Aggregate Printing via Intermediary Support Program
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing printer control methods using OS standard print programs limit aggregate printing capabilities, leading to user inconvenience and increased printer load, as they do not support advanced printing settings and may not efficiently manage memory consumption.
Innovation Solution
A support program that generates composite image data by reducing and arranging images of multiple pages to fit on one sheet, allowing the printer to perform aggregate printing without imposing a significant load, even if the general-purpose print program does not support this feature, by transmitting rasterized print data to the printer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If aggregate printing is performed by processing on the printer, then aggregate printing is achieved, but memory consumption in the printer becomes large
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an information processing device as an intermediary between the application and the printer. This device performs the aggregate printing processing (combining multiple pages into one sheet) before transmitting the processed data to the printer. The printer then only needs to receive and execute the already-processed print data, significantly reducing its memory consumption while maintaining aggregate printing capability.
2Ease of operation
If the OS standard general-purpose print program is used, then printing is simplified, but aggregate printing is not supported
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions the information processing device as a mediator between the OS standard general-purpose print program and the printer. The print program sends print data to the information processing device, which then performs aggregate printing processing and transmits the result to the printer. This allows the use of simple OS standard programs while achieving advanced aggregate printing functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The information processing device performs the aggregate printing processing in advance before the data is sent to the printer. By pre-processing the print data to combine multiple pages into one sheet, the system enables aggregate printing without requiring the print program or printer to have built-in support for this feature.
Data Source
AI summary
An non-transitory computer readable medium stores a program causing a computer installed in an information processing device to execute a process corresponding to a printer connected to the information processing device. The process includes receiving image data for images of a plurality of pages from a general-purpose print program which is pre-installed in an OS of the computer, generating composite image data corresponding to an composite image which is generated by reducing images of the plurality of pages in size and arranging the reduced images for the N pages so that the reduced images fit on one surface of the sheet, from the image data received in the receiving of the image data, and causing the information processing device to transmit print data which is rasterized based on the composite image data to the printer.