The present invention relates generally to user interfaces for document-processing devices, such as copiers, printers, scanners, and the like, and more specifically to a user interface that provides assistance to solve a user's multiple set printing problems.
The continued evolution of office document machines, such as copiers, printers, facsimile machines, and scanners, has resulted in highly sophisticated and function-rich machines. Typical selectable functions, such as for a copier, include making darker or lighter copies, selecting a number of copies, selecting from a number of alternate paper sizes, selecting stapled copies, copying on one or both sides of a paper sheet from one or both sides of an original, and image reduction or enlargement. Substantial efforts have been devoted to the design and layout of such machines to enhance an operator's understanding and reduce the possibility of operator entry errors. In a distributed, network oriented document management system, such as including one or redistributed printers, scanners, facsimile devices, and the like, such complicated functions may be selected via a “window” on a standard personal computer screen. Regardless of the particular interface used to control one or more document machines, there is still a premium to be placed on avoiding operator confusion.
Print jobs sometimes include special pages. Special pages can include covers (front and back), exception pages, chapter starts, and inserts. The user enters special information/instructions so that these pages are produced as desired. In the past these special pages features were included as separate portions of the user interface. Further, user's were not offered a summary of the special pages they had chosen. The legacy GUIs for these “Special Page” features has treated each of these features (Covers, Exception Pages, Page Inserts and Chapter Starts) as separate GUI functions. This GUI design can make the user's mental load so high that these features become unusable. The user may find it difficult to understand the relationship between what the user has programmed and what is printed.
Embodiments include a printing method, including offering a choice to create special pages in a print job; simultaneously displaying a plurality of selectable features, each feature corresponding to a category of special pages; receiving a selection of a first selectable feature; displaying a child window including selectable options of the first selectable feature; receiving a selection of at least one option corresponding to a first range of pages; and displaying a summary view window, wherein the summary window includes the first range of pages and the at least one selected option that the user has selected for the first range of pages.
The embodiments will be described in detail herein with reference to the following figures in which like reference numerals denote like elements and wherein:
Other embodiments and modifications of the present invention may occur to those skilled in the art subsequent to a review of the information presented herein; these embodiments and modifications, equivalents thereof, substantial equivalents thereof, or similar equivalents thereof are also included within the scope of this invention.
In embodiments, a print driver is associated with a printing device such as 18 or 20, or a special printing application having its own set of printing tools is associated with a computer such as 12. The print driver or application will have a graphical user interface (GUI) associated with it. Throughout the description, I will refer to “a GUI” or “a method.” The GUI and method can be used with a print driver or with other software associated with a printing device, such as, for example, print submission software. Such software is often used by entities such as, for example, print shops.
When a user selects the special pages tab 24, the user is presented with an array of features for special rendering of pages. These features can include, for example, a feature 26 for selecting covers, a feature 28 for adding exception pages, a feature for adding chapter starts 30, and a feature 32 for adding page inserts. The special pages tab 24 also includes a summary view table 34 for viewing selected special pages. Additionally, a special page setup details 36 is included at the bottom of the screen. This summary view displays a summary of the programming for the special pages that have already been set up.
Each of the selectable features 26, 28, 30, and 32 on the special pages tab has previously been treated as separate GUI functions. Combining these features on one page along with a summary window and a child window listing the special pages is more convenient for, and less taxing on, the user.
Referring to
First and second features 50, 52, located beneath the front and rear covers, are drop-down list selectors. Each feature 50, 52 can be used to select a pre-defined stock and is labeled with the particular stock to be used for its corresponding cover. For example, the stocks being used in
Returning to
Covers can be a different size, type or color from the paper stock used for the job pages. The front and back cover may also have differing printing options between them, and each may use different paper stock. For covers to be applied to a signature job (wherein the front cover and rear cover are printed on the same sheet, which is then folded), the stock for the front cover and the back cover must be the same. When both a front cover and a back cover are selected and the stock selection is not the same for both, when the user OKs the dialog, a conflict message is raised to the user. The conflict message instructs the user that in order to set up signature jobs, the stock for both the front cover and the back cover need to be the same.
When the user is finished, the user may select the Cancel Feature 66 to dismiss the window and make no changes, or the OK Feature 68 to dismiss the window and save and display the changes into the summary view table 34.
Returning to
In the exception pages window 70, the user may select from a variety of options. The exact options available to the user vary based upon the printer being used. Multiple tabs 72A-E along the top of the exception pages window identify categories of changes that may be made to a group of exception pages. In embodiments, the tabs include categories such as General, Image Editing, Color, Source Color, and Output Color.
In embodiments, the general tab screen contains a page range field 74 wherein the user enters a list of pages to specify a page or range of pages contained in the document that will be setup differently from the rest of the document. The field 74 is labeled “Page Range:”, although it could have any title. The user can enter page numbers and/or page ranges separated by commas, such as, for example, 1, 3, and 5-12. In this example page 1, page 3 and pages 5 through 12 would be setup as exception pages. A page range can be limited to a single page.
Another feature 76 that is part of the general tab of the exception pages window is labeled with the particular stock to be used for each exception page. When the user selects the feature labeled “stocks” 78, the user will be presented the stock selection box 58 of
In embodiments, the window dialogs for the other tabs, Image Editing, Color, etc., for Exception Pages are the same as the ones at the job level. When a user selects those particular tabs, the same selection screens are displayed as would be if the user selected them from the main page.
When the user is finished, the user may select the Cancel Feature 82 to dismiss the window and make no changes, or the OK Feature 84 to dismiss the window and save and display the changes into the summary view table 34. The user may also select the Apply Feature 86 to save and display the changes into the summary view table 34 without dismissing the exception pages window 70.
In embodiments, a user may also select the chapter start feature 30 from
In embodiments, a user may also select the page insert feature 32 from
The page insert window 96 can include one or more features 98, 100 enabling the user to indicate where page inserts should go. Specifically in
The user may also select the number of inserts that may be placed. The user enters the number into another field 102 in the page insert window 96. In embodiments, this field is labeled “Quantity.”
The page insert window 96 also contains a paper stock field, which list the features of the insert(s) to be added. The stock bar lists all the stocks the user has setupand allows the user to select the desired stock. The feature labeled “stocks” 104 may be selected by the user to display a stock window, such as window 58 in
When the user is finished, the user may select the Cancel Feature 106 to dismiss the window and make no changes, or the OK Feature 108 to dismiss the window and save and display the changes into the summary view table 34. The user may also select the Apply Feature 110 to save and display the changes into the summary view table 34 without dismissing the page insert window 96.
The embodiments shown in
The summary view table 34 under the special pages tab 24 in
In embodiments, user selectable edit 112, 113 and delete 114, 115 features are included. For example, referring to
Selecting edit opens the particular special page child window associated with the highlighted page. In embodiments, double clicking the particular row will also open the child window associated with the highlighted page. The user may then alter the details for that particular page. In embodiments, the actual page ranges are not editable when the edit feature is selected. To edit the page range, a user needs to select the particular special page feature to call up the child window and make changes. The user may also select multiple rows to edit. When more than one row of similar items is selected, and there are different values setup for the same option, the resulting special page child window shall display a default option, such as, for example, “No Change (Current Value)” value as the option choice. If the user changes this default option to some other value, then all values for this option shall be set to the new value.
Selecting delete removes the selected item(s) from the table. In embodiments, the user will be presented with a message stating that the setup for the selected pages will be deleted. The message will also ask the if the user is sure he wants to delete the selected item. The user will be presented with yes or no features with which to make a choice.
The promote 118 and demote 120 page insert features can be used to move items within the summary view. As most selected alterations are tied to different pages, moving them does not make a difference. However, in some cases, the user may want to change the order of page inserts at a particular point in the document. In embodiments, each different page insert shall have its own row in the table. For example, referring to
The foregoing description has discussed selecting features “corresponding” to particular ranges of pages. The phrase “corresponding to a particular range of pages” refers to either the page range itself or the location of the page(s) being inserted. With respect to chapter starts and exception pages, the features and selected subfeatures or options on the corresponding child windows alter the formatting, stock, and other elements of the page itself. With respect to covers and page inserts, the features and options are usually additional pages added to a print job. The cover pages are usually not paginated and start and finish the print job. The location of the page inserts is identified with respect to a particular page or range of pages.
The setup details field 36, 37 displays a complete stock description and other setup information. In embodiments, the field will be only a few, for example three, lines in height and will extend the length of the table. A scroll control 122 can be made available when the data exceeds the field height. The setup details window 37 displays the detailed information corresponding to the page or page range selected in the summary view table 35. In embodiments, the descriptions in the setup details view 37 shall be displayed when one item and only one item is selected in the special pages summary view 35. In other words, when nothing is selected or if more that one item is selected, the setup details view 37 shall be blank.
While the present invention has been described concerning specific embodiments thereof, it will be understood that it is not intended to limit the invention to these embodiments. It is intended to encompass alternatives, modifications, and equivalents, including substantial equivalents, similar equivalents, and the like as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
This application is based on a Provisional Patent Application No. 60/413,527, filed Sep. 25, 2002.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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6628311 | Fang | Sep 2003 | B1 |
7159190 | Perry | Jan 2007 | B2 |
7161691 | Nakagiri et al. | Jan 2007 | B2 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20040060010 A1 | Mar 2004 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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60413527 | Sep 2002 | US |