JPH0458319A - Method and device for processing document - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a document processing device suitable for outputting on a different type of output device than when setting a format.

[Conventional technology]

The structure of document data includes text data, figure/image data, and format data that specifies how these data should be output.When outputting in color, specify the color in the format data. There was something to do.

Furthermore, when outputting color data using a monochrome output device, there have been devices that simply convert the color to black and white depending on the shade and output.

[Problem that the invention is trying to solve] However,
The above conventional example has the following drawbacks.

In document data, for the purpose of emphasizing a certain part, etc.
If you specify a color that is partially different from the others, simply converting the color document image to black and white according to the shading and outputting it will not produce the same effect that can be obtained by specifying a color in a color image. It is impossible to obtain.

For example, in document data where the body text color is black, if you want to make the heading part stand out by making only the heading color red, if you convert this color document image to a black and white image according to the shading, the heading part will be black. It is converted to a neutral color of white, making it more conspicuous than the main text.
The effect that was intended to be obtained with a color document image cannot be obtained at all.

[Means for solving problems]

According to the present invention, in order to solve the above-mentioned drawbacks, the present invention provides a storage means in which a format is stored in advance in correspondence with the characteristics of each of a plurality of output devices, a determination means for determining the characteristics of the output device, and a judgment means for determining the characteristics of the output device. It has derivation means for deriving a format according to the determined characteristics of the output device.

According to the present invention, in order to solve the above-mentioned drawbacks, in a document processing device connectable to a plurality of output devices, a setting means for setting an output mode according to an output device with a certain characteristic, an output device different from the characteristic. a determining means for determining whether or not to output the document using have

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[Configuration of Document Processing Apparatus] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the document processing apparatus in this embodiment.

In the figure, 1 is a CPU that controls the entire apparatus, and 2 is a rewritable ROM (read-only memory), which stores a printer type table 20 as shown in FIG. 2 inside. Reference numeral 3 denotes a memory, into which a program related to document processing stored in the magnetic disk 4, for example, a program for executing the process shown in FIG. Control and execute document processing.

4 is a magnetic disk, which contains a processing program as shown in FIG. 6, a format conversion table 30 as shown in FIG.
Document data as shown in FIG. 4(b) and format data as shown in FIG. 4(a) are stored. A keyboard 5 is used to input various information necessary for executing the program. 6 is a display device that displays documents and the like in color. 8 is a color printer that can print documents in color. 7 is a selector, which connects the color printer 8 to this document processing device and also connects to other workstations 9, and can switch between the color printer 8 and other workstations 9 as needed, and vice versa. They also send out signals that indicate whether they are connected. For example, while using the color printer 8 with this document processing device,
When another workstation 9 attempts to use the color printer, it has a function of returning a signal to the other workstation 9 indicating that the color printer 8 is already in use. Furthermore, if the document processing device attempts to use the color printer 8 while another workstation 9 is using the color printer 8, the selector 7 informs the document processing device that the color printer 8 is already in use. Returns a signal indicating. IO is a black and white printer that prints document images in monochrome, black and white. In this embodiment, a black-and-white printer' will be explained as an example, but this is not limited to a black-and-white printer, and may be a monochrome printer of other colors, or a two-color or three-color printer.

As mentioned above, two printers, the color printer 8 and the black-and-white printer 10, are connected to this document processing device, but these printers are designed so that the type of printer can be identified by the device number etc. In this embodiment, the color printer is device number 11, and the monochrome printer is device number 2.
shall be.

[Printer Type Table] FIG. 2 is a printer type table that is an example of management information for managing the types of printers connected to this apparatus. In this embodiment, this table is stored in the EEROM2.

A printer type table 20 in the figure is this printer type table, and a device number 21 of a printer and a printer type 22 of that printer are stored in association with each other. In the diagram, in the printer type, color indicates a color printer, and monochrome indicates a monochrome printer.

Format Conversion Table FIG. 3 is an example of a format conversion table stored on the magnetic disk 4.

In the figure, 30 is a format conversion table. Each format item (e.g. major heading 1, 2, subheading 1.2.3, body 1, 2)
etc.), depending on the original format set for a color printer, when outputting the document to a black and white printer, for example, what colors or fonts should be changed to achieve the same effect as when outputting to a color printer. It describes how to convert it. Here, the format conversion table can be fixedly stored in the memory within the device, or stored in a storage medium such as an IC memory that is removable from the device. You can select one and use it by attaching it to the device, or you can store multiple format conversion tables in advance, and the operator can select which one to use using the keyboard, etc., or change the format according to the type of printer. The format conversion table may be automatically selected. When the format conversion table is stored in a removable memory, processing is performed after it is read into the memory.

In this format conversion table 30, the first column 31 lists each format item, the second column 32 lists the format for a color printer before conversion, and the third column 33 lists the format converted for outputting to a black and white printer. ing. Note that when outputting to a black and white printer, items that are the same as when outputting to a color printer should be left blank in the third column (or
Be sure to include a symbol that means that the output will be as specified for a color printer. Further, among the formats set in the document, those not listed in the format item 31 of the format conversion table 30 are output in the same manner regardless of the type of printer.

[Document Data Figure 4 is a diagram for explaining document data in this embodiment. The document data is text data (see Figure 4 (a)) consisting of character strings to be output and character strings that control their format.
)) and format data (FIG. 4(b)) that sets the output mode for each format item.

In the text data 40, the corner J is a control symbol indicating that a line break is to be made at that point during output. The string surrounded by ``cross...'' is a control string to control the format, and the text between ``Start of major heading'' and ``End of major heading'' is the major heading, and The text between (start of heading) and <end of subheading> indicates that it is a subheading. Note that the portion of the text that does not belong to any heading becomes the main text.

Format data 41 in FIG. 4(b) describes data regarding the format required when outputting the text data 40. In the figure, 42 shows how to output the main heading.
43 shows how to output subheadings, and 44 shows how to output the main text. 45 describes other format items, such as the size of the left and right margins of the paper, the size of the top and bottom margins, etc. 46 as the original output printer for this format.
Color" (meaning color printer) is set. In the format of this embodiment, the only items related to color specification are the main heading 42, subheading 43, and body 44, and the other item 45 is the output device. It does not depend on whether the heading is in color or monochrome.Also, regarding the alignment in the heading settings, "center" indicates centering, "left" indicates alignment to the left, and "right" indicates alignment to the right.

[Output Example] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of an output result in this embodiment.

Reference numeral 50 in FIG. 5(a) is an example of output when the document data of FIG. 4 is output to a color printer. In the figure, the main heading 51a is printed in red, the small heading 51b is printed in green, and the other text is printed in black.

Reference numeral 52 in FIG. 5(b) is an output example when the format of the document data in FIG. 4 is converted using the format conversion table 30 and then outputted to a monochrome printer. As shown in FIG. 5(b), the main heading 53a and the subheading 53b are output in Gothic font so as to achieve the intended effect of making them stand out more than the main text.

[Processing Procedure] FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure when printing document data with a printer in this embodiment.

In this embodiment, before starting the process shown in FIG. 6, the operator explains in advance how to specify which document data is to be output by which device number printer. First, the document data specified in step SIO is read from the magnetic disk 4 into the memory 3. Next, in step Sll, the printer type of the specified output printer, that is, the printer characteristics, is determined from the printer type table 20 in the EEROM 2 based on the device number of the specified output printer. In step S12, the CPU compares the printer types of the original output printer and the specified output printer for the format data, and if they are the same (YES), then executes step S17, and if they are different (N
o) Next, step S13 is executed. Step S
In step 13, the CPU determines the output printer type, and if the output is to a color printer, then step S17 is executed, and if the output is to a monochrome printer, then step S14 is executed. In steps S14 to S16, in order to output to a black and white printer, the format conversion table 30 is used to
PU1 converts necessary items of format data. In this embodiment, the items that need to be changed are the main heading, subheading, and body text settings, so the main heading item 42 is changed in step S14, and then the subheading item 43 and the main text item 44 are changed from the format conversion table in steps S15 and 816, respectively. Convert to the read format.

Finally, in step S17, the output printer type is determined,
If the output printer is a black and white printer, in step 818,
The text data is output in black and white according to the format, and if the output printer is a color printer, the text data is output in color according to the format in step S19.

In addition, without identifying the output printer again in S17,
If the format derived from the results identified in step 3 is output as is, the processing steps can be simplified and the processing time can be shortened.

This embodiment has described a method for effectively outputting document data created for color printer output to a monochrome printer. However, the present invention is not limited to outputting to a printer. When displaying data created for output on a color printer on a black and white display or outputting a black and white image by FAX, an effective black and white image can be output using the same method as in the above embodiment.

In this embodiment, format data suitable for each output device can be set for two output devices (a first printer and a second printer). However, the number of output devices in the present invention is not limited to two. Even when there are three or more types of output devices, if format data can be set for each of them, it is possible to suitably output to each of the three or more output devices.

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to the present invention, the output mode of document data is set for example for a monochrome output device separately from the case where the output mode is output from a color output device. By setting different colors, it is possible to obtain an effect that suits the original purpose of emphasis even on a document output using a monochrome output device.

According to the present invention, output modes of formats compatible with multiple types of output devices are set and stored in advance, and when the characteristics of the output device are determined, an output mode suitable for the output device is automatically derived. If the output mode is set in advance in accordance with the output device, no operator operation is required after that, and the operation can be greatly simplified.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the document processing device in this embodiment, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a printer type table in this embodiment, FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a format conversion table in this embodiment, and FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a format conversion table in this embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining document data in this embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining an output example in this embodiment. FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing a processing procedure in this embodiment. In the figure, 1 is a CPU, 2 is an EEROM, 3 is a memory, 4 is a magnetic disk, 5 is a keyboard, 6 is a display device, 7 is a selector, 8 is a color printer, 10 is a monochrome printer, 2
0 is a printer type table, and 30 is a format conversion table.

Claims (8)

[Claims] (1) A storage means in which a format is stored in advance in correspondence with the characteristics of each of a plurality of output devices, a determination means for determining the characteristics of the output device, and a format according to the characteristics of the output device determined from the storage means. A document processing device comprising deriving means for deriving. (2) The document processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the storage means stores a font color and font for each format element when outputting a document. (3) The document processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the storage means stores the data as a table that specifies an output mode for each format element depending on the output device. (4) In a document processing device that can be connected to a plurality of output devices, a setting means for setting an output mode according to an output device with a certain characteristic, and determining whether or not to output a document using an output device having different characteristics. If the characteristics are determined to be different by the determining means,
1. A document processing device comprising a conversion means for converting into a format compatible with an output device according to pre-stored rules. (5) A method of determining the characteristics of an output device that outputs a document and deriving a format corresponding to the determined output device from among pre-stored correspondences between output devices and formats. document processing method. (6) The document processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the format stored in association with the output device stores a font color and font for each format element. (7) When storing the output device and format in correspondence, the storage is performed as a table that specifies an output mode for each format element according to the output device.
The document processing device described in . (8) The document processing apparatus according to any one of claims 2, 3, 6, and 7, wherein the format element is a body text, a heading, or the like.