Abstract:
An apparatus for arranging a plurality of elements includes a memory that stores a program and a processor that executes the program stored in the memory. The processor acquires a first element and a second element, each of which strides over a page partition position corresponding to a bottom of a first page in a vertical direction. The processor arranges the first element and the second element, so that the first element is divided, at a position of the first element corresponding to the page partition position over which the second element strides, into the first page and a second page, and a whole of the second element is arranged to the second page.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The invention relates to an image processing apparatus for outputting an image based on a structured document. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     In recent years, a Web page is displayed by accessing a server on the Internet and various kinds of information can be obtained. The Web page is a structured document described by a structured language (markup language) such as HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) or XHTML (Extensible Hyper Text Markup Language). By analyzing the structured document by software called Browser corresponding to the described structured language, the Web page can be displayed on a display. 
     In the case of printing those Web pages, the Web pages are arranged onto a page to be printed and a printing or a print preview is performed. However, there is a case where the Web pages cannot be fully arranged in the page to be printed. 
     To solve such a problem, therefore, a method of reducing an image so that the whole image is included in a page has been disclosed in the Official Gazette of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-015749. 
     However, according to the above method in the related art, there is a case where by reducing the image and printing, it becomes difficult for the user to recognize contents of the image included in a printed matter. 
     When the Web page is arranged to a plurality of pages, since it is arranged to the different pages, there is a case where it becomes difficult for the user to recognize the contents of the printed matter in dependence on the contents of the Web page. 
     Therefore, the invention provides an image processing apparatus for properly deciding a layout of elements to each page according to contents of the elements and outputting an image. 
     CITATION LIST 
     Patent Literature 
     PTL 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H11-015749 
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     According to the invention, a layout of elements to each page is properly decided according to the contents of the elements and an image can be output. 
     Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a diagram illustrating a construction of a network system including a print control apparatus. 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram illustrating a construction of a PC  101 . 
         FIG. 3  is a block diagram illustrating a construction of software on the PC  101 . 
         FIG. 4  is a block diagram illustrating a construction of software in a print layout section  307 . 
         FIG. 5  is a diagram illustrating an example of a GUI screen which is displayed by the software on the PC  101 . 
         FIG. 6  is a diagram illustrating an example of a GUI screen which is displayed by the software on the PC  101 . 
         FIG. 7  is a diagram illustrating an example of a GUI screen which is displayed by the software on the PC  101 . 
         FIG. 8  is a conceptual diagram illustrating an outline of the operation in an embodiment. 
         FIG. 9  is a flowchart illustrating processes in the embodiment. 
         FIG. 10  is a flowchart illustrating a print layout process (page partition process). 
         FIG. 11  is a flowchart illustrating a print layout process of a second page. 
         FIG. 12  is a diagram for describing a determination of a page partition. 
         FIG. 13  is a diagram for describing a determination of a page partition. 
         FIG. 14  is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure at the time of a page division. 
         FIG. 15  is an explanatory diagram of an image detecting process associated with an image. 
         FIG. 16  is a flowchart illustrating the image detecting process associated with the image. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
     A mode for carrying out the invention is the following embodiment. 
       FIG. 1  is a diagram illustrating a construction of a network system including a print control apparatus. 
     A PC  101  is a personal computer. The PC  101  is connected to an Internet  102 , downloads Web pages from a plurality of WWW servers  103  onto the PC  101  through the Internet  102 , and displays them. The Web page is a structured documents described by the HTML or XHTML. The PC  101  is locally connected to a printer  104 , downloads the Web pages on the WWW servers  103  onto the PC  101 , and allows the printer  104  to print them. 
       FIG. 2  is a block diagram illustrating a construction of the PC  101 . 
     The PC  101  has a CPU  201 , a RAM  202 , a ROM  203 , a hard disk  204 , a communication interface  205 , a display unit  206 , a mouse  207 , a keyboard  208 , and a system bus  209 . 
     The CPU  201  executes arithmetic operation, discrimination and control regarding data or comments, according to a program stored in the RAM  202 , ROM  203 , or hard disk  204 . The RAM  202  is used as a temporary storage area in the case where the CPU  201  executes various kinds of processes. An operating system (OS), a Browser, other application software, and the like are recorded in the hard disk  204 . That is, the CPU  201  reads out the program stored in the ROM  203  or the hard disk  204 , stores it into the RAM  202 , and executes the program by using the RAM  202  as a work memory, thereby making various kinds of control. 
     The communication interface  205  is, for example, an interface such as USB, SCSI, radio transmission, or the like for making data communication with the printer  104  or a network interface for making data communication with the external WWW servers  103  through the Internet  102 . The display unit  206  is constructed by a CRT or a liquid crystal display and a graphics controller and performs a display in a graphics user interface (GUI). The mouse  207  and the keyboard  208  are input devices which are used for the user to issue various kinds of instructions to the PC  101 . The system bus  209  performs a transmission and a reception of data between the CPU  201  and the RAM  202 , ROM  203 , hard disk  204 , and the like. 
     Subsequently, the program which operates on the PC  101  and its data processing construction will be described.  FIG. 3  is a block diagram illustrating a construction of software on the PC  101 . Each block illustrated in  FIG. 3  is a block in which the programs stored in the ROM  203  or the hard disk  204  have been classified every function. Those programs are executed by the CPU  201 . 
     A browser  301  is an application to display the Web pages, downloads the Web pages on the WWW servers  103  into the hard disk  204  on the PC  101 , and displays them to the display unit  206 . The Web pages are structured document files such as HTML, XHTML, and the like and elements constructing a structured document such as a text or image have been described in the Web page by using tags. Another file called a Cascading Style Sheet (hereinbelow, abbreviated to “CSS”) for designating a display style of those elements has been designated in the structured document. The browser  301  analyzes those structured document files and displays them onto the display unit  206 . 
     A structured document print module  302  is plug-in software which is called from the browser  301 . When the user instructs the browser  301  to execute a printing or a print preview, the structured document print module  302  is executed. The structured document print module  302  is classified into two sections of a set of a document cutout section  304  and an intermediate file creating section  305  and a set constructed by other sections. 
     When the user applies an instruction to select a print area by using the mouse  207  or the like to the document cutout section  304 , the document cutout section  304  inputs the instruction and determines the print area in the Web page. Thus, the intermediate file creating section  305  creates an intermediate file  306  such as an EMF (Extend Meta File) corresponding to the decided print area or the like. The created intermediate file is stored into, for example, the RAM  202 . 
     A print layout section  307  executes processes at the time of printing a plurality of pages, and arranges the elements included in the structured document into a page, according to a set paper size based on print settings. The print settings include information such as paper size, resolution, printable area, and the like and are obtained from a printer driver  310  through an OS (Operating System)  309 . Details of a plural-page print process will be described hereinafter. A print preview section  308  displays the elements, as a print preview, arranged by the print layout section  307  onto the display unit  206 . In the print process, when a print start instruction is received from the user, the printer driver  310  is allowed to execute a drawing process through the OS  309  according to layout information of the elements arranged by the print layout section  307 . 
     The OS  309  provides an API (Application Programing Interface) for allowing the structured document print module  302  to transmit and receive the print setting data to/from the printer driver  310  and an API for executing the drawing process. Although various kinds of control software such as spooler system for managing a print job, port monitor for outputting a printer command to a port, and the like is included in the OS  309 , its detailed description is omitted here. After the printer driver  310  creates print data according to the drawing process executed by the print process and converts it into the printer command, the printer driver  310  transmits the printer command to the printer  104  through the OS  309  and the printer  104  records onto paper. 
     Subsequently, a program which operates in the print layout section  307  and its data processing construction will be described. 
       FIG. 4  is a block diagram illustrating a construction of software in the print layout section  307 . A document analysis section  401  fetches the intermediate file  306  serving as an EMF file. When a print area overlaps with a plurality of pages, a page partition determining section  402  determines a page partition in a print target area. An object detection section  403  detects an object arranged at the page partition determined by the page partition determining section  402 . If a next page object determining section  404  determines that the detected object is a next page print element, a next page object hiding section  405  processes so that the object is not displayed in the corresponding page. 
     Each of  FIGS. 5, 6 and 7  is a diagram illustrating an example of a GUI screen which is displayed by the software on the PC  101  serving as a print control apparatus. A window of the Browser  301  becomes the GUI screen illustrated in each of  FIGS. 5 and 6 . 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 5 , the browser  301  displays the Web page into the window as a GUI  501 . A button group  502  is arranged in the window of the browser  301 . The button group  502  is constructed by a print button, a preview button, an area selection button, and a clip book button. 
     When the user depresses the print button, all of the Web pages displayed by the browser  301  are printed. When the user depresses the preview button, a print preview screen is displayed. When the user further depresses the area selection button, a frame adapted to select a print target range is displayed. 
     When a clip book button  601  illustrated in  FIG. 6  is depressed, a thumbnail  602  of an image cut out by the print target range is displayed. Further, when the image in the thumbnail  602  is edited, an edit button  603  is depressed. 
     When the edit button  603  is depressed, as illustrated in  FIG. 7 , an edit screen  701  including images  702 ,  703 , and  704  which were thumbnail-displayed is displayed. As for the images  702 ,  703 , and  704 , an enlargement, a reduction, a movement, or the like can be performed by the operation of the mouse  207  or the like by the user. When a print button  705  is depressed, a result obtained by editing each of those images by the enlargement, reduction, movement, or the like is printed. 
       FIG. 8  is a conceptual diagram illustrating an outline of the operation in the embodiment.  FIG. 9  is a flowchart illustrating processes in the embodiment. First, the Web pages are displayed by the browser  301  (S 902 ). An instruction by the user is input (S 903 ). As described in  FIG. 5 , the processes are separated by the instruction input by the user. When the print button is depressed, the intermediate file creating section  305  creates EMFs of all of the displayed Web pages (S 905 ). After that, a process between the pages is executed by a print layout process (S 906 ) illustrated in  FIG. 8 . The printer driver  310  prints through the OS  309  (S 907 ). 
     When the preview button is depressed, the intermediate file creating section  305  creates EMFs of all of the displayed Web pages in a manner similar to that mentioned above (S 909 ). After that, a process between the pages is executed by a print layout process (S 910 ) illustrated in  FIG. 8 . The print preview section  308  allows the display unit  206  to display a print image (S 911 ). After that, when the print button illustrated in the print preview screen is depressed (S 912 ), the foregoing print process is executed (S 907 ). When the edit button is depressed (S 904 ) by the instruction of the user (S 903 ), the EMF files which have previously been created at the time of the selection of the print target area are read (S 913 ). A print layout process (S 914 ) illustrated in  FIG. 8  is executed. An edit screen is displayed on the display unit  206  (S 915 ). When the print button is depressed on the edit screen, the print process is executed (S 907 ). When an edit process such as addition, deletion, further, enlargement/reduction, or the like is executed on the edit screen (S 917 ), the print layout process (S 914 ) described in  FIG. 8  is executed again and the edit screen is displayed on the display unit  206  (S 915 ). 
     Subsequently, the print layout process will be described in detail. In the image displayed by the browser  301 , although only a part of it is displayed on the display unit  206 , a case where an image constructed by two pages of a first page  808  and a second page  809  is a present print target area  801  at the time of the print layout will now be considered. The user selects the print target area  801  by scrolling or the like by using the mouse or the like. The intermediate file  306  as an EMF file is created by using the intermediate file creating section  305  from the print target area  801  cut out by the document cutout section  304 . 
       FIG. 10  is a flowchart illustrating the print layout process (page partition process). The print layout section  307  reads a file created as an intermediate file  306  as an EMF file (S 1001 ). The object existing at a first page partition position  802  is detected based on position information showing coordinates from a leading position of the page of each object element in the intermediate file  306  and size information of each object (S 1002 ). It is assumed that the object element is divided into either a text object element or an image object element. 
     The text object element is defined by a tag in the structured document and is an element in which a corresponding character string is described in the structured document. The corresponding character string can be displayed or printed based on the text object element. The division of the text object element, which will be described hereinafter, corresponds to a process for dividing the character string included in one text object element. 
     The first page partition position  802  indicates a page partition of a rear edge of the first page. Subsequently, it is determined that the object detected in S 1002  is the object existing at the first page partition position  802  (S 1003 ). Subsequently, whether or not the processes of all objects detected in S 1002  have been finished is discriminated (S 1004 ). If the processes are not finished yet, the processing routine is returned to S 1001 . If the processes have been finished, whether the determined object is the image object or the text object is discriminated (S 1005 ). If it is the image object, in the case where it is confirmed that another object does not exist at the leading position in the page of such an object or at a position within a predetermined distance from the leading position, such a position within the predetermined distance is set to a second page partition position  804  (S 1006 ). 
     Whether or not a text character string exists at the first page partition position  802  is discriminated based on a relative position from the leading position of the page and a size of character string (S 1005 ). If the text character string exists, a space (line space) between such a text character string  805  and a one-preceding character string  806  near the leading position is set to a third page partition position (S 1008 ). 
     The next page object determining section  404  determines that an image object  803  existing at the first page partition position  802  is an object of the next page of the corresponding page at the time of the print layout of the first page  808 . Therefore, control is made in such a manner that at the first page, the next page object hiding section  405  does not display the image object  803  existing at the first page partition position  802  (S 1007 ). 
     In a manner similar to the above, the next page object determining section  404  determines that the text character string  805  existing at the first page partition position  802  including its subsequent character strings is a next page object. Therefore, control is made in such a manner that at the first page, the next page object hiding section  405  does not display the text character string  805  existing at the first page partition position including its subsequent character strings (S 1009 ). Thus, a character string  810  on the leading position side of the third page partition position of the corresponding text object is displayed at the first page. The processes of S 1005  to S 1009  are executed until the processes of all objects are finished (S 1010 ). As mentioned above, the print layout process of the first page is executed. 
     Subsequently, a layout of the second page will be described.  FIG. 11  is a flowchart illustrating a print layout process of the second page. At the second page, an image object  811  which has been determined so as to be hidden at the first page and a text object  812  are arranged. At this time, a position Y on the page at the leading position of the first object which has been determined as a next page object is assumed to be a leading position of the second page (S 1101 ). 
     After the position Y of the first object which has been determined as a next page object was set to the leading position of the second page, it is compared with the positions of all of the objects which are arranged at the second and subsequent pages, thereby obtaining the leading position of the second page. First, the leading position Y of the first object which was determined as a next page object is compared with the position of the object which has been determined second as a next page object (S 1102 ). That is, whether or not the Y coordinate of the first object is smallest (on the leading position side of the page) is discriminated. If it is determined that the first object is not the object existing at the leading position, the leading position the second page is changed to the leading position of the object which has been determined second as a next page object (S 1103 ). Whether or not the comparisons of all of the objects have been finished is discriminated (S 1104 ). Also in the case where it is determined in S 1102  that the leading position Y of the first object which has been determined as a next page object is located at the leading position side of the page, the processing routine similarly advances to S 1104 . 
     When the leading position of the second page is obtained as mentioned above, based on the information showing the relative position of the object from the leading position of the second page, each object is arranged in a state where the relative position of the object at the Web page of each object has been held as illustrated in  FIG. 8  (S 1105 ). With respect to the text object, the character string displayed at the first page is not displayed at the second page. 
     As mentioned above, such a situation that characters or an image is divided at the partitions of a plurality of pages can be prevented. The printing can be performed while holding the relative position at the Web page of each object element. 
     By setting the page partition positions which differ depending on each object (characters or image), the partition of the characters or image at the partition positions in a plurality of pages can be prevented. The printing or print preview can be performed while holding the relative position at the Web page of each object element. 
     Although the page partition has been determined based on the position from the page partition position with respect to both of the image object and the text object in the above description, an example in which the page partition position of the image object is reflected to the page partition position of the text object will be subsequently described.  FIGS. 12 and 13  are diagrams for describing a determination of the page partition.  FIG. 14  is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure at the time of a page division. 
     In the flowchart of  FIG. 14 , first, the second page partition position serving as a leading position of the image object is compared with the position of the object existing at the page partition position (S 1401 ). 
     For example, in the example illustrated in  FIG. 12 , characters  1205  and an image  1203  exist in a print target area  1201 . If the characters  1205  or the image  1203  exists at a page partition  1202 , a top position  1204  thereof is determined as a second page partition position. In this case, since the second page partition position exists on the leading side as a result of the discrimination of S 1401 , S 1404  follows and the processing routine is finished without executing processes of S 1402  and S 1403 . At this time, the second page partition position is set to the third page partition position serving as a page partition position of the text object. Consequently, such a situation that a character object  1209  overlaps with two pages of a first page  1206  and a second page  1207  can be prevented. The whole character object  1209  can be set to a next page together with an image object  1208 . 
     Subsequently, an example of another print target area is illustrated in  FIG. 13 . As illustrated in  FIG. 13 , the leading position of the image is set to a second page partition position  1304  so as to avoid an image object  1303  existing at a first page partition position  1302  as a page partition. Thus, since a character object  1306  exists on the leading side of the second page partition position  1304 , S 1402  follows. Whether or not the object arranged at the second page partition position  1304  is a text object is confirmed (S 1402 ). If it is the text object, a space between the character strings corresponding to the second page partition is set to a third page partition position  1307  (S 1403 ). Each of character objects  1310  and  1312  can be divided and printed. The processes of S 1401  to S 1403  are repeated to all objects existing at the page partition (S 1404 ). 
     If a plurality of text objects exist at the second page partition position  1304 , there are a plurality of page partitions and the page partition position is set for each text object. At this time, the page partition position of the text object is set to a line space corresponding to the second page partition position as mentioned above. Since no image object ought to exist at the second page partition position  1304 , if it is determined that the image object exists, the processing routine is finished with an error (S 1405 ). 
     However, in the case of determining the page partition of the image object as mentioned above, such a situation that an image and an additional image thereof are arranged on different pages can occur. For example, even in the case where a certain image does not overlap with the first page partition position and it is arranged in the corresponding page, if the additional image of such an image overlaps with the first page partition position, it is arranged to the next page. 
       FIG. 15  is an explanatory diagram of an image detecting process associated with an image.  FIG. 16  is a flowchart illustrating the image detecting process associated with the image. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 15 , there is a case where a second image  1502  existing near a first image  1501  is arranged in association with the image  1501  integratedly with the first image  1501 . Therefore, a process for discriminating whether or not the second image  1502  is an additional image of the image will be described with reference to  FIG. 16 . 
     First, in S 1601 , values of four sides of the first image  1501  are assumed to be (X 1 , X 2 ) (Y 1 , Y 2 ) and values of four sides of the second image  1502  serving as a comparison target are assumed to be (XX 1 , XX 2 ) (YY 1 , YY 2 ). In this case, left upper coordinates in the page of the image  1501  are set to (X 1 , Y 1 ) and right lower coordinates are set to (X 2 , Y 2 ). Left upper coordinates in the page of the image  1502  are set to (XX 1 , YY 1 ) and right lower coordinates are set to (XX 2 , YY 2 ). A value adapted to determine the additional image is assumed to be a predetermined value M. 
     Subsequently, whether or not a start point value and an end point value (X 1 , X 2 ) (Y 1 , Y 2 ) of the first image  1501  and a start point value and an endpoint value (XX 1 , XX 2 ) (YY 1 , YY 2 ) of the second image  1502  lie within the predetermined value M is discriminated (S 1602 ). 
     If it is determined that they lie within the predetermined value M, the second image  1502  serving as a comparison image is decided as an additional image (S 1603 ). A moving process is executed so as to execute the same processes as the processes of the first image  1501 . 
     As mentioned above, according to the embodiment, such a situation that the characters and image included in the Web page are divided by the pages can be prevented. Since the elements are divided and arranged to two pages according to the contents of the elements, the number of sheets which are used for printing can be decreased as compared with that in the case where all of the elements which are arranged to the page partition position are arranged to one of the two pages. 
     In the embodiment, either the mode in which the elements are divided and arranged to two pages or the mode in which the elements are arranged to one of the two pages is determined according to the contents of the elements which are arranged to the two pages. Thus, the elements can be properly arranged to each page. 
     The example in which in the case of discriminating the contents of the elements which are arranged to the two pages, whether the object is the image object or the text object is discriminated has been shown in the above description. 
     However, the invention is not limited to such an example but, for example, the number of lines and the character size of the character string corresponding to the text object or the size of text object is discriminated and either the mode in which the text object is divided and arranged or the mode in which the text object is arranged to one page may be determined according to a result of the discrimination. 
     Further, the contents of the text included in the text object is discriminated and a layout of the text object may be determined according to a result of the discrimination. For example, to the text included in the text object, a keyword showing a relation to another object is searched for. In the case of the text object including the keyword, it may be arranged to one page without being divided. 
     Either the mode in which the object is divided and arranged or the mode in which the text object is arranged to one page may be determined according to the position in the width direction in the page of the object. For example, when the image object and the text object are detected at the page partition position, if the positions in the width direction in the page of both of those objects are close, it is determined that they are the two objects which are related in the Web page, and each of the whole image object and the whole text object may be arranged to one page. On the other hand, if a distance between the image object and the text object in the page is large, it is determined that they are not the related objects, and the text object may be divided and arranged to two pages. 
     The page partition in the length direction of the Web page has been described above. However, if there are elements which are arranged to two pages at the page partition position in the width direction of the Web page, the elements may be arranged to the pages according to the contents of the elements as mentioned above. 
     Further, a construction in which the width of Web page is changed to be congruous with the width of page adapted to arrange the Web page is also considered. In this case, the layout process of the elements to the page partition position in the length direction of the Web page described in the embodiment may be executed to the Web page whose width direction has been changed. 
     Other Embodiments 
     Aspects of the present invention can also be realized by a computer of a system or apparatus (or devices such as a CPU or MPU) that reads out and executes a program recorded on a memory device to perform the functions of the above-described embodiment(s), and by a method, the steps of which are performed by a computer of a system or apparatus by, for example, reading out and executing a program recorded on a memory device to perform the functions of the above-described embodiment(s). For this purpose, the program is provided to the computer for example via a network or from a recording medium of various types serving as the memory device (e.g., computer-readable medium). 
     While the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. The scope of the following claims is 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. JP2009-156380, filed Jun. 30, 2009, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.