JP2017035831A - Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and program for the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To address conventional problems that a condition during output and data subjected to output processing are registered to be associated with each other but information on output during printing other than reprinting is not written, with the result that when an image can be printed by any printer and the image is output by a device having a panel setting changed from an ordinary setting, the image is output by a setting different from an ordinary setting for output.SOLUTION: Means for storing a standard panel setting by an ordinary user in advance, and comparing the stored setting with a panel setting of a device used for output at a time of outputting an image is provided. If the setting is different, the means displays a different portion and selects whether to use a set value stored in advance or to use the current panel setting.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, an image processing method, and a program thereof. In particular, the present invention relates to a setting method at the time of output when a driver prioritizes panel output in a system in which data is temporarily stored in a server or the like from a driver, and the stored data can be taken out and output from any printer.

  There has been used a system in which Page Description Language (PDL) data is sent from a printer driver to a server, temporarily stored, and output from the printer UI in response to an instruction from the printer's UI. By using this system, the output does not remain and cannot be picked up, so it is possible to prevent the output from accumulating in the paper output section, and preventing the output from being seen by others by leaving it out. Temporary storage on the server makes it easier to reprint additional output when there is not enough output.

  However, in each output device, there are many cases where the device environment is different, such as the tray configuration at the time of use or the presence or absence of a finisher, and there are cases where output is not possible. Regarding this matter, there is a technique for automatically changing the output so that it cannot be output (Patent Document 1).

  In Patent Document 1, during the previous (first) output processing, the output conditions at that time and output processing data (specifically, an original image) are registered in association with each other. The registered output conditions for the previous output process are collated from among various output conditions that can be applied depending on the relationship between the output device used in the next reprint process and the output process data. A method is described in which it is determined whether or not the previous output condition needs to be corrected by collation, and when the correction is necessary, the output condition is automatically converted based on a predetermined conversion rule. .

JP 2006-279189 A

  However, in the method disclosed in Patent Document 1, the output is specified, the output condition is associated with the output processing data, the output is not specified by the driver, and the output is performed as specified on the device panel. Is not written. In addition, the conditions at the time of output and the output processing data are registered in association with each other, and the output at the time of printing other than reprinting is not written. Therefore, when printing can be performed on any printer at any time, when the device panel setting is changed from the usual setting, the output may be different from the setting when the device is always outputting.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus capable of making the output image quality of prints the same at any time and anywhere when printing can be performed on any printer at any time.

In order to achieve the above object, an image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes:
The normal user's normative panel setting is stored in advance, and the stored setting is compared with the panel setting of the device to be output when outputting. If they are different, a different part is displayed, and a means for selecting whether to use a preset value stored in advance or a current panel setting is provided.

  According to the image forming apparatus of the present invention, when printing can be performed on any printer at any time, the same output as when the output is always performed when the device panel setting is changed from the usual setting. Image quality can be obtained.

1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of an image processing apparatus according to a first embodiment. Example of functional configuration of image processing apparatus according to embodiment 1 7 is a flowchart illustrating a processing flow of the image processing apparatus according to the first embodiment. The figure which shows an example of the operation part of Example 1. The figure which shows an example of the norm setting value of an image function setting The figure which shows an example of the operation part of Example 1. The figure which shows an example of the operation part of Example 1. The figure which shows an example of the operation part of Example 1. The figure which shows an example of the norm setting value and main body panel setting value of image function setting The figure which shows an example of the operation part of Example 1. The figure which shows an example of the operation part of Example 1.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

Example 1
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the image processing apparatus according to the present exemplary embodiment.

  A personal computer (PC) 101 converts data created by an application or the like into Page Description Language (PDL) using a printer driver. The converted PDL data is temporarily stored in the server 102 via the network 103. In the printer 1 (113), personal authentication is performed by the personal authentication unit 105, and the print data list of the authenticated individual is received from the server 102 by the data transmission / reception unit 104. The received list is displayed on the operation unit 110, and the user selects a print data list to be output.

  The selected print data is received from the server 102 by the data transmission / reception unit 104. The received PDL data is rasterized by the CPU 109 via the system bus 108 and converted into a bitmap. The converted bitmap is once spooled in the HDD 112 and sent to the printer processing unit 106 in accordance with the print timing. The printer image processing unit 106 performs image processing such as toner density adjustment and sharpness adjustment for output to the printer.

  The printer unit is a part that forms an image of the print image data generated by the image processing unit on a medium such as paper with toner and outputs a printed matter. The CPU 109 is a part that performs authentication processing, print setting, print data processing, and various arithmetic processes, and controls each processing unit. The operation unit 110 is a part for inputting a user operation. The RAM 111 stores various processing programs and setting values, and these setting values are read out and referred to by the CPU 109 during processing.

  The printer 2 (114) is the same type of printer as the printer 1 (113). The internal configuration is the same as that of the printer 1, and the user can output from a favorite printer.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of the image processing apparatus according to the present exemplary embodiment.

  The normative setting generation unit 201 generates a printer setting to be used at the time of printing by the user at the time of printer installation or the like from the setting at that time on the panel of the installation machine or according to the user setting. The generated printer setting is stored as a reference setting value in the server 102 in association with an ID or the like for each individual by the reference setting storage unit 202. The personal authentication unit 203 is a part that authenticates an individual with an IC card or the like in order to identify a user who uses the printer setting.

  The reference setting panel setting comparison / determination unit 204 compares the printer setting stored in the reference setting storage unit with the panel setting value of the printer that performs output. The panel setting use determination unit determines the setting of the operation unit 110 to use the reference setting or the panel setting when the reference setting panel setting comparison determination unit 204 determines that the reference setting is different from the panel setting. To do. The final setting value setting unit 206 sets printer settings finally determined in the image processing unit in accordance with a processing flow to be described later, and applies them at the time of printing.

  Each processing unit in FIG. 2 is realized by the CPU 109 in FIG. 1 loading a program stored in the HDD 112 into the RAM and executing the program.

  The flowchart of FIG. 3 shows an example in which the norm setting of the print setting is performed when the machine is installed. The flowchart in FIG. 3 is realized by the CPU 109 in FIG. 1 loading and executing a program in the RAM 111 in order to execute the flowchart in FIG. 3 described later stored in the HDD 112.

  First, in step 301, the machine (printer) is installed, and the screen setting of the operation unit 110 in the installation mode (administrator) shown in FIG. 4 is displayed. The process proceeds to step 302.

  In step 302, in accordance with the display on the operation unit shown in FIG. 4, first, the administrator selects the machine setting 401 for setting the printer setting for a specific machine or the multiple setting for setting the largest number of machines that can be output. The selection 402 is selected. FIG. 4 shows an example in which the administrator selects a printer having an IP address of 172.22.21.01 in machine selection 401.

  Next, to which user the printer setting is applied is selected on the user selection screen. Therefore, if the administrator selects 403 individually, settings can be made for each registered user, and if the administrator selects all 404, the printer settings are applied to all registered users. Here, an example of selecting all selections is shown. Next, when the administrator presses the OK button 406, the printer setting of the selected machine is generated as the norm setting for all registered users. FIG. 5 shows an example of the norm setting example. The process proceeds to step 303.

  In step 303, the normative settings of all users are stored in the server 102 as normative settings. Processing proceeds to step 304. In step 304, the user issues a print instruction for printing on the PC 101. In accordance with the instruction, print data is sent to the server 102 so that any printer can output it. At that time, the panel priority setting is set so that the image processing setting moves according to the panel of the printer so that there is no problem even in the printer. The process proceeds to step 305.

  In step 305, the user goes to the printer he / she wants to take out, touches the IC card to the personal authentication unit 105 of the printer, and performs personal authentication according to the operation unit 110 shown in FIG. When the personal authentication is performed, the display of the operation unit 110 is switched to the job selection screen of the authenticated user shown in FIG. The process proceeds to step 306. In step 306, the user selects a job to be output from the job selection screen shown in FIG. Here, an example in which print 1 (701) is selected is shown. The user presses a print button 704 to print the selected job, and issues a print instruction. The process proceeds to step 307.

  In step 307, the norm setting panel setting comparison determination unit 204 determines whether the norm setting and the panel setting are different. In the case of the norm setting and the main body panel as shown in FIG. 9, since the toner density and sharpness functions are different, the determination is Yes and the process proceeds to step 309. If they are not different, the determination is no and the process proceeds to step 308. In step 308, as the print setting, the setting of ID0001 shown in FIG. 5 is set in the printer processing unit 106 as the print setting.

  In step 309, since the norm setting and the panel setting are different, a setting confirmation screen shown in FIG. 8 for confirming which one is used is displayed on the operation unit 110. On the setting confirmation screen, the user selects and switches between yes (801) and no (802) whether to use the panel setting or the norm setting. When the detailed setting button 803 is selected, a detailed setting confirmation screen shown in FIG. 10 is displayed on the operation unit 11. On the detailed setting confirmation screen, different functions of the norm setting and the panel setting are displayed, and the respective setting values can be confirmed.

FIG. 10 shows an example in which the user confirms this set value, and selects the norm setting for the toner density and the panel setting for the sharpness. When the update button 1005 is pressed, the norm setting for sharpness is changed to the panel setting, and the norm setting and the panel setting become the same, so the screen is as shown in FIG. Finally, when the return 1006 is pressed in this state, the process returns to FIG. The process proceeds to step 310. In step 310, the user selects whether to use panel settings on the setting confirmation screen of FIG. If YES (801) is pressed, the process proceeds to step 311. If NO (802) is pressed, the process proceeds to step 308. Processing proceeds to step 312. In step 312, the user confirms the setting on the setting confirmation screen of FIG. 8 and then presses the print button 804 to start printing.

  As described above, according to this embodiment, when printing can be performed on any printer at any time, the same output image quality can be obtained as when output is performed with a device whose device panel setting is changed from the usual setting. It becomes possible.

(Example 2)
In the first embodiment, the standard setting is generated by installing the printer (machine). However, the same effect can be obtained even if the standard setting is performed while the user performs output and the change history of the panel setting is large.

(Example 3)
In the first and second embodiments, there is only one setting. However, when there are a plurality of types of devices, the same effect can be obtained even if a plurality of types of reference setting values are stored according to the devices.

(Other examples)
The present invention can also be realized by executing the following processing. In this process, software (program) for realizing the functions of the above-described embodiments is supplied to a system or apparatus via a network or various storage media, and the computer (or CPU, MPU, etc.) of the system or apparatus executes the program. It is a process to read and execute.

1 (113) Printer, 101 Personal computer (PC),
102 server, 103 network, 104 data transmission / reception unit,
105 personal authentication unit, 106 printer processing unit, 108 system bus,
109 CPU, 110 operation unit, 112 HDD

Claims (3)

User normative settings are stored in advance, and when output, the stored settings are compared with the panel settings of the device to be output. If they are different, the different parts are displayed and stored in advance. An image forming apparatus and method provided with means for selecting whether to use a set value or a current panel setting. The standard setting is set in the machine installation, and when the user changes the panel after that, it is confirmed whether the standard setting value is changed, and when it is judged to be changed, a changing means is provided for changing the standard setting value. The image forming apparatus and method according to claim 1. An image processing apparatus and method characterized in that when there are a plurality of types of devices, a plurality of types of reference setting values are stored in accordance with the devices.