JP2006235664A - Image forming system and image forming apparatus application - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming system, realizing variable printing and remarkably reducing the printing time of a user performing a large amount of variable printing. <P>SOLUTION: This image formation system includes: a server 200 where an image forming apparatus application 100 is installed; an input device 300; an image forming apparatus 400; and a host computer 500. The image forming apparatus application 100 includes: a page description language conversion processing part 101; a variable printing data creation processing part 102; a compression archive creating part 103; a printing data storing part 104; a GUI 105; an object processing part 106; an object managing part 17; and a coordinate transforming part 108. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus application and image formation.

There is known an image forming system including a server in which an image forming apparatus application is installed, an input device operated by a user, an image forming apparatus, and a host computer. The image forming apparatus application receives a print data stream output from the host computer. The following are known as related technologies.
JP 2001-043052 A

The conventional image forming apparatus application has means for converting the host print data stream into a general page description language, but the variable print language conforms to the user's need to perform a large amount of variable printing from the host computer. There was no means to convert.
An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming system and an image forming apparatus application that can realize variable printing and can significantly reduce the printing time of a user who performs a large amount of variable printing.

In order to achieve the above object, a first aspect of the present invention provides a server in which an image forming apparatus application is installed, an input apparatus that inputs image data, and an image forming apparatus that forms an output image based on the input data. In the image forming system including the host computer, the image forming apparatus application receives a page description language conversion processing unit that converts an object into a page description language and a data processing end notification up to the object reuse range. Based on the name, image size, and position information of the object, the variable print data creation processing unit that creates variable print data and saves the file, and the variable print data file and the object received from the variable print data creation processing unit One compressed arcer for data files A compressed archive creation unit that collects data into a page description language, a print data storage unit that saves data in which objects are converted into a page description language, a GUI, an object processing unit that notifies the end of data processing up to the object reuse range, The main feature is to have an object management unit that registers name, image size, and position information, and a coordinate conversion unit that converts position information and registers it in the object list.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, one of the print data streams output from the host computer that can handle the drawing data on the page as an object including an image, a graphic, a barcode, and an object container is transferred between the host computer and the image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus application having the means for converting to a page description language and the means for converting the object to a variable printing language that can be reused is the main feature.

The invention according to claim 3 is the image forming apparatus application according to claim 2, wherein the image forming apparatus application has means for converting the print data stream received from the host computer into a page description language for each object. And
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus application according to the third aspect, when the print data stream is converted into a page description language for each object, the entire page including text is handled as one object. The application is the main feature.
The invention according to claim 5 is the image forming apparatus application according to claim 4, wherein the object converted into the page description language has an image forming apparatus application having means for storing together with position information of the object with respect to the page. To do.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the image forming apparatus application according to the fifth aspect is characterized in that the image forming apparatus application checks whether or not the same object exists.
The invention described in claim 7 is characterized in that, in the image forming apparatus application described in claim 6, an image forming apparatus application having an interface for a user to make settings.
The invention according to claim 8 is characterized in that, in the image forming apparatus application according to claim 7, an image forming apparatus application in which a variable printing language capable of reusing an object is selected by setting from an interface is selected. To do.
The invention according to claim 9 is characterized in that, in the image forming apparatus application according to claim 8, an image forming apparatus application in which an effective range of reusable objects is designated by setting from an interface.

  The image forming apparatus application according to the present invention uses one data stream for printing output from a host computer that can handle drawing data on a page as an object including an image, a graphic, a barcode, and an object container. It has a function to convert between page description languages and a function to convert objects into a variable printing language that can reuse objects, so that variable printing can be realized and the printing time for users who perform a large amount of variable printing can be greatly reduced. Is possible.

The outline of the present invention is as follows.
1. The host print data stream is converted into a page description language for each object.
2. Check for objects with the same drawing content.
3. The object is converted into a variable printing language that can be reused, the object converted in 1 is referred to from the variable language, and the object having the same drawing content checked in 2 is reused.
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an image forming system of the present invention. The image forming system includes a server 200 in which an image forming apparatus application 100 is installed, an input device 300, an image forming apparatus 400, and a host computer 500.
The image forming apparatus application 100 receives the print data stream output from the host computer 500. The server 200 performs bidirectional communication with the host computer 500 and the image forming apparatus 400 and exchanges information with each other. Also, an operation input from the input device 300 is received. The input device 300 is operated by a user. The image forming apparatus 400 receives / analyzes / draws the drawing object division description language. The host computer 500 outputs a printing data storm.

Functions in the image forming apparatus application 100 will be described.
The page description language conversion processing unit 101 converts the object received from the object processing unit 106 into a page description language, and stores the converted data in the print data storage unit 104 as a file. Also, the object name, image size, and position information are returned to the object processing unit 106.
When the variable print data creation processing unit 102 receives a data processing end notification from the object processing unit 106 to the object reuse range, based on the object name, image size, and position information registered in the object management unit 107, Variable print data is created and saved in the print data storage unit 104 as a file. When the data creation is completed, the compressed archive creation unit 103 is notified.
In response to the notification from the variable print data creation processing unit 102, the compressed archive creation unit 103 collects the variable print data file and the object data file stored in the print data storage unit 104 into one compressed archive, and creates the image forming apparatus 400. Send to.
The print data storage unit 104 stores the data converted into the page description language by the page description language conversion processing unit 101 in a file. The variable print data created by the variable print data creation processing unit 102 is stored in a file.
The GUI 105 allows the user to set the following content.
Whether to perform variable printing, selection of variable printing language, specification of object reuse range The object processing unit 106 passes the data received from the host computer 500 to the page description language conversion processing unit 101 for each object. The object name / image size / position information is received from the page description language conversion processing unit 101, the position information is converted by the coordinate conversion unit 108, and registered in the object list.
In the second and subsequent registrations, a search is performed for the same drawing data. If there is no same drawing data, it is registered as none. If there is, register the registration number of the matched data. The search range is determined by the object reuse range set by the user using the GUI 105. When the data received from the host computer 500 is processed up to the object reuse range, the variable print data creation processing unit 102 is notified.
The object management unit 107 manages an object list (see FIG. 2). The coordinate conversion unit 108 converts the position information of the object into a variable printing language coordinate system.

Next, the operation will be described. When performing a large amount of variable printing from the host computer 500, the user uses the input device 300 on the GUI 105 to set to perform variable printing, and selects a variable language. The range of object reuse is specified on a page basis.
When data is received from the host computer 500 via the network port, the data is received by the object processing unit 106 in the image forming apparatus application 100 and transferred to the page description language conversion processing unit 101 for each object.
The page description language conversion processing unit 101 converts the received object data, and stores the converted data in the print data storage unit 104 as a file. Also, the object name, image size, and position information are returned to the object processing unit 106.
The object processing unit 106 registers the name, image size, and position information of the object received from the page description language conversion processing unit 101 (position information is converted into the coordinate system of the variable printing language by the coordinate conversion unit 108) in the object list.
In the second and subsequent registrations, a search is performed for the same drawing data. If there is no same drawing data, it is registered as none. If there is, register the registration number of the matched data. The search range is determined by the object reuse range set by the user using the GUI 105.
When the data received from the host computer 500 has been processed up to the object reuse range, the variable print data creation processing unit 102 uses the object name, image size, and position information registered in the object management unit 107 as a basis. Then, variable print data is created and stored in the print data storage unit 104 as a file. When the data creation is completed, the compressed archive creation unit 103 is notified.
Upon receiving the notification, the compressed archive creation unit 103 collects the variable print data file and the object data file stored in the print data storage unit 104 into one compressed archive and transmits it to the image forming apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a variable printing language conversion processing flowchart. Each processing step (S) will be described.
S1: A print data stream is received from the host computer 500.
S2: Each object is converted into a page description language and saved in a file.
S3: If S2 is the process for the first object, the process of S4 is performed.
If S2 is not the process of the first object, the process of S5 is performed.
S4: Create a list for registering objects.
S5: The position information of the object is converted into the coordinate system of the variable printing language.
S6: The file name, data classification, file size, image size, and position information of the object data converted into the object list are registered.
S7: It is checked whether there is an object with the same drawing data (see FIG. 4).
S8: Variable print data is created based on the object list information and saved in a file.
S9: A compressed archive is created by combining the reference object file and the variable print data.
S10: The data created in S9 is transmitted to the image forming apparatus.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart of the same object search processing. Each processing step (S) will be described.
S21: The classification in the object list and the file size are compared.
S22: If the classification matches the file size, the process of S23 is performed.
If the classification does not match the file size, the process ends.
S23: Compare object data.
S24: If the object data match, the process of S25 is performed.
If the object data does not match, the process of S26 is performed.
S25: The same object is registered in the object list.
S26: Register that there is no identical object in the object list.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, since variable printing can be realized in printing from a host computer, it is possible to greatly reduce the printing time of a user who performs a large amount of variable printing.
Further, the processing time can be reduced by taking advantage of the characteristics of the data stream output from the host computer.
Also, since text is not handled as an object in the output data stream from the host computer, conversion to variable printing can be realized by treating the entire page including the text as one object.
In addition, when the object is converted into the page description language, the position information for the page is saved, so that the object can be accurately reproduced using the variable printing language.
Further, by having a function of checking whether or not the same object exists in the data stream output from the host computer, the effect of variable printing can be exhibited.
In addition, since there is an interface for performing detailed settings when executing variable printing in host computer printing, it is possible to perform variable printing more suited to user needs.
In addition, the user can select a variable printing language that can reuse an object by using an interface, so that variable printing that meets the needs of the user can be performed.
In addition, since the user can specify an effective range of the reuse object using the interface, it is possible to perform variable printing more suited to the user's needs.

1 is a configuration diagram of an image forming system of the present invention. The figure which shows an example of an object list. The variable printing language conversion processing flowchart. The same object search processing flowchart.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Image forming apparatus application 101 Page description language conversion process part 102 Variable print data creation process part 103 Compression archive creation part 104 Print data storage part 105 GUI
106 Object processing unit 107 Object management unit 108 Coordinate conversion unit 200 Server 300 Input device 400 Image forming device 500 Host computer

Claims (9)

  In an image forming system comprising a server in which an image forming apparatus application is installed, an input apparatus for inputting image data, an image forming apparatus for forming an output image based on the input data, and a host computer, the image forming apparatus application Receives the page description language conversion processing unit for converting the object into the page description language and the data processing end notification up to the object reuse range, and the variable print data based on the name, image size, and position information of the object. A variable print data creation processing unit that creates a file and stores the file, a compression archive creation unit that receives a notification from the variable print data creation processing unit, and combines the variable print data file and the object data file into one compressed archive, and an object A print data storage unit that saves data converted into a page description language as a file, a GUI, an object processing unit that notifies the end of data processing up to the object reuse range, and an object name, image size, and position information are registered. An image forming system comprising: an object management unit; and a coordinate conversion unit that converts position information and registers the position information in an object list.   Means for converting one of print data streams output from a host computer capable of handling drawing data on a page as an object including an image, a graphic, a barcode, and an object container into a page description language between the host computer and the image forming apparatus And an image forming apparatus application comprising: means for converting the object into a reusable variable printing language.   3. The image forming apparatus application according to claim 2, further comprising means for converting a print data stream received from a host computer into a page description language for each object.   4. The image forming apparatus application according to claim 3, wherein when the print data stream is converted into a page description language for each object, the entire page including text is handled as one object.   5. The image forming apparatus application according to claim 4, further comprising means for storing the object converted into the page description language together with position information of the object with respect to the page.   6. The image forming apparatus application according to claim 5, wherein the image forming apparatus application checks whether or not the same object exists.   7. The image forming apparatus application according to claim 6, further comprising an interface for a user to make a setting.   8. The image forming apparatus application according to claim 7, wherein a variable printing language capable of reusing an object is selected by setting from an interface. 9. The image forming apparatus application according to claim 8, wherein an effective range of the reusable object is designated by setting from an interface.

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