Information processing apparatus and control method for providing a print setting screen to be displayed

An information processing apparatus accepts, on a print setting screen provided by a first application, an instruction that a browser displays information. If a second application that has issued a print instruction to a printer driver is determined to be a default browser of an operating system, a built-in browser of the first application displays information, and if the second application is determined to be not the default browser, the default browser displays the information.

BACKGROUND

Field of the Disclosure

The present disclosure relates to a technique for displaying information by a browser.

Description of the Related Art

Conventionally, there is known a technique for providing help information about a printer driver. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-58539 discloses a technique for displaying a print condition setting screen of a printer driver from a help screen.

SUMMARY

In the present specification, for the purpose of improvement in a printer driver function, there is provided a function of accepting an instruction to display help information on a print setting screen of a printer driver and an instruction to display information of a printer by a browser through access to the printer. In response to a display instruction being accepted, a default browser of an operating system as the browser is launched.

The default browser can also issue a print instruction to the printer driver having such a function. When an instruction to display information by the browser is accepted on the print setting screen of the printer driver that has received the print instruction from the default browser, the information is displayed by the default browser that has issued the print instruction. As a result, depending on a displaying manner of the print setting screen, the print setting screen needs to be closed once to allow the user to operate the default browser, which impairs the user's convenience.

In view of this, the present disclosure is directed to improving user's convenience if an instruction to display information by a browser is accepted on a print setting screen of a printer driver that has received a print instruction from a default browser.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, an information processing apparatus includes an accepting unit configured to accept, on a print setting screen provided by a first application, an instruction that a browser displays information; and a determination unit configured to determine, if the accepting unit accepts the instruction that the browser displays the information, whether a second application that has issued a print instruction to a printer driver is a default browser of an operating system, wherein if the determination unit determines that the second application is the default browser, the first application displays the information, and if the determination unit determines that the second application is not the default browser, the default browser displays the information.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

With the spread of tablet computers, in Windows (registered trademark, hereinafter omitted), Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 easy to operate on tablet computers have been released from Microsoft Corporation (registered trademark). Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 include not only a desktop user interface (UI) environment but also a full screen UI environment suitable for a touch operation. In each UI environment, two types of applications operate. The two types of applications include a desktop application with which display is presented in a window form and a Windows Store application (hereinafter referred to as a store application) with which display is presented in a full screen form. Depending on the UI environment, a different print setting screen for a printer driver is provided by either of the applications. Among such print setting screens, a print setting screen in the full screen UI environment is provided by a Windows Store Device Application (WSDA, hereinafter referred to as a device application). In the present exemplary embodiments, the device application is implemented as a kind of store application.

Further, Windows 10 has enhanced the store application functions, thereby allowing the store applications to be displayed not only on the conventional full screen form (hereinafter referred to as a tablet mode) but also on a window form (hereinafter referred to as a window mode). This enhancement allows a user to select a display mode of the store application depending on the intended use. Further, Windows 10 provides a web browser (hereinafter simply referred to as a browser) serving as an application for browsing sites on the Internet as a store application. This store application is registered as a default browser for the operating system (hereinafter referred to as the OS) for opening an Internet site.

An explanation for the device application will be provided. The device application is an application for providing a print setting screen to be displayed when a print setting screen is opened from a store application. The print setting screen allows the user to change detailed print settings. The device application according to the present specification includes a so-called “help” function of providing the user with a function description.

Further, in the present specification, there is provided a web help function, on the device application, with which help information in a web site is viewed from a browser. In particular, for a help regarding a print setting function of the printer driver, where the print setting screen is operable while the user views the help. Therefore, the web help opened by the browser and the print setting screen can be displayed on the screen at the same time.

However, when the web help is used from the device application, the print setting screen of the device application and the web help may not be able to be displayed on the same screen depending on the situation. With reference toFIGS. 1 and 2, an example of the situation will be described below.

FIG. 1is a view in which a print dialog205is opened from a default browser1060and the print setting screen of the device application1055is called and displayed from the print dialog205. In this state, a help button701is pressed to display the web help content using the default browser1060. Then, the web help is opened by the default browser1060, and the state transits to the state illustrated inFIG. 2. InFIG. 2, the web help content is opened in a new tab item in the default browser1060. However, the device application1055is displayed in a state of “not accepting other operations while a dialog, i.e., so called a modal dialog, is being displayed”. In this case, the default browser1060as the parent window cannot be operated, and as a result, the user cannot view the web help content displayed by the default browser1060.

FIGS. 1 and 2are a view explaining a situation that occurs in the window mode. An issue similar to that in the window mode does not occur in the tablet mode, but instead, the default browser1060is displayed on the full screen form. Thus the user cannot view the web help content and the print setting screen at the same time.

The following description uses an example of accepting an instruction to display the help content. An instruction to display any site, such as a manufacturer's product information site can also be accepted instead of accepting an instruction to display the help. The same applies to another configuration of accepting an instruction to display printer information by a browser through access to the printer (remote UI). The remote UI herein refers to a technique in which the printer operates as a web server, a printer IP address and the like are specified by a client, and whereby content, such as HTML, for displaying printer information is acquired and displayed by a browser.

FIG. 3is a block diagram of a system using a computer (information processing apparatus) for implementing one or more aspects of the present disclosure.

The system includes a central processing unit (CPU)101, a main storage apparatus102, an input interface (I/F)103, an output I/F104, an auxiliary storage apparatus105, a communication I/F106, and a common data system bus107. The CPU101controls the entire apparatus according to programs stored in a read-only memory (ROM)1021or a random access memory (RAM)1022of the main storage apparatus102or programs stored in the auxiliary storage apparatus105. The RAM1022is also used as a work area to be used by the CPU101for various processes. Processing of each component in a first exemplary embodiment is performed such that the CPU101reads the programs into the RAM1022. The auxiliary storage apparatus105stores an application1051, a printer driver1052, an operating system (OS)1053, and the like. The application1051includes a desktop application (unillustrated), which is for an operation with a connected mouse, and a store application1054which is for a touch operation. The application1051further includes the device application1055for providing a print setting screen which is used when printing is instructed from the store application1054. The printer driver1052can issue a print instruction to a device having a printing function. The input I/F103serves as a device for allowing the user to provide various instructions to the computer using a keyboard1031and a pointing device1032, such as a mouse and a touch panel. The output I/F104is an interface for externally outputting data and outputs data to an output device, such as a monitor1041and a printer1042. The output I/F104is directly connected to the printer1042with a local input/output (I/O) device. Alternatively, the output I/F104is connected to the printer1042via a network1061which is connected to the system via the communication I/F106. In addition, the common data system bus107is used by the I/F devices and modules for data transfer therebetween.

The CPU101executes processing based on the programs stored in the auxiliary storage apparatus105, thereby to achieve the process of each step in the flowchart to be described below.

FIG. 4is a block diagram illustrating an example of a software module according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure. The basic configuration of the block diagram includes the printer driver1052, the store application1054, the device application1055, and a configuration module201as an OS module. These software modules are stored in the auxiliary storage apparatus105and are loaded from the auxiliary storage apparatus105into the RAM1022in response to a user request and other system requests to be executed by the CPU101.

The store application1054displays a UI on the monitor1041and accepts a print setting request from the user through the input device, such as the pointing device1032and the keyboard1031. In response to the print setting request from the user, the store application1054calls the configuration module201as the OS module. The configuration module201is interposed between the store application1054and the printer driver1052to perform common processes across the printing processes. The specific examples thereof include selecting a print target printer and generating a PrintTicket202using the selected printer driver1052. The configuration module201generates the PrintTicket202from a print setting definition file called a generic printer description (GPD) defined by the printer driver1052. When a request to display further more detailed print setting screen is accepted from the user, the configuration module201calls the device application1055and at the same time, passes the PrintTicket202generated.

The device application1055is a store application used in cooperation with the printer driver1052. The device application1055can be called by the following three methods. In the first method (A), the device application1055is called from a home screen like a general store application1054. In The second method (B), the device application1055is called by an operation on the print dialog205of the OS1053for displaying the print setting screen as described above. In the third method (C), the device application1055is called by opening of a file with an extension associated with the device application1055. Of the above methods, the method (A) is not directly related to the present specification and thus the description thereof is omitted.

In the present specification, a screen displayed by the method (B) is referred to as a print setting screen, and a screen area displayed by the method (C) is referred to as a main screen display section. In the present specification, the main screen display section displayed by the method (C) is called from the print setting screen displayed by the method (B), and the details will be described later.

The device application1055analyzes the print setting information of the received PrintTicket202and displays the print setting screen for the user. When the print setting process is completed by a user operation, the device application1055reflects the print setting information changed by the user on the PrintTicket202and passes the PrintTicket202to the configuration module201.

When a print instruction is received from the user, the configuration module201reflects information of the PrintTicket202on an XML Paper Specification (XPS) spool file203generated by the store application1054and passes the XPS spool file203to the printer driver1052. The XPS is an XML-based document file format and is used as a spool file from a driver. The printer driver1052can convert the received XPS spool file203to an appropriate page description language (PDL) and send to the printer1042for printing.

With reference to the flowchart inFIG. 5, the description on the outline of a web help display procedure by the device application1055will be provided. Before the process starts, the OS1053receives a print setting change instruction from the store application1054and displays the print dialog205(FIG. 6). Then, when the user presses a detailed setting button501, the OS1053calls the device application1055. When called by the OS1053, the device application1055analyzes the information of the PrintTicket202received from the OS1053and displays the print setting screen (FIG. 7). Then, when the user presses the help button701, the device application1055displays a web help display confirmation dialog (FIG. 8). Then, the device application1055receives a pressing operation by the user on an OK button801on the web help display confirmation dialog. Then, the device application1055accepts the help information display instruction from a browser on the print setting screen and starts the process of the web help display procedure (step S501). Subsequently, each process of the flowchart is executed by the device application1055.

The OS1053allows the user to select the display mode between the window mode and the tablet mode. In the present specification, the process to be executed is changed according to which display mode is selected. Thus, when the process stars in step S501, in step S502, a determination of whether the display mode of the current OS1053is the window mode or the tablet mode is performed. The determination of the display mode is performed in the case of Windows 10. In the case of Windows 8 or Windows 8.1, the display mode is automatically determined to be the tablet mode, and then the processing proceed to step S508.

If the display mode is determined to be the window mode, the processing proceeds to step S503(WINDOW MODE in step S502). In step S503, a determination of whether the application that has issued a print instruction to the printer driver1052is the store application1054and is the OS default browser. It may be determined simply whether or not the application is the OS default browser without determining whether or not the application is the store application1054.

If it is determined that the application that has issued a print instruction to the printer driver1052is the store application1054and is the OS default browser (YES in step S503), the processing proceeds to step S505.

In step S505, the device application1055stores a file containing uniform resource locater (URL) information in a storage area. This URL information is a character string for identifying resource information which indicates the location on the Internet of where a web help related to the driver is arranged and is held in advance by the device application1055. The storage area herein refers to the auxiliary storage apparatus105. The storage area may be any area as long as the area can be accessed by the device application1055.

In step S506, a specific extension associated with device application1055is set and the device application1055opens the file containing the URL information for the web help content. Then, the device application1055is called and the main screen display section is displayed. The device application1055has a function of opening the file with a specific extension containing the URL information and implements the process of displaying the main screen display section of the device application1055using an application programming interface (API) supported by the OS1053.

In step S507, the device application1055displays the help information by a built-in browser of the device application1055. The built-in browser herein usually refers to a function of displaying content of, for example, an Internet or local HTML, which is normally to be displayed by a browser in a display area of an application other than a browser having the main purpose of browsing through the Internet. More specifically, in step S507, the device application1055analyzes the URL information of the file, and then based on the analyzed URL information, accesses a server providing the web help content using a web view area1080to display the web help content in the main screen display section. The web view area1080is prepared in the main screen display section of the device application1055in advance, and the web help can be displayed by specifying the URL information acquired from the URL information file for the web view area1080. In the case of the present processing, the store application1054that has issued the print instruction is the default browser1060. Thus, the web help is displayed in the main screen display of the device application1055and therefore the web help and the print setting screen of the device application1055can be displayed next to each other (FIG. 10). Then, the processing proceeds to step S513, and the web help display process ends.

If it is determined that the application that has issued the print instruction is not the store application1054or is not the default browser (NO in step S503), the processing proceeds to step S504. In step S504, the device application1055issues an instruction to open the web help to the default browser1060. Then, the default browser1060displays the help information. More specifically, the device application1055sends the URL information of the web help to the default browser1060. Then, the default browser1060is displayed as a new window by the OS1053(FIG. 9). In the case of the present processing, the store application1054that has issued the print instruction is different from the default browser1060, and thus the default browser1060and the print setting screen of the device application1055can be displayed next to each other. Then, the processing proceeds to step S513, and the web help display process ends.

In step S502, the determination of whether the display mode of the current OS is the window mode or the tablet mode is performed. If it is determined that the display mode is the tablet mode (TABLET MODE in step S502), the processing proceeds to step S508. The processing of the S508is the same as that of S505.

In step S509, the current PrintTicket202is stored in the storage area. More specifically, the PrintTicket202is stored in the storage area as a file with a file name having a specific globally unique identifier (GUID) added thereto.

The processing of the S510is the same as that of S506, and the device application1055opens the file containing the URL information.

In step S511, based on the PrintTicket202stored in step S509, the device application1055displays a print setting section1301which is an area for the user to perform a print setting in the main screen display section of the device application1055. The PrintTicket202stored in step S509is specified with the file name containing the GUID added in step S509.

In step S512, like in step S507, the device application1055opens the web help content using the WebView in the main screen display section of the device application1055.

This process allows the print setting section to be displayed together with the help information in the main screen display section of the device application1055using one window (FIG. 13). The user changes the print settings by operating the web help and fixes the print settings by operating a back button and the like. After the print settings are fixed, the device application1055overwrites the original PrintTicket202with the changed PrintTicket202and closes the main screen display section. Then, the screen returns to the screen inFIG. 7, and the device application1055reflects the print settings fixed in the main screen display section on the print setting screen and thereby can adopt the print settings changed in the main screen display section. Then, in step S513, the web help display procedure ends.

The above process allows the user to simultaneously view the print setting screen and the web help in a variety of situations and thereby provides the user with an efficient support for changing the print settings.

In order to implement the web help, the computer needs to be free from restrictions on network connection. Especially in an office environment, some environments may not be connected to the Internet site depending on the settings of a proxy server, which raises an issue in that the web help cannot be displayed if the network connection is disabled. In view of this, in a second exemplary embodiment, an explanation will be provided for processing of displaying the help information even if the network connection is disabled.

With reference to the flowchart inFIG. 14, the description on the outline of a web help display procedure considering the network connection of the device application1055will be provided. The operation procedure before the start of the present process is the same as the one described with reference toFIG. 5. After the display transits from the one illustrated inFIG. 6to the one illustrated inFIG. 7and then to the one illustrated inFIG. 8, if the device application1055determines that the user presses the OK button801in the web help display confirmation dialog, in step S1401, the device application1055starts the process of the web help display procedure. Subsequently, each process of the flowchart is executed by the device application1055.

When the process stars in step S1401, in step S1402, a determination of whether network connection is enabled is performed. The device application1055determines whether the current computer can establish a network connection using an API of the OS1053and the established network connection is free from any restrictions.

If it is determined that network connection is enabled (YES in step S1402), the processing proceeds to step S1403. The process in step S1403is the same as the one described in steps from S501to S513, and thus the description thereof is omitted.

If it is determined that that network connection is not enabled (NO in step S1402), the processing proceeds to step S1404.

In step S1404, a determination of whether the current display mode of the OS1053is the window mode or the tablet mode is performed.

If the display mode is determined to be the window mode (WINDOW MODE in step S1404), the processing proceeds to step S1405.

In step S1405, the device application1055stores the file with a specific extension in the storage area. The file with this specific extension is associated with the device application1055in the same manner as the file described with reference toFIG. 5.

In step S1406, the device application1055opens the file with the specific extension.

In step S1407, the device application1055displays a local simple help screen held by the device application1055in the main screen display section of the device application1055. The web help allows the help information to be arranged in the Internet sites and thus has no capacity limit. On the other hand, the device application1055has a limited amount of information to be held therein and thus cannot have all help information locally. Therefore, the device application1055prepares a simple help, such as displaying only sentences describing simple functions, to be provided to the users. Then, in step S1413, the help display procedure ends.

If the display mode is determined to be the tablet mode (TABLET MODE in step S1404), the processing proceeds to step S1408.

The processes in steps from S1408to S1412are the same as the ones in steps S1405, S509, S1406, S511, and S1407respectively, and thus the description thereof is omitted. Then, in step S1413, the help display procedure ends.

With the above described procedure the web help display is changed according to the presence or absence of network connection. If there is a limit on the network connection, simple help information can be displayed together with the print setting screen.

According to the first exemplary embodiment, the determination processing in steps S502and S503is performed to determine whether or not to display the help information by the default browser.

The first exemplary embodiment is not limited to this, but may be configured such that the user can optionally select a browser for displaying the web help. For example, as illustrated inFIG. 11, the web help display confirmation dialog of the device application1055includes a check box saying “Select the browser to open the web help”. If the check box has been set to be valid, a browser selection screen as illustrated inFIG. 12is displayed so that the user may select the browser for opening the web help from among installed browsers. Then, the user selects the browser for opening the web help. Based on the selection, the browser for opening the web help is determined and the web help is opened using the determined browser. Then, even if the application that has issued the print instruction is the store application1054and the default browser, the user can manually select a browser other than the default browser. As a result, this eliminates the issue described inFIG. 2, and the user can view the help information without closing the print setting screen of the device application1055.

The present disclosure may be implemented in such a manner that a program for achieving one or more functions of the above described exemplary embodiments is supplied to a system or an apparatus via a network or a storage medium, and one or more processors in a computer of the system or the apparatus read and execute the program. Alternatively, the present disclosure may be implemented by a circuit (for example, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC)) for achieving one or more functions.

The present disclosure improves user's convenience if an instruction to display information by a browser is accepted on a print setting screen of a printer driver that has received a print instruction from a default browser.

Other Embodiments

While the present disclosure has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, the scope of the following claims are to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures and functions.

This application claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Application No. 2015-246773, filed Dec. 17, 2015, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.