Printing control apparatus and method

An information processing method for controlling an information apparatus as a host computer for generating print job including printer control commands, comprising:

• an input step of inputting a bookbinding setting for determining how a layout of book form is executed;
• a spooling step of spooling print data in storage means so that the print data can be read out in a desired sequence in units of individual pages;
• a layout step of deciding, in accordance with the i bookbinding setting, layout of pages of the print data to be sent to the printing apparatus;
• and
• a generation step of reading out print data from the storage means in a sequence that is in accordance with the layout decided by said layout step, and generating printer control commands in accordance with the layout to be outputted to the printing apparatus.

An information processing system comprising as a host computer for generating print job including printer control commands and a printing control apparatus connected to the printing apparatus, the system having:

• input means for inputting a bookbinding setting for determining how a layout of book form is executed;
• spooling means for spooling print data in storage means so that the print data can be read out in a desired sequence in units of individual pages;
• layout means for deciding, in accordance with the bookbinding setting, layout of pages of the print data to be sent to the printing apparatus;
• and
• generation means for reading print data out of the storage means in a sequence that is in accordance with the layout decided by said layout means, and generating printer control commands in accordance with the layout to be outputted to the printing apparatus,
• wherein the printing apparatus prints on both sides of the printing medium in the sequence sent from said generation means.

An information processing medium storing a program by which the following means are implemented by a computer connected to an information apparatus as a host computer for generating print job including printer control commands:

• input means for inputting a bookbinding setting for determining how a layout of book form is executed;
• spooling means for spooling print data in storage means so that the print data can be read out in a desired sequence in units of individual pages;
• layout means for deciding, in accordance with the bookbinding setting, layout of pages of the print data to be sent to the printing apparatus;
• and
• generation means for reading print data out of the storage means in a sequence that is in accordance with the layout decided by said layout means, and generating printer control commands in accordance with the layout to be outputted to the printing apparatus.

A computer program product by which the following means are implemented by a computer connected to an information apparatus as a host computer for generating print job including printer control commands:

• input means for inputting a bookbinding setting for determining how a layout of book form is executed;
• spooling means for spooling print data in storage means so that the print data can be read out in a desired sequence in units of individual pages;
• layout means for deciding, in accordance with the bookbinding setting, layout of pages of the print data to be sent to the printing apparatus;
• and
• generation means for reading print data out of the storage means in a sequence that is in accordance with the layout decided by said layout means, and generating printer control commands in accordance with the layout to be outputted to the printing apparatus.

An information apparatus as a host computer for generating a print job including printer control commands, comprising:

• an inputter, adapted to input a bookbinding setting for determining how a layout of book form is executed;
• a spooling unit, adapted to spool print data in storage means so that the print data can be read out in a desired sequence in units of individual pages;
• a layout unit, adapted to decide, in accordance with the bookbinding setting, layout of pages of the print data to be sent to the printing apparatus;
• and
• a generation unit, adapted to read print data out of the storage means in a sequence that is in accordance with the layout decided by said layout unit, and generating printer control commands in accordance with the layout to be outputted to the printing apparatus.

A print control apparatus for outputting print data to a printing apparatus, comprising:

• input means for inputting a bookbinding setting indicating one of collective bookbinding printing in which all sheets to be printed are treated collectively as one group and block book binding printing in which units of a specified number of sheets are treated as individual groups;
• spooling means for spooling print data in storage means so that the print data can be read out in a desired sequence in units of individual pages;
• layout deciding means for deciding layout of pages of the print data in accordance with the bookbinding setting so that the layout decided according to the collective bookbinding printing and the layout decided according to the block book binding are different from each other;
• and
• reading means for reading print data out of the storage means in a sequence that is in accordance with the layout decided by said layout means to output the print data to the printing apparatus.

A print control method for outputting print data to a printing apparatus, comprising the steps of:

• inputting a bookbinding setting indicating one of collective bookbinding printing in which all sheets to be printed are treated collectively as one group and block book binding printing in which units of a specified number of sheets are treated as individual groups;
• spooling print data in storage means so that the print data can be read out in a desired sequence in units of individual pages;
• deciding layout of pages of the print data in accordance with the bookbinding setting so that the layout decided according to the collective bookbinding printing and the layout decided according to the block book binding are different from each other;
• and
• reading print data out of the storage means in a sequence that is in accordance with the layout decided in said layout deciding step to output the print data to the printing apparatus.

An information processing medium storing a program by which the following means are implemented by a print control apparatus including printer control commands:

• input means for inputting a bookbinding setting indicating one of collective bookbinding printing in which all sheets to be printed are treated collectively as one group and block book binding printing in which units of a specified number of sheets are treated as individual groups;
• spooling means for spooling print data in storage means so that the print data can be read out in a desired sequence in units of individual pages;
• layout deciding means for deciding layout of pages of the print data in accordance with the bookbinding setting so that the layout decided according to the collective bookbinding printing and the layout decided according to the block book binding are different from each other;
• and
• reading means for reading print data out of the storage means in a sequence that is in accordance with the layout decided by said layout means to output the print data to the printing apparatus.

A program product storing a program by which the following means are implemented by a print control apparatus including printer control commands:

• input means for inputting a bookbinding setting indicating one of collective bookbinding printing in which all sheets to be printed are treated collectively as one group and block book binding printing in which units of a specified number of sheets are treated as individual groups;
• spooling means for spooling print data in storage means so that the print data can be read out in a desired sequence in units of individual pages;
• layout deciding means for deciding layout of pages of the print data in accordance with the bookbinding setting so that the layout decided according to the collective bookbinding printing and the layout decided according to the block book binding are different from each other;
• and
• reading means for reading print data out of the storage means in a sequence that is in accordance with the layout decided by said layout means to output the print data to the printing apparatus.

A print control apparatus for outputting print data to a printing apparatus, comprising:

• an input unit, adapted to input a bookbinding setting indicating one of collective bookbinding printing in which all sheets to be printed are treated collectively as one group and block book binding printing in which units of a specified number of sheets are treated as individual groups;
• a spooling unit, adapted to spool print data in storage means so that the print data can be read out in a desired sequence in units of individual pages;
• a layout unit, adapted to decide layout of pages of the print data in accordance with the bookbinding setting so that the layout decided according to the collective bookbinding printing and the layout decided according to the block book binding are different from each other;
• and
• a reader, adapted to read print data out of the storage means in a sequence that is in accordance with the layout decided by said layout unit to output the print data to the printing apparatus.

A print control apparatus outputting print data to a printing apparatus, comprising:

• input means for inputting a bookbinding setting indicating block book binding printing in which units of a specified number of sheets will be bound collectively;
• spooling means for spooling print data in storage means so that the print data can be read out in a desired sequence in units of individual pages;
• layout deciding means for deciding layout of pages of the print data so that a number of sheets smaller than the specified number will be bound as one unit if the number of pages to be printed in the final unit is smaller than a number of pages that can be arranged on the specified number of sheets;
• and
• reading means for reading print data out of the storage means in a sequence that is in accordance with the layout decided by said layout deciding means to output the print data to the printing apparatus.

A print control method for outputting print data to a printing apparatus, comprising the steps of:

• inputting a bookbinding setting indicating block book binding printing in which units of a specified number of sheets will be bound collectively;
• spooling print data in storage means so that the print data can be read out in a desired sequence in units of individual pages;
• deciding layout of pages of the print data so that a number of sheets smaller than the specified number will be bound as one unit if the number of pages to be printed in the final unit is smaller than a number of pages that can be arranged on the specified number of sheets;
• and
• reading print data out of the storage means in a sequence that is in accordance with the layout decided in said layout deciding step to output the print data to the printing apparatus.

An information processing medium storing a program by which the following means are implemented by a computer, comprising:

• input means for inputting a bookbinding setting indicating block book binding printing in which units of a specified number of sheets will be bound collectively;
• spooling means for spooling print data in storage means so that the print data can be read out in a desired sequence in units of individual pages;
• layout deciding means for deciding layout of pages of the print data so that a number of sheets smaller than the specified number will be bound as one unit if the number of pages to be printed in the final unit is smaller than a number of pages that can be arranged on the specified number of sheets;
• and
• reading means for reading print data out of the storage means in a sequence that is in accordance with the layout decided by said layout deciding means to output the print data to the printing apparatus.

A program product storing a program by which the following means are implemented by a computer, comprising:

• input means for inputting a bookbinding setting indicating block book binding printing in which units of a specified number of sheets will be bound collectively;
• spooling means for spooling print data in storage means so that the print data can be read out in a desired sequence in units of individual pages;
• layout deciding means for deciding layout of pages of the print data so that a number of sheets smaller than the specified number will be bound as one unit if the number of pages to be printed in the final unit is smaller than a number of pages that can be arranged on the specified number of sheets;
• and
• reading means for reading print data out of the storage means in a sequence that is in accordance with the layout decided by said layout deciding means to output the print data to the printing apparatus.

A print control apparatus outputting print data to a printing apparatus, comprising:

• an input unit, adapted to input a bookbinding setting indicating block book binding printing in which units of a specified number of sheets will be bound collectively;
• a spooling unit, adapted to spool print data in storage means so that the print data can be read out in a desired sequence in units of individual pages;
• a layout unit, adapted to decide layout of pages of the print data so that a number of sheets smaller than the specified number will be bound as one unit if the number of pages to be printed in the final unit is smaller than a number of pages that can be arranged on the specified number of sheets;
• and
• a reader, adapted to read print data out of the storage means in a sequence that is in accordance with the layout decided by said layout unit to output the print data to the printing apparatus.