JP2001228992A - Recording system, recording device, and recording method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a recording system and a recording device where recording condition can be effectively set and changed and a recording method. SOLUTION: A printer driver 22 sends the recording conditions and recording data which are previously set by a user on a setting picture to a printer 1 which carries out its recording according to the received recording conditions and recording data. When the user previously sets the contents of change at a setting storage part 24 be means of a key setting button of the setting picture and then turns on a free setting key of the printer 1, the driver 22 reads a changing item file out of the part 24 and changes the recording conditions according to the change contents. Then the changed recording conditions are sent to a recording device and the printer 1 records the recording data according to the changed recording conditions.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a recording system, a recording apparatus, and a recording method, and more particularly, to a recording system, a recording apparatus, and a recording method in which a user manually changes various settings during recording.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art With the spread of word processors and personal computers, recording systems for recording data such as documents and images created by these computers with a recording device such as a printer connected to a computer main body have become widespread.

A user creates recording data such as a document or an image using application software or the like installed in a computer. Then, the print data is transmitted to the printing apparatus via a printer driver that converts the print data into a language corresponding to each connected printer. The user should be able to record data under the recording conditions he / she requires.
On the setting screen of the printer driver, select the recording paper, recording size,
After manually setting various settings such as recording quality, a recording command is issued.

[0004] Among such recording systems, there have been proposed ones in which predetermined recording conditions are set in advance in a printer driver, and a user changes only necessary portions as necessary.

[0005]

However, in the setting screen of the conventional printer driver, depending on the contents of the change, not only one screen is opened but the contents are changed only after opening the setting screen of the item to be changed. It may not be possible.

For example, under the preset printing conditions, the printing quality is high quality, and even if the user wants to switch only this printing quality portion to low quality, he or she opens several printer driver setting screens. In some cases, it was necessary to change the settings, and changing the settings was very time-consuming.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and has as its object to provide a recording system, a recording apparatus, and a recording method capable of efficiently changing the setting of recording conditions.

[0008]

A recording system according to the present invention records information on a recording medium based on an information processing apparatus, recording conditions set in the information processing apparatus, and recording data processed by the information processing apparatus. A recording device, wherein the recording device comprises an operation switch and status information transmitting means for transmitting status information of the operation switch to the information processing device, wherein the information processing device sets recording conditions. A printer driver that sends the printing conditions and the printing data to the printing device; a printing device status information obtaining device that obtains status information sent by the status information sending device; and an operation that the printing device status information obtaining device obtains. Changing means for changing the recording condition in accordance with the state of a switch.

A recording apparatus according to the present invention is a recording apparatus for recording recording data on a recording medium, comprising: recording condition setting means for setting recording conditions; recording means for performing recording based on the recording conditions and the recording data; A switch, state information detecting means for detecting state information of the operation switch,
Changing means for changing the recording condition according to the state of the operation switch acquired by the state information detecting means.

[0010] A recording method according to the present invention includes an information processing apparatus, a recording condition that is set in the information processing apparatus, and a recording apparatus that performs recording on a recording medium based on recording data processed by the information processing apparatus. A state information transmitting step of transmitting state information of an operation switch provided in a recording apparatus to the information processing apparatus, a recording method of setting recording conditions, and transmitting the recording conditions to the recording apparatus. A condition setting step, a recording apparatus state information acquiring step for acquiring state information sent by the state information transmitting step, and a change for changing the recording condition according to a state of the operation switch acquired by the recording apparatus state information acquiring step. And a process.

According to the above arrangement, if the user sets the recording conditions in advance with the printer driver and sets the changed contents with the setting means, the user simply turns on the operation switch of the recording apparatus. The changing means changes the recording condition according to the content of the change, the changed recording condition is transmitted to the recording device, and the recording means records the recording data according to the changed recording condition.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a system configuration of a printer system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The printer system includes a printer 1 and a host computer 2.

The printer 1 includes an operation unit 11 having operation switches and display LEDs for performing various operations of the printer.
A recording unit 12 for performing recording in accordance with an operation command from the operation unit 11, a state storage unit 13 for holding various state information of the printer 1, a control unit for receiving control information and recording data from the host computer 2, And a printer interface unit 14 for transmitting the reverse.

The host computer 2 includes application software 21 for creating print data, a printer driver 22 for converting information created by the application software 21 into information recordable by the printer 1, and status information of the printer 1. Monitor unit 2 that displays the status of the received information and changes the contents of the setting storage unit 24
3, a setting storage unit 24 that stores recording conditions and other information used when the printer driver performs the conversion process;
A host interface unit 25 for transmitting control information and recording information to the printer 1 and receiving status information of the printer 1 is provided.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the printer.

In the present embodiment, the printer 1 is a serial printer using an ink jet system.

The operation unit 11 includes three operation keys of a power key 31, an error release key 32, and a free setting key 33, and two display LEDs of an error LED 34 and a free setting LED 35.
With

The power key 31 is a key that can be turned on by pressing down, and the error release key 32 is a key that releases an error state by pressing down. The free setting key 33 is a key for setting other printers. The use of the free setting key 33 will be described later.

The error LED 34 is turned on when an error occurs. The free setting LED 35 is turned on when the free setting key 33 is valid, and is turned off when the free setting key 33 is invalid.

The recording medium is fed to a sheet feeder 41 supported by a paper support 42, and is conveyed to a predetermined recording start position by a paper feed roller (not shown) during recording. During printing, a carriage (not shown) scans in a predetermined direction, and at the time of this scanning, a print head (not shown) mounted on the carriage ejects ink droplets to perform printing. When the carriage scans to the end of the recording medium, a conveyance roller (not shown) rotates, and conveys the recording medium by a predetermined amount in a direction orthogonal to the scanning direction of the carriage. Such scanning of the carriage and conveyance of the recording medium by the conveyance rollers are alternately repeated to perform recording on the entire recording medium.

When the recording is completed, the recording medium is discharged to the paper tray 43 by the transport rollers.

The recording head and the like are inside the printer 1, and when replacing the recording head and the ink tank, the access cover 44 can be opened to perform the replacement operation.

The user performs various recording conditions from a setting screen of the printer driver.

FIG. 3 is a view showing an example of a setting screen of the printer driver.

The setting is performed by designating each setting area described below.

Reference numeral 51 denotes a paper size setting area for setting the size of paper to be recorded. A paper feed method setting area 52 sets a paper feed method for recording paper. A paper type setting area 53 sets the type of paper. A recording direction setting area 54 selects a recording direction. The paper size setting area 51, the paper feeding method setting area 52, and the paper type setting area 53 display settable items in a pull-down menu format when a user designates a predetermined place with a cursor or the like. The configuration is such that the user selects and sets the setting. Paper feed direction setting area 5
Reference numeral 4 denotes a configuration in which the user selects and sets either the vertical or horizontal sheet feeding direction with a cursor.

Reference numeral 55 denotes an enter button which is pressed by the user when the above-mentioned various settings are good. Reference numeral 56 denotes a cancel button pressed by the user when the various settings described above are inappropriate. 5
Reference numeral 7 denotes an option button pressed by the user when performing detailed settings other than the above-described settings. This option button 5
7 is pressed, a further option setting screen (FIG. 4)
Open). 58 is a help button.

As shown in FIG. 4, a print quality setting area 61 on which the print quality can be further set is displayed on the option setting screen.
And a color setting area 62 in which a color can be set, and a gradation processing setting area 63 in which gradation processing can be set. This option setting screen is also provided with a confirm button 64, a cancel button 65, and a help button 66.

Further, a printer driver setting screen (FIG. 3)
) Is provided with a key setting button 59. This is for determining the contents to be set by turning on / off a free setting key provided in the printer. When the key setting button 59 is pressed, the button display changes from "key setting start" to "key setting end". If the user changes an item in any of the above setting areas between pressing the “Start key setting” and pressing the “End key setting” again, the changed item will be stored The mechanism is stored in the unit 24. Note that all items changed by the time “key setting end” is pressed are stored.

The contents set on the setting screen of the printer driver in this way are stored in the setting storage unit as a default setting file. Also, key setting button 5
The content changed and set by pressing 9 is stored in the setting storage unit as a change item file different from the default setting file.

FIG. 5 shows an example of a setting file set by default on the setting screen of the printer driver.

The default setting file is composed of pairs of keywords and values. On the setting screen, the keywords correspond to the setting areas 51, 52, 53, 61, 62, 63, and the values correspond to the items set in the setting areas. In the example illustrated in FIG. 5, “A4” is set for the paper size {Size}, “Plain (plain paper)” is set for the paper type {Type}, and “Portrait () is set for the print direction {Direction}. Portrait) "
Is set, and the print quality {Quality} is "H
"high (high quality)"
For “or”, “Auto (automatic)” is set. Note that the terms in parentheses correspond to keywords and the values in parentheses correspond to values.

When displaying the setting screen (see FIG. 3), the printer driver displays a corresponding value based on the keyword in a corresponding setting area.

FIG. 6 shows a setting screen of the printer driver.
9 shows an example of a change item file set by a key setting button 59.

If the setting area designated by the user by pressing the key setting button 59 is, for example, "print quality" and the user changes from "high quality" to "low quality", the change item file contains "BEGIN". And “END”, the content of the print quality {Quality} changed to “Low (low quality)” is described. This change item file is stored in the setting storage unit 24 as a file of the free setting key 33. Then, when the free setting key 33 of the printer is pressed, the recording conditions are changed according to the contents of the change item file. In this example,
The printing quality is changed from high quality to low quality. Details of the actual processing flow will be described later.

The host computer periodically monitors the status of the printer by acquiring status information from the printer as follows.

FIG. 7A is a flowchart showing a status information transmission process on the printer side, and FIG. 7B is a flowchart showing a status information reception process on the host computer side.

The monitor unit 23 of the host computer outputs a status information request command to the printer via the host interface unit 25 at regular time intervals in order to periodically check the status of the printer (step 21).

Printer interface section 14 of printer
Receives the status information request command transmitted from the host computer (step 11), and retrieves the status information of the printer from the state storage unit 13 (step 12). Then, the status information is transmitted to the host computer (step 13). The status information also includes on / off information of the free setting key 33 of the printer.

The monitor 23 of the host computer receives the status information via the host interface 25 (step 22), and stores the received status information in the setting storage 24 (step 23).

The status information thus obtained is used when the user performs a recording start operation.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the processing of the host computer when the user performs a recording start operation.

When the user instructs recording on the application software, the printer driver 22 reads a default setting file from the setting storage unit 24 (step 31). Further, the status information of the printer is read from the setting storage unit 24 (step 32). It is determined whether the free setting key 33 of the printer is on or off from the read status information (step 33). If it is on, the change item file is read from the setting storage unit 24 (step 3).
4). At this time, the items in the setting area having the same keyword as the change item file in the setting file are changed to the items specified by the change item file. On the other hand, if it is off, the process proceeds to step 35. Then, a setting screen is displayed based on the setting file (step 35). The user can change the setting again on this screen. However, when the recording instruction is issued without the instruction to display the setting screen of the printer driver by the application software, the process of step 35 is not performed, and only the changed items are changed.

The set contents are transmitted to the printer (step 36), and the recording data is transmitted to the printer (step 37).

The printer starts the printing operation in accordance with the settings and print data transmitted in this manner.

For example, suppose that the user wants to change the print quality in advance by turning on / off the free setting key, set this on the setting screen of the printer driver, and is registered in the change item file shown in FIG. 6 and stored in the setting storage unit. It is assumed that it is. Therefore, the user issues a recording command from the application software of the host computer to record certain recording data. At this time, if the user wants to record the print quality not in the high quality registered in the default setting file but in the low quality, the user need only press the free setting key of the printer main body without starting the setting screen of the printer driver. Then, as described above, the status information was changed, the status in which the free setting key was turned on was sent to the printer driver side, the setting content was changed from high quality to low quality, and the actual recording result was printed with low quality. It will be.

As described above, the user can change the recording condition to the change item registered in the free setting key in advance by merely pressing the free setting key without opening the setting screen of the printer driver.

Since the status storage unit 13 provided in the printer 1 and the setting storage unit 24 provided in the host computer 2 are nonvolatile, the registered settings are not lost even when the power is turned off.

In the present embodiment, the recording system includes a host computer and a printer. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may have another configuration. The present invention is also applicable to a recording apparatus such as a word processor in which a recording data creation portion and a recording portion are integrated.

[0052]

According to the present invention, if the user sets the printing conditions in advance with the printer driver and sets the changed contents with the setting means, the user turns on the operation switch of the printing apparatus. Only, the changing unit changes the recording condition according to the changed content, the changed recording condition is transmitted to the recording device, and the recording unit records the recording data according to the changed recording condition. The setting change of the condition can be executed efficiently.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram of a printer system.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the printer.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a setting screen of a printer driver.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of an option setting screen.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a default setting file.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a change item file.

FIG. 7A is a flowchart illustrating status information transmission processing on the printer side, and FIG. 7B is a flowchart illustrating status information reception processing on the host computer side.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a process performed by a host computer when a user performs a recording start operation.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Printer 11 Operation part 12 Recording part 13 State storage part 14 Printer interface part 2 Host computer 21 Application software 22 Printer driver 23 Monitor part 24 Setting storage part 25 Host interface part 31 Power key 32 Error release key 33 Free setting key 34 Error LED 35 Free setting LED 41 Sheet feeder 42 Paper support 43 Paper tray 44 Access cover 51 Paper size designation area 52 Paper feeding method designation area 53 Paper type designation area 54 Recording direction designation area 55 Confirm button 56 Cancel button 57 Option button 58 Help button

Claims (21)

[Claims] 1. A recording system comprising: an information processing apparatus; a recording apparatus configured to perform recording on a recording medium based on recording conditions set by the information processing apparatus and recording data processed by the information processing apparatus; The recording apparatus includes an operation switch, and state information transmitting means for transmitting state information of the operation switch to the information processing apparatus, wherein the information processing apparatus sets recording conditions, and transmits the recording conditions and the recording data to the information processing apparatus. A printer driver for sending to the printing apparatus; a printing apparatus status information obtaining means for obtaining status information sent by the status information sending means; and the printing condition according to a state of the operation switch obtained by the printing apparatus status information obtaining means. A recording system, comprising: changing means for changing. 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a setting unit configured to set a change content to be changed by the change unit, wherein the change unit sets the change content set by the setting unit only when the operation switch is on. 2. The recording system according to claim 1, wherein the recording condition is changed according to the condition, and the printer driver sends the recording condition changed by the changing unit to a printing apparatus. 3. The recording system according to claim 1, wherein the printer driver enables the recording condition changed by the changing unit to be changed again by a user operation. 4. The recording system according to claim 1, wherein the recording condition includes a recording medium size. 5. The recording system according to claim 1, wherein the recording condition includes a recording medium type. 6. The recording system according to claim 1, wherein the recording condition includes a recording direction. 7. The recording system according to claim 1, wherein the recording condition includes a recording quality. 8. A recording apparatus for recording recording data on a recording medium, comprising: recording condition setting means for setting recording conditions; recording means for performing recording based on the recording conditions and the recording data; an operation switch; A recording apparatus comprising: state information detecting means for detecting state information of a switch; and changing means for changing the recording condition according to a state of an operation switch obtained by the state information detecting means. 9. A change content setting means for setting a change content to be changed by the change means, wherein the change means responds to the change content set by the change content setting means only when the operation switch is on. 9. The recording apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the recording condition is changed by changing the recording condition. 10. The recording apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the recording condition setting unit enables the recording condition changed by the changing unit to be changed again by a user operation. 11. The recording apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the recording condition includes a recording medium size. 12. The recording apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the recording condition includes a recording medium type. 13. The recording apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the recording condition includes a recording direction. 14. The recording apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the recording condition includes a recording quality. 15. A recording system comprising: an information processing apparatus; and a recording apparatus configured to perform recording on a recording medium based on recording conditions set by the information processing apparatus and recording data processed by the information processing apparatus. In the recording method, a state information transmitting step of transmitting state information of an operation switch provided in the recording apparatus to the information processing apparatus; a recording condition setting step of setting recording conditions and transmitting the recording conditions to the recording apparatus; A recording device status information acquiring step of acquiring status information sent by the status information transmitting step; and a changing step of changing the recording condition according to a state of the operation switch acquired by the recording device status information acquiring step. A recording method characterized in that: 16. A setting step for setting a change content to be changed by the change step, wherein the change step is performed only when the operation switch is turned on in accordance with the change content set by the setting step. 16. The recording method according to claim 15, wherein the recording condition setting step sends a recording condition changed in the changing step to a recording apparatus. 17. The recording method according to claim 15, wherein in the recording condition setting step, the recording condition changed in the changing step can be changed again by a user operation. 18. The recording method according to claim 15, wherein the recording condition includes a recording medium size. 19. The recording method according to claim 15, wherein the recording condition includes a recording medium type. 20. The recording method according to claim 15, wherein the recording condition includes a recording direction. 21. The recording method according to claim 15, wherein the recording condition includes a recording quality.