Printing method using pop-up menu and print control apparatus

Abstract

A printing method using a pop-up menu and a print control apparatus are disclosed. The print control apparatus for use in a method of printing a file to be printed using a pop-up menu includes a pop-up menu unit for generating the pop-up menu, a display unit for displaying the generated pop-up menu, an input unit for selecting a printer driver and a print option required for a print operation through the pop-up menu, and a communication interface unit for transmitting the selected printer driver and print option to a printer connected to the printer driver. The inventive method and apparatus provide improved control for printing.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above aspects and features of the present invention will be more apparent by describing exemplary embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a view illustrating a prior art mouse pop-up menu;

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a printing method using a prior art mouse pop-up menu;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the construction of a print control apparatus provided in a printing system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a printing method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a views illustrating a mouse pop-up menu according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a view illustrating a method of storing a profile; and

FIG. 7 is a view illustrating a mouse pop-up menu according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a view illustrating a mouse pop-up menu according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a view illustrating a mouse pop-up menu according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method of printing a file to be printed using a pop-up menu, the method comprising: displaying a pop-up menu for a file to be printed;selecting a printer driver and a print option for a print operation through the pop-up menu; andprinting the file using the selected printer driver and print option.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the displaying of the pop-up menu for a file to be printed comprises clicking an icon of the file to be printed using a right mouse button.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pop-up menu includes a first menu for showing a list of selectable printer drivers, and a second menu for showing a list of selectable print options.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the selecting of the printer driver and the print option for a print operation through the pop-up menu comprises selecting the printer driver from the displayed list of the selectable printer drivers.

5. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the selecting of the printer driver and the print option for a print operation through the pop-up menu comprises selecting the print option from the displayed list of the selectable print options.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising registering the printer driver in the pop-up menu when the printer driver is installed.

7. The method of printing the file as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pop-up menu comprises a menu capable of at least one of adding another print option and changing the print option; wherein the selecting of the printer driver and the print option for a print operation through the pop-up menu comprises selecting the print option through a user interface capable of adding or changing the print option if the menu capable of adding or changing the print option is selected.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pop-up menu includes a first menu for showing print options and a second menu for showing a list of print options to add to the first menu when the print driver is installed as a default.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the second menu includes a check box for selecting the print option on the list to add to the first menu.

10. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the file to be printed comprises at least one file.

11. A print control apparatus for printing a file using a pop-up menu, the apparatus comprising: a pop-up menu unit for generating a pop-up menu;a display unit for displaying the generated pop-up menu;an input unit for selecting a printer driver and a print option for a print operation through the pop-up menu; anda communication interface unit for transmitting the selected printer driver and print option to a printer connected to the printer driver.

12. The print control apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the input unit is a mouse.

13. The print control apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the pop-up menu includes a first menu for showing a list of selectable printer drivers and a second menu for showing a list of selectable print options.

14. The print control apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the input unit selects the printer driver from the displayed list of the selectable printer drivers.

15. The print control apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the input unit selects the print option from the displayed list of the selectable print options.

16. The print control apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the mouse pop-up menu unit registers the printer driver in the pop-up menu if the printer driver is installed.

17. The print control apparatus as claimed in claim 13, further comprising at least one printer driver and at least one print option for each printer driver; wherein the list of the selectable printer drivers is extracted from the printer driver.

18. The print control apparatus as claimed in claim 13, further comprising at least one printer driver and at least one print option for each printer driver; wherein the list of the selectable print options is extracted from the printer driver.

19. The print control apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the pop-up menu includes a menu capable of adding or changing the print option; wherein if the menu capable of adding or changing the print option is selected, the input unit selects the print option through a user interface capable of adding or changing the print option.

20. The print control apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the pop-up menu includes a first menu for showing print options and a second menu for showing a list of print options to add to the first menu when the print driver is installed as a default.

21. The print control apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein the second menu includes a check box for selecting the print option on the list to add to the first menu.

22. The print control apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein the file to be printed comprises at least one file.

23. A method of printing a file using a pop-up menu, the method comprising: displaying a pop-up menu for a file to be printed;selecting a printer driver for a print operation through the pop-up menu; andprinting the file by applying the selected printer driver.

24. The method as claimed in claim 23, further comprising selecting a print option for the print operation through the pop-up menu.

25. The method as claimed in claim 23, wherein the displaying of the pop-up menu comprises selecting an icon of the file to be printed using a mouse.

26. The method as claimed in claim 24, wherein the displaying of the pop-up menu comprises displaying a first sub-menu comprising a list of printer drivers and a second sub-menu comprising a list of print options.