Print data processing apparatus, print control method, and print control program
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorMakoto Tomita
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A print control method performs print processing in an optical operation mode that is automatically determined in response to a print request from an application program. The print control method queries a user about evaluation of print speed or the result of printing obtained in the print processing, and obtains a response to the query. When performing print processing in response to a later print request, the operation mode is determined based on the response. The print control method generates print data in intermediate condition which is not dependent on a particular page description language, and performs print processing based on the result of analyzing the print data.
Claims18
A print control method of a printer driver for performing print processing in an operation mode which is automatically determined from among a plurality of operation modes in response to a print request from an application program, said print control method comprising the steps of:
- setting evaluation information indicating whether or not the operation mode is to be evaluated after printing;
- generating print data in an intermediate condition and temporarily storing the generated print data, wherein said print data generating step is responsive to the print request from the application program, and wherein the intermediate condition is independent of a particular page description language;
- analyzing the temporarily stored generated print data;
- determining the operation mode from among the plurality of operation modes based on a selection criterion and based on the analysis in said print data analyzing step;
- processing the temporarily stored generated print data in accordance with the determined operation mode;
- displaying an evaluation screen for querying evaluation of a printing quality for the print processing, after the print processing of the print data is finished, in a case where the evaluation information set in said setting step indicates that the operation mode is to be evaluated;
- acquiring an evaluation result input by a user via the evaluation screen displayed in said displaying step;
- and
- updating the selection criterion for determining said operation mode based on the evaluation result acquired in said evaluation acquisition step so as to effect a next determination of the operation mode,
- wherein, in order to enable the user to selectively input the evaluation result, options consisting of a print quality is satisfactory option, a printing should be faster option, a print should be clearer option, and a printing should be more accurate option are displayed in said displaying step.
A print data processing apparatus for performing print processing in an operation mode which is automatically determined from among a plurality of operation modes in response to a print request from an application program, said print data processing apparatus comprising:
- setting means for setting evaluation information indicating whether or not the operation mode is to be evaluated after printing;
- print data generating means for generating print data in an intermediate condition and temporarily storing the generated print data, wherein said print data generating means responds to the print request from the application program, and wherein the intermediate condition is independent of a particular page description language;
- print data analyzing means for analyzing the temporarily stored generated print data;
- determining means for determining the operation mode from among the plurality of operation modes based on a selection criterion and based on the analysis in said print data analyzing means;
- print processing means for processing the temporarily stored generated print data in accordance with the determined operation mode;
- displaying means for displaying an evaluation screen for querying the user of said print data processing apparatus about evaluation of a printing quality for the print processing, after the print processing of the print data is finished, means in a case where the evaluation information set by said setting means indicates that the operation mode is to be evaluated;
- evaluation acquisition means for acquiring an evaluation result input by a user via the evaluation screen displayed by said displaying means;
- and
- updating means for updating the selection criterion for determining said operation mode based on the evaluation response acquired by said evaluation acquisition means so as to effect a next determination of the operation mode
- wherein, in order to enable the user to selectively input the evaluation result, options consisting of a print quality is satisfactory option, a printing should be faster option, a print should be clearer option, and a printing should be more accurate option are displayed by said displaying means.
A computer-executable print control program stored on a computer-readable memory medium, said print control program for controlling a print data processing apparatus to execute print processing in an operation mode which is automatically determined from among a plurality of operation modes in response to a print request from an application program, said print control program comprising:
- setting evaluation information indicating whether or not the operation mode is to be evaluated after printing;
- generating print data in an intermediate condition and temporarily storing the generated print data, wherein said print data generating step is responsive to the print request from the application program, and wherein the intermediate condition is independent of a particular page description language;
- analyzing the temporarily stored generated print data;
- determining the operating mode from among the plurality of operation modes based on a selection criterion and based on the analysis in said print data analyzing step;
- processing the temporarily stored generated print data in accordance with the determined operation mode;
- displaying an evaluation screen for querying evaluation of a printing quality for the print processing, after the print processing of the print data is finished, in a case where the evaluation information set in said setting step indicates that the operation mode is to be evaluated;
- acquiring an evaluation result input by a user via the evaluation screen displayed in said displaying step;
- and
- updating the selection criterion for determining said operation mode based on the evaluation result acquired in said response evaluation acquisition step so as to effect a next determination of the operation mode,
- wherein, in order to enable the user to selectively input the evaluation result, options consisting of a print quality is satisfactory option, a printing should be faster option, a print should be clearer option, and a printing should be more accurate option are displayed in said displaying step.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.