JP2011118817A - Print management device and print management method - Google Patents

Abstract

Printing conditions that contribute to ecology among printing conditions set in the printer driver are set in advance, and printing conditions that are actually used are managed as log data. To be encouraged.
A printer driver of a client PC causes a display to display default printing conditions that contribute to resource saving and energy saving when printing is performed by an MFP. If the user changes the default printing conditions, the user is prompted to enter the reason. Then, the printing server after the change and the reason for the change are managed and held in the aggregation server 2 as log data. The log data accumulated in the aggregation server 2 is appropriately analyzed, and a quantitative comparison between a print process executed under the default print condition and a print process executed under a print condition different from the default print condition, The reason for changing the printing conditions can be analyzed.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a print management apparatus and a print management method, and more particularly to a print management apparatus and a print management method for encouraging and executing so-called eco-friendly print processing such as resource saving and energy saving.

  In a system having a printer driver for executing printing processing by a printer based on image data on a recording medium such as recording paper, notification is made when a predetermined printing mode and a printing mode designated this time by a user are different. Thus, a technique for promoting toner saving is known.

  For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a printer system that is intended to reduce the annoyance felt by the user by alerting the user to set the resource saving mode. The printer system performs printing in the designated print mode when receiving a print instruction designating at least one of the plurality of print modes. A print mode designated by the print instruction is stored, and a confirmation screen display unit for performing a predetermined notification process based on the print mode designated by the accepted print instruction and the stored past print mode is provided. ing.

JP 2007-34533 A

  When a printer connected to an information processing apparatus such as a personal computer (PC) is used to print image data created on the PC with a printer, a printer driver incorporated in the PC is usually used. . At this time, the printer driver can set printing conditions in the printer. For example, the user inputs setting values for various setting items such as the number of copies to be printed, the paper size, the printing form, and the binding position when printing with the printer using the printing condition setting screen of the printer driver. Can do.

  In conventional printers, a method of shifting to a power saving mode under a predetermined condition is well known as a so-called eco-friendly technique for saving resources and energy. In addition, as a resource saving mode, a technique using a toner saving mode for saving toner, a backing paper printing mode for performing printing using a backing paper, or the like is disclosed.

  However, when a user prints using a printer driver, the printing conditions are monitored, printing is encouraged under conditions that contribute to ecology of resource saving and energy saving, and printing is not performed under conditions that contribute to ecology. By analyzing the reason for the failure and displaying the analysis result, the user is alerted, and processing such as restricting the subsequent printing process is performed based on the analysis result. There is no known technique for promoting printing under printing conditions.

  The invention described in Patent Document 1 is based on the past print mode history and the current print mode in order to eliminate the conventional inconvenience that always urges the setting of the resource saving mode regardless of the user's intention. A reminder is made to set the resource saving mode. This prevents a user who does not use the resource saving mode from being alerted that the resource saving mode is not set every time printing is performed. However, the invention described in Patent Document 1 also promotes ecology by monitoring the printing conditions when printing is performed and notifying the analysis result or by limiting the printing process. It was not a thing.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and among printing conditions set in a printer driver, printing conditions that contribute to ecology are set in advance, and the actually used printing conditions are set as log data. It is an object of the present invention to provide a print management device and a print management method that can promote printing under eco-friendly printing conditions.

  In order to solve the above problems, a first technical means of the present invention includes a storage means for storing a printer driver which is a program for controlling a printer connected externally and issuing a print instruction, and a printer stored in the storage means. Print management comprising: a control unit that executes a driver and issues the print instruction; a display unit that displays a screen displayed by a printer driver executed by the control unit; and an operation input unit that receives an operation input by a user In the apparatus, the control unit compares a printing condition that contributes to resource saving and energy saving set in advance in the storage unit with a printing condition that is executed in accordance with an operation input by a user, and the result of the comparison is log data for printing. And stored in a predetermined storage means for management.

  According to a second technical means, in the first technical means, as a result of the control unit comparing a printing condition that contributes to resource saving and energy saving and a printing condition executed according to an operation input by a user, the printing condition differs. A user interface screen that prompts the user to input a reason for using different printing conditions is displayed on the display unit, and the reason for using the different printing conditions is included in the log data according to an input operation to the operation input unit. The information is stored in a predetermined storage means.

  A third technical means is the second technical means, wherein, in the second technical means, the user interface screen displays a list of reasons for using the different printing conditions in a selectable manner, and is not a reason corresponding to any of the lists. In addition, an area in which a character string indicating a reason can be input by an operation input by a user is displayed.

  According to a fourth technical means, in the second technical means, when the control unit executes the printer driver, a printing condition that contributes to resource saving and energy saving preset in the storage unit is displayed on the display unit. When the print condition is changed according to the operation input to the operation input unit and printing is performed, the changed print condition is stored as the log data, and printing is performed without changing the print condition. In the case of a failure, the preset printing conditions are stored as log data.

  According to a fifth technical means, in any one of the first to fourth technical means, the control unit is a predetermined server device connected to the information processing apparatus via a network as the predetermined storage unit. The storage means or the storage means provided in the print management apparatus is used.

  Sixth technical means, in any one of the first to fifth technical means, based on log data stored in the predetermined storage means by the control unit, printing conditions that contribute to resource saving and energy saving; The display unit displays a comparison result with a printing condition different from the printing condition that contributes to resource saving and energy saving.

  A seventh technical means is the sixth technical means, wherein, as a comparison result to be displayed on the display unit by the control unit, with respect to a printing process executed under printing conditions that contribute to resource saving and energy saving, The ratio of printing processing executed under printing conditions that are different from the printing conditions that contribute to resource and energy savings is calculated. If the calculated ratio is higher than a predetermined value, the printing conditions that contribute to resource and energy savings are calculated. A display for prompting the user to perform printing is displayed on the display unit.

  According to an eighth technical means, in a print management method for managing a process of performing printing by a printer externally connected to the information processing apparatus by a printer driver operating on the information processing apparatus, the information processing apparatus is set in advance. A log data storage step for comparing the printing conditions that contribute to resource and energy savings with the printing conditions executed according to the operation input by the user, and storing and managing the comparison results as printing log data in a predetermined storage means; It is characterized by having.

  According to a ninth technical means, in the eighth technical means, the information processing apparatus compares the printing conditions that contribute to resource and energy savings with the printing conditions that are executed in accordance with an operation input by a user. A UI screen display step for displaying a user interface screen that prompts the user to input a reason for using different printing conditions when the printing conditions are different, and the log data storing step is performed according to an input operation of the reason by the user to the information processing apparatus. The reason why the different printing conditions are used is included in the log data and stored in the predetermined storage means.

  According to a tenth technical means, in the ninth technical means, the user interface screen displays a list of reasons for using the different printing conditions in a selectable manner, and the reason is not applicable to any of the lists. In addition, an area in which a character string indicating a reason can be input by an operation input by a user is displayed.

  According to an eleventh technical means, in the ninth technical means, when the information processing apparatus executes the printer driver, print conditions that contribute to resource and energy savings preset in the storage means are displayed on the display unit. A print condition display step for displaying, and when the print condition is changed according to an operation input to the information processing apparatus and printing is performed, the log data storage step uses the changed print condition as the log data. When printing is performed without changing the printing conditions, the preset printing conditions are stored as log data.

  A twelfth technical means is the predetermined server apparatus according to any one of the eighth to eleventh technical means, wherein the log data storage step is connected to the information processing apparatus via the network as the predetermined storage means. The storage means or the storage means provided in the information processing apparatus is used.

  A thirteenth technical means is the printing condition according to any one of the eighth to twelfth technical means, wherein the information processing apparatus contributes to resource saving and energy saving based on log data stored in the predetermined storage means. And a comparison result display step for displaying a comparison result with a printing condition that is different from the printing condition that contributes to resource saving and energy saving.

  In a fourteenth technical means, in the thirteenth technical means, the comparison result display step is executed as a result of the comparison with respect to a print process executed under printing conditions that contribute to the resource saving / energy saving. Calculate the ratio of print processing executed under printing conditions that are different from the printing conditions that contribute to energy saving, and if the calculated ratio is higher than a predetermined value, print under the printing conditions that contribute to resource and energy saving. It is characterized in that a display prompting the user to display is displayed.

  According to the present invention, among printing conditions set in the printer driver, printing conditions that contribute to ecology are set in advance, and printing conditions that are actually used are managed as log data. It is possible to provide a print management apparatus and a print management method that can prompt printing according to conditions.

It is a figure which shows schematic structure of the information processing apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the total server shown in FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the client PC shown in FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the MFP illustrated in FIG. 1. 6 is a flowchart for explaining an example of processing of the print management method of the invention. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a printer driver setting screen displayed on a client PC. FIG. It is a figure which shows the state which changed the default printing conditions by user operation. It is a figure which shows the example of a screen which selects the change reason of the printing conditions which contribute to resource saving and energy saving. It is a figure explaining the example of the log data preserve | saved at a total server or local PC. It is a figure which shows the example of default printing condition setting which contributes to the resource saving and energy saving which the administrator preset. It is a figure explaining the example of a setting of the reason when the printing conditions which contribute to resource saving and energy saving are changed.

Embodiments and examples of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings for understanding of the present invention. It should be noted that the following embodiments and examples are examples embodying the present invention and are not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a system configuration example for implementing a print management method according to the present invention. The print management apparatus according to the present invention is implemented by an information processing apparatus using the client PC 3 as an example. The client PC 3 is connected to an MFP (Multifunction Peripheral) 1 having a printer function via a predetermined network 4 compliant with, for example, IEEE 802.3, and further communicates with the aggregation server 2 functioning as a management station. Connected as possible. The MFP 1 is an example of a printer externally connected to the print management apparatus, and may be a single printer as well as an MFP having multiple functions. In addition, the print management method according to the present invention can be executed in a configuration that does not use the aggregation server 2. In this case, the data management function of the aggregation server is handled by the local client PC 3.

  For example, the user can print out the image data created by the client PC 3 using the printer function of the MFP 1. In this case, the print processing conditions in the MFP 1 can be set by a printer driver that is software installed in the client PC 3. For example, when the MFP 1 executes print processing of image data created on the client PC 3, the user inputs setting values for various setting items such as the number of copies, paper size, printing form, and binding position using the printer driver. (Settings) and print conditions can be set.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the aggregation server shown in FIG. The aggregation server 2 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 201 that controls the main body, a ROM 202 that stores various programs and data, a RAM 203 that is used as a work area that temporarily stores various data, and various programs. And an HDD (hard disk drive) 204 for storing data and data, a network interface (I / F) unit 205 for connecting to a network, and the like.

The client PC 3 compares the printing conditions that contribute to resource saving and energy saving set in advance by the printer driver of the client PC 3 with the printing conditions of the actually executed printing, and the HDD 204 of the aggregation server 2 compares the printing conditions. Save the results as log data. Further, the log data can store the reason for printing under conditions different from the printing conditions that contribute to resource saving and energy saving set in advance by the printer driver.
Note that the log data is stored in the local client PC 3 when the aggregation server 2 does not exist and the local client PC 3 is used by a plurality of users.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the client PC 3 shown in FIG. The client PC 3 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 301 that is a control unit that controls the main body, a ROM 302 that stores various programs and data, a RAM 303 that is used as a work area that temporarily stores various data, HDD (Hard Disk Device) 304 for storing various programs and data, network interface (I / F) unit 305 for connecting to a network, display interface (I / F) unit 306 connected to a display 310, keyboard 309 And an input interface (I / F) unit 307 connected to a pointing device (eg, mouse 308). The HDD 304 can store the log data in a system in which the aggregation server 2 does not exist.

  FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the MFP shown in FIG. The MFP 1 includes a CPU 101 that controls the MFP main body, a ROM 102 that stores various programs and data, a RAM 103 that is used as a work area that temporarily stores various data, and an HDD 104 that stores data received via a network. A network interface (I / F) unit 105 for connecting to a network, a display interface (I / F) unit 106 connected to a touch panel display 108, an input interface (I / F) unit 107, and the like.

  With the above configuration, the client PC 3 according to the present embodiment transmits image data created by the client PC 3 using the printer function of the MFP 1 or image data read from an external device or a recording medium by the client PC 3 to the MFP 1. The MFP 1 can print on a medium such as recording paper. At this time, the printer driver of the client PC 3 prints a print condition on the display screen of the client PC 3 when starting printing or the display screen of the display device connected to the client PC 3 (for example, the display screen of the display 310 in FIG. 3). Display the setting screen for default printing conditions.

The default printing conditions are predetermined as printing conditions that contribute to resource saving and energy saving, and are determined from the viewpoint of ecology that saves resources and energy for recording paper, toner, and power for printing image data.
For example, when double-sided printing, aggregate printing, black-and-white printing, etc. are set, it is possible to save resources and energy compared to the case where single-sided color printing is performed on image data for one page. These conditions can be determined in advance as default printing conditions that contribute to resource and energy savings.

  When the user operates the operation input unit such as the mouse 308 or the keyboard 309 on the client PC 3 and executes printing, the printer driver executes default printing conditions that contribute to preset resources and energy savings and the user executes Compare the print conditions of the prints that were made. As a result of comparison, if the default printing condition is changed and printing is performed, the user is prompted to input the reason, that is, the reason why the user changed the default printing condition that contributes to resource saving and energy saving. Display the user interface screen.

In this case, a plurality of items indicating the reason for changing the printing conditions are prepared and stored in advance, and when the user changes the default printing conditions, the items are displayed in a list. Here, an arbitrary reason can be selected by a user operation. In addition, an input field for inputting a reason not included in the prepared items is provided.
In other words, the above user interface screen displays a list of reasons for changing the printing conditions that contribute to resource and energy savings, and if the reason does not correspond to any of the lists, it can be displayed by an operation input by the user. An area where the character string indicating the reason can be input is displayed.

  When the user changes the default printing condition that contributes to resource saving and energy saving, the client PC 3 stores and manages the changed printing condition at that time and the reason for setting the printing condition as log data. Log data in this case is transmitted from the client PC 3 to the aggregation server 2 via the network 4 and can be accumulated and managed in the aggregation server 2. When the system of FIG. 1 does not include the aggregation server 2, log data is stored and managed in the HDD 304 of the local client PC 3.

  The log data stored in the aggregation server 2 or the client PC 3 is analyzed for every predetermined period, every predetermined number of cases, or according to an instruction from an administrator or the like. Here, quantitative comparison between the printing process executed under the default printing condition that contributes to resource saving and energy saving and the printing process executed under a printing condition different from the default printing condition, and the default printing condition is changed. Analysis of the reason for the failure.

For example, the client PC 3 displays, on the display screen of the display 310, a comparison result between a printing condition that contributes to resource saving and energy saving and a printing condition that differs from the printing condition that contributes to resource saving and energy saving based on the accumulated log data. To be displayed.
Alternatively, as a comparison result to be displayed on the display 310, the client PC 3 has a ratio of a print process executed under a print condition different from the print process executed under a print condition that contributes to resource saving and energy saving. If the calculated ratio is higher than a predetermined value, a display that prompts the user to print under printing conditions that contribute to resource saving and energy saving may be displayed.

  These systems alert users to print under resource- and energy-saving printing conditions, or limit the printing conditions in some cases, and can contribute to ecology through resource and energy savings. Can be provided.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining an example of processing of the print management method of the present invention, and is print management processing executed by the system of FIGS. Hereinafter, description will be made with reference to the configuration of FIGS.
On the client PC 3, for example, an application such as word processing software can operate. When the user instructs “start printing” on the screen of such an application, the data created by the user using the word processing software is printed by the MFP 1. Can be made.

Here, first, when the user instructs “print start” from an application such as word processing software, the client PC 3 starts up the printer driver and displays the printer driver setting screen on the display screen of the display 310 (step S1). . FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a printer driver setting screen displayed on the client PC.
The driver setting screen 10 shown in FIG. 6 displays default printing conditions that contribute to resource and energy savings. In this example, as buttons for setting functions relating to ecology (resource saving and energy saving), double-sided printing horizontal binding button 13, double-sided printing vertical binding button 12, 2-UP button 15, 4-UP button 14, and monochrome printing A button 16 is displayed, and double-sided printing, horizontal binding, 4-UP, and monochrome printing are set as default printing conditions. The user can change the printing conditions from this setting screen. Also, various other printing conditions such as the number of copies, paper size, printing form, and binding position can be set on other screens.

  Double-sided printing, horizontal binding, 4-UP (printing four pages of image data on one sheet of recording paper) prints compared to the process of printing one page of image data on one sheet of paper on one side. This is a condition that can reduce the number of sheets and contribute to ecology. In addition, the setting for black and white printing is a condition that can reduce the use of color toner compared to color printing processing and contribute to ecology. With the default setting values, these printing conditions are presented and can be selected by the user.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a state in which the default printing conditions shown in FIG. 6 are changed by a user operation. The default 4-UP printing setting is 2-UP printing (image data for two pages is recorded on one sheet of recording paper). Color printing, and the monochrome printing setting is canceled. As described above, the user can change the setting of the print condition in the default print setting screen.

  Returning to the flowchart of FIG. If there is a print condition change input by a user operation on the printer driver setting screen displayed in step S1, the printer driver accepts the input (step S2). When the print start button 17 on the setting screen is turned on (step S3-Yes), the printer driver compares the default print condition set in advance by the administrator or the like with the print condition changed by the user input. Then, it is determined whether or not the printing condition when the print start button 17 is turned on is the same as the default printing condition (step S4).

  In this case, when 4-UP printing and monochrome printing presented by default as shown in FIG. 6 are changed to 2-UP printing and color printing as shown in FIG. 7, the default printing conditions are changed. Judge that. At this time, since 4-UP printing and 2-UP printing both contribute to resource saving of recording paper rather than 1-UP (no aggregate printing), 4-UP and 2-UP printing The condition change during the period may not be regarded as a change of the default printing condition. The same is true for changing the conditions for double-sided printing horizontal binding and double-sided printing vertical binding. That is, as a printing condition that contributes to resource and energy savings, only one set value may be set for one condition, or a set value within a predetermined range may be set.

  If it is determined in step S3 that the print condition when the print start button is turned on is the same as the default print condition, the print condition at that time is stored as log data as it is (step S8). As the log data storage destination, the aggregation server 2 is used as described above. At this time, the log may be transmitted from the client PC 3 to the aggregation server 2 each time, or the log is temporarily stored in a storage means such as the local client PC 3 so that the aggregation server 2 periodically Alternatively, the log may be acquired by accessing the storage means of the client PC 3. Alternatively, in a system that does not have the aggregation server 2, log data may be stored in the HDD 304 of the local client PC 3.

  A user interface screen for selecting a reason for changing the default printing conditions when it is determined that the printing conditions when the print start button is turned on in step S3 are not the same as the default printing conditions that contribute to resource saving and energy saving Is displayed, and the user is made to select the reason (step S5).

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a screen for selecting the reason for changing the printing condition that contributes to resource and energy savings, and shows an example of display as a window 20 on the driver setting screen 10 of FIG.
In the window 20, “standard format”, “meeting material”, “important document”, and the like are displayed as reasons for changing the conditions that can be selected by the user, and the user can select one of these reasons. Yes. Further, “other” is provided as the reason for changing the condition, and the user can input the reason in the text box 21. The text box 21 can be input only when “Other” is selected. The reason for changing these conditions is determined in advance by an administrator or the like. The user turns on the OK button 22 when saving the setting of the window 20 as log data, and turns on the cancel button 23 when canceling.

  Returning to the flowchart of FIG. If the cancel button is turned on after displaying the screen for selecting the reason for the condition change in step S5 (step S6-YES), the process returns to step S2 and accepts the change input of the printing condition by the user operation. If the cancel button is not turned on (step S6-NO) and the OK button is turned on (step S7-YES), the setting value of the changed printing condition and the reason for printing with the changed printing condition Are saved as log data. Also in this case, the aggregation server 2 can be used as a log storage destination. However, in a system that does not have the aggregation server 2, the aggregation server 2 may be stored in the HDD 304 of the client PC 3.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining an example of log data stored in the aggregation server or a local PC. In this example, the user name, the N-UP setting, the color print setting, and the reason for setting outside the limit are recorded as log data. For example, single-sided printing or double-sided printing is recorded as the duplex setting information. In addition, as N-UP setting information, conditions such as 1-UP (that is, multi-page collective printing is not performed), 2-UP, 4-UP, and the like are recorded. In addition, color printing or monochrome printing is recorded as color printing setting information. Further, as the reason for the condition change, for example, information selected from reasons prepared in advance, such as “standard format”, “meeting material”, “important document”, is recorded. In addition, the reason why the user inputs text as another reason can be recorded in the log data.

  FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a default print condition setting example that contributes to resource and energy saving preset by the administrator. The administrator or the like determines default setting values for printer driver duplex setting, N-UP printing setting, and color printing setting as default printing conditions. The determined default setting value is stored in storage means such as the HDD of the client PC by the printer driver. In this example, the duplex setting is “duplex”, the N-UP print setting is “4-UP”, and the color print setting is “monochrome”. These setting values are resource-saving and energy-saving eco settings that reduce recording paper toner, power consumption, and the like when printing image data.

  FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining an example of setting a reason when the printing condition that contributes to resource saving and energy saving is changed. The administrator or the like determines the reason for changing the printing conditions in advance and stores it in a storage unit such as the HDD of the client PC 3. When the user changes the default printing condition that contributes to resource saving and energy saving and tries to print, a window prompting the user to select the reason for the change is displayed, and the user must select the reason for the condition change. If there is no relevant reason, selecting “Other” allows the reason to be entered in the text box.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the printing conditions set on the printer driver setting screen and the information indicating the reason for changing the predetermined printing conditions that contribute to resource saving and energy saving are retained and managed as log data. To do. As a result, for example, the default printing conditions set in advance by the administrator or the like can be quantitatively compared with the printing conditions actually used, and printing can be performed including the reason for changing the default printing conditions. It becomes possible to analyze the situation.

For example, the resource saving status display area 11 is set on the driver setting screen 10 in FIG. 6 to display the resource saving status in the printing process executed by the printer. Here, the resource saving status display area 11 displays the number reduction rate.
The number reduction ratio is a value obtained by subtracting a quotient obtained by dividing the number of sheets on which printing processing has been performed by the number of pages of image data from 1, and the larger the value, the lower the reduction ratio, that is, the resource saving ratio. It is high. In the resource saving status display area 11, for example, the number reduction rate for one month can be displayed for three months. In the client PC on which the printer driver operates, the total number of printed pages for the current month, the number of printed sheets for the current month, the number of printed sheets for the previous month, and the number of pages reduced for the month before the last month are stored in order to display the number of pages for 3 months. This is used to calculate the number reduction rate.

  When analyzing resource saving, for example, the ratio of the number of times of printing using default printing conditions that contribute to resource and energy savings to the number of times of printing using other printing conditions is calculated. A calculation may be performed for each user, and a restriction may be added so that printing can be performed only with the default setting value for a user whose number of printings using a printing condition other than the default is a certain ratio or more. Also, when analyzing log data, if the reason for changing the default printing conditions is that the administrator changed the conditions, treat it as an exception approved by the administrator and exclude it from the log data statistics. It may be.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... MFP, 2 ... Total server, 3 ... Client PC, 4 ... Network, 10 ... Driver setting screen, 11 ... Resource saving status display area, 12 ... Duplex printing vertical binding button, 13 ... Duplex printing horizontal binding button, 14 ... 4-UP button, 15 ... 2-UP button, 16 ... monochrome print button, 17 ... print start button, 101 ... CPU, 102 ... ROM, 103 ... RAM, 104 ... HDD, 105 ... network interface (I / F) 106, display interface (I / F), 107 ... input interface (I / F), 108 ... touch panel display, 201 ... CPU, 202 ... ROM, 203 ... RAM, 204 ... HDD, 205 ... network interface ( I / F) section, 301 ... CPU, 302 ... ROM, 303 ... RAM, 04 ... HDD, 305 ... network interface (I / F) unit, 306 ... display interface (I / F) unit, 307 ... input interface (I / F) unit, 308 ... mouse 309 ... keyboard 310 ... display.

Claims (14)

A storage unit for storing a printer driver which is a program for controlling an externally connected printer and issuing a print instruction; a control unit for executing the print instruction by executing the printer driver stored in the storage unit; and In a print management apparatus including a display unit that displays a screen displayed by a printer driver to be executed, and an operation input unit that receives an operation input by a user.
The control unit compares a printing condition that has been set in advance in the storage unit and contributes to resource and energy savings with a printing condition that is executed in accordance with an operation input by a user, and the comparison result is set as a predetermined log data as printing log data. A print management apparatus characterized by being stored and managed in a storage means.   The print management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit compares the printing conditions that contribute to resource and energy savings with the printing conditions that are executed according to the operation input by the user, and the printing conditions are different. A user interface screen that prompts the user to input a reason for using a different printing condition is displayed on the display unit, and the reason for using the different printing condition is included in the log data in accordance with an input operation on the operation input unit. A printing management apparatus that stores the information in a means.   3. The print management apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the user interface screen displays a list of reasons for using the different printing conditions in a selectable manner, and if the reason does not correspond to any of the lists, A print management apparatus that displays an area in which a character string indicating a reason can be input by an operation input.   The print management apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control unit displays the printing conditions that contribute to resource saving and energy saving set in the storage unit in advance on the display unit by executing the printer driver, When printing is performed by changing the printing conditions according to the operation input to the operation input unit, the changed printing conditions are stored as the log data, and printing is performed without changing the printing conditions Includes a print management apparatus for storing the preset printing conditions as log data.   The print management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is a storage unit of a predetermined server device connected to the information processing apparatus via a network as the predetermined storage unit, or A printing management apparatus using a storage means included in the printing management apparatus.   The print management apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the control unit, based on log data stored in the predetermined storage unit, print conditions that contribute to resource saving and energy saving, and the resource saving. A print management apparatus that causes the display unit to display a comparison result with a printing condition that is different from a printing condition that contributes to energy saving.   The print management apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the control unit, as a comparison result to be displayed on the display unit, outputs the resource saving / conversion to a printing process executed under a printing condition that contributes to the resource saving / energy saving. Calculate the ratio of print processing executed under printing conditions that are different from the printing conditions that contribute to energy saving, and if the calculated ratio is higher than a predetermined value, print under the printing conditions that contribute to resource and energy saving. A print management apparatus that displays a display prompting the user on the display unit. In a print management method for managing processing for performing printing with a printer externally connected to the information processing apparatus by a printer driver operating on the information processing apparatus,
The information processing apparatus compares a preset printing condition that contributes to resource and energy savings with a printing condition executed according to an operation input by a user, and the comparison result is stored in a predetermined storage unit as print log data. A print management method comprising a log data storage step for storing and managing. The print management method according to claim 8, wherein the information processing apparatus compares the print condition that contributes to resource saving and energy saving with the print condition executed in accordance with an operation input by a user, and the print condition is different. A UI screen display step for displaying a user interface screen that prompts the user to input a reason for using different printing conditions,
The log data storing step includes storing the reason for using the different printing condition in the log data in the predetermined storage unit in accordance with the input operation of the reason by the user to the information processing apparatus Management method.   10. The print management method according to claim 9, wherein the user interface screen displays a list of reasons for using the different printing conditions in a selectable manner, and if the reason does not correspond to any of the lists, A print management method characterized by displaying an area in which a character string indicating a reason can be input by an operation input by. 10. The print management method according to claim 9, wherein the information processing apparatus executes the printer driver to display on the display unit printing conditions that contribute to resource saving and energy saving preset in the storage unit. A condition display step,
The log data storing step stores the changed printing condition as the log data when the printing condition is changed in accordance with an operation input to the information processing apparatus, and the printing condition is not changed. A printing management method, wherein when printing is performed, the preset printing conditions are stored as log data.   12. The print management method according to claim 8, wherein the log data storage step includes a storage unit of a predetermined server device connected to the information processing apparatus via a network as the predetermined storage unit. Alternatively, a printing management method using storage means provided in the information processing apparatus.   The print management method according to any one of claims 8 to 12, wherein the information processing apparatus, based on log data stored in the predetermined storage unit, print conditions that contribute to resource and energy saving, and A print management method comprising a comparison result display step for displaying a comparison result with a print condition different from a print condition that contributes to resource / energy saving.   14. The print management method according to claim 13, wherein the comparison result display step contributes to the resource and energy savings for the print processing executed under the printing conditions that contribute to the resource and energy savings as the comparison result. The ratio of the printing process executed under a printing condition different from the printing condition to be calculated is calculated, and when the calculated ratio is higher than a predetermined value, the user is prompted to print under the printing condition that contributes to resource saving and energy saving. A printing management method characterized by displaying a prompting display.

Images