Facsimile and static presentation processing – Static presentation processing – Character or font
Reexamination Certificate
1998-06-26
2001-08-21
Mancuso, Joseph (Department: 2624)
Facsimile and static presentation processing
Static presentation processing
Character or font
C358S468000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06278524
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a printing control apparatus and method and, more particularly, to EL printing control apparatus and method for performing double-sided printing by the intervention of an operator using a printing apparatus capable of single-sided printing.
When printing is performed on both sides of paper for a purpose such as paper conservation using a printing apparatus not equipped with a double-sided print unit for double-sided printing, the operator must decide the order in which pages are output from the apparatus. In order to decide the page output order, it is necessary to take into account the orientation in which paper is fed through the printing apparatus as well as the way in which paper is discharged from the printing apparatus.
In such manual double-sided printing according to the prior art, the user must change the order in which pages are output by a software application by considering the order in which the printing apparatus is attempting to output the pages. It is necessary, therefore, to try test printing in order that the user may ascertain the orientation in which paper is fed through the printing apparatus and the way in which paper is discharged from the apparatus. Then, based upon the obtained knowledge concerning the paper feeding orientation and the way paper is discharged, the user must give consideration to printing appearance and format and change the page output order so as to obtain the output intended.
To print on the reverse side of a sheet of paper discharged from a printing apparatus after the front of the paper has been printed on, the sheet of paper must be fed through the apparatus again. This requires that the paper be placed in the paper supply port or in a paper supply tray. The operator must know what the orientation of the paper should be at this time.
Thus, manual double-sided printing according to the prior art compels the operator to perform a complicated operation and results in the wasting of paper owing to test printing.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a printing control apparatus and method in which, when double-sided printing is preformed using a single-sided printing apparatus, the operator need not perform a complicated operation and test printing and is capable of rearranging the paper in a simple manner.
According to the present invention, the foregoing object is attained by providing a printing control apparatus connected to a printing apparatus which prints continuously on one side of a printing medium, comprising characteristic reading means for reading, from the printing apparatus, characteristic information which includes orientation of the printing medium at supply and discharge thereof, setting input means for entering a printing setting, printing request means for deciding, on the basis of the characteristic information read by the characteristic reading means, the printing setting entered by the setting input means and number of pages to be printed, a page order in which the printing apparatus is to be made to output pages to perform printing on both sides of the printing medium, and causing the printing apparatus to perform printing in the order decided, and printing-medium rearrangement request means which, in a case where number of pages caused to be printed by the printing request means has reached half the total number of pages, requests rearrangement of the printing medium upon specifying an orientation in which the printing medium should be re-supplied to the printing apparatus, based upon the characteristic information read by the characteristic reading means and the printing setting entered by the setting input means.
Further, according to the present invention, the foregoing object is attained by providing a printing control method for controlling a printing apparatus which prints continuously on one side of a printing medium, comprising a characteristic reading step of reading, from the printing apparatus, characteristic information which includes orientation of the printing medium at supply and discharge thereof, a setting input step of entering a printing setting, a printing request step of deciding, on the basis of the characteristic information read at the characteristic reading step, the printing setting entered at the setting input step and number of pages to be printed, a page order in which the printing apparatus is to be made to output pages to perform printing on both sides of the printing medium, and causing the printing apparatus to perform printing in the order decided, and a printing-medium rearrangement request step of requesting rearrangement of the printing medium upon specifying an orientation in which the printing medium should be re-supplied to the printing apparatus, based upon the characteristic information read at the characteristic reading step and the printing setting entered at the setting input step, in a case where number of pages caused to be printed at the printing requesting step has reached half the total number of pages.
The present invention further provides a printing system comprising a printing apparatus which prints continuously on one side of a printing medium, and a printing control apparatus connected to the printing apparatus, wherein the printing control apparatus includes characteristic reading means for reading, from the printing apparatus, characteristic information which includes orientation of the printing medium at supply and discharge thereof, setting input means for entering a printing setting, and printing request means for deciding, on the basis of the characteristic information read by the characteristic reading means, the printing setting entered by the setting input means and number of pages to be printed, a page order in which the printing apparatus is to be made to output pages to perform printing on both sides of the printing medium, and causing the printing apparatus to perform printing in the order decided, and the printing apparatus includes printing-medium rearrangement request means which, in a case where number of pages caused to be printed by the printing requesting means has reached half the total number of pages, requests rearrangement of the printing medium upon specifying an orientation in which the printing medium should be re-supplied to the printing apparatus, based upon the characteristic information read by the characteristic reading means and the printing setting entered by the setting input means.
Further, the present invention provides a storage medium storing a computer readable program executed in a printing control apparatus connected to a printing apparatus which prints continuously on one side of a printing medium, the program having characteristic reading means for reading, from the printing apparatus, characteristic information which includes orientation of the printing medium at supply and discharge thereof, setting input means for entering a printing setting, printing request means for deciding, on the basis of the characteristic information read by the characteristic reading means, the printing setting entered by the setting input means and number of pages to be printed, a page order in which the printing apparatus is to be made to output pages to perform printing on both sides of the printing medium, and causing the printing apparatus to perform printing in the order decided, and printing-medium rearrangement request means which, in a case where number of pages caused to be printed by the printing requesting means has reached half the total number of pages, requests rearrangement of the printing medium upon specifying a direction in which the printing medium should be re-supplied to the printing apparatus, based upon the characteristic information read by the characteristic reading means and the printing setting entered by the setting input means.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like referenc
Kujirai Yasuhiro
Mori Yasuo
Nakagiri Koji
Nishikawa Satoshi
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Fitzpatrick ,Cella, Harper & Scinto
Mancuso Joseph
Tran Douglas
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