Virtual Printer Driver Extension for Generic Printers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing generic printer drivers are designed to work with actual printing apparatuses and cannot be used effectively without a physical printer connected, limiting their functionality in scenarios involving virtual printers or applications that do not communicate with physical devices.
Innovation Solution
A control method and application program that allow the use of a generic printer driver without an actual printing apparatus connected, by utilizing a virtual printer and an extension application to edit Print Device Capabilities and generate print data that can be transmitted to a physical printer when needed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a generic printer driver is designed to work with actual printing apparatuses, then it can provide reliable printing functionality, but it cannot be used without a physical printer connected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a virtual printing apparatus as an intermediary between the generic printer driver and the actual printing apparatus. The virtual printing apparatus receives print data from the driver, performs necessary processing, and then transmits the processed data to the physical printer. This intermediary layer allows the driver to operate without direct connection to a physical printer while maintaining functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the printing system into distinct functional components: the generic printer driver, the virtual printing apparatus, and the actual printing apparatus. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently, enabling the driver to work in scenarios without direct physical printer connection while maintaining overall system reliability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a printer driver requires connection to an actual printing apparatus, then it can acquire device-specific functions, but it cannot be used with virtual printers or applications that do not communicate with physical devices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the printing apparatus that replicates the essential interface and data structures needed by the generic printer driver. This virtual copy allows the driver to operate as if connected to a physical device, preventing loss of driver functionality while enabling use with virtual printers and applications that don't require actual physical connection.
3Ease of operation
If print data is processed through a virtual queue, then it can be laid out and prepared without physical device constraints, but the data cannot be directly transmitted to physical printers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the advantages of virtual queue processing with physical printer transmission capabilities. The virtual printing apparatus combines the flexibility of virtual environment data preparation with the ability to generate and transmit proper print data to physical printers, eliminating the transmission limitation while maintaining ease of operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium stores an application program which causes an information processing apparatus to perform a control method. The information processing apparatus has printing software. The control method includes receiving an image processing setting, storing data to which image processing corresponding to the image processing setting is applied into a predetermined storage area of the information processing apparatus in response to acceptance of an instruction to perform processing in a state where a virtual printer for which data is set to be generated using the printing software is selected, and transmitting the data to which the image processing corresponding to the image processing setting is applied to a physical printer for which data is set to be generated using the printing software in response to acceptance of an instruction to perform processing in a state where the physical printer is selected as a printing destination.