Patent Application
20060115309
The present invention relates to a pull-type printing device having a function of pulling print data stored in a print data supply device by requesting and obtaining such print data.
Conventionally, according to laser printers that handle print data described in a format such as Printer Control Language (PCL) and Post Script (PS), print setting parameters for a print job are set only when a printing instruction to print the print data is provided, and such print setting parameters that have been set are described directly on the print data. Accordingly, the print setting parameters and print data are transmitted together to a printer, where printing of the print data is performed.
Meanwhile, according to protocols such as Printer Subunit in IEEE1394 and Printer Profile in Universal Plug and Play (UPnP), print job information that accompanies print setting parameters is transmitted, and then print data is transmitted to a printer, which then performs printing of the print data (see Japanese Laid-Open Patent application No. 2002-29100 publication).
In recent years, there is a wide range of setting parameters for a print job, such as parameters for color switching and N-column specification. Along with this trend, it is expected that a need becomes apparent for being able to make a change in parameters that have been set for a job, even when a user has already given a printing instruction and thus such job is in the queue.
In order to respond to such need, the conventional technologies require a print request to be cancelled once and PCL data to be transmitted again, as well as requiring a command for changing print setting parameters for the print job to be issued to a printer, every time the user gives a setting change instruction. This causes a problem that the number of transactions between the printing instruction device and the printer increases.
The present invention has been conceived in view of the above problem, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a printing device and a printing instruction device that are capable of allowing a change of print setting parameters to be made at an arbitrary timing until print processing starts, requiring a minimum number of transactions to be carried out between the printing instruction device and the printer.
In order to achieve the above object, the printing device according to the present invention is a printing device that pulls print data to be printed by requesting and obtaining the print data, the device including: a print start instruction receiving unit that receives location information indicating a storage location of printing instruction information indicating details of a printing instruction to the printing device, the location information being received as an instruction indicating that printing of the print data should be started; a printing instruction information request unit that requests transmission of the printing instruction information indicated by the location information received by the print start instruction receiving unit; a printing instruction information receiving unit that receives the printing instruction information requested by the printing instruction information request unit; a print data request unit that requests transmission of the print data, based on the printing instruction information; a print data receiving unit that receives the print data requested by the print data request unit; and a printing unit that prints the received print data according to the received printing instruction information. With the above construction, since the print start instruction receiving unit receives, as an instruction indicating that the printing of the print data should be started, the location information indicating the storage location of the printing instruction information, it becomes possible for the printing device of the present invention to queue only the location information of the printing instruction information as a job in a wait state. This makes it possible to save memory resources required to queue information related to a job in a wait state in the printing device. Furthermore, since the printing instruction information itself is not queued in the printing device as a job in a wait state, it becomes possible for the sender of the printing instruction information to locally hold the printing instruction information. Accordingly, it becomes possible for the sender of the printing instruction information to freely update the printing instruction information until the printing instruction information is transmitted to the printing device.
Furthermore, in the printing device of the present invention, the printing instruction information may include location information indicating a storage location of the print data, and the print data request unit may request the transmission of the print data based on the location information included in the printing instruction information. Accordingly, since it becomes possible for the sender of the printing instruction information to freely update the printing instruction information until the printing instruction information is transmitted to the printing device, it becomes possible to freely update the print type specification information included in the printing instruction information without having to perform a transaction with the printing device.
Moreover, the printing instruction device according to the present invention is a printing instruction device that gives, to a printing device, a printing instruction to print print data, the device including: a printing instruction input unit that accepts an instruction, inputted from a user, indicating that the print data should be printed; a printing instruction information generation unit that generates printing instruction information when the instruction indicating that the print data should be printed is accepted, the printing instruction information indicating details of the printing instruction to the printing device; a printing instruction information storage unit that holds the generated printing instruction information; a location information generation unit that generates location information indicating a storage location of the printing instruction information; a location information transmission unit that transmits the generated location information to the printing device; a transmission request receiving unit that receives, from the printing device, a request for transmission of the printing instruction information indicated by the location information; and a printing instruction information transmission unit that transmits the stored printing instruction information to the printing device, in response to the request for transmission. With the above construction, the printing instruction information is locally stored in the printing instruction information storage unit until being transmitted to the printing device in response to the request for transmission. Accordingly, it becomes possible for the printing instruction information generation unit to whenever update the details of the printing instruction information until the printing instruction information is transmitted to the printing device, without having to perform a transaction with the printing device, under the condition that the location information of the printing instruction device is not to be changed.
Furthermore, in the printing instruction device of the present invention, the printing instruction input unit may include a print type specification input unit that accepts an specification, inputted from the user, indicating a print type of the print data, the printing instruction information generation unit may include a print type specification information generation unit that generates print type specification information for specifying the print type, when the specification indicating the print type is accepted, and the printing instruction information generation unit may generate the printing instruction information that includes the generated print type specification information, when the instruction indicating that the print data should be printed is accepted. In the above printing instruction device, it is possible for the printing instruction generation unit to whenever update the details of the printing instruction information until the printing instruction information is transmitted to the printing device, without having to perform a transaction with the printing device. Accordingly, it is also possible to freely update the print type specification information which is an item in the printing instruction information until the printing instruction information is transmitted to the printing device, without any transactions with the printing device.
As described above, according to the printing device and printing instruction device of the present invention, since only local data in the printing instruction device is required to be rewritten to make a change in the setting of the print parameters, it is possible to produce the effect that no extra transaction is required to be performed between the printing instruction device and the printer in order to make a change in the print parameters.
Furthermore, since job queuing information in the printing device is only the location information of a job ticket, it is possible to produce the effect of being able to save memory resources required for job queuing.
Note that not only is it possible to embody the present invention as a printing instruction device, a printing device, and a print data supply device as described above, but also as a content print system formed of these devices, as a content print method that includes, as its steps, the characteristic units included in each of the devices, and as programs that cause a computer to execute these steps. It should be also noted that such programs and print contents can be distributed over a communication network such as the Internet and on a computer-readable recording medium such as CD-ROM.
The following describes the embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings.
The broadcast station 4 distributes, to the television monitor 6, the DTV 7, or the like of each home, a various kinds of contents such as video content and print content via television broadcasting such as terrestrial television broadcasting, broadcasting satellite (BS) and communication satellite (CS), or via web pages on the Internet. Of such various contents, a print content itself for printing is not transmitted and only location information is transmitted that indicates a storage location of such print content. The content generation device 1 generates various contents to be distributed to homes from the broadcast station 4.
The STB 2 is a communication terminal that has a function of receiving a video content from the broadcast station 4 and causing the television monitor 6 connected to the STB 2 to display the received video content. As for a print content, the STB 2 receives, from the broadcast station 4, location information indicating a storage location of the print content, and causes the printer 3 connected to the STB 2 to print such print content. More specifically, when receiving a printing instruction to print a print content from the user, the STB 2 sends, to the printer 3, location information indicating a storage location of the job ticket. When the printer 3 thereafter makes a request for a job ticket, the STB 2 sends a required job ticket to the printer 3.
In this specification, a job ticket is data made up of: print parameters indicating the print settings for print data (e.g. print layout such as 2 in 1 print layout, paper size, print direction, font type, print quality, paper supply method, and the like); and location information that indicates a storage location of the print data being the print content itself. In the job ticket, the location information of the print content is described as, for example, a uniform resource identifier (URI). The storage location of the print data may be either the print data DB 101 inside the content generation device 1 of the broadcast station 4 or the print data DB 10 of the ISP 5, for example. Moreover, an address of the hard disk in the STB 2 as well as a hard disk device that is connected to the STB 2 via the external bus 8 may also serve as the storage location. In such case, a transmission source from which the location information of a print content is received is not limited to the broadcast station, and the STB 2 may identify the storage location of the print content by itself so as to generate the location information or may generate the location information based on a specification from the user of the print content.
The printer 3 is a pull-type printer which, when receiving the location information from the STB 2 indicating the storage location of the job ticket, pulls the job ticket indicated by the received location information, and pulls the print data to be printed according to the location information described in the job ticket. For the printer 3, location information indicating the storage location of a job ticket is equivalent to a print command for printing the print data indicated by such job ticket. In the case where there is a print job in progress (i.e. a print job in the queue is present in the printer 3) when receiving the location information indicating the storage location of the job ticket, the printer 3 continues the print processing until such job is completed. At the completion of such job, that is, at the stage in which a new print job is ready to be executed, the printer 3 pulls the job ticket. Furthermore, the printer 3 prints the print data according to the print parameters indicated by such pulled job ticket.
The ISP 5 is a server that (i) assigns an IP address to the STB connected to the Internet, the printer 3, a PC, and the like not illustrated in the drawing, (ii) distributes to them print data stored in the print data DB 10, and (iii ) provides them with a service on the Internet. The print data DB 10, which is implemented by a hard disk or the like, previously holds print data distributed from the ISP 5 over a communication network 9.
The television monitor 6 displays a video content inputted from the STB 2. The DTV 7 is a digital television that contains the function of the STB 2. The external bus 8 is a data transmission path such as an IEEE1394 bus and an SCSI bus. The communication network 9 is a data transmission path that includes television broadcasting, mobile telephone line network, the Internet, and the like.
The broadcast station 4 is equipped with a content generation device 1, a monitor 110, and a transmission device 114. The components that make up the content generation device 1 are roughly categorized as the following: three DBs that are implemented by hard disks (a print data DB 101, a location information DB 102, and a video data DB 103); four processing units that are implemented by CPUs (a packaging unit 104, an input operation unit 107, a display unit 109, and a communication unit 112); and a bus 113.
The print data DB 101 holds, as text files, print data such as previously generated character information and broadcast mails included in respective contents. Furthermore, the print data DB 101 holds, as image files, print data that represents posters and the like of images related to respective video contents to be distributed. The location information DB 102 holds the location information of each print data stored in the print data DB 101 or in the print data DB 10 of the ISP 5 located outside. The video data DB 103 holds previously generated video data.
The packaging unit 104 outputs a video content and the location information of the print content related to such video content to the communication unit 112 in packaged form. The input operation unit 107 receives inputs from a remote control, a keyboard, or the like not illustrated in the drawing. The display unit 109 generates display image data such as menu screen that is used by an operator making an input to the input operation unit 107 through an operation of a remote control, a keyboard, or the like not illustrated in the drawing. The monitor 110, which is a CRT display, a liquid crystal display panel, or the like connected to the content generation device 1, displays thereon display image data inputted from the display unit 109.
The communication unit 112, which is equipped with a local area network (hereinafter referred to as LAN) interface to make a connection to a wide area network (hereinafter referred to as WAN) and to a LAN, has a function of communicating with an external device of the content generation device 1. Upon receipt of a request for print data from the printer 3, the communication unit 112 sends, to the printer 3, the requested print data stored in the print data DB 101. Furthermore, the communication unit 112 transfers, to the transmission device 114, a content for broadcasting that has been packaged by the packaging unit 104. The bus 113 is a parallel data transmission path that is used by the components in the content generation device 1 to exchange data with each other. The transmission device 114 transmits, on television broadcast air waves, the content for broadcasting, made up of the location information of print data and video data, that has been packaged by the packaging unit 104.
The STB 2 is externally connected to a remote control 206 and the television monitor 6. The components that make up the STB 2 are roughly categorized as: a storage unit 209 that is implemented by an IC card, a RAM, a hard disk, or the like; and six processing units that are implemented by CPUs or the like (a communication unit 202, a job ticket generation unit 203, a job management unit 204, an input unit 205, a display unit 207, and a broadcast receiving unit 210).
The communication unit 202 is equipped with a parallel I/F, a universal serial bus (USB), an IEEE1394 bus interface, or the like that allows a connection between the STB 2 and the printer 3, and has a function of sending and receiving data between the STB 2 and an external device such as a printer 3.
The job ticket generation unit 203 obtains, from the received content, the location information of the print data to be printed, according to a printing instruction that has been inputted by the user by operating the remote control 206. Furthermore, the job ticket generation unit 203 causes the display unit 207 to generate display image data for a print setting screen that prompts for an input related to print settings for the print data, and accepts an input related to print settings inputted to the input unit 205.
While not illustrated in the drawing, the job ticket generation unit 203 further accepts an input related to print settings such as image quality, bordered/borderless print, paper quality, black-and-white/color, header/footer setting, and single- or double-sided print. Image quality settings include: “high image quality” for printing high-resolution images; “normal” for printing images with standard image quality; “speed priority” for giving a higher priority to print speed than image quality by speeding up the paper feed; and “black-and-white high speed” for increasing the speed of black-and-white print by changing a less frequently used color ink nozzle to a black ink nozzle. Bordered/borderless print setting allows for the selection and setting of either “bordered print” for printing an image with border or “borderless print” for printing an image without border. Paper quality setting allows for the selection of the quality of print paper and the selection of printing that is optimum for the selected paper quality. For example, it is possible to select one of photo paper, inkjet paper, film, iron print, over head projector (OHP), and postal card, and to select an optimum printing for the quality of the selected paper (e.g. adjustment of paper feed speed). Black-and-white/color setting allows for the selection of either “black-and-white” print or “color” print. Header/footer settings include the setting of a function for reading the date recorded in the header of an image file (e.g. JPEG file) shot by a digital camera and for printing the read-out date onto the margin of a print paper, using a font available in the printer. In addition, header/footer settings also include the setting for printing, onto the margin of a print paper, print date, the title of a document to be printed, page numbers, and the like. In the case of laser printers, single- or double-sided print setting allows for the selection of whether to print images on one side or both sides of a print paper.
The user operates the remote control 206, looking at the above-described print setting screen 30 displayed on the television monitor 6, so as to input print settings to the input unit 122. The job ticket generation unit 203 generates print parameters indicating the respective items of the inputted print settings. Then, the job ticket generation unit 203 generates a job ticket that is made up of the generated print parameters and the location information indicating the storage location of the print data obtained from the content. Note that the location information of the print data is not limited to be obtained from the content, and therefore it is also possible that the STB 2 searches for pieces of print data and their location information and then prompts the user to make a selection from among them. More specifically, it is also possible to obtain the location information of print data by employing the following structure: the STB 2 is newly equipped with a print data search unit that searches the STB 2 and an external device for print data so as to obtain location information, and the STB 2 causes the display unit 207 to generate display image data used for a print data selection screen for selecting print data, based on the search result of the print data search unit, so as to prompt the user to select, via the input unit 205, one of the pieces of searched print data. Other methods include a method in which the user is prompted to input the location information of print data directly so that the print data can be obtained. To be more specific, the STB 2 may cause the display unit 207 to generate display image data used for a print data location information input screen that accepts an input of the location information of print data and then prompt the user to input the location information of the print data via the input unit 205.
The job management unit 204, which is a processing unit that manages print jobs in the printer 3, generates location information of a job ticket that has been generated by the job ticket generation unit 203 and that is stored in the storage unit 209, and sends the generated location information to the printer 3. Furthermore, when the communication unit 202 receives a request for job ticket from the printer 3, the job management unit 204 reads the requested job ticket from the storage unit 209, and sends it to the printer 3. During these processes, that is, during the period from when the job management unit 204 sends the location information of the job ticket to the printer 3 until when the printer 3 requests the transmission of the job ticket, the job management unit 204 accepts an input from the user for making a change in the print settings. Note that it is also possible to employ an implementation style, thereby not allowing the reading of a requested job ticket to be performed until the completion of rewriting print parameters included in the job ticket, while the job management unit 204 is accepting a user input for making a change in the print settings, even when the communication unit 202 has received a request for the transmission of the job ticket from the printer 3. In this case, the job management unit 204 reads the requested job ticket from the storage unit 209 and sends it to the printer 3 via the communication unit 202 for the first time when the rewriting of the print parameters included in the job ticket is completed. Also in the above case, it is also possible to send, to the printer 3 which is making a request for a job ticket, a command for making such printer 3 to wait for the transmission of the job ticket, so as to keep the printer waiting. The input unit 205 accepts an input such as a printing instruction that is given by the user by operating the remote control 206, in response to an input screen that gives guidance to the user about an input and the like of printing instruction for printing print data. The remote control 206, which is an external device of the STB 2, transmits the details of an input made by a user operation to the input unit 205 by infrared rays. The display unit 207 generates a video content that should be displayed on the television monitor 6 as well as display image data for a menu screen, a print setting screen, or the like used by the user to perform input operations. The storage unit 209 holds contents received from the broadcast station 4 or the like as well as job tickets generated by the job ticket generation unit 203. The broadcast receiving unit 210 receives contents for broadcasting from the broadcast station 4. The bus 211 is a parallel transmission path that is used by the components in the STB 2.
The printer 3 is comprised of a communication unit 302, a job ticket separation unit 303, a print processing unit 304, a storage unit 305, a printer engine 306, and a bus 307.
The communication unit 302, which is equipped with a parallel I/F, a USB, an IEEE1394 bus interface, or the like, has a function of communicating with an external device such as the STB 2. The communication unit 302 sends and receives, to and from the STB 2, the location information of a job ticket, a request for a job ticket, a job ticket, and the like. Furthermore, the communication unit 302 sends and receives, to and from the broadcast station 4 and the ISP 5, print data and a request for the transmission of print data via the communication network 9. The communication unit 302 further stores, into the storage unit 305, the location information of a job ticket, a job ticket, print data, and the like that have been received. The job ticket separation unit 303 separates, inside the storage unit 305, a job ticket stored in the storage unit 305 into the location information of the print data and print parameters.
When the communication unit 302 receives the location information indicating the storage location of the job ticket, the print processing unit 304 continues print processing in progress if there is any, whereas it makes a request for the transmission of the job ticket via the communication unit 302 based on the location information stored in the storage unit 305, if there is no print processing in progress or when such print processing is completed. Furthermore, the print processing unit 304 makes a request for the transmission of the print data based on the location information of the print data separated from the job ticket. When the communication unit 302 receives the requested print data, the print processing unit 304 rasterizes the print data according to the print parameters separated from the job ticket. More specifically, after spooling the print data (i.e. after making it possible for print processing to be proceeded with, without any delay by using a high-speed auxiliary memory as a buffer), the print processing unit 304 rasterizes the print data according to the print parameters, and outputs the resultant to the printer engine 306. The storage unit 305, which is a memory that is implemented by a random-access memory (RAM), a flash memory, an IC card, or the like, provides storage areas for storing the location information of a job ticket, a job ticket, print data, and the like received by the communication unit 302 as well as providing the job ticket separation unit 303 and the print processing unit 304 with work areas for performing data processing. The printer engine 306 is a control circuit and machine operation unit for printing print data from the print processing unit 304. A print method employed by the printer engine 306 is not limited to a specific method, and various print methods can be employed including thermal transfer printing (dye-sublimation type and hot-melt type), thermal printing, inkjet printing, electrophotographic printing.
Next, a description is given of operations performed in the content print system 100 with the above structure.
When the input unit 205 receives an input of a printing instruction from the remote control 206 (S401), the job ticket generation unit 203 obtains, from the content for broadcasting of the drama “Mt. Fuji and Man”, the location information indicating the storage location of the print content related to such video content (“the episodes up to the present episode of “Mt. Fuji and Man””). More specifically, in the case where the content for broadcasting includes only the location information of the print content (“the episodes up to the present episode of “Mt. Fuji and Man””), the job ticket generation unit 203 obtains such location information, whereas in the case where the content for broadcasting includes the print data itself of the print content, the job ticket generation unit 203 obtains an address (location information) inside the storage unit 209 at which the print data is stored. Then, the job ticket generation unit 203 causes the display unit 207 to generate display data for the print setting screen 30 as shown in
In the STB 2, when receiving the request for the transmission of the job ticket from the printer 3 (S407 in
In the printer 3, when the communication unit 302 receives the job ticket and it is stored into the storage unit 305, the job ticket separation unit 303 separates the print parameters and the location information of the print data from each other inside the storage unit 305 (S705 in
As described above, according to the content print system 100 of the present invention, since print parameters indicating the print settings for print data are stored in the storage unit 209 of the STB 2 as part of a job ticket, it becomes possible for the STB 2 to change, on its own, the print settings whenever, as long as it is during the period from when the printer 3 pulls a job ticket until when the print job starts, without needing to perform a transaction with the printer 3. Accordingly, the user is not required to perform processing for canceling the print job or to wait for a response from the printer 3 to change the print settings. This makes it possible for the user to change print settings in a simple and speedy manner. What is more, since it is not necessary for the printer 3 to queue, in the storage unit 305, print parameters and print data as jobs in a wait state, it becomes possible to save memory of the storage unit 305.
Note that the description has been given in the above-described embodiment that the currently displayed video content is associated with the print content, but the present invention is not limited to such case and therefore is applicable to another case. For example, the present invention is also applicable to the case of printing print data stored in advance in the storage unit 209. More specifically, in the case where there is an input, from the remote control 206, of a printing instruction that specifies print data stored in the storage unit 209, the job ticket generation unit 203 checks for the storage location of such specified print data so as to obtain its address in the storage unit 209. Next, based on the obtained address, the job ticket generation unit 203 generates location information that should be notified to the printer 3, and generates a job ticket that includes such location information. In this case too, as in the case of the above-described embodiment, it is not necessary to queue print data in the storage unit 305 of the printer 3 as a job in a wait state, and it is therefore possible to save memory of the storage unit 305. Since print settings are performed in the same manner as in the above-described embodiment, it is possible to achieve the same effects, that is, (1) the effect of being able to save memory of the storage unit 305 since it is not necessary to queue print parameters in the storage unit 305 of the printer 3 as jobs in a wait state and (2) the effect of being able to update print settings whenever until the printer 3 makes a request for the transmission of a job ticket, without needing to perform a transaction with the printer 3, since the print parameters are locally stored in the STB 2.
Note that according to the content print system 100 of the present embodiment, screens are displayed for three states during the period from when a printing instruction for printing a content is inputted to when the printing of such content starts. Three statuses are (1) a state in which the STB 2 accepts an instruction for starting printing from the user, (2) a state which is a wait state after a printing instruction is given to the printer 3 and in which it is possible to change print settings, and (3) a state in which the execution of the print job in a wait state has started and in which it is no longer possible to accept any changes of the print settings.
When a printing instruction is inputted from the screen shown in
The screen of
When there is no print job in a wait state when the “OK” button has been pressed on the screen shown in
In the case where the print job is not in a wait state when print settings thereof are made on the print setting screen shown in
To be more specific, in the case where the printing instruction device is an STB or a DTV, a printing instruction screen is displayed on the television monitor. Since the pitch of the display of the television monitor with a size of about 30 inch is big and is not capable of high-resolution display, large-sized buttons and characters are displayed as shown in
Note that the present invention is not limited to print processing, and if the present invention is applied to moving image reproduction processing and music reproduction processing as well as to content presentation processing such as data download processing, such effects can be achieved as the saving of storage memory at the time of job queuing and the reduction in the number of transactions at the time of updating the settings for processing. A job ticket according to the present embodiment is equivalent to a play list in the case of moving image reproduction processing and music reproduction processing, whereas it is equivalent to a download data list in the case of data download processing. In the present embodiment, parameters that are changeable during the period until the execution of content presentation processing starts are: in the case of moving image reproduction processing, changeable parameters are mainly parameters concerned with motion compensation and still image compensation that are used at the time of converting an interlaced image into a progressive image, and other parameters include parameters related to image quality such as theater mode, dynamic mode, and standard as well as parameters that are used to set the brightness of a screen; in the case of music reproduction processing, changeable parameters are mainly effect-related parameters that are used to set sound surround and special acoustic effects in a special building (e.g. church, concert hall, and live music space); and parameters common to moving image reproduction processing, music reproduction processing, and data download processing are parameters that are used to set the order in which images and piece of music are reproduced as well as the order in which files to be downloaded are downloaded.
The printing instruction device according to the present invention is suited for use as a personal computer, a DTV, an STB, a PDA, a mobile phone, and others having communication function.
Furthermore, the presentation device according to the present invention is suited for use as a personal computer, an audio device, a printing device, a DTV, a PDA, an STB, a mobile phone, and others having communication function.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-130464 | May 2003 | JP | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/JP04/05595 | 4/20/2004 | WO | 7/8/2005 |
