INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS WITH PRINT PREVIEW FUNCTION

Abstract

A printer apparatus of this invention includes a reception unit which receives print job from a host apparatus, a preview information generation unit which generates preview information that indicates layouts of logical pages and finishing processing for respective physical pages to be printed in accordance with job control information and print data included in the print job, when a job type corresponding to the print job is preview, and a transmission unit which transmits the preview information to the host apparatus.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram for explaining the arrangement of a print control apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the arrangement of a typical print system of a host computer to which a printer is connected;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the arrangement of a print system which temporarily spools an intermediate code before it converts print instructions from an application into printer control commands;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view for explaining a printer according to the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the processing in a spooler 302;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the print control in a spool file manager 304;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the processing in a despooler 305;

FIG. 8 shows an example of a print setting window of a printer driver;

FIG. 9 shows an example of a list display window of a spool file;

FIG. 10 shows an example of preview information (JDFP);

FIG. 11 shows an example of a preview window;

FIG. 12 shows an example of a preview job;

FIG. 13 shows an example of a preview job;

FIG. 14 is a flowchart for explaining the preview processing of a previewer;

FIGS. 15A and 15B are flowcharts for explaining the preview processing and print processing of a printer;

FIG. 16 is a chart showing the flow of the overall conventional preview processing system;

FIG. 17 is a chart showing the flow of the overall preview processing system according to the present invention;

FIG. 18 shows an example of a print instruction job; and

FIG. 19 shows an example of a print cancel job.

Claims

1. A printer apparatus comprising: a reception unit adapted to receive a print job from a host apparatus;a preview information generation unit adapted to generate, when a job type corresponding to the printer control commands is preview, preview information which indicates layouts of logical pages and finishing processing for respective physical pages to be printed in accordance with job setting information and print data included in the print job; anda transmission unit adapted to transmit the preview information to the host apparatus.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a storage unit adapted to store, when the job type is preview, the job setting information and the print data included in the print job received by said reception unit;a rendering unit adapted to generate image data for respective physical pages based on the print setting information and the print data;an image storage unit adapted to store, when the job type is preview, the image data generated by said rendering unit; anda merge unit adapted merge, when a job identifier corresponding to the print job received by said reception unit matches a job identifier of a job stored in said storage unit, the job setting information and the print data included in the received print job with already stored job setting information and print data.

3. A printer apparatus comprising: a reception unit adapted to receive print job from a host apparatus;a preview information generation unit adapted to generate, when a job type corresponding to the print job is preview, preview information which indicates sizes, orientations, and scaling information of configuring pages in accordance with job control information and print data included in the print job; anda transmission unit adapted to transmit the preview information to the host apparatus.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising: a storage unit adapted to store images based on the print job received by said reception unit; anda print unit adapted to print image data stored in said storage unit in response to a print designation from the host apparatus.

5. A printer apparatus comprising: a reception unit adapted to receive print job from a host apparatus;a generation unit adapted to generate, when a job type corresponding to the print job is preview, preview information and image data in accordance with the print job;a transmission unit adapted to transmit the preview information generated by said generation unit to the host apparatus;a storage unit adapted to store the image data generated by said generation unit; anda print unit adapted to print the image data stored in said storage unit in response to a print designation from the host apparatus.