1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data processing apparatus, a device controlling method, and a computer-readable recording medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, in a case of controlling a device(s) with a computer, a function of a device driver is performed by executing a device driver program for controlling the device in the operating system (OS). In such a case, when the user instructs a device to perform some kind of operation by executing various application programs such as word processing software, spreadsheet software, image editing software (hereinafter simply referred to as an “application”), the application delivers the instruction to the device driver (process of device driver). Then, the device driver, receiving the instruction, controls the device according to the instruction.
For example, in a case of controlling a printer to perform a printing operation, an application, upon accepting an instruction by the user to print a document created or browsed by using various applications (e.g. word processing software, spreadsheet software, image editing software), delivers the data of the document to a printer driver in accordance with the instruction. Then, the printer driver delivers the data of the document to the printer, to thereby execute printing of the document.
The application may also have a function of accepting instructions of settings regarding a wide variety of printing functions (e.g., integration, bookbinding, scaling, finishing) of the printer when accepting the printing instruction. Therefore, printer drivers may be equipped with a function for accepting combinations of various settings (printing functions) requested by the user so that a printing target fulfilling the needs of the user can be obtained.
In order to make the combination of the functions easier to understand, recent printer drivers use graphic symbols such as icons and thumbnails to visualize each of the functions. This makes it easier for the user to set the printing functions. The functions include, for example, a function for displaying an icon showing an actual output result showing how a printing target is output depending on the settings of the printing function or a function referred to as a one click function for displaying a setting having plural combinations of printing functions on a single icons. Because various settings for a printing operation are indicated in a single icon and registered in a printer driver, the settings of the combinations of printing functions, which must ordinarily be conducted plural times, needs only be conducted once by clicking the icon a single time. This function is proposed by various printer vendors such as in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Nos. 2000-227849, 2002-182871, 2000-137589, 2000-112683, and 11-149362.
Furthermore, Microsoft Corporation proposes a printing supporting function with Microsoft Windows Vista (Trademark) in which the content of the printing setting is described as “PrintTicket” with a structured language XML (Extensible Markup Language) format and data indicating capabilities of a printer are described as a “PrintCapabilities” as an XML document (see “PrintTicket and PrintCapabilities Support in Windows Print Drivers”, [online], Feb. 6, 2006, Microsoft Corporation, retrieved from the Internet on Jul. 11, 2007, <URL: http://download.microsoft.com/download/9/c/5/9c5b2167-8017-4bae-9fde-d599bac8184a/XPSDrV_PrintTicket.doc>, hereinafter referred to as “non-patent document”).
In a case where an operating system (OS) such as Microsoft Windows (Registered Trademark) 2000 or XP is used, the contents of the settings for printing a printing target (document) are stored in a structure referred to as “DEVMODE”. The contents of the settings are input from the application to the printer driver via a graphic engine of the OS. When using the one click function where a discretionary combination of settings is registered beforehand in the DEVMODE structure and a corresponding icon is selected, the DEVMODE structure corresponding to the selected icon is readout and used for printing.
Furthermore, the DEVMODE structure has a public area defined by the OS and a private area that can be discretionarily defined by the vendor of a printer driver. For example, with the above-described one click function, the public area stores contents common among the printer driver vendors (e.g., paper size, orientation of paper) and the private area stores functions unique to the printer vendors.
However, with the DEVMODE structure, the printing settings stored in the private area can only be recognized by the printer driver that registered the printing settings. Therefore, even if the settings registered in the DEVMODE structure by one printer driver are desired to be used by another printer driver, the other printer driver cannot use the DEVMODE structure because the other printer driver is unable to recognize the content stored in the private area of the DEVMODE structure. Thus, in order for the DEVMODE structure to be used by the other printer driver, the same settings have to be registered by the other printer driver. This process may be inconvenient for the user.
This problem may also occur in a case where the control target is a device other than a printer.
In the non-patent document, there is no description teaching how to resolve this problem by using the PrintTicket or the PrintCapabilities.