefore, the flap may be folded inward for printing.

[0027] 6C shows the printing flow when the envelope is fed into the manual feed tray 412 long edge first with the flap facing to the right of the paper feed direction, with the flap facing up when the printed address is viewed head-on. In this case, because the envelope is fed with the flap facing up relative to the paper feed direction, which is to the left in the figure, the driver sends PDL data for a landscape raster image in which the portrait original image is rotated 90 degrees to the right to the printer 400. The user then loads the envelope into the manual feed tray 412 of the printer 400 with the flap facing to the right of the paper feed direction. As a result, the orientation of the envelope fed from the manual feed tray 412 and the orientation of the raster image are correctly aligned, resulting in the printout that the user intended.

[0028] 6(d) shows the printing flow when the envelope is fed into the manual feed tray 412 long edge first with the flap facing left in the paper feed direction, with the flap facing up when the printed address is viewed head-on. In this case, because the envelope is fed with the flap facing down relative to the paper feed direction, which is to the left in the drawing, the driver sends PDL data for a landscape raster image in which the portrait original image is rotated 90 degrees to the left to the printer 400. The user then loads the envelope into the manual feed tray 412 of the printer 400 with the flap facing left in the paper feed direction. As a result, the orientation of the envelope fed from the manual feed tray 412 and the orientation of the raster image are correctly aligned, resulting in the print result as intended by the user.

[0029] <Operating Conditions During Printing> Figures 7 and 8 are tables summarizing the operating conditions during printing in the printing device 300 / 400. Figure 7 is a table for A4 and Letter, which are typical examples of common paper, and Figure 8 is a table for No. 4 long envelopes, No. 2 square envelopes, and DL envelopes, which are typical examples of envelopes. In the tables of Figures 7 and 8, a "o" mark indicates compatibility, and an "x" mark indicates incompatibility. Media database information, described below, is generated based on the combinations of compatible items shown in these tables.

[0030] First, four items included in the tables of FIGS. 7 and 8, "paper feed mechanism," "original image orientation," "paper feed direction," and "image rotation angle," will be described.

[0031] "Paper feed mechanism" indicates the contents of the paper feed means provided in each printer, and it is shown that printing device 300 has cassette 310 and rear tray 312, and printing device 400 has cassette 410 and manual feed tray 412. Note that because the paper feed tray (rear tray 312 or manual feed tray 412) is used exclusively when printing on envelopes, the cassette is omitted from the "paper feed mechanism" in the table of Figure 8.

[0032] "Original image orientation" indicates the orientation of the original image referenced as the file to be printed on the print settings screen displayed when the driver is started, and can take the value "Portrait" or "Landscape." For example, if the file to be printed is a photograph, and the user selects "Landscape" on the print settings screen, the original image of the photograph is previewed in landscape orientation. In this case, if the orientation of the original image is initially saved as "Portrait," and "Landscape" is selected on the print settings screen, the image will be rotated 90 degrees to the left when previewed.

[0033] "Feed direction" indicates the orientation of paper or envelopes when feeding, depending on the printer's paper feeding mechanism, and can be "short-edge-first" or "long-edge-first."

[0034] "Image rotation angle" indicates the image rotation angle when PDL data is sent from the terminal in a rotation-incompatible PDL format (e.g., PWG-Raster). Possible attribute values ​​are 0 degrees (portrait), 180 degrees (reverse-portrait), 90 degrees left (landscape), and 90 degrees right (reverse-landscape).

[0035] <<A4 or Letter>> When printing on "A4" or "Letter" paper, once the "original image orientation" is determined, a single combination of "paper feed direction" and "image rotation angle" is determined for either cassette 310 or rear tray 312 of printing device 300. For example, when the paper used is "A4" and the "original image orientation" is "landscape," rear tray 312 only supports paper feeding from the short edge (see FIG. 7). Therefore, the "image rotation angle" in this case is determined to be "90 degrees left" (see FIG. 7).

[0036] The same is true for the printing device 400. For both the cassette 410 and the manual feed tray 412, if the paper size is "A4" or "Letter," once the "original image orientation" is determined, one combination of "paper feed direction" and "image rotation angle" is determined. For example, if the paper used is "A4" and the "original image orientation" is "landscape," the manual feed tray 412 only supports paper feeding from the long edge (see FIG. 7). Therefore, the "image rotation angle" in this case is determined to be one value: "0 degrees."

[0037] <<In the case of envelopes>> When printing on "long size No. 4," "square size No. 2," or "DL envelopes," the "original image orientation" is determined, but this does not necessarily mean that there is only one combination of "paper feed direction" and "image rotation angle" for either the printing device 300 or the printing device 400. In this embodiment, the printing device 300 has the following three combinations:

[0038] 1) Original image orientation: portrait, paper fed from short edge, rotation angle: 180 degrees 2) Original image orientation: landscape, paper fed from short edge, rotation angle: 90 degrees to the left 3) Original image orientation: landscape, paper fed from short edge, rotation angle: 90 degrees to the right And in the case of printing device 400, there are the following eight combinations.

[0039] 1) Original image orientation: portrait, paper feed from short edge, rotation angle: 180 degrees 2) Original image orientation: portrait, paper feed from short edge, rotation angle: 0 degrees 3) Original image orientation: portrait, paper feed from long edge, rotation angle: 90 degrees to the right 4) Original image orientation: portrait, paper feed from long edge, rotation angle: 90 degrees to the left 5) Original image orientation: landscape, paper feed from short edge, rotation angle: 90 degrees to the left 6) Original image orientation: landscape, paper feed from short edge, rotation angle: 90 degrees to the right 7) Original image orientation: landscape, paper feed from long edge, rotation angle: 0 degrees 8) Original image orientation: landscape, paper feed from long edge, rotation angle: 180 degrees For example, consider the case of printing on a No. 4 long envelope using rear tray 312 of printing device 300. In this case, even if the "original image orientation" is set to "landscape" and the "paper feed direction" is set to "feed from the short edge," there are still two possibilities for the "image rotation angle": "90 degrees left" and "90 degrees right." This means that when the driver generates a print job in an IPP format, even if the "paper size," "paper feed mechanism," "original image orientation," and "paper feed direction" are all determined, the "image rotation angle" cannot be narrowed down to one.

[0040] <Printer Capability Response> Next, a description will be given of the packet sent when the printing device 300 / 400 responds with its capabilities. FIG. 9 shows an example of an IPP attribute response packet for media database information from the printing device 300, with a portion of the packet excerpted. FIGS. 10A and 10B show an example of an IPP attribute response packet for paper feed completion information from the printing device 300. IPP defines two attributes: a media database (media-col-database) and a paper feed completion (media-col-ready). Each attribute defines a media feed property (media-source-properties) attribute. The media feed property attributes further include a paper feed direction (media-source-feed-direction) attribute and an image rotation (media-source-feed-orientation) attribute. In this case, the paper feed direction attribute can have values ​​of "long edge (long-edge-first)" or "short edge (short-edge-first)." The image rotation attribute can have the following attribute values: "0 degrees (portrait)", "180 degrees (reverse-portrait)", "90 degrees left (landscape)", and "90 degrees right (reverse-landscape)".

[0041] The media database information capability response using the response packet shown in FIG. 9 is made regardless of whether paper is actually set in the paper feed mechanism. Therefore, it can be said to be a static database information response. In contrast, the paper feed completion information capability response using the response packet shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B is made by extracting the type and size of paper actually set in the paper feed mechanism, as well as the paper feed direction and image rotation angle corresponding to the set paper. Therefore, it can be said to be a dynamic database information response. The description content in the paper feed completion information is usually a narrowed-down version of the description content of the media database information.

[0042] <<Media Database Information Response Packet>> In the example media database information response packet in FIG. 9, only the information about the No. 4 long envelope and A4 size envelopes from the rear tray 312 is described, and the remaining information is omitted. Looking at the description about the No. 4 long envelope, the only attribute value for the paper feed direction (media-source-feed-direction) in the media supply properties (media-source-properties) is "Short-Edge-First." This is consistent with the content described in the table in FIG. 7 above. Meanwhile, the attribute values ​​for the image rotation (media-source-feed-orientation) in the media supply properties (media-source-properties) are described as "reverse-portrait(6)," "landscape(4)," and "reverse-landscape(5)." This also is consistent with the content described in the table in FIG. 7 above. Note that the values ​​in parentheses are values ​​that correspond one-to-one with the respective contents, as defined in the IPP specifications of the PWG standard.

[0043] <<Paper Feed Completion Information Response Packet>> The difference between the response packet shown in FIG. 10A and the response packet shown in FIG. 10B is whether a No. 4 long envelope was loaded in rear tray 312 at the time the paper feed completion information capability response was sent. In the example response packet shown in FIG. 10A, the attribute value for paper feed direction (media-source-feed-direction) is only "Short-Edge-First," and the attribute value for image rotation (media-source-feed-orientation) is only "reverse-portrait." In other words, the combination of paper feed direction and image rotation angle is narrowed down to one. In contrast, the example response packet shown in FIG. 10B does not narrow it down to one. First, the attribute value for paper feed direction (media-source-feed-direction) is also only "Short-Edge-First." However, the attribute value for image rotation (media-source-feed-orientation) is described as three values: "reverse-portrait," "landscape," and "reverse-landscape." In other words, when a print job has been sent but a No. 4 long envelope has not yet been set in rear tray 312, there will be multiple possible combinations of paper feed direction and image rotation angle in the capability response.

[0044] <IPP Printing Processing Flow> When actually performing IPP printing, there are two cases: one where paper is loaded into the target printer and then printing is instructed using the driver, and another where printing is instructed using the driver first and then paper is loaded into the target printer. The processing flow for each case is explained below.

[0045] <<Paper Loading First, Print Instructions Issued Later>> Figure 11 is a flowchart showing the process flow for loading paper in the target printer when paper is loaded prior to sending a print job. This flow is realized by the CPU 301 / 401 of the printing device 300 / 400 reading a specific program from the ROM 302 / 402, loading it into the RAM 303 / 403, and executing it. Note that in the following explanation, the symbol "S" denotes a step. Also, in the following explanation, the rear tray 312 of the printing device 300 and the manual feed tray 412 of the printing device 400 will be collectively referred to as the "paper feed tray."

[0046] In S1101, a paper presence / absence detection sensor detects that paper has been set in a cassette or paper feed tray, which is a paper feed mechanism.

[0047] In S1102, the width of the set paper is detected by a paper width sensor in the paper feed mechanism that has detected that paper has been set.

[0048] In S1103, it is determined based on the detected paper width whether there are multiple paper size candidates that the device can support. For example, the short side of A4 and the long side of A5 are both 210 mm, so if the detected paper width is 210 mm, there is a possibility that A5 paper was loaded long-side first, or that A4 paper was loaded short-side first, resulting in multiple paper size candidates. In this way, both cases are assumed, where the long side is facing the paper width sensor, and where the short side is facing first. If it is not possible to determine which case is the case based on the detected paper width alone, the process proceeds to S1104. On the other hand, if there is only one paper size that can be inferred from the detected paper width (for example, if the paper width is 216 mm, there is no candidate other than letter size), the process proceeds to S1105. In addition, in the case of a specification in which the paper feed direction is limited to only the short side, such as the printing device 300 of this embodiment, for example, it is possible to clearly indicate on the paper feed tray itself that the paper feed direction is only the short side, and in this step, the judgment can be made excluding the paper width when paper is fed from the long side.

[0049] In S1104, a selection screen is displayed that allows the user to select the size (i.e., paper orientation) of the actually loaded paper from among the paper size candidates estimated from the detected paper width. Here, the printing device 300 of this embodiment does not support long-edge feeding. In such a case, a warning mark "!" may be displayed along with the paper size that corresponds to long-edge feeding. If the user selects an incompatible paper size despite the warning, a message such as "The paper size is invalid. Please load the paper in the correct orientation" may be displayed. When a supported paper size is selected from the paper size candidates, the process proceeds to S1105.

[0050] In S1105, the media database information is referenced to obtain media information matching the size of the loaded paper. Here, the media database information is assumed to be generated and initialized, for example, when the printer is turned on and pre-stored in the internal storage device 313. Figure 12 shows an example of the media database information for the printing device 300. For each paper size supported by the printing device 300, information on paper width, paper length, paper feed mechanism, paper feed direction, image rotation angle, and paper type is specified. Here, "plain paper" is registered as a paper type for No. 4 envelopes in addition to "envelope" for user convenience when printing envelopes. Also, some operating systems may not treat "envelope" as a paper type, and even in such cases, "plain paper" may be registered as the envelope paper type. If a No. 4 envelope is loaded in the rear tray 312 of the printing device 300, the media database information in Figure 12 is searched for "paper size = No. 4 envelope," and records No. 1 through No. 6 are extracted.

[0051] In S1106, the content of the next guide screen display to be executed is determined based on the record extracted from the media database information in S1105. Specifically, if there are multiple possible "combinations of paper feed direction and image rotation angle" identified from the extracted record, the process proceeds to S1107, and if there is only one combination, the process proceeds to S1108. In the case where a No. 4 long envelope is set in the rear tray 312 of the printing device 300 described above, the following three combinations exist, so the process proceeds to S1107.

[0052] Combination 1: Paper feed direction = short-edge-first, rotation angle = reverse-portrait; Combination 2: Paper feed direction = short-edge-first, rotation angle = landscape; Combination 3: Paper feed direction = short-edge-first, rotation angle = reverse-landscape. In S1107, a guide screen for correctly setting the paper feed direction and image rotation angle is displayed on the operation display unit of the target printer, with multiple possible "combinations of paper feed direction and image rotation angle" as options. Figure 13A shows an example of a guide screen for correctly setting the combination of paper feed direction and image rotation angle, including the orientation of the envelope flap, from the three combinations described above. In the guide screen of Figure 13A, a thick arrow 1300 indicates the direction (paper feed direction) when loading paper. The user can operate the left and right arrow buttons 1301 on the guide screen to move a dashed-line frame 1302 and select the desired "combination of paper feed direction and image rotation angle" from the options. In the guide screen of FIG. 13( a), the letters "P" and "L" in each envelope-like design are the initials of "Portrait" and "Landscape," respectively. The orientation of these letters on the screen indicates the image rotation angle for each option. As long as the user can grasp the required image rotation angle, illustrations of sentences or landscapes may be used instead of the initial letters. After completing the selection, the user presses the OK button 1303 on the guide screen, and the process proceeds to S1109.

[0053] In S1108, a guide screen for correctly setting the paper feed direction and image rotation angle according to one possible "combination of paper feed direction and image rotation angle" is displayed on the operation display unit of the target printer. FIG. 13B is an example of a guide screen for correctly setting the paper feed direction, including the orientation of the envelope flap. If there is only one combination of paper feed direction and image rotation angle, a guide screen illustrating the appropriate paper feed direction is displayed. When the user confirms that the paper is loaded correctly and presses the OK button 1304, the process transitions to S1109. On the other hand, if the user presses the Cancel button 1305, this process is interrupted.

[0054] In S1109, paper feed completion information is generated based on the user's operation (selection operation or confirmation operation) received via the operation display unit. If a guide screen with options is displayed, the selection value based on the user's selection operation is obtained, and paper feed completion information is generated by narrowing down the description contents of the media database information. In the example guide screen shown in FIG. 13(a) above, the dashed-line frame 1302 is positioned to surround the central envelope design. If the OK button 1303 is pressed in this state, paper feed completion information is generated that narrows down the above-mentioned "combination 1 to combination 3" to "combination 2."

[0055] The above is the content of the processing in the target printer when paper is set first.

[0056] Next, we will explain print settings when issuing a print instruction from a terminal to a target printer. FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing the process flow for setting print settings using a driver in the PC terminal 100 or the mobile terminal 200. Prior to starting this flow, the driver detects surrounding printers using mDNS via the communication network 500 and performs the initial settings required to use the detected printer. Specifically, the driver acquires the response packet for the media database information described above, registers an instance of a print icon, and registers IPP port information and print property information for OS standard printing. The acquired media database information is stored and maintained in the internal storage device 104. This flow is implemented by the CPU 101 of the PC terminal 100 / mobile terminal 200 reading a specific program from the ROM 102, expanding it into the RAM 103, and executing it. In the following explanation, the symbol "S" denotes a step.

[0057] In S1401, the driver is started, and a print setting screen is displayed on the display unit 107 so that the user can issue a print instruction for a document file created by a document creation / image editing application or the like.

[0058] In S1402, the latest information for using the target printer is obtained by IPP communication via communication network 500. Specifically, in order to obtain a capability response regarding whether or not paper has been loaded in the detected printer, the response packet for the paper feed completion information described above is obtained.

[0059] In S1403, it is determined whether or not the paper feed completion information was successfully acquired from the target printer. For example, if a response packet for the paper feed completion information was requested but the IPP communication failed, or if paper was not loaded and the paper feed completion information was empty, it is determined that the acquisition of the paper feed completion information failed. If paper has been loaded in the target printer and the paper feed completion information was successfully acquired, the process proceeds to S1404, and if it failed, the process proceeds to S1405.

[0060] In S1404, the acquired paper feed completion information is referenced, and in S1405, media database information stored and held in advance is referenced.

[0061] Here, if the PDL type available to the target printer is a rotation-incompatible type, such as PWG-Raster, then as described above, the terminal side must rotate the original image to the appropriate orientation, convert it into a raster image, and then transmit the PDL data. Therefore, in S1406, the next process to be executed is determined based on whether the PDL type available to the target printer is rotation-compatible or rotation-incompatible. If the PDL type available to the target printer is a rotation-incompatible PDL, the process proceeds to S1407. On the other hand, if the PDL type available to the target printer is a rotation-compatible PDL, the process proceeds to S1409.

[0062] In S1407, it is determined whether there are multiple possible "combinations of paper feed direction and image rotation angle" based on the paper feed completion information referenced in S1404 or the media database information referenced in S1405. When the determination is made based on the paper feed completion information, the number of possible "combinations of paper feed direction and image rotation angle" for the paper size detected in the target printer is counted. If the result of the determination shows that there are two or more possible "combinations of paper feed direction and image rotation angle," the process proceeds to S1408; if there is only one possible "combination of paper feed direction and image rotation angle," the process proceeds to S1409.

[0063] In S1408, options for a predetermined item on the currently displayed print setting screen are displayed based on two or more possible combinations. Specifically, options for each item such as "print orientation" and "image rotation angle" are displayed based on the setting values ​​selected / input by the user and the paper feed completion information or media database information acquired from the target printer.

[0064] In S1409, the setting values ​​for each item are acquired, and a preview image generated based on those setting values ​​is displayed. The user can visually check whether the paper feed direction and image rotation angle are correct by looking at the displayed preview image. If there are no problems after checking the preview image, the user completes the print settings by pressing an OK button (not shown), and then presses a print execution button (not shown). This causes a print job to be sent from the terminal to the target printer. Note that the system may be configured to detect only printers that support rotation-incompatible PDL before S1401, thereby omitting the processing of S1406.

[0065] The above is the content of the print setting process when a print instruction is given from a terminal to a target printer with paper loaded. Here, a more detailed explanation will be given using a specific example.

[0066] FIG. 15 shows an example of a print setting screen when the PDL type is PWG-Raster and a No. 4 envelope is loaded in the rear tray 312 of the printing device 300 prior to issuing a print command. Note that no paper is loaded in the cassette 310 in this case. The user has selected "No. 4" as the setting for the "Paper Size" item and "Landscape" as the setting for the "Original Image Orientation" item. Note that the "Original Image Orientation" may be automatically set based on image analysis results in the driver or a higher-level application. The preview area 1501 displays a preview image based on the "Landscape" setting for the "Original Image Orientation" item. In this example, the paper feed completion information acquired from the printing device 300 is used to narrow down the "combination of paper feed direction and image rotation angle" for the "No. 4 envelope" to the aforementioned "Combination 2." As a result, the setting for the "Print Orientation" item is automatically set to "From Short Side (Rotate 90° Left)." The "rear tray" setting for the "paper feed mechanism" item is also automatically determined based on the paper feed completion information. Furthermore, a preview image visually indicating how to load paper into the "rear tray" is generated based on the results of the narrowing down and displayed in the preview area 1501. In this example, the orientation of the letter "L" representing "landscape" represents the narrowed-down image rotation angle (90 degrees left). However, it may also be represented by, for example, the orientation of text or an illustration simulating a landscape. Even if the user does not understand the meaning of each print setting item, the auxiliary information displayed in the preview area allows the user to visually grasp the relative position of the original image with respect to the paper feed tray and easily confirm whether the paper is being fed correctly. Note that the preview image does not necessarily have to be displayed within the print setting screen; for example, it may be displayed in a separate window. In the specific example of FIG. 15 , the user simply selects the setting values ​​for the two items, "paper size" and "original image orientation," on the print setting screen, and the setting value for the "print orientation" item is automatically determined.In other words, the system prevents the user from accidentally selecting a paper feed direction or image rotation angle that is not supported by the rear tray 312 of the printing device 300, thereby preventing printing errors related to the paper feed direction or image rotation angle.

[0067] <<Case where print instructions are issued first, and paper is loaded later>> The flow for setting print settings in the terminal driver and issuing print instructions to the target printer is as shown in the flowchart in Figure 14 above. Therefore, the following explanation will focus on the differences when setting print settings in the terminal driver before loading paper into the target printer. Here, we will explain an example where print settings are made in the driver, PWG-Raster PDL data is sent, and then printing is performed on a square No. 2 envelope using the manual feed tray 412 of the printing device 400. Because manual feed trays generally do not have the capacity to hold a large amount of paper, a user who wants to perform IPP printing from a remote terminal sets the necessary print settings, sends the print instruction, and then loads paper into the manual feed tray.

[0068] FIG. 16 shows an example of the display state of the print setting screen in this case. In the initial print setting screen displayed when the terminal driver is started, the user has selected "Square No. 2" as the setting value for the "Paper Size" item. Furthermore, no paper is loaded in the cassette 410 or manual feed tray 412 of the printing device 400. Therefore, acquisition of paper feed completion information fails (No in S1403), and options are displayed for specific items based on the media database information (S1405, Yes in S1406, Yes in S1407, S1408). Specifically, a pull-down menu displays "Portrait" and "Landscape" as options for the "Image Orientation" item, and "Cassette" and "Manual Feed Tray" as options for the "Paper Feed Mechanism" item. Furthermore, if the paper feed direction is from the long edge, the image rotation angle is either 90 degrees left or 90 degrees right. If the paper feed direction is from the short edge, the image rotation angle is either 180 degrees or 0 degrees. Therefore, these four options are displayed in a pull-down menu as choices for the "Print Orientation" item. The user's selections of "Manual Feed Tray," "Portrait," and "From Long Edge (Rotate 90° Right)" are highlighted, and a preview image reflecting these user selections is displayed in preview area 1601. The user can refer to the displayed preview image to properly place a square No. 2 envelope in manual feed tray 412.

[0069] <Operation of the printer that receives a print job> Next, the processing flow related to loading paper in the target printer when a print job is received from a terminal will be described with reference to the flowchart in Figure 17. The flow in Figure 17 is realized by the CPU 301 / 401 of the printing device 300 / 400 reading a specific program from ROM 302 / 402, loading it into RAM 303 / 403, and executing it. Note that in the following description, the symbol "S" means step.

[0070] In S1701, a print job (Create-Job command) sent by the terminal is received by the communication control unit 314 / 414. As a result, a job ID is issued and returned to the terminal that sent the print job.

[0071] In S1702, the IPP attributes of the received print job are acquired. These IPP attributes include information such as paper size, paper type, PDL type, paper feed mechanism, double-sided / single-sided printing, etc. Whether information about the image rotation angle is included in the IPP attributes depends on the driver, and may or may not be included.

[0072] In S1703, the PDL data associated with the above-mentioned job ID and transmitted by the terminal is received by the communication control unit 314 / 414.

[0073] In S1704, header information of the received PDL data is obtained. The header information contains a LeadingEdge attribute indicating the page feed direction and an Orientation attribute indicating the image rotation angle. These two attributes correspond to the aforementioned media-source-feed-direction attribute and media-source-feed-orientation attribute in the IPP attributes, respectively. In other words, the attribute values ​​of the LeadingEdge attribute and Orientation attribute described in the header information are the same as the possible values ​​of the above two attributes in the IPP attributes. The attribute value of the Orientation attribute described in the header information makes it possible to obtain more reliable information about the image rotation angle.

[0074] In S1705, information indicating the paper setting status for the paper feed mechanism is obtained. For example, paper feed completion information stored in RAM 303 / 403 is searched based on the paper size indicated by the IPP attribute of the print job and the attribute values ​​of these two attributes in the header information of the PDL data. Alternatively, the output values ​​(detection results) of the paper presence / absence detection sensor and paper width sensor provided in each paper feed mechanism are obtained.

[0075] In S1706, based on the information indicating the paper setting status acquired in S1705, it is determined whether paper of the same size as the paper size specified in the print job (paper size indicated by the IPP attributes) has already been set in a specified paper feed mechanism. Here, the "specified paper feed mechanism" refers to a specific cassette or paper feed tray specified in the print job, or a cassette or paper feed tray that meets the conditions when the paper feed destination is specified as "automatic" in the print job. If paper of the specified paper size has been set in the specified paper feed mechanism, the process proceeds to S1707; if not, the process proceeds to S1709.

[0076] In S1707, the media database information is used to search whether there are multiple "combinations of paper feed direction and image rotation angle" that can be achieved for the paper size specified in the print job.

[0077] In S1708, a decision is made based on the search results in S1707 as to whether or not to display a guide screen. If there are two or more "combinations of paper feed direction and image rotation angle," the process proceeds to S1709 to display the guide screen. On the other hand, if there is only one "combination of paper feed direction and image rotation angle," it is assumed that the paper is properly loaded, so it is determined that there is no need to display the guide screen, and the process terminates without proceeding to S1709. An example of a case in which a guide screen is not displayed would be if a No. 4 long envelope is first loaded into the rear tray 312 of the printing device 300 so that it is fed short-edge first, and then a print instruction specifying an image rotation angle of "180°" is issued from the terminal. This is because when an envelope is loaded short-edge first in the rear tray 312 (as determined in S1706), there is only one valid image rotation angle, "180°" (see the table in FIG. 8).

[0078] In S1709, a guide screen is displayed that visually shows an appropriate paper feeding method according to the current paper setting situation. A specific example of the guide screen that is displayed is shown below.

[0079] <<Display Example (1) of Guide Screen When Paper Size Specified in Print Job Is Not Loaded (Paper to Be Loaded Later)>> For example, suppose a print instruction is issued to the printing device 400 specifying a paper size of "square 2," a paper feed mechanism of "manual feed tray," a paper feed direction of "long edge first," and an image rotation angle of "90° right," but an envelope has not yet been loaded in the manual feed tray 412. In this case, a guide screen like the one shown in FIG. 18A is generated and displayed based on information obtained from the IPP attributes of the print job and the header information of the PDL data (No in S1706, S1709). The IPP attributes specify a paper size of "square 2" and a paper feed mechanism of "manual feed tray." The header information then contains a LeadingEdge attribute value of "long-edge-first" and an Orientation attribute value of "portrait." Based on this information, the printing device 400 generates and displays a guide screen, such as that shown in FIG. 18( a), that prompts the user to load a square No. 2 envelope long-side first into the manual feed tray. At this time, the illustration of a square No. 2 envelope depicted on the guide screen includes a "P" representing the orientation of the letter "P," indicating that the raster image (portrait) to be printed will be rotated 90 degrees clockwise. When a sensor detects that the paper has been loaded in accordance with the guide screen, printing begins according to the print job and PDL data. In this way, by presenting the user with the relative positional relationship between the paper feed tray, the orientation of the paper icon, and the image rotation angle as auxiliary information, printing can be performed in the correct orientation. The guide screen in FIG. 18( a) may also include information indicating the flap position, which can be inferred from the paper size, paper feed direction, and image rotation angle.

[0080] <<Display Example (2) of Guide Screen When Paper Size Specified in Job Is Not Set (Paper Will Be Set Later)>> As mentioned above, the Orientation attribute in the header information is not always written in. Therefore, if the value of the LeadingEdge attribute can be obtained from the header information but the value of the Orientation attribute cannot be obtained, a guide screen that does not superimpose text on a picture that resembles an envelope, as shown in FIG. 18( b), may be displayed.

[0081] <<Example of Guide Screen Display When the Paper Size Specified in the Job Has Already Been Loaded (Paper Has Been Loaded First)>> For example, suppose a print instruction is issued to the printing device 300 specifying a paper size of "No. 4 Long," a paper feed direction of "short edge first," and an image rotation angle of "90° left," and No. 4 Long envelopes are loaded in the rear tray 312 so that they are loaded short edge first. In this case, it is determined in S1706 that No. 4 Long envelopes have been loaded short edge first in the rear tray 312. In this case, there are three possible rotation angles for the raster image: 180° if the original image is portrait, and 90° left or 90° right if the original image is landscape (see the table in FIG. 8 mentioned above). Therefore, a guide screen is generated and displayed to prompt the user to confirm that a print job and PDL data specifying an image rotation angle consistent with the orientation of the loaded paper have been generated and transmitted (Yes in S1706, Yes in S1708, S1709). 18C is an example of a guide screen with a message prompting the user for confirmation. If the user has generated and sent the appropriate print job and PDL data, they press the OK button 1801, which starts printing in accordance with the print job and PDL data. On the other hand, if the user presses the Cancel button 1802, the printing is interrupted.

[0082] The above is the flow of processing related to setting paper in the target printer when a print job is received.

[0083] <Variation 1> Some printer models require the flap to be fed at the rear edge when printing on envelopes (see FIG. 5A above). When using such a printer for IPP printing, it is desirable to set the default setting of rotating raster images 180 degrees on the print settings screen, but there is no clear rule in IPP. Therefore, a default feed angle attribute ("media-source-feed-orientation-default") is added as one of the attributes of the media feed properties (media-source-properties) in the media database information, and the response is sent. FIG. 19 shows an example of a response packet for media database information according to this variation. In the response packet shown in FIG. 19, "media-source-feed-orientation-default" is added immediately below "media-source-feed-orientation" in "media-source-properties," and its value is set to "6." The terminal driver may refer to the value of the paper feed angle default attribute in the received response packet to display "From Short Side (Rotated 180°)" as the default value for the "Print Orientation" item on the print setting screen when printing on an envelope. Alternatively, when displaying options for the "Print Orientation" item on the print setting screen (S1409 in the flow of FIG. 14), "From Short Side (Rotated 180°)" may be displayed at the top, so that "From Short Side (Rotated 180°)" is selected as the default setting unless it is changed.

[0084] <Variation 2> In the above-described embodiment, the printer that received the print job retrieved the values ​​of the LeadingEdge attribute and Orientation attribute from the header information of the PDL data and generated and displayed a guide screen appropriate to the situation at the time of reception (see FIG. 17). In this case, the guide screen may be displayed only if it is confirmed that the values ​​of the LeadingEdge attribute and Orientation attribute included in the header information of the PDL data are reliable. Specifically, for example, flag information indicating the reliability of the two attribute values ​​is added separately when transmitting the PDL data. Then, the printer controls the display of the guide screen only if it is confirmed based on the flag information that the two attribute values ​​are highly reliable. FIG. 20 shows an example of a packet when transmitting PDL data according to this variation. In FIG. 20, the pwg-raster-document-leading-edge-reflected attribute is an attribute that indicates the reliability of the value of the LeadingEdge attribute, and has a flag value of "true" indicating high reliability. The pwg-raster-document-orientation-reflected attribute is an attribute that indicates the reliability of the value of the Orientation attribute, and has a flag value of "true" indicating high reliability. If the reliability is low, a value of "false" is entered. Based on this flag information indicating reliability, it is determined whether the driver version supports writing header information for the paper feed direction and image rotation angle. If the flag value is false (or if no flag information is included), the driver may be controlled not to display a guide screen.

[0085] As described above, this embodiment allows users to properly load paper into the target printer and perform IPP printing. In particular, when printing on envelopes, users do not need to worry about whether to feed the paper with the flap at the leading or trailing edge. While this embodiment uses envelopes as an example, it is equally applicable to other paper sizes, such as postcards and greeting cards, that have multiple combinations of paper feed direction and image rotation angle. (Other Examples) The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that implements one or more of the functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or storage medium, and having one or more processors in the computer of the system or device read and execute the program. It can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., an ASIC) that implements one or more functions.

[0086] The present disclosure also includes the following configurations and methods: [Configuration 1] A printing device that receives a print job in a format conforming to IPP (Internet Printing Protocol) from a client terminal and performs printing based on the received print job, comprising: a communication means for communicating with the client terminal; a control means for causing a display means to display a first guide screen that presents combinations of paper feed directions and rotation angles of an image to be printed that can be achieved for the size of paper set in a paper feed mechanism; and a generation means for generating first information that indicates the combinations of paper feed directions and rotation angles determined via the first guide screen, wherein the communication means transmits the first information generated by the generation means in response to a request from the client terminal. [Configuration 2] The printing device of Configuration 1, characterized in that when there are multiple combinations of paper feed directions and rotation angles of the image to be printed that are possible for the paper size of paper set in the paper feed mechanism, the control means displays the first guide screen presenting the multiple combinations as options, and the generation means generates the first information indicating the combination of the paper feed direction and the rotation angle determined based on a user's selection operation for the multiple combinations presented on the first guide screen. [Configuration 3] The printing device of Configuration 1, characterized in that when there is only one combination of paper feed directions and rotation angles that are possible for the paper size of paper set in the paper feed mechanism, the control means displays the first guide screen presenting the one combination, and the generation means generates the first information indicating the combination of the paper feed direction and the rotation angle determined based on a user's confirmation operation for the one combination presented on the first guide screen.[Configuration 4] The printing device of Configuration 2 or 3, further comprising: a storage means for storing second information defining possible combinations of the paper feed direction and the rotation angle of the image to be printed for each paper size, and the combinations of possible paper feed directions and rotation angles of the image to be printed for the paper size set in the paper feed mechanism, which are presented on the first guide screen, are identified by referring to the second information. [Configuration 5] The printing device of any one of Configurations 1 to 4, further comprising: a control means for causing the display means to display a second guide screen showing a paper feed method according to the paper setting status in the paper feed mechanism at the time the print job is received. [Configuration 6] The printing device of Configuration 5, further comprising: a control means for causing the display means to display the second guide screen, which indicates a paper feed method according to the paper setting status in the paper feed mechanism at the time the print job is received. [Configuration 7] The printing device of Configuration 6, wherein the control means determines whether to display the second guide screen based on information indicating reliability of the attribute value of the paper feed direction and the attribute value of the rotation angle of the image to be printed, which are included in header information of the PDL data. [Configuration 8] The printing device of any one of Configurations 5 to 7, wherein, if paper of the paper size specified in the print job is not loaded in the paper feed mechanism at the time the print job is received, the control means causes the display means to display the second guide screen, which prompts the user to feed paper of the paper size specified in the print job in the paper feed direction specified in the print job. [Configuration 9] The printing device of Configuration 6, wherein, if paper of the paper size specified in the print job is loaded in the paper feed mechanism at the time the print job is received and there are multiple combinations of the paper feed direction and the rotation angle of the image to be printed, the control means causes the display means to display the second guide screen, which prompts the user to confirm whether a rotation angle consistent with the orientation of the loaded paper is specified in the print job.[Configuration 10] The printing device according to Configuration 6, characterized in that, when paper of the paper size specified in the print job is loaded in the paper feed mechanism at the time the print job is received, and the number of combinations of the paper feed direction and the rotation angle of the image to be printed is one, the control means does not display the second guide screen. [Configuration 11] A client terminal for providing a print job in a format complying with IPP (Internet Printing Protocol) to a printing device, comprising: communication means for communicating with the printing device; and control means for displaying a print setting screen for generating the print job on a display means, wherein, when there are multiple combinations of paper feed directions and rotation angles of the image to be printed that are possible on the printing device, as identified by a capability response of the printing device obtained by the communication means, the control means displays options for items corresponding to the paper feed directions and the rotation angles on the print setting screen. [Configuration 12] The client terminal of Configuration 11, wherein the control means displays the options when a PDL format available on the printing device cannot include specifications for image rotation. [Configuration 13] The client terminal of Configuration 12, wherein the format that cannot include specifications for image rotation is PWG-Raster. [Configuration 14] The client terminal of any one of Configurations 11 to 13, wherein the control means further displays a preview image based on setting values ​​selected from the displayed options on the display means. [Configuration 15] The client terminal of Configuration 11, wherein, when the capability response includes default values ​​for the paper feed direction for a specific paper size and the rotation angle of the image to be printed, the control means displays the default values ​​in items corresponding to the paper feed direction and the rotation angle on the print setting screen when the specific paper size is specified.[Configuration 16] A printing system in which a client terminal and a printing device are connected via a network, the printing device receiving a print job in a format conforming to IPP (Internet Printing Protocol) from the client terminal and performing printing based on the received print job, the printing system comprising: a control means for causing a display means to display a guide screen presenting combinations of paper feed directions and rotation angles of an image to be printed that can be achieved for the paper size of paper set in a paper feed mechanism; a generation means for generating first information indicating the combinations of paper feed directions and rotation angles determined via the guide screen; and a communication means for transmitting the first information generated by the generation means in response to a request from the client terminal, the client terminal comprising: a communication means for communicating with the printing device; and a control means for displaying a print setting screen for generating the print job on a display means, wherein, when there are multiple combinations of paper feed directions and rotation angles of the image to be printed that are possible for the printing device, as specified by the printing device's capability response acquired by the communication means, the control means displays options for items corresponding to each of the paper feed directions and the rotation angles on the print setting screen. [Method 1] A control method for a printing device that receives a print job in a format conforming to IPP (Internet Printing Protocol) from a client terminal and performs printing based on the received print job, comprising: a control step of displaying a first guide screen on a display means, the first guide screen presenting combinations of paper feed directions and rotation angles of the image to be printed that are possible for the paper size of paper loaded in a paper feed mechanism, a generation step of generating first information that indicates the combinations of paper feed directions and the rotation angles determined via the first guide screen, and a transmission step of transmitting the first information generated by the generation means in response to a request from the client terminal.[Method 2] A control method of a client terminal for providing a print job in a format conforming to IPP (Internet Printing Protocol) to a printing device, comprising: an acquisition step of acquiring a capability response from the printing device; and a control means for displaying a print setting screen for generating the print job on a display means, wherein in the control step, when there are multiple combinations of paper feed directions and rotation angles of an image to be printed that can be achieved in the printing device, as identified by the capability response of the printing device acquired in the acquisition step, the control method of a client terminal displays options for items corresponding to each of the paper feed directions and the rotation angles on the print setting screen. [Method 3] A control method for a printing system in which a client terminal and a printing device are connected via a network, the printing device receiving a print job in a format conforming to IPP (Internet Printing Protocol) from the client terminal and performing printing based on the received print job, the printing device comprising: a control step of causing a display means to display a guide screen presenting combinations of paper feed directions and rotation angles of an image to be printed that can be achieved for the paper size of paper set in a paper feed mechanism; a generation step of generating first information indicating the combinations of paper feed directions and rotation angles determined via the guide screen; a transmission step of transmitting the first information generated in the generation step in response to a request from the client terminal; and an acquisition step of the client terminal acquiring a capability response from the printing device. a control step of displaying a print setting screen for generating the print job on a display means, in which, when there are multiple combinations of paper feed directions and rotation angles of the image to be printed that can be achieved in the printing device, as identified by the capability response of the printing device acquired in the acquisition step, a control step of displaying options for items corresponding to each of the paper feed directions and the rotation angles on the print setting screen.[Configuration 17] A program for causing a computer to function as the printing device according to any one of configurations 1 to 10. [Configuration 18] A program for causing a computer to function as the client terminal according to any one of configurations 11 to 15. [Configuration 19] A program for causing a computer to function as the printing system according to configuration 16.

[0087] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the following claims are appended to apprise the public of the scope of the present invention.

[0088] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-151673, filed September 19, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Claims

1. A printing device that receives a print job in a format conforming to IPP (Internet Printing Protocol) from a client terminal and prints based on the received print job, comprising: a communication means for communicating with the client terminal; a control means for causing a display means to display a first guide screen presenting combinations of paper feed directions and rotation angles of the image to be printed that can be achieved for the paper size set in a paper feed mechanism; and a generation means for generating first information indicating the combination of paper feed directions and rotation angles determined via the first guide screen, wherein the communication means transmits the first information generated by the generation means in response to a request from the client terminal.

2. The printing device described in claim 1, characterized in that the control means displays the first guide screen presenting a plurality of combinations of possible paper feed directions and rotation angles of the image to be printed for the paper size set in the paper feed mechanism as options when the plurality of combinations are possible, and the generation means generates the first information indicating the combination of the paper feed direction and the rotation angle determined based on a user's selection operation for the plurality of combinations presented on the first guide screen.

3. The printing device described in claim 1, characterized in that the control means displays the first guide screen presenting a single combination of the paper feed direction and the rotation angle of the image to be printed that can be achieved for the paper size set in the paper feed mechanism, when the single combination is the only one possible combination, and the generation means generates the first information indicating the combination of the paper feed direction and the rotation angle determined based on a user's confirmation operation for the single combination presented on the first guide screen.

4. A printing device as described in claim 2, characterized in that it has a memory means for retaining second information that specifies the combinations of the paper feed direction and the rotation angle of the image to be printed that can be established for each paper size, and the combinations of the paper feed direction and the rotation angle of the image to be printed that can be established for the paper size of the paper set in the paper feed mechanism and that are presented on the first guide screen are identified by reference to the second information.

5. The printing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the control means causes the display means to display a second guide screen showing a paper feeding method according to the paper setting status in the paper feeding mechanism at the time the print job is received.

6. The printing device according to claim 5, characterized in that the control means obtains an attribute value of the paper feed direction and an attribute value of the rotation angle of the image to be printed from the header information of the PDL data related to the received print job, and displays the second guide screen on the display means.

7. A printing device as described in claim 6, characterized in that the control means determines whether to display the second guide screen based on information indicating the reliability of the attribute value of the paper feed direction and the attribute value of the rotation angle of the image to be printed contained in the header information of the PDL data.

8. A printing device as described in claim 5, characterized in that if paper of the paper size specified in the print job is not set in the paper feeding mechanism at the time the print job is received, the control means causes the display means to display the second guide screen prompting the user to feed paper of the paper size specified in the print job in the paper feeding direction specified in the print job.

9. A printing device as described in claim 6, characterized in that when paper of the paper size specified in the print job is set in the paper feed mechanism at the time the print job is received, and there are multiple combinations of the paper feed direction and the rotation angle of the image to be printed, the control means causes the display means to display the second guide screen prompting confirmation of whether a rotation angle that matches the orientation of the set paper has been specified in the print job.

10. A printing device as described in claim 6, characterized in that when paper of the paper size specified in the print job is set in the paper feed mechanism at the time the print job is received, and the number of combinations of the paper feed direction and the rotation angle of the image to be printed is one, the control means does not display the second guide screen.

11. A client terminal for providing a printing job in a format conforming to IPP (Internet Printing Protocol) to a printing device, comprising: a communication means for communicating with said printing device; and a control means for causing a display means to display a print setting screen for generating said print job, wherein when there are multiple combinations of paper feed directions and rotation angles of an image to be printed that can be achieved in said printing device, as identified by the capability response of said printing device obtained by said communication means, said control means displays options for items corresponding to each of the paper feed directions and the rotation angles on the print setting screen.

12. The client terminal according to claim 11, wherein said control means causes said options to be displayed when a PDL format available on said printing device is a format that cannot include a specification regarding image rotation.

13. The client terminal according to claim 12, wherein the format incapable of including a specification regarding image rotation is PWG-Raster.

14. The client terminal according to claim 11, wherein said control means further causes said display means to display a preview image based on a setting value selected from the displayed options.

15. The client terminal of claim 11, characterized in that when the capability response includes default values ​​for the paper feed direction for a specific paper size and the rotation angle of the image to be printed, the control means displays the default values ​​in the items corresponding to the paper feed direction and the rotation angle on the print setting screen when the specific paper size is specified.

16. A printing system in which a client terminal and a printing device are connected via a network, the printing device receiving a print job in a format conforming to IPP (Internet Printing Protocol) from the client terminal and performing printing based on the received print job, the printing system having: a control means for causing a display means to display a guide screen presenting combinations of paper feed directions and rotation angles of an image to be printed that can be achieved for the paper size of paper set in a paper feed mechanism; a generation means for generating first information indicating the combinations of the paper feed directions and the rotation angles determined via the guide screen; and a communication means for transmitting the first information generated by the generation means in response to a request from the client terminal, the client terminal having: a communication means for communicating with the printing device; a control means for causing a display means to display a print setting screen for generating the print job, and when there are multiple combinations of paper feed directions and rotation angles of the image to be printed that can be achieved in the printing device, as identified by the capability response of the printing device obtained by the communication means, a control means for displaying options for items corresponding to each of the paper feed directions and the rotation angles on the print setting screen.

17. A control method for a printing device that receives a print job in a format conforming to IPP (Internet Printing Protocol) from a client terminal and prints based on the received print job, comprising: a control step of causing a display means to display a first guide screen presenting combinations of paper feed directions and rotation angles of the image to be printed that can be achieved for the paper size set in a paper feed mechanism; a generation step of generating first information indicating the combinations of paper feed directions and rotation angles determined via the first guide screen; and a transmission step of transmitting the first information generated in the generation step in response to a request from the client terminal.

18. A control method of a client terminal for providing a printing device with a print job in a format conforming to IPP (Internet Printing Protocol), comprising: an acquisition step of acquiring a capability response from the printing device; and a control step of displaying a print setting screen for generating the print job on a display means, wherein in the control step, when there are multiple combinations of paper feed directions and rotation angles of an image to be printed that can be achieved in the printing device, as identified by the capability response of the printing device acquired in the acquisition step, a control step of displaying options for items corresponding to each of the paper feed directions and the rotation angles on the print setting screen.

19. A control method for a printing system in which a client terminal and a printing device are connected via a network, the printing device receiving a print job in a format conforming to IPP (Internet Printing Protocol) from the client terminal and performing printing based on the received print job, the printing device comprising: a control step of causing a display means to display a guide screen presenting combinations of paper feed directions and rotation angles of an image to be printed that can be achieved for the paper size of paper set in a paper feed mechanism; a generation step of generating first information indicating the combinations of the paper feed directions and the rotation angles determined via the guide screen; a transmission step of transmitting the first information generated in the generation step in response to a request from the client terminal; and an acquisition step of the client terminal acquiring a capability response from the printing device. a control step of displaying a print setting screen for generating the print job on a display means, and when there are multiple combinations of paper feed directions and rotation angles of the image to be printed that can be achieved in the printing device, as identified by the capability response of the printing device acquired in the acquisition step, displaying options for items corresponding to each of the paper feed directions and the rotation angles on the print setting screen.

20. A program for causing a computer to execute the printing device control method according to claim 17.

21. A program for causing a computer to execute the client terminal control method according to claim 18.

22. A program for causing a computer to execute the printing system control method according to claim 19.

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