Printing apparatus and print control method and print system

Abstract

When print data described in structured language is received from a transmitter, the print data is analyzed by an analysis unit and a determination is made as to whether or not there is unprintable data in the print data. A condition table stores print conditions for determining printability by a print unit, these print conditions being associated with print settings information that has been set with respect to the print data, and a condition determination unit controls printing by the print unit by referencing the condition table based on an analysis result of the analysis unit and the print settings information.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram for describing a functional configuration of a printing apparatus (printer) according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an outline of a hardware configuration of a printer according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart for describing an operation, in a case that the printer according to the first embodiment receives print data from a transmitter.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram for describing a configuration of principal components related to control of a cellular phone, which is the transmitter according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart for describing an operation, in a case that the transmitter according to the first embodiment requests printing to the printer.

FIG. 6 depicts a view illustrating one example of XHTML print data that the transmitter according to the present embodiment transmits to the printer.

FIG. 7 depicts a view illustrating one example of status information that the printer according to the first embodiment transmits to the transmitter and in which is listed unprintable parts.

FIG. 8 depicts a view explaining one example of a condition table that is referenced by a condition determination unit of the printer according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a diagram for describing an example of a printing confirmation message displayed on a display unit of the cellular phone, which is the transmitter according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a diagram for describing an example of a printing cancellation confirmation message displayed on the display unit of the cellular phone, which is the transmitter according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a diagram for describing another example of the condition table according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 12 depicts a view illustrating one example of XHTML print data according to an embodiment different from the first embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a functional block diagram for describing an outline of a functional configuration of a printer according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart for describing processing of a printer according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 15 depicts a view explaining one example of a condition table according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 16 is a diagram for describing an example of printing a reason for stopping printing with the printer according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 17 is a diagram for describing an example of printing a reason for stopping printing with the printer according to the second embodiment.

Claims

1. A printing apparatus, comprising: a reception unit configured to receive print data described in structured language from a host;an analysis unit configured to analyze the print data received by said reception unit;a determination unit configured to determine whether or not there is data of an unprintable part in the print data based on analysis by said analysis unit;a print unit configured to carry out printing based on print data analyzed by said analysis unit; anda control unit configured to control printing by said print unit based on a determination result of said determination unit and print settings information that has been set for the print data.

2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control unit controls whether or not to carry out printing with said print unit according to the determination result of said determination unit and the print settings information.

3. A printing apparatus, comprising: a reception unit configured to receive print data described in structured language from a host;an analysis unit configured to analyze the print data received by said reception unit;a determination unit configured to determine the number of unprintable parts in the print data based on analysis by said analysis unit;a print unit configured to carry out printing based on print data analyzed said the analysis unit; anda confirmation unit configured to confirm with a user whether or not to carry out printing with said print unit based on the number of unprintable parts in the print data determined by said determination unit.

4. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a determination result of said determination unit includes the number of sets of unprintable data in the print data determined by said determination unit.

5. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a determination result of said determination unit includes a proportion of unprintable data in the print data determined by said determination unit.

6. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a notification unit configured to give notification that control by said control unit has been conducted for printing not to be carried out by said print unit; anda designation unit configured to designate for a reason the printing is not to be carried out to be presented in response to notification by said notification unit.

7. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in a case that the host is queried as to whether or not to carry out printing, said control unit controls printing by said-print unit in response to a reply from the host.

8. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in a case that the host is queried as to whether or not to carry out printing, said control unit gives notification of the unprintable data in the print data to the host.

9. A print control method, comprising: a reception step of receiving print data described in structured language from a host;an analysis step of analyzing the print data received in said reception step;a determination step of determining whether or not there is unprintable data in the print data based on analysis in said analysis step;a print step of carrying out printing based on print data analyzed in said analysis step; anda control step of controlling printing in said print step based on the determination result in said determination step and the print settings information.

10. The print control method according to claim 9, wherein in said control step, control of whether or not to carry out printing in said print step is conducted according to the determination result in said determination step and the print settings information.

11. A print control method, comprising: a reception step of receiving print data described in structured language from a host;an analysis step of analyzing the print data received in said reception step;a determination step of determining the number of unprintable parts in the print data based on analysis in said analysis step;a print step of carrying out printing based on print data analyzed in said analysis step; anda confirmation step of confirming with a user whether or not to carry out printing in said print step based on the number of unprintable parts in the print data determined in said determination step.

12. The print control method according to claim 9, wherein a determination result in said determination step includes the number of sets of unprintable data in the print data determined in said determination step.

13. The print control method according to claim 9, wherein a determination result in said determination step includes a proportion of unprintable data in the print data determined in said determination step.

14. The print control method according to claim 9, further comprising: a notification step of giving notification that control has been conducted for printing not to be carried out in said print step; anda designation step of designating for a reason the printing is not to be carried out to be presented in response to notification in said notification step.

15. The print control method according to claim 9, wherein in a case that the host is queried as to whether or not to carry out printing, printing is controlled in said control step in response to a reply from the host.

16. The print control method according to claim 9, wherein in a case that the host is queried as to whether or not to carry out printing, notification is given in said control step to the host concerning the unprintable data in the print data.

17. A print system in which print data described in structured language is sent from a host to a printing apparatus for printing to be conducted, wherein the printing apparatus comprises:an analysis unit configured to analyze the print data;a determination unit configured to determine whether or not there is unprintable data in the print data based on analysis by said analysis unit;a print unit configured to carry out printing based on print data analyzed by said analysis unit;a control unit configured to control printing by said print unit based on a determination result of said determination unit and print settings information that has been set for the print data; anda transmission unit configured to transmit reply information to the host in response to control by said control unit,and wherein the host comprises:a display unit configured to display information in response to the reply information transmitted by said transmission unit; anda print control unit configured to control printing by sending to the printing apparatus information for controlling printing in the printing apparatus in response to designation information inputted in response to information displayed on said display unit.

18. The print system according to claim 17, wherein the reply information includes information specifying the unprintable data in the print data, and said display unit specifically displays the unprintable data.

19. The print system according to claim 17, wherein the host further comprising a unit configured to change print settings information in the printing apparatus in response to designation information inputted in response to information displayed on said display unit.