Abstract:
A computer readable recording medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a process for a combination printing function for collectively printing out contents of plural pages into one page, the process which includes selecting a test printing target page from printing target data, generating image data in which at least two pages regarding the selected page are reduced to different scales and are collected into one page, and transmitting the generated image data to a printing device.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present invention relates to a recording medium storing a printer driver, a test printing method of the printer driver, a printing device, and a computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave, the printer driver having a combination printing function for printing out one page into which contents of plural pages are included, and particularly relates to the recording medium storing the printer driver, the test printing method of the printer driver, the printing device, and the computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave, which are adapted to output test printing in which combination printing settings with plural stages regarding a specific page are integrated into one page. 
     2. Related Art 
     Conventionally, an N-up function (combination printing function) that collectively prints contents of N pages into one page has been known. Through this function, saving sheets of paper can be achieved. Additionally, a readability of printed materials can be improved because of an increase of volume of information per page. 
     Using the N-up function, generally, it is possible to combine into 2 up to 16 up. However, if the N-up is performed at user&#39;s desirable reduction rate, there is a possibility that a character cannot be recognized since the size of the character in the printed material is too small. In this case, since reprinting is necessary, far from saving printing sheets of paper, useless printed materials are to be increased. 
     SUMMARY 
     According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a computer readable recording medium storing a printer driver having a combination printing function causing a computer to execute a process for collectively printing out contents of a plurality of pages into one page, the process which includes, selecting a test printing target page from printing target data, generating image data in which at least two pages regarding the selected page are reduced to different scales and are collected into one page, and transmitting the generated image data to a printing device. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       An exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail based on the following figures, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a diagram showing an example of a general configuration of a printing system including a host terminal  10  to which a printer driver related to the present invention is applied; 
         FIG. 2  is a diagram showing an example of a screen display of the printer driver; 
         FIG. 3  is a diagram showing an example of a screen display of the printer driver (display of a dialog box); 
         FIG. 4  is a diagram showing an outline of combination test printing (default mode); 
         FIG. 5  is a diagram showing an outline of the combination test printing (page designation mode); 
         FIG. 6  is a diagram showing an outline of the combination test printing (character recognition mode); 
         FIG. 7  is a diagram showing a part of a functional configuration of the host terminal  10  shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a flow chart showing an operation of a combination test printing process in the printing system shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 9  is a diagram showing an outline of a modification pertaining to the present invention (changing N-up setting); 
         FIG. 10  is a diagram showing an outline of a modification pertaining to the present invention (page designation mode: printer driver); 
         FIG. 11  is a diagram showing an outline of a modification pertaining to the present invention (page designation mode: combination test printing); 
         FIG. 12  is a diagram showing an outline of a modification pertaining to the present invention (character recognition mode: combination test printing); 
         FIG. 13  is a diagram showing an outline of a modification pertaining to the present invention (ordinary printing on the reverse side); and 
         FIG. 14  is a diagram showing an outline of a modification pertaining to the present invention (printer). 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Hereinbelow, an exemplary embodiment of a recording medium storing a printer driver, a test printing method of the printer driver, a printing device, and a computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave pertaining to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. 
       FIG. 1  is a diagram showing an example of the general configuration of a printing system including a host terminal  10  having the printer driver related to the present invention. Additionally, in this explanation, only constituting units pertaining to the present invention will be described. 
     This printing system is configured to include the host terminal  10  that outputs printing data to a printer  30 , and the printer  30  that forms and prints out an image to a recording medium such as a sheet of paper on the basis of the printing data from the host terminal  10 . 
     The printer driver is installed in the host terminal  10  in advance. Through this printer driver, a document or other print targets are converted into a page description language that the printer  30  can interpret, and the printing data obtained by the conversion is outputted to the printer  30 . 
     In this printer driver, a combination test printing function that presents a characteristic of the present invention is provided. This printing function makes it possible to perform combination test printing in which N-up settings with plural stages for a specific page are collectively printed into one page, the specific page being included in data having one or more plural pages to be printed. 
     In other words, when a user performs this combination test printing before printing, the user can refer to the result of the test printing to confirm for each of the N-up settings whether collapse of a character occurs or not. As a result, the user can perform printing with an N-up setting that is best suited to the specific page. 
     When the combination test printing is performed, predetermined operations are carried out using a printer driver display shown in  FIG. 2 . In these operations, the user designates a mode from among a default mode, a page designation mode, and a character recognition mode. 
     Firstly, when the combination test printing is performed, a “combination test printing” item is selected from a list box (bounded by a broken line in  FIG. 2 ) that is provided for an “N-up printing” item on the printer driver display. 
     By this selection operation, a dialog box that is shown in  FIG. 3  (bounded by a broken line in  FIG. 3 ) is displayed. When an instruction for the combination test printing is given (depressing an OK button on the printer driver display), a test printing is performed in the default mode. Furthermore, when any of radio boxes that are respectively provided for a “designation page” item and a “character recognition” item on the dialog box is selected and the OK button on the dialog is depressed, the combination test printing in the page designation mode can be performed in a case that the “designation page” is designated, and the combination test printing in the character recognition mode can be performed in a case that the “character recognition” is designated. Additionally, when the “designation page” is selected, the number of pages is further to be inputted. And when the “character recognition” is selected, either a “smallest character size” item or a “bold character” item in the radio box (the radio box may be replaced with a check box (plural items can be selectable)) is selected. 
     When the combination test printing is performed in the default mode, as shown in  FIG. 4 , the combination test printing for a first page in printing target data is performed. In an example shown in  FIG. 4 , the combination test printing is performed for printing target data including four original documents of A4 paper. In this case, since printing is performed in the default mode, a combination test printing result for page 1 (first page) is outputted. As mentioned earlier, this default mode is an initial setting, and is applied when a user does not designate any mode. 
     Additionally, in this exemplary embodiment, the combination test printing is performed for the first page in the default mode. However, this default value can be changed as appropriate, and it is possible to operate such that, for example, the second page is the default value because it is often the case that the first page is a cover page. 
     Next, when the combination test printing is performed in the page designation mode, as shown in  FIG. 5 , the combination test printing is performed for the specific page designated by the user. In the example shown in  FIG. 5 , the combination test printing is performed for printing target data having four original documents of A4 paper, and a combination test printing result for page 3 (third page) that is designated by the user is outputted. 
     Additionally, when the combination test printing is performed in the character recognition mode, as shown in  FIG. 6 , the combination test printing is performed for a page having a specific character. This specific character is a character of which a collapse is likely to occur, such as a bold-faced character (bold font type in this exemplary embodiment) or the smallest size of character in the printing target data (smallest character). In one example shown in  FIG. 6 , the combination test printing is performed for the printing target data having four original documents of A4 paper, and the combination test printing result is outputted for page 4 (fourth page) having the smallest character. 
     Using  FIG. 4  through  FIG. 6 , the outline of the combination test printing in accordance with each mode has been described. In these cases, since the printing target data is in a portrait orientation, the combination test printing is performed in a landscape orientation. On the other hand, if the printing target data is in the landscape orientation, the combination test printing is performed in the portrait orientation. 
     Additionally, in an empty space in the printed result of the combination test printing, a display column showing N-up setting rates in the combination test printing is provided. By referring to this display column, the user can easily know which part in the combination test printing corresponds to which N-up printing. 
     Next, using  FIG. 7 , a part of the functional configuration of the host terminal  10  shown in  FIG. 1  will be described. 
     The host terminal  10  is configured to include: an application  11  that performs creation and compilation or the like of printing target data; a printer driver  12  that generates printing data by converting the printing target data into data in a form that the printer  30  can interpret; a spooler  13  that conducts transmission control of the generated printing data; and a communication section  14  that performs a function of a communication interface connecting the host terminal  10  and the printer  30 . 
     When printing is performed, the application  11  sends the printing target data of a document, etc. to the printer driver  12 . The printing driver  12  generates printing data by converting the printing target data received from the application  11  into the page description language that the printer  30  can interpret, and sends the printing data to the spooler  13 . The spooler  13  transmits the printing data received from the printer driver  12  to the printer  30  through the communication section  14 . 
     Additionally, the printer driver  12  is configured to include a combination test controller  21 , a development section  22 , a PDL (Page Description Language) conversion section  23 , a page selection section  24 , a page designation section  25 , and a specific character searching section  26 . 
     The combination test controller  21  plays an overall controlling function regarding the combination test printing. Additionally, the development section  22  performs a function to develop the printing target data to image data. The PDL conversion section  23  performs a function to convert the image data into printing data in the page description language form that the printer  30  can interpret, and a function to carry out the transmission control of the printing data. 
     The page selection section  24  performs a function to select, based on the prescribed condition, a combination test target page from the printing target data. And, the selected page becomes a target page of the combination test printing. 
     For a method of selecting the page by the page selection section  24 , generally, there are three ways: (1) selecting a first page in the printing target data, (2) selecting a page designated by a user, and (3) selecting a page having a specific character. In other words, the page selection is performed in the default mode in the case of (1), in the page designation mode in the case of (2), and in the character recognition mode in the case of (3). 
     In the page designation mode, the page designation section  25  obtains the designation page designated by the user using the printer driver display. The designated page is transmitted to the page selection section  24 , thus the page designated by the user is selected by the page selection section  24 . 
     Additionally, in the character recognition mode, a page having a specific character is searched from the printing target data by the specific character searching section  26 , and is transmitted to the page selection section  24 , thus the page having the specific character is selected by the page selection section  24 . 
     In this exemplary embodiment, a case where printing data converted to the page description language is transmitted from the host terminal  10  to the printer  30  will be described as one example. However, the printing data is not necessarily in the form of the page description language, and this exemplary embodiment may be applicable so far the printer  30  can perform printing based on the printing data. Thus, for example, for certain printers, it may be configured such that the image data can be transmitted without any conversion process. 
     Next, using  FIG. 8 , an operation of the combination test printing process in the printing system shown in  FIG. 1  will be described. In this description, a process after a printer driver is started will be described. 
     When the printer driver is started, the user performs a prescribed input operation from the display. If the combination test printing is not performed (NO in step S 101 ), the ordinary printing is performed as usual (step S 102 ), and this process ends. However, if the combination test printing is performed, the mode selection operation is carried out through the procedure described in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , and the mode is designated (step S 103 ). 
     Here, when the user designates the mode for the combination test printing, depresses OK button, etc., and completes the input operation necessary for the combination test printing, the combination test controller  21  in the printer driver, firstly, determines which mode is selected. 
     As a result of the determination, if the character recognition mode is designated (YES in step S 104 ), a page including a specific character is searched from the printing target data by the specific character recognition section  26 , and the page is selected as a test printing target page by the page selection section  24  that receives the search result (step S 105 ). 
     Additionally, as the result of the above-mentioned mode determination, when the page designation mode is designated (after NO in step S 104 , YES in step S 106 ), the page designated by the user is obtained by the page designation section  25 , and the designated page is selected as the test printing target page by the page designation section  24  that receives the obtained result (step S 107 ). 
     Additionally, as the result of the above-mentioned mode determination, when the mode designation is not performed (NO in step S 106 ), the mode becomes the default mode, and the first page is selected by the page designation section  24  from the printing target data as the test printing target page (step S 108 ). 
     As stated above, when the selection of the test printing target page is completed, the combination test printing data having N-up settings with plural stages regarding the selected page in one page is generated in the development section  22 . The combination test printing data is converted into the page description language in the PDL conversion section  23 , and is transmitted from the spooler  13  through the communication section  14  to the printer  30 . And the combination test printing (see  FIG. 4  through  FIG. 6 ) is outputted from the printer  30  (step S 109 ). 
     Then, the user refers to the result of the combination test printing outputted as stated above to check, for each of the N-up settings, whether the collapse of characters occurs. As a result, the user can perform printing with an N-up setting that is best suited to the selected page. 
     The present invention may be embodied with any alteration being given within the scope of the gist, being not limited to the embodiment as described above with reference to the attached drawings. Hereinbelow, besides this, other modifications are listed below. 
     (1) The present invention may be configured to change N-up settings used for the combination test printing in accordance with the total page number of the printing target data. For example, as shown in  FIG. 9 , when the total page number in printing target data is eight pages, the combination test printing for 16 up is not performed because 16 up is unrelated to this printing. In this case, since the total page number is eight pages, the combination test printing with the N-up printing is performed with  2  up through  8  up. This can be realized by determining the total page number of the printing target data by the combination test controller  21 . In a similar way, when the total page number of the printing target data is four pages, the N-up printing with  4  up is performed, and when the total number of the printing target data is nine or more pages, the N-up printing with 16 up is performed. 
     (2) When the printer has a two-sided printing function, the combination test printing may be performed for the front and the reverse sides. For example, by giving an instruction to perform the test printing for two pages from the printer driver display as shown in  FIG. 10  (in this case, the first and the third pages are designated using a comma-delimited format), a result of the combination test printing for each page is outputted on respective sides of the front and the reverse as shown in  FIG. 11 . In this case, the first and the third pages are designated to perform the combination test printing. This can be realized by sending the page designation data for two pages from the page designation section  25  to the page selection section  24 , and by generating the combination test printing data for two pages by the development section  22 . 
     Additionally, if the character recognition mode is designated, the combination test printing may also be performed for the front and the reverse sides. In this case, as shown in  FIG. 12 , the combination test printing for a page having the smallest character is performed on the front side, and the combination test printing for a page having a character of the second smallest size is performed on the reverse side. Further, the combination can be freely changed, and is not limited to this embodiment. For example, the printing may be performed for a page having the smallest character on the front side, and for a page having the bold font type on the reverse side. 
     (3) When the printer has the two-sided printing function, as shown in  FIG. 13 , the printing may be performed for the combination test printing on the front side, and for ordinary printing on the reverse side. In this case, not only the visibility of the N-up printing, but also that of the ordinary printing can be checked. This checking can be realized by generating, in the development section  22 , the combination test printing data for the front side, and ordinary printing data for the reverse side. 
     (4) The combination test printing function may be provided in the printer  30  rather than in the host terminal  10 . This case, as shown in  FIG. 14 , can be achieved by installing into the printer  30  each process function section that configures the above-mentioned printer drive  12 . 
     The recording medium storing the printer driver, the test printing method of the printer driver, the printing device, and the computer data signal embodied in the carrier wave of the present invention are applicable to any printer driver having a combination printing function that performs printing contents of plural pages into one page, and especially, they can be effectively utilized by applying to printing environments in offices or schools, where a large volume of printing using the combination printing function is frequently performed. 
     The foregoing description of the exemplary embodiment of the present invention has been provided for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Obviously, many modifications and variations will be apparent to practitioners skilled in the art. The exemplary embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical applications, thereby enabling others skilled in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments and with the various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the following claims and their equivalents.