Abstract:
Disclosed is a printing system having a data processing apparatus on which printer driver software capable of setting various kinds of print conditions is installed, and a printer for performing a printing operation based on print job data transmitted from the data processing apparatus. The printer driver software provides a user with a setting screen on which various user-selectable setting options for printing are displayed and can visually alter at least one of the setting options from the setting screen based on information about the state of the printer acquired from the printer. The information on the state of the printer includes information on the remaining amount of a consumable item loaded in the printer or an optional device connected to the printer, information on the size of a recording medium loaded in the printer, or information as to whether the optional device is connected to the printer.

Description:
[0001]    This disclosure is a divisional of application Ser. No. 11/093,237 filed Mar. 30, 2005, now allowed, which is a divisional of application Ser. No. 09/809,168 filed Mar. 16, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,975,415, the entire contents of which are herein incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to a printing system comprising a printer and a data processing apparatus such as a print server for transmitting job data to the printer. 
         [0003]    In a printing system comprising a printer and a print server (for example, a personal computer) for transmitting job data such as image data or text data to the printer, a printer driver for controlling the printer is installed on the print server such that the print server can recognize a printer to which the job data is to be output. In this printing system, various kinds of conditions such as a print output time and the number of sheets to be printed are normally set on the printer driver in the print server, and then, the set information is transmitted to the printer, thereby controlling the printer. Moreover, the print server can acquire information on a printer body, for example, information on operating states (such as sheet feeding, printing and sheet discharging) and error information (such as a sheet feeding error), or information on an optional device to be connected to the printer body such as a double-sided printing unit or a finisher, for example, information on the connected state or error state of the optional device. In relation to this, in a system disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 10-222445, specified information on a printer can be transmitted to a print server via bidirectional communications, wherein a change in the specified information already set can be noticed to the print server. 
         [0004]    However, in the conventional system, the acquired information on the printer and its optional device could not be reflected in the printer driver installed on the print server. Therefore, for example, even if consumable items such as sheets, toner or staples were used up in the printer, an operator could still execute setting on consumable items on the printer driver. As a result, the printer and its optional device could not cope with the received job data, and a finish was changed or the job data was discarded. 
         [0005]    An object of the present invention is to provide an improved printing system and method of controlling the printing system capable of solving the above-mentioned problems of the conventional system. 
         [0006]    Another object of the present invention is to provide a printing system and method of controlling the printing system in which information on a printer body and its optional device, received from a printer is reflected in a printer driver installed on a print server, thereby enhancing efficiency of a printing operation. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    In an aspect of the invention, there is provided a printing system having a data processing apparatus on which printer driver software capable of setting various kinds of print conditions is installed, and a printer for performing a printing operation based on print job data transmitted from the data processing apparatus, wherein the data processing apparatus comprises: acquiring means for acquiring information on the state of the printer; and information reflecting means for prohibiting or permitting setting of the print conditions relative to the information on the printer driver software based on the information acquired by the acquiring means. 
         [0008]    In another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of controlling a printing system having a data processing apparatus on which printer driver software capable of setting various kinds of print conditions is installed, and a printer for performing a printing operation based on print job data transmitted from the data processing apparatus, wherein the method comprises the steps of: acquiring information on the state of the printer; and prohibiting or permitting setting of the print conditions relative to the information on the printer driver software based on the information acquired by the acquiring means. 
         [0009]    In a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a computer programmed product for controlling a printing system having a data processing apparatus on which printer driver software capable of setting various kinds of print conditions is installed, and a printer for performing a printing operation based on print job data transmitted from the data processing apparatus, wherein the computer programmed product allows the data processing apparatus to execute the processes of acquiring information on the state of the printer and of prohibiting or permitting setting of the print conditions relative to the information on the printer driver software based on the information acquired by the acquiring means. 
         [0010]    In a yet further aspect of the invention, there is provided a data processing apparatus to be connected with a printer, comprising: printer driver software capable of setting various kinds of print conditions; acquiring means for acquiring information on the state of the printer; and information reflecting means for prohibiting or permitting setting of the print conditions relative to the information on the printer driver software based on the information acquired by the acquiring means. 
         [0011]    In each of the aspects of the invention, the information on the state of the printer may be information on the remaining amount of consumable item loaded in the printer or an optional device connected to the printer. Furthermore, the consumable item may be at least any one of recording mediums, printing materials and staples. Moreover, the information on the state of the printer may be information on the size of the recording medium loaded in the printer. Additionally, the information on the state of the printer may be information as to whether or not the optional device is connected to the printer. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
         [0012]      FIG. 1  is a view schematically showing a printing system in a preferred embodiment according to the present invention; 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a printer in the printing system; 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is a view showing a console panel of the printer; 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  illustrates one example of acquired information which has been converted into a file format; 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  is a flowchart illustrating printer information acquiring process; 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  illustrates an example of a setting screen of a printer driver, in which printer information and a result determined in step S 26  of  FIG. 5  are reflected; 
           [0018]      FIG. 7  illustrates another example of the setting screen of the printer driver, in which the printer information and the result determined in step S 26  of  FIG. 5  are reflected; 
           [0019]      FIG. 8  illustrates a further example of the setting screen of the printer driver, in which the printer information and the result determined in step S 26  of  FIG. 5  are reflected; 
           [0020]      FIG. 9  is a flowchart illustrating the process of determining setting items to be prohibited (step S 26  of  FIG. 5 ); and 
           [0021]      FIG. 10  is a flowchart illustrating the process of reflecting the printer information on a driver display (step S 27  of  FIG. 5 ). 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0022]    A preferred embodiment according to the present invention will be described below in reference to the attached drawings. 
         [0023]      FIG. 1  is a view schematically showing a printing system in a preferred embodiment according to the present invention. The printing system  10  comprises, on a network, a printer  20  and data processing apparatus or personal computers (hereinafter abbreviated as “PCs”)  30 , each of which serves as a server for transmitting print job data such as image data or text data to the printer  20 . On each of the PCs  30  is installed a printer driver (not shown) for controlling the printer  20  so as to recognize the printer  20  to which the job data is to be transmitted. In the above-described printing system  10 , various kinds of print conditions such as the number of sheets to be printed, a printing range and the size of the sheet can be set on the printer driver installed on the PC  30 . The job data is converted into data in a format suitable for the printer  20  in accordance with the set conditions, and then, is transmitted to the printer  20 . 
         [0024]    In the printer  20 , the received job data is converted into print data for a raster image, which is then printed on a sheet as a recording material. The printer  20  is provided with a first tray  9 A, a second tray  9 B, a third tray  9 C and a fourth tray  9 D which contain sheets different in size or orientation. In this embodiment, a large-volume cassette is placed as the lowermost fourth tray  9 D. Although not specially shown, each of the trays  9 A to  9 D is provided with a sensor disposed along the direction of the thickness of sheets stacked in each of the trays  9 A to  9 D, and thus, detects the remaining amount of sheets stacked in each of the trays in three stages of “Empty,” “Nearly Empty” and “Full.” Furthermore, each of the trays  9 A to  9 D is provided with a restricting plate for positionally restricting the sheets to be set, and consequently, the size of the sheet to be set is detected on the basis of the position of the restricting plate. Here, it is possible to arbitrarily vary the size of the sheets to be set in each of the trays  9 A to  9 D. 
         [0025]    Furthermore, at the upper portion of the main body of the printer  20  is disposed a console panel  2  for setting various kinds of conditions such as printing types or printing postponement. An operator can control the operation of the printer  20  via the console panel  2 . 
         [0026]    A double-sided printing unit  11  capable of double-sided printing and a finisher  12  provided with a punch bin  13  for punching a plurality of sheets, to which images have been transferred and fixed, and a staple bin  14  for stapling a plurality of sheets as optional devices which cooperate with the main body of the printer  20  during a printing operation can be connected to the printer  20 . In the preferred embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , both of the optional devices  11  and  12  are connected to the printer  20 . 
         [0027]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the printer  20  in the printing system  10 . The printer  20  comprises a CPU  21  for performing the entire sequence control of the printer  20 , a data processing unit  22  capable of executing data processing such as color spatial conversion or binary processing, and a printing unit  24  for subjecting the sheet to printing process based on the data processed by the data processing unit  22 , with the above-described console panel  2 . Moreover, the printer  20  comprises a ROM  25  for storing therein a program for use in printer control by the CPU  21  and a RAM  23  to be used as a work area required for executing the program or a buffer area for the job data. Additionally, the printer  20  comprises, as outside interfaces, an optional interface (I/F)  26  serving as an interface circuit with respect to the above-described optional devices (only the finisher  12  is shown in  FIG. 2 ) and a network interface (I/F)  27  serving as an interface circuit with respect to the PC  30 . 
         [0028]    When the printer  20  such configured as described above receives the job data from the PC  30  via the network I/F  27 , the data is printed under the control of the operations of the component parts in accordance with the printer controlling program stored in the ROM  25  in reference to the various kinds of conditions set on the console panel  2 . At this time, the operations of the double-sided printing unit  11  and the finisher  12  connected as the optional devices for the printer  20  are controlled in tune with the printer  20 . 
         [0029]      FIG. 3  is a view showing the console panel  2  of the printer  20 . The console panel  2  is provided with a liquid crystal display  7  for displaying thereon a message such as “READY” as illustrated in  FIG. 3  or a screen for setting various kinds of conditions. Furthermore, on the console panel  2  are disposed, as command input keys, a communication state switching key  3  for switching a communicable state with the PC  30  (i.e., ON-LINE) and an incommunicable state (i.e., OFF-LINE), a confidential printing key  4  for executing confidential printing, a forced printing key  5  for instructing forced printing as a finish remains uncompleted in the case where all the finishing process cannot be executed, and a printing postponing key  6  for instructing re-storing of confidential printing in such a manner as to perform printing after adjustment of conditions on the printer  20  side in the case where all the finishing process cannot be executed. Furthermore, on the console panel  2  is provided a numeric keypad  8  for inputting numerical values such as the number of sheets to be printed or a personal identification number. 
         [0030]    As described above, the printer driver for controlling the printer  20  is installed on the PC  30 , and thus, it is booted up, for example, at the request of printing from application software. In this booted state, the printer driver provides a setting screen  60  (see  FIGS. 6 ,  7  and  8 ), on which various kinds of conditions relative to printing such as the number of sheets to be printed, the printing range and the size of the sheet can be set. Together with the printer driver, utility software (not illustrated) capable of acquiring various kinds of information on the printer  20  is installed on the PC  30 . The utility software is booted up at the time of starting of the PC  30  or in response to a call from the printer driver. In the operated state, it is possible to acquire information on the printer  20  and its optional devices connected to the printer  20  such as the connected state of the optional devices or the presence of consumable items via the communications with the printer  20 . The connected state of the optional devices or the presence of consumable items is detected through the optional I/F  26 . 
         [0031]    The utility software can convert the acquired information into a file format (e.g., a text format) which can be read by the printer driver, and then, can store it in the PC  30 .  FIG. 4  illustrates one example of the information which has been converted into the file format. 
         [0032]    In the present embodiment, during the booted state of the printer driver, the information on the printer  20  is acquired and stored at predetermined time intervals by the utility software and new information is reflected in the printer driver, so that an operator can accurately grasp the state of the printer  20 . In relation to this,  FIG. 5  is a flowchart illustrating printer information acquiring process. When the printer driver is booted up at the request of printing, it is first checked in step S 21  as to whether or not the utility software is operated. If the result is affirmative, the routine jumps to step S 25 ; otherwise, if the result is negative, the routine proceeds to step S 22 . In step S 22 , the utility software is booted up. Next, in step S 23 , various kinds of information on the printer  20  and the optional devices connected to the printer  20  are acquired by means of the utility software. Furthermore, in step S 24 , the acquired information is filed in a text format. In step S 25 , the text file stored in the PC  30  by the utility software is read. 
         [0033]    Subsequently, in step S 26 , setting items to be prohibited on the setting screen of the printer driver are determined based on the acquired information on the printer. Examples of the setting items to be prohibited include “double-sided printing” in the state in which the double-sided printing unit  11  (see  FIG. 1 ) is not connected to the printer  20 , or “Staple” or “Punch” in the state in which the finisher  12  is not disposed. The process of determining the setting items to be prohibited will be described later in reference to  FIG. 9 . In step S 27 , the acquired information on the printer and the determination result in step S 26  are reflected in the printer driver. In this case, the items determined in step S 26  as the setting items to be prohibited are grayed out (or shaded) in such a manner as to be disabled from being selected. Otherwise, in order to disable the setting items to be prohibited from being selected, such items may be deleted from a menu of choices. 
         [0034]    The printer information acquiring process is executed based on an operating program installed on the PC  30 . In the present embodiment, the program is stored in a storage device such as a hard disk drive  30   c  (see  FIG. 2 ) in the PC  30 . Such a program can be installed on the storage device using a computer-readable floppy disk  30   a  (see  FIG. 2 ) and a CD-ROM. 
         [0035]      FIGS. 6 and 7  illustrate examples of the setting screen of the printer driver, in which the printer information and the result determined in step S 26  of  FIG. 5  are reflected. The setting screen  60  is constituted of an appearance display section  61  for displaying the final appearance at the time of outputting, a printer body information display section  62  for displaying the state of a printer body, a condition setting section  63  for setting various kinds of conditions, and an executing section  64  provided with various kinds of execution keys. On the printer body information display section  62  are schematically displayed the printer body and the optional devices connected to the printer body. In  FIG. 6 , there are displayed a double-sided printing unit  62   b  and a finisher  62   c  together with a printer body  62   a . This display reveals that the double-sided printing unit  11  and the finisher  12  are connected to the printer  20 . Moreover, on the printer body information display section  62  is displayed information on “Toner,” “Jamming,” “Staple” or “Error.” That is, with respect to “Toner,” there is displayed information as to whether or not developing toner remains enough to achieve the printing operation; with respect to “Jamming,” there is displayed information as to whether or not paper jamming occurs in the printer  20 ; with respect to “Staple,” there is displayed information as to whether or not staples remain in the finisher  12 ; and with respect to “Error,” there is displayed information as to whether or not an error occurs in the printer  20  or its optional devices.  FIG. 6  shows the display indicating that a sufficient quantity of toner remains, no paper jamming occurs, staples remain in the finisher  12  and no error occurs. 
         [0036]    Additionally, on the printer body information display section  62  is displayed a table  62   d  showing the remaining number of sheets different in size or orientation, stacked in the first to fourth trays  9 A to  9 D in the printer  20 . In  FIG. 6 , the table  62   d  shows that “Tray  3 ” corresponding to the third tray  9 C is “Empty,” and therefore, it is found that the sheets stacked in the third tray  9 C in the printer  20  are used up.  FIG. 7  illustrates the state in which the result determined in step S 26  of  FIG. 5  is reflected based on the sheet-out information. In  FIG. 7 , a box of the item “Sheet Selection” is opened in the condition setter  63 . In this box, symbols “A 4 T,” “A 4 Y,” “A 3 T” and “A 4 ” indicating the sizes and orientations of the sheets respectively corresponding to the first to fourth trays  9 A to  9 D in the printer  20  are arranged in order from top. Among these symbols, the symbol “A 3 T” is determined to be a setting item to be prohibited based on the sheet-out information on the third tray  9 C, so that the symbol “A 3 T” is grayed out, i.e., cannot be selected. Consequently, the operator cannot select, on the printer driver, the symbol “A 3 T” indicating the sheet-out condition on the printer  20 . Therefore, it is possible to avoid any change in finish or any discard of job data because the printer  20  and its optional devices cannot cope with the job data transmitted from the PC  30 . 
         [0037]    In the meantime, the final appearance of a printout is schematically displayed on the appearance display section  61  based on the set conditions in the condition setter section  63 . As shown in  FIG. 6 , in the case where “Long Edge” and “Upper Left Corner” are respectively set in the items “Punch” and “Staple” in the condition setting section  63 , punch holes  61  b together with a sheet  61  a are displayed over one long edge of the sheet  61   a  on the appearance display section  61 , and further, a staple  61   c  is displayed at the upper left corner of the sheet  61   a.    
         [0038]    Moreover,  FIG. 8  illustrates a further example of the setting screen of the printer driver, in which the printer information and the result determined in step S 26  of  FIG. 5  are reflected. In this example, no optional device connected to the printer body  62   a  is displayed on the printer body information display section  62 . Therefore, this display shows that neither the double-sided printing unit  11  nor the finisher  12  are connected to the printer  20 . In this case, since no finisher  12  is connected, no information on “Staple” is displayed on the printer body information display section  62 . The result determined in step S 26  of  FIG. 5  based on the above-described information on the optional devices is reflected in the condition setting section  63 . Namely, the items “Printing Side,” “Punch” and “Staple” are determined to be setting items to be prohibited based on the information that neither the double-sided printing unit  11  nor the finisher  12  are connected to the printer  20 , so that these items are grayed out, and therefore, cannot be selected. In the example illustrated in  FIG. 8 , the item “Printing Side”, “Punch” and “Staple” are grayed out as they are set in “Single-side”, “No” and “No”, respectively. Therefore, the operator cannot change such setting conditions. As a result, it is possible to avoid any change in finish or any discard of the job data because the printer  20  cannot cope with the job data transmitted from the PC  30 . 
         [0039]    As described above, according to the present embodiment, the information on the printer  20  and its optional devices connected to the printer  20  is acquired at predetermined time intervals, and then, the setting conditions in the printer driver are automatically updated based on the information, so that the operator can accurately grasp the states of the printer  20  and its optional devices. Furthermore, the operator can previously check as to whether or not a desired finish can be obtained. In the case where it is found that no desired finish can be obtained, it is possible to avoid any change in finish or any discard of the job data by, for example, varying the size of sheets stacked in each of the trays  9 A to  9 D or supplementing the sheets or the toner in advance. As a result, the job data which can be coped with by the printer  20  and its optional devices can be transmitted all the time, thereby efficiently achieving the printing operation. 
         [0040]      FIG. 9  is a flowchart illustrating the process of determining the setting items to be prohibited (step S 26  of  FIG. 5 ). In the process of determining the setting items to be prohibited, it is first determined in step S 31  as to whether or not there are sheets in the first tray  9 A in the printer  20 . If the result is affirmative, the routine proceeds directly to step S 33 ; in contrast, if the result is negative, the sheet size of the first tray  9 A in the item “Sheet Selection” is designated as the setting item to be prohibited in step S 32 , and then, the routine proceeds to step S 33 . In step S 33 , it is determined as to whether or not there are sheets in the second tray  9 B in the printer  20 . If the result is affirmative, the routine proceeds directly to step S 35 ; in contrast, if the result is negative, the sheet size of the second tray  9 B in the item “Sheet Selection” is designated as the setting item to be prohibited in step S 34 , and then, the routine proceeds to step S 35 . Subsequently, in step S 35 , it is determined as to whether or not there are sheets in the third tray  9 C in the printer  20 . If the result is affirmative, the routine proceeds directly to step S 37 ; in contrast, if the result is negative, the sheet size of the third tray  9 C in the item “Sheet Selection” is designated as the setting item to be prohibited in step S 36 , and then, the routine proceeds to step S 37 . Furthermore, in step S 37 , it is determined as to whether or not there are sheets in the fourth tray  9 D in the printer  20 . If the result is affirmative, the routine proceeds directly to step S 39 ; in contrast, if the result is negative, the sheet size of the fourth tray  9 D in the item “Sheet Selection” is designated as the setting item to be prohibited in step S 38 , and then, the routine proceeds to step S 39 . 
         [0041]    In step S 39 , it is determined as to whether or not the double-sided printing unit  11  is disposed in the printer body. If the result is affirmative, the routine proceeds directly to step S 41 ; in contrast, if the result is negative, the item “Printing Side” is designated as the setting item to be prohibited in step S 40 , and then, the routine proceeds to step S 41 . In this case, the item “Printing Side” is automatically set to “Single Side.” Subsequently, it is determined in step S 41  as to whether or not the finisher  12  is connected to the printer body. If the result is affirmative, the routine proceeds directly to step S 43 ; in contrast, if the result is negative, the items “Punch” and “Staple” are designated as the setting items to be prohibited in step S 42 , and then, the routine proceeds to step S 43 . In step S 43 , it is determined as to whether or not there are staples. If the result is affirmative, the routine is returned to the main routine illustrated in  FIG. 5 ; in contrast, if the result is negative, the item “Staple” is designated as the setting item to be prohibited in step S 44 , and then, the routine is returned to the main routine illustrated in  FIG. 5 . 
         [0042]    Moreover,  FIG. 10  is a flowchart illustrating the process of reflecting the printer information in the driver display (step S 27  of  FIG. 5 ). In this reflecting process, first in step S 51 , the items designated as the setting items to be prohibited are grayed out, and therefore, cannot be selected. Next, in step S 52 , the items not designated as the setting items to be prohibited are normally displayed, and therefore, can be selected. Upon completion of this process, the routine is returned to the main routine illustrated in  FIG. 5 . 
         [0043]    Finally, it is obvious that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various kinds of modifications and changes in designing may be possible without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, in the above-described embodiment, although the utility software for acquiring the information on the printer  20  and its optional devices to be connected to the printer  20  is installed on the PC  30 , the printer driver per se may acquire the information on the printer  20  and its optional devices.