JP6209866B2 - Information processing apparatus, printing system including information processing apparatus, setting method, and program - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, a printing system including the information processing apparatus, a setting method, and a program.

In many cases, the print output itself is a product. For example, in the printer for the production printing industry, it is not a simple printed matter like conventional office printing, and the print media type and the setting for printing differ for each page. It is desired to output value-added printed matter. As a function that enables the setting for printing for each page as described above, a function called a special page or an exception page is already known.
Here, the special page or exception page (hereinafter simply referred to as “exception page”) function is a function that can apply print settings different from the print settings of a job to an arbitrary designated page range. The instruction page range is defined by indicating a start page and an end page. For the exceptional page, for example, setting values different from the setting values for the entire job such as paper setting, post-processing setting, color / monochrome setting, and the like can be applied to an arbitrary designated page range.

  Further, the concept of “chapter” is known as a unit roughly dividing the entire job. The “chapter” function is a function that always indicates (defines) a page where a break (the front side of the sheet, or the back side depending on the setting) comes. Post-processing (stapling, punching, folding processing, etc.) is instructed (or designated) in units of chapters. The size of the page range constituting the job is job> chapter> exception page. Basically, this is the configuration, but an exception page may be indicated across chapters.

By the way, the conventional UI (user interface) can instruct print setting in arbitrary page units (exception pages), but cannot instruct post-processing in chapter units. Therefore, it is necessary to instruct post-processing within the page range corresponding to each chapter by using the exception page function. The user needs to make print settings while constantly confirming how many pages each chapter is from, and the load on the user's settings is large.
In addition, with the conventional UI, post-processing settings can be applied to divided chapters at once, but the details of setting / (or) canceling post-processing for individual chapters after setting them in a batch. Cannot be set properly.

  For this reason, when setting up the post-processing for the chapters in the job, the user's setting load is heavy to perform the detailed setting. In addition to the above problem, the chapter and the exception page are independent, and only the setting values of the exception page are displayed in the setting list. Therefore, the final output result that combines the chapter and the exception page cannot be easily imagined. Therefore, there is also a problem of lack of visibility.

On the other hand, Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-81748) discloses a method of designating a division unit by the number of pages in order to divide one document for the purpose of reducing a user's load in print setting work. A method is disclosed in which an instruction to individually perform processing relating to print output is disclosed for the divided units.
According to this method, it is possible to perform detailed settings such as setting / releasing post-processing within individual page ranges. Therefore, there is a point similar to the present invention described below. However, with this method, it is not possible to make detailed settings when setting post-processing for chapters in a job. Therefore, the point that the user's setting load is large has not been solved yet.

  In the information processing apparatus, when setting post-processing for a chapter in a job, it is possible to perform detailed settings such as setting or canceling post-processing in units of individual chapters without imposing a load on the user. The purpose is to do.

The present invention provides post-processing settings for a job and setting means for accepting and setting a chapter break setting instruction for dividing the job into chapters, and storage means for saving the set post-processing and the chapter breaks in a storage means; A list screen showing validity or invalidity of post-processing set for the job in each chapter unit, and exception page print settings for an arbitrary page in the chapter, A first button for displaying a first screen for selecting whether to enable or disable post-processing, and a second button for displaying a second screen for performing print settings for the exception page And an information processing apparatus having screen display means for displaying the list screen .

  According to the present invention, when post-processing is set for a chapter in a job, it is possible to perform detailed settings such as setting or canceling post-processing in units of individual chapters without imposing a load on the user.

It is a figure explaining the structure of the printing system which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a functional block diagram of a client PC in an embodiment of the present invention. It is a functional block diagram of a DFE controller. It is an example of a UI control screen for setting a post-processing application range in a post-processing setting screen by a GUI unit of a client PC. It is an example of the post-processing setting screen in the GUI part of a client PC. It is an example of a UI control screen for defining a chapter in a GUI part of a client PC. It is an example of an exception page setting value list. It is an example of the setting screen with respect to a chapter. It is an example of the setting screen with respect to an exception page. It is another example of an exception page setting value list. FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a general processing procedure in the printer driver when post-processing setting and exception page setting are performed together with a print instruction from the printer driver of the client PC to the DFE controller. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing post-processing settings and processing procedures when print settings are set for chapters and exception pages. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence in a printer driver when a user sets each post-process. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence which the GUI part at the time of defining a chapter performs. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence in a GUI part in the display in the setting screen of each post-process, and the display to an exception page setting value list.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
The present embodiment has the following characteristics in the process of applying post-processing to a partial range. In other words, it is possible to select whether chapters are defined and post-processing settings are to be set for the entire job or for the defined chapter units. When a chapter unit is selected, the post-processing for each chapter unit is selected. Enable and disable can be set individually.
Moreover, the unit of chapter and the arbitrary page unit of exception page can be handled separately, and both can be expressed in one table.
The present embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a printing system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
As shown in the figure, the printing system 1 interprets a client PC (Personal Computer) 10 that is an information processing apparatus that generates print data, and a job ticket from the client PC 10 and issues a print instruction to the printer 14. Digital Front End) controller 12 and printer 14 which is a printing apparatus. The client PC 10 is connected to the DFE controller 12 and the printer 14 via the network 16.
The user performs print settings by the client PC 10 and issues a print command by transferring the job ticket to the DFE controller 12 via the network 16. The DFE controller 12 interprets the received job ticket and issues a print instruction to the printer 14.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the client PC 10 in the embodiment of the present invention.
That is, the client PC 10 is an information processing apparatus that issues a print instruction, and includes an application 101, a printer driver 102, and a port monitor 103. Here, the application 101 is an application such as document creation software.
The printer driver 102 includes a GUI (Graphical User Interface) unit 102 (1), a preview display unit 102 (2), a data storage unit 102 (3), a job ticket generation unit 102 (4), and a drawing unit 102 ( 5).

The GUI unit 102 (1) is a user interface for performing print settings launched from the application 101, and corresponds to a setting unit, a selection unit, and a display unit of the present invention, respectively.
The preview display unit 102 (2) displays a simple preview of print settings on the display screen.
The data storage unit 102 (3) corresponds to the storage unit of the present invention, and stores (registers) the print setting instructed by the user via the GUI unit 102 (1) in the storage unit (not shown).
The job ticket generation unit 102 (4) creates a job ticket reflecting the setting of the data storage unit 102 (3).
The drawing unit 102 (5) generates PDL (Page Description Language) data that can be interpreted by the printer 14.
The data transfer unit 103 (1) of the port monitor 103 transfers the generated PDL data and job ticket to the DFE controller 12.
Each of the units of the printer driver 102 is a function realizing unit that is realized by causing a computer to read a program.

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of the DFE controller 12.
Each component of the DFE controller 12 has the following functions. That is, the data acquisition unit 121 receives the print data transferred from the client PC 10.
The job display unit 122 is a UI that displays the acquired print data as a job.
The ticket analysis unit 123 analyzes the contents of the received job ticket and reads the print settings.
The preview display unit 124 displays a preview based on the analyzed print settings and PDL data.
The data transfer unit 125 transfers the print data together with the print instruction to the printer 14.

FIG. 4 is an example of a setting UI control screen for the post-processing application range in the post-processing setting screen by the GUI unit 102 (1) of the client PC 10.
The user instructs which range the post-processing application range is to be set on this UI control screen. Options for the instruction include “for each job”, “for each chapter”, and “for each sheet”.
When the user selects “for each job”, the GUI unit 102 (1) uniquely applies post-processing to the entire job. If “for each job” is selected, the GUI unit 102 (1) does not thereafter perform cancellation setting for each individual chapter on the exception page setting screen.
When the user selects “for each chapter”, the GUI unit 102 (1) instructs post-processing for each chapter at once. However, the GUI unit 102 (1) allows the user to perform post-processing cancellation setting for each individual chapter on the subsequent exception page setting screen.
When the user selects “every sheet”, the GUI unit 102 (1) adapts the post-processing for each designated interval on condition that the sheet interval instruction is accepted.
In this case, the GUI unit 102 (1) does not perform release setting for each individual chapter on the subsequent exception page setting screen.

  FIG. 5 is an example of a post-processing setting screen in the GUI unit 102 (1) of the client PC 10. Here, the type of stapling, punching and folding is set (ON) or “not” (OFF). In the staple setting, the sub-attribute may be set to select whether to staple together with the previous chapter.

FIG. 6 is an example of a UI control screen for defining a chapter in the GUI unit 102 (1) of the client PC 10 (here, a chapter is defined by specifying a page). Although this screen is assumed to be opened from the setting screen of the exception page, it may be opened from the post-processing screen, and the location (setting screen) is not limited.
On the UI control screen, the user inputs what page the chapter starts from, for example, by separating it with a comma. This makes it possible to define a chapter in which the input page is the start page (a page that does not become the back side of the previous page).
For example, if “1, 4, 7” is entered, in the case of a double-sided (printing) job, the next page after 3 pages contains a blank page, and 4 pages can start with a new sheet. “1-3”, “4-6”, and “7-last” can be distinguished and treated as chapters. The determination flow for adding / not adding a blank page will be described later with reference to FIG.

FIG. 7 is an example of an exception page setting value list (exception page list). In the screen input of FIG. 6, for each chapter divided by the user, whether post-processing settings set as shown in FIG. 5 are valid (ON) or invalid (OFF) for each chapter is displayed.
In the example shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the post-processing application range = “for each chapter”, post-processing; setting staple = “upper left”, punch = “two places on the left”, folding = “Z In the UI control screen for defining the chapter in FIG. 6 after selecting [Fold] and entering [1, 5, 10] in Page, the exception page setting value list immediately after opening the exception page setting screen is there.

  FIG. 8 is an example of a setting screen for a chapter. This dialog (screen or window) is opened by pressing the [Chapter] button on the exception page setting value list display screen of FIG. In this dialog, it is possible to set whether to enable or disable the post-processing setting performed on the screen of FIG. 5 for the chapter (page 3-8 in this case). For example, “ON / OFF” is displayed as an option on the UI control screen for Staple, Punch, and Z-fold folding (all are displayed as ON in the illustrated example). In this dialog, print settings other than post-processing can be set.

  FIG. 9 is an example of a setting screen for an exception page. This dialog is opened by pressing the [Exception] button on the exception page setting value list display screen of FIG. In this dialog box, you can make exception page print settings for any page in the chapter. The print settings here do not include the post-processing settings shown in FIG.

FIG. 10 is another example of the exception page setting value list.
In other words, FIG. 10 displays a list of settings for an exception page by combining the chapter and the exception page in the chapter. Display items such as post-processing (stapling, punching, folding), other color settings, and imposition-related settings are displayed. For each “chapter” selected on the UI control screen in FIG. 4, whether the post-processing setting set on the UI control screen in FIG. 5 is valid or invalid is displayed according to ON or OFF.
This exception page set value list display is a display set by the following procedure. That is, in the exception page setting value list display screen of FIG. 7, the [Chapter] button is pressed to open the dialog (setting screen for chapter) of FIG. Next, from the chapters defined in FIG. 6, select Chapter = “1-4 Page”, and set Punch = “OFF” and Color / Black and White = “Monochrome” To the relevant chapter. Next, the setting screen of this chapter is closed, and after returning to the exception page setting value list display screen of FIG. 7, the [Exception] button is pressed to open the dialog of FIG. 9 (setting screen for the exception page). Next, in this dialog, the exception page = “3-4, 10−” is input to the Page Range, and the setting for the exception page is performed with the rotation (Rotate) = “90 degrees”. Next, the setting screen for the exception page is closed, and after returning to the exception page screen of FIG. 7, the [Exception] button is pressed to open the dialog of the exception page setting screen of FIG. Next, the page = “5-8” is input, the exception page is set with the paper type = “pink”, the exception page setting screen is closed, and the screen returns to the exception page screen.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of a general processing procedure in the printer driver 102 when performing post-processing setting and exception page setting together with a print instruction from the printer driver 102 of the client PC 10 to the DFE controller 12.
That is, when the printer driver 102 receives an activation instruction from the user (S101), the printer driver 102 displays the setting items in the dialog of the GUI unit 102 (1) (S102). The user performs post-processing on the GUI unit 102 (1) through the GUI unit 102 (1), that is, by selecting a setting item displayed in the dialog of the GUI unit 102 (1) or inputting a setting value. The GUI unit 102 (1) accepts this instruction and performs post-processing settings (S103). In the following description, “through the GUI unit 102 (1)” is used for this meaning.

  The printer driver 102 (data storage unit 102 (3)) causes the data storage unit 102 (3) to store (register) the set post-processing print settings in the storage unit (S104). Next, the user performs exception page print settings through the GUI unit 102 (1) in the same manner as described above (S105). The printer driver 102 causes the data storage unit 102 (3) to save the set exception page print settings in the storage unit (S106).

  Next, the job ticket generation unit 102 (4) generates a job ticket based on the settings stored in the data storage unit 102 (3) (S107). The drawing unit 102 (5) generates PDL data for the job (S108). The data transfer unit 103 (1) transfers the generated job ticket and PDL data to the DFE controller 12 (S109), and ends this process.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing processing procedures when post-processing settings and print settings are set for chapters and exception pages.
This process is executed by the printer driver 102.
The embodiment will be described below. In this embodiment, print settings including post-processing can be performed when setting chapters, and print settings other than post-processing can be performed when setting exceptional pages. .

The user performs post-processing application range setting (FIG. 4) and (S201) through the GUI unit 102 (1) and individual post-processing settings (FIG. 5) (S202). Next, the user defines a chapter through the GUI unit 102 (1) (FIG. 6), and the printer driver 102 performs internal processing corresponding to the chapter (S203). The printer driver 102 determines whether there is a chapter defined by the user and post-processing settings set on the post-processing setting screens shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 (S204). The GUI unit 102 (1) displays ON / OFF of the corresponding post-processing for each chapter according to the determination (FIG. 7) (S205).
Here, if necessary, the user defines (instructs) ON (valid) / OFF (invalid) of individual post-processing for each chapter through the GUI unit 102 (1) (FIG. 8) (S206).

  Next, the user defines a page to be treated as an exception page and print settings for the exception page through the GUI unit 102 (1) as necessary (FIG. 9) (S207). The GUI unit 102 (1) receives the definition and the setting by the user, updates the display content according to the print setting, and displays it on the display screen (S208).

FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure in the printer driver 102 when the user sets individual post-processing.
Options for setting post-processing such as stapling, punching and folding include OFF.
That is, the user selects a setting value from “OFF” or some kind (for example, one place on the left, two places on the right) as the staple setting value (S301). The user selects a set value from “OFF” or some kind (for example, left two holes, ring punch, etc.) as the set value of the punch (S302). Further, the user selects a setting value from “OFF” or some kind (for example, Z-folding, bi-folding, etc.) as the folding setting value (S303). The printer driver 102 stores (registers) the setting values of each post-process in the storage unit by the data storage unit 102 (3) (S304).

FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure performed by the GUI unit 102 (1) when defining a chapter.
Here, in order to ensure that the start page of the next chapter starts with a new sheet, it is determined whether or not the end page of the chapter is one side (front surface) of the sheet. If it becomes a single side, a process of adding a blank page is performed. Blank pages are not counted as the number of pages. This process is repeated for a defined number of chapter start pages.

  That is, the GUI unit 102 (1) acquires (accepts) the chapter breaks (number of chapter breaks = number of chapters) input by the user (S401). Next, the end page of the chapter is calculated from the start page of the chapter (S402). If the end page of the chapter is one side of the sheet (S403, YES), a blank page is added to the next page after the end page of the chapter (S404). Next, the GUI unit 102 (1) stores (registers) the definition data of the chapter in the storage unit by the data storage unit 102 (3) (S405). If the start page of the next chapter is defined (S406, YES), the process returns to step 402 and the following processing is repeated. If the start page of the next chapter is not defined in step S406, that is, if the processing for all chapters is completed (S406, NO), this processing flow is ended.

More specifically, for example, when start page [1, 6, 10] is input as a chapter definition, the first chapter start page = 1 and end page = 5, and both sides In the case of a (print) job, the end page of the chapter is one side. Therefore, a blank page is added and stored (registered) in the storage means as one chapter by the data storage unit 102 (3).
In this case, since the start page of the next chapter = 6 is defined, the start page of the next chapter = 6 and the end page = 9. Here, since the blank page is added after the fifth page, the end page of the chapter does not become one side. Therefore, the data storage unit 102 (3) stores the blank page as one chapter in the storage means. Save (register).
Similarly, the next chapter is saved (registered) in the storage means by the data saving unit 102 (3) as one chapter with start page = 10 and end page = N (final page). Since the start page of the chapter is not defined after the 10th page, the processing ends.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure in the GUI unit 102 (1) in displaying each post-processing setting screen and displaying an exception page setting value list.
That is, the GUI unit 102 (1) acquires (accepts) post-processing settings for a job performed by the user (S501). Next, the GUI unit 102 (1) determines whether or not the post-processing application range = “for each chapter” (S502). If “for each chapter” (S502, YES), the GUI unit 102 (1) determines whether the setting of each post-processing is “OFF” (S503). Here, if each post-processing setting is not “OFF” (S503, YES), the GUI unit 102 (1) displays “ON” in the display on the exception page setting value list. Also, on the UI control screen of the setting screen for the chapter (FIG. 8), “ON / OFF setting is possible” is displayed (S504), and this processing is terminated.

  When the GUI unit 102 (1) determines in step S502 that the post-processing application range is not “for each chapter” (S502, NO), and in step S503, the setting of each post-processing is “OFF”. When it is determined (S503, NO), both the display on the exception page setting value list (FIG. 7) and the UI control screen of the setting screen for the chapter (FIG. 8) display “OFF”, and the setting value is displayed. A state that cannot be changed is set (S505). The process ends in this state.

  Next, the above process will be specifically described. That is, here, the processing procedure of the flowchart of FIG. 15 is used. For example, in the post-processing range screen and the post-processing setting screen shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the post-processing range = “for each chapter”, staple = “two places on the left”, punch = “OFF”, and folding = “Z-fold”. In the case of the exception page setting value list shown in FIG. 7, it is displayed as stapling: ON, punch = OFF, folding: ON.

In the UI control screen of the setting screen for the chapter of FIG. 8, “ON / OFF” can be selected on the staple UI control screen, and the content of the punch UI control screen is grayed out with “OFF”, and the setting value cannot be changed. On the state and folding UI control screen, “ON / OFF” can be selected.
Note that print settings for chapters and exception pages can be changed as appropriate according to user instructions. That is, the GUI unit (1) accepts a setting value change instruction for a chapter or exception page for which print settings have been made, and changes the setting value.
Each process of the printer driver 102 described above is executed by a function realizing unit such as the GUI unit 102 (1) of the printer driver 102, which is realized by causing the computer of the client PC 10 to read a program.

  According to the present embodiment, it is possible to select (set) whether a chapter is defined and post-processing is set for the entire job or for the defined chapter unit. Also, enable / disable of post-processing for each chapter unit can be set individually. In addition, the settings for the “chapter” unit and the “exception page” that is an arbitrary page unit can be expressed together in one table (exception page setting value list). Therefore, when setting the post-processing for the chapters in the job, it is possible to make finer settings than the conventional setting in which the post-processing is set / released in units of individual chapters without burdening the user. In addition, the final output result can be easily imagined from the exception page setting value list.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Printing system, 10 ... Client PC, 12 ... DFE controller, 14 ... Printer, 16 ... Network, 101 ... Application, 102 ... Printer driver, 102 (1) ... GUI part, 102 (2) ... Preview display part, 102 (3) ... Data storage part, 102 (4) ... Job ticket generation part, 102 (5) ... Drawing part, 103: Port monitor, 103 (1): Data transfer unit.

JP 2011-81748 A

Claims (6)

Setting means for accepting and setting post-processing settings for jobs and chapter break setting instructions for dividing jobs into chapter units;
Storage means for storing the set post-processing and the chapter break in a storage means;
A list screen showing validity or invalidity of post-processing set for the job in each chapter unit, and exception page print settings for an arbitrary page in the chapter, wherein the post-processing in the chapter unit A first button for displaying a first screen for selecting whether to enable or disable processing; and a second button for displaying a second screen for performing print settings for the exception page. Screen display means for displaying the list screen ;
An information processing apparatus. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,
The information processing apparatus in which the second screen does not include a setting item for accepting selection of whether to enable or disable the post- processing. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
The information processing apparatus , wherein the second screen includes a setting item for accepting the setting of the exception page . A printing system comprising: the information processing apparatus according to claim 1; and a printing apparatus that prints at least print data generated by the information processing apparatus . A setting process for accepting and setting post-processing settings for jobs and chapter break setting instructions for dividing jobs into chapter units;
A storage step for storing the set post-processing and the chapter break in a storage means;
A list screen showing validity or invalidity of post-processing set for the job in each chapter unit, and exception page print settings for an arbitrary page in the chapter, wherein the post-processing in the chapter unit A first button for displaying a first screen for selecting whether to enable or disable processing; and a second button for displaying a second screen for performing print settings for the exception page. A screen display step for displaying the list screen;
A setting method in an information processing apparatus having The computer of the information processing device
Setting means for accepting and setting post-processing settings for jobs and chapter break setting instructions that divide jobs into chapter units,
Storage means for storing the set post-processing and the chapter break in a storage means;
A list screen showing validity or invalidity of post-processing set for the job in each chapter unit, and exception page print settings for an arbitrary page in the chapter, wherein the post-processing in the chapter unit A first button for displaying a first screen for selecting whether to enable or disable processing; and a second button for displaying a second screen for performing print settings for the exception page. Screen display means for displaying the list screen;
A computer readable program to function as a computer .

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