INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS AND METHOD THEREOF

Abstract

An information processing apparatus which has a first drawing conversion unit which converts first drawing information generated by an application of a first type into first print information which can be processed by a printer driver of a first type, and a second drawing conversion unit which converts second drawing information generated by an application of a second type into second print information which can be processed by a printer driver of a second type, includes a determination unit which determines the type of application as an output source with respect to the printer driver as an output destination, a detection unit which detects printer drivers which match the type of application from installed printer drivers, and a display control unit which displays printer drivers on a display for selecting a printer driver as the output destination of the application.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining general print processing flows;

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining print processing flows when a plurality of graphics engines coexist;

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining print processing flows when a plurality of graphics engines coexist;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram for explaining the arrangement of an information processing system including an information processing apparatus and a printer;

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the arrangement of a printer driver enumeration display unit 500;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining the processing procedure of a printer driver enumeration mode setting unit 504;

FIG. 7 shows an example of a printer driver enumeration mode setting user interface (enumeration mode setting dialog);

FIG. 8 is a flowchart for explaining the processing procedure of the printer driver enumeration display unit 500;

FIG. 9 shows a display example of a printer driver enumeration displayed when the user selects the display mode of only native drivers (recommended) on the printer driver enumeration mode setting user interface shown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 shows a display example of the detection result displayed when the user selects a display mode of compatible printer drivers on the printer driver enumeration mode setting user interface shown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 11 is a schematic flowchart for explaining the processing procedure for displaying a default printer driver;

FIGS. 12A and 12B are flowcharts for explaining the processing procedure for displaying a default printer driver;

FIG. 13 shows an example of a user interface used to set a default printer driver;

FIG. 14 shows a save example of application-dependent default printer drivers which are used upon printing;

FIG. 15 shows a save example of graphics engine-dependent default printer drivers which are used upon printing;

FIG. 16 shows a display example of detected printer drivers;

FIG. 17 shows a display example of detected printer drivers;

FIG. 18 shows a display example of detected printer drivers;

FIG. 19 shows a window for displaying a default printer driver set as an output destination suited to an application as an output source; and

FIGS. 20A and 20B are diagrams showing the functional arrangement of an information processing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus which comprises a first drawing conversion unit configured to convert first drawing information generated by an application of a first type into first print information which can be processed by a printer driver of a first type, and a second drawing conversion unit configured to convert second drawing information generated by an application of a second type into second print information which can be processed by a printer driver of a second type, comprising: a determination unit configured to determine a type of application of the first type or the second type as output source with respect to the printer driver of the first type or the second type as an output destination of the first print information or the second print information;a detection unit configured to detect printer drivers which match the type of application of the first type or the second type, determined by said determination unit, from printer drivers of the first type and printer drivers of the second type, which are installed in said information processing apparatus; anda display control unit configured to display the printer drivers detected by said detection unit on a display for selecting a printer driver as the output destination of the application of the first type or the second type as the output source.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a setting unit configured to set a display condition required to display the printer drivers detected by said detection unit on the display, wherein said detection unit detects printer drivers that match the type of the application of the first type or the second type in accordance with the display condition set by said setting unit.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, including: a first straight-print processing system which has an application of the first type as the output source and a printer driver of the first type as the output destination; a second straight-print processing system which has an application of the second type as the output source and a printer driver of the second type as the output destination;a first cross-print processing system which has an application of the first type as the output source and a printer driver of the second type as the output destination; anda second cross-print processing system which has an application of the second type as the output source and a printer driver of the first type as the output destination,wherein said determination unit determines that if the application of the first type serves as the output source, said detection unit detects printer drivers which configure the first straight-print processing system as suitable printer drivers, andif said determination unit determines that the application of the second type serves as the output source, said detection unit detects printer drivers which configure the second straight-print processing system as suitable printer drivers.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein if said determination unit determines that the application of the first type serves as the output source, said detection unit detects printer drivers of the first type and printer drivers of the second type which are compatible to the printer drivers of the first type, as the output destination in accordance with a display condition requiring the display of compatible printer drivers.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein if said determination unit determines that the application of the first type serves as the output source, said detection unit detects printer drivers of the first type and printer drivers of the second type in accordance with a display condition requiring the display of all printer drivers.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein if said determination unit determines that the application of the second type serves as the output source, said detection unit does not detect printer drivers which configure the first straight-print processing system, the first cross-print processing system, and the second-cross print processing system as the output destination.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said display control unit identifiably displays printer drivers which meet the display condition and printer drivers which do not meet the display condition on the display.

8. An information processing apparatus which comprises a first drawing conversion unit configured to convert first drawing information generated by an application of a first type into first print information which can be processed by a printer driver of a first type, and a second drawing conversion unit configured to convert second drawing information generated by an application of a second type into second print information which can be processed by a printer driver of a second type, comprising: a setting unit configured to set a default printer driver;a determination unit configured to determine a type of application of the first type or the second type as output source with respect to the printer driver of the first type or the second type as an output destination of the first print information or the second print information;a detection unit configured to detect the default printer driver set by said setting unit with respect to the application of the first type or the second type determined by said determination unit; anda display control unit configured to select and display the printer driver detected by said detection unit on a display for selecting a printer driver as the output destination of the application of the first type or the second type as the output source.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said setting unit sets default printer drivers for respective applications which configure applications of the first type or the second type.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said setting unit sets default printer drivers compliant to applications of the first type or the second type.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the application of the first type includes an application which uses a WinFx API, and the application of the second type includes an application which uses a Win32 API.

12. An information processing method for an information processing apparatus which comprises a first drawing conversion unit configured to convert first drawing information generated by an application of a first type into first print information which can be processed by a printer driver of a first type, and a second drawing conversion unit configured to convert second drawing information generated by an application of a second type into second print information which can be processed by a printer driver of a second type, the method comprising: a determination step of determining a type of application of the first type or the second type as an output source with respect to the printer driver of the first type or the second type as an output destination of the first print information or the second print information;a detection step of detecting printer drivers which match the type of application of the first type or the second type determined in the determination step from printer drivers of the first type and printer drivers of the second type, which are installed in said information processing apparatus; anda display control step of displaying the printer drivers detected in the detection step on a display for selecting a printer driver as the output destination of the application of the first type or the second type as the output source.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising a display condition setting step of setting a display condition required for displaying the printer drivers detected by said detection step on the display, and wherein the detection step includes a step of detecting printer drivers that match the type of the application of the first type or the second type in accordance with the display condition set in the display condition setting step.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein for use in an information processing apparatus including: a first straight-print processing system which has an application of the first type as the output source and a printer driver of the first type as the output destination; a second straight-print processing system which has an application of the second type as the output source and a printer driver of the second type as the output destination;a first cross-print processing system which has an application of the first type as the output source and a printer driver of the second type as the output destination; anda second cross-print processing system which has an application of the second type as the output source and a printer driver of the first type as the output destination,wherein said determination unit determines that if the application of the first type serves as the output source, said detection unit detects printer drivers which configure the first straight-print processing system as suitable printer drivers, andif said determination unit determines that the application of the second type serves as the output source, said detection unit detects printer drivers which configure the second straight-print processing system as suitable printer drivers,the detection step including:a step of detecting, if it is determined in the determination step that the application of the first type serves as the output source, printer drivers which configure the first straight-print processing system as suitable printer drivers, anda step of detecting, if it is determined in the determination step that the application of the second type serves as the output source, printer drivers which configure the second straight-print processing system as suitable printer drivers.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the detection step includes a step of detecting, if it is determined in the determination step that the application of the first type serves as the output source, printer drivers of the first type and printer drivers of the second type, which are compatible to the printer drivers of the first type, as the output destination in accordance with a display condition required to display compatible printer drivers.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein the detection step includes a step of detecting, if it is determined in the determination step that the application of the first type serves as the output source, printer drivers of the first type and printer drivers of the second type in accordance with a display condition required to display all printer drivers.

17. The method according to claim 12, wherein the detection step includes a step of not detecting, if it is determined in the determination step that the application of the second type serves as the output source, printer drivers which configure the first straight print processing system, the first cross print processing system, and the second cross print processing system as the output destination.

18. The method according to claim 13, wherein the display control step includes a step of identifiably displaying printer drivers which meet the display condition and printer drivers which do not meet the display condition on the display.

19. An information processing method for an information processing apparatus which comprises a first drawing conversion unit configured to convert first drawing information generated by an application of a first type into first print information which can be processed by a printer driver of a first type, and a second drawing conversion unit configured to convert second drawing information generated by an application of a second type into second print information which can be processed by a printer driver of a second type, the method comprising: a setting step of setting a default printer driver;a determination step of determining a type of application of the first type or the second type as an output source with respect to the printer driver of the first type or the second type as an output destination of the first print information or the second print information;a detection step of detecting the default printer driver set by said setting step with respect to the application of the first type or the second type determined in the determination step; anda display control step of selecting and displaying the printer driver detected in the detection step on a display for selecting a printer driver as the output destination of the application of the first type or the second type as the output source.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the setting step includes a step of setting default printer drivers for respective applications which configure applications of the first type or the second type.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein the setting step includes a step of setting default printer drivers compliant to applications of the first type or the second type.

22. The method according to claim 12, wherein the application of the first type includes an application which uses a WinFx API, and the application of the second type includes an application which uses a Win32 API.

23. A program which when loaded into a programmable information processing apparatus and executed performs a method as claimed in claim 12.

24. A machine readable storage medium storing a program as claimed in claim 23.

25. A program which when loaded into a programmable information processing apparatus and executed performs a method as claimed in claim 19.

26. A machine readable storage medium storing a program as claimed in claim 25.