JP5589574B2 - Device control apparatus, device control program, storage medium, and device control system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a device control apparatus, a device control program, a storage medium, and a device control system.

  Conventionally, printers have different functions depending on the model. With the diversification of user demands, needs for selling printers after customizing them so that only necessary functions can be used are increasing. In order to meet such needs, printers capable of adding functions as plug-ins have been proposed. When a function is added to the printer, it is necessary to expand the function so that the added function can be used for a printer driver for controlling the printer.

  In order to perform such function expansion, recompiling the printer driver and re-installing it in the customer's environment reduces the convenience for the user. Therefore, a technique for adding a function to a printer driver as a plug-in is already known as a technique for expanding functions without performing recompilation or reinstallation.

  When this plug-in technology is used, there has been a problem that the printer driver can be installed although the printer driver is not compatible with the plug-in. Therefore, in the technique described in Patent Document 1, a technique for determining whether or not a plug-in can be added by referring to the printer driver version and the corresponding PDL is proposed. This makes it possible to suppress inconsistencies between the printer driver and the plug-in.

  However, in the conventional plug-in technology including the cited document 1, when the printer-side main body plug-in corresponding to the plug-in installed on the PC side is not valid, a print command using the function of the plug-in is transmitted. Despite being able to do so, there has been a problem that the printing process using the print command cannot be performed by the printer. As an example of the case where the main unit plug-in is not enabled, when the main unit plug-in is not installed in the printer, the version between the main unit plug-in installed in the printer and the plug-in installed in the PC is There are cases where it cannot be used because it is different, or there are cases where the main body plug-in is installed but disabled.

  Further, when such a situation occurs, the plug-in function that cannot be used is displayed on the setting screen or the like, which may give the user a misunderstanding that the function of the plug-in can be used.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above, and matches the consistency between a driver-side plug-in installed in a PC and a device-side main body plug-in to be controlled by the driver. Therefore, it is an object to improve the reliability when using the device for the user.

In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, the device control apparatus according to the present invention is a plug for using a function provided by a device-side plug-in installed in a device connected via a network. Storage means for storing plug-in usage destination information including first identification information for identifying the device-side plug-in that can be used by the plug- in, and a device-side plug installed in the device from the device Acquisition means for acquiring device-side plug-in list information including second identification information for identifying an in-use and availability information indicating whether or not the device-side plug-in is available; and storing in the storage means the second identification information contained in the the first identification information, the device-side plug-in list information acquired by the acquisition unit included in the plugin with destination information To determine whether the device-side plug-in identified by the first identification information is installed in the device, and if installed, the device-side plug installed Determining means for determining whether or not an in can be used based on the availability information; and a print control means for controlling the device using only the plug-in determined to be usable by the determining means. It is characterized by having.

Further, the device control program according to the present invention is a device control program executed by a computer capable of installing a plug-in for using a function of a device-side plug-in included in a device connected via a network. The computer includes storage means for storing plug-in usage information including first identification information for identifying the device-side plug-in that can be used by the plug-in, and is installed from the device into the device . An acquisition step of acquiring device-side plug-in list information including second identification information for identifying a device-side plug-in and availability information indicating whether or not the device-side plug-in is available; said first identification information included in the plugin with destination information stored in the unit, the obtained by the obtaining step By comparing the second identification information included in the vessel side plug-list information, the device-side plug-in that is identified by the first identification information to determine whether it is installed in the device, the installation A determination step for determining whether or not the installed device-side plug-in is available based on the availability information, and only using the plug-in determined to be usable by the determination step. Then, a device control program for causing the computer to execute a control step of controlling the device .

  A storage medium according to the present invention is a computer-readable storage medium storing the above program.

In addition, the device control system according to the present invention includes a device control including a device capable of adding a function by installing a device-side plug-in, and a device control apparatus connected to the device via a network. An output in which the device outputs device-side plug-in list information indicating a list of the device-side plug-ins installed as available from the device control device to the device control device. The device control apparatus includes: a plug-in for using a function provided by a device-side plug-in installed in a device connected via a network; and the device side on which the plug-in can be used includes first identification information identifying a plugin, storage means for storing a plugin with destination information, from the device, installation to the equipment A second identification information identifying the Le is the equipment-side plug-in, an acquisition unit for acquiring the device-side plug-in list information including a use permission information which the equipment-side plug-in indicating whether available The first identification information included in the plug-in usage information stored in the storage unit is compared with the second identification information included in the device-side plug-in list information acquired by the acquisition unit. Thus, it is determined whether or not the device-side plug-in identified by the first identification information is installed in the device, and when the device-side plug-in is installed, the installed device-side plug-in can be used. and determining means for determining based on said utilization permission information whether, by utilizing only the plug-in determines that available by the determination means, control said equipment And print control means for, further comprising a, wherein.

  According to the present invention, an inconsistency between the device-side plug-in installed in the device and the plug-in of the own device is suppressed, and the reliability is improved.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the printer control system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the PC according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of platform information of the printer according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of plug-in list information. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing plug-in usage information of the BorderLine plug-in added to the printer driver. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating plug-in usage information of a Stamp plug-in added to the printer driver. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing plug-in usage information of the AdvancedSecurity plug-in added to the printer driver. FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the printer according to the first embodiment. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of main body plug-in information of the BorderLine plug-in. FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating the procedure of the setting process for enabling / disabling each plug-in in the PC according to the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of acquisition processing of platform information and plug-in list information in the core driver setting management unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of setting processing for determining whether or not the plug-in is available in the setting management unit of each plug-in according to the first embodiment. FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of display processing in the screen display unit of each plug-in according to the first embodiment. FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of a setting screen displayed by the screen display unit of the core driver and the screen display unit of each plug-in according to the first embodiment. FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating a drawing processing procedure by the drawing unit 223 of each plug-in according to the first embodiment. FIG. 16 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a PC according to the second embodiment. FIG. 17 is a flowchart illustrating a setting process procedure for determining whether or not a plug-in is available in the setting management unit of each plug-in according to the second embodiment. FIG. 18 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of display processing in the screen display unit of each plug-in according to the second embodiment. FIG. 19 is a diagram illustrating an example of a setting screen displayed by the screen display unit of the core driver and the screen display unit of each plug-in according to the second embodiment. FIG. 20 is a flowchart illustrating a drawing processing procedure by the drawing unit of each plug-in according to the second embodiment. FIG. 21 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the PC according to the embodiment.

  Exemplary embodiments of an apparatus control device, an apparatus control program, a storage medium, and an apparatus control system according to the present invention will be explained below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the printer control system according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, in the printer control system according to this embodiment, it is assumed that a PC 100 and a printer 150 are connected via a network 160.

  The network 160 may be any network that can connect the PC 100 and the printer 150. For example, a LAN (Local Area Network) may be considered. Further, the PC 100 and the printer 150 may be connected by a USB (Universal Serial Bus) or a serial port. Further, the PC 100 and the printer 150 may be connected via a public network line. The PC 100 includes a printer driver 110 for controlling the printer 150.

  In the printer control system according to the present embodiment, when it is desired to add a function to the printer 150, it is realized by installing a plug-in for the function. When a plug-in is installed in the printer 150 (hereinafter, the plug-in on the printer 150 side is referred to as a main body plug-in), the printer driver 110 for controlling the printer 150 of the PC 100 also has this function. A corresponding plug-in needs to be added.

  As described above, in this embodiment, the plug-in needs to be installed in each of the printer driver 110 and the printer 150. For this reason, a difference unintended by the user may occur between the printer driver 110 and the printer 150. As an example of this difference, the plug-in is not installed in either the printer driver 110 or the printer 150, the versions between plug-ins installed in the printer driver 110 and the printer 150 are different, or the printer 150 side There is a setting that cannot be used by the plug-in.

  As an example in which this version is different, the printer driver corresponding to the printer 150 needs to be installed in the OSs of a plurality of information processing apparatuses connected to the network. In addition, for example, forgetting to upgrade the printer driver of any of the plurality of information processing apparatuses.

  In addition, as an example in which the use of the plug-in is disabled on the printer 150 side, an environment where the user can select the use-disapproval setting of the printer 150 may be considered, but in this environment, the user cannot use the plug-in. When the operation to enable the operation is performed, inconsistency may occur because the corresponding plug-in is available in the printer driver 110 of the PC 100.

  Furthermore, as another example, a case where the main body plug-in cannot be used due to the setting of the standard function of the printer 150 or the setting of another main body plug-in installed in the printer 150 may be considered.

  Specifically, when plug-ins relating to a plurality of types of authentication functions are added to the printer 150 main body, only the stronger authentication function (for example, tint block printing) can be used, and the other authentication function (for example, stamp printing). It may be desirable to disable the setting. In other words, if the printer 150 uses a function for adding information to a print result such as a background pattern, if stamp printing is performed using the stamp function, the information added by the background pattern may be lost. It is. In such a case, it is conceivable that the printer 150 can be selected by a plug-in installed in the printer driver 110 of the PC 100 even though the stamp printing function is disabled.

  Therefore, in the print control system of the present embodiment, control is performed so that the corresponding plug-in of the printer driver 110 can be used only when the main body plug-in of the printer 150 can be interpreted and reflected. . Thereby, in the print control system including the PC 100 according to the present embodiment, it is possible to prevent the user from being misunderstood that the plug-in function can be used even though the main body plug-in cannot be used on the printer 150 side. . Further, the print control system suppresses adverse effects on the printer 150 connected to the network and the printing result by the printer 150.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a PC (Personal Computer) according to the first embodiment. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the PC 100 includes a communication interface 201, a plug-in installer 202, a printer driver 110, an OS 204, and an application 205.

  The communication interface 201 is an interface for connecting to an external network. Thereby, the PC 100 can communicate with the printer 150.

  The application 205 is software incorporating a function required by the user. The application 205 is, for example, document creation software, image creation software, or spreadsheet software. Further, the application 205 does not directly generate the drawing data corresponding to the printer 150 or the print command. When the application 205 wants to perform printing, it passes information related to the printing target to the OS 204.

  The OS 204 controls the PC 100. For example, when the OS 204 receives information related to a print target from the application 205, the OS 204 transfers the information to the printer driver 110. As a result, the printer driver 110 generates a print command that can be interpreted by the printer 150 from the received information.

  The plug-in installer 202 is a controller that installs (adds) a plug-in to the printer driver 110. It is assumed that the plug-in added by the plug-in installer 202 operates depending on the platform of the printer 150. For this reason, in this embodiment, in order to use the plug-in, it is confirmed whether the printer 150 is compatible with the platform.

  The printer driver 110 includes a core driver 210 having a standard function as a printer driver, and a plug-in group 220 configured by plug-ins that add functions to the core driver, and controls a printer (for example, the printer 150). Driver.

  The printer driver 110 according to this embodiment is a printer driver 110 that supports a plurality of types of printers. The plurality of types of printers share a common PDL. For this reason, the core driver 210 generates a print command (including drawing data) by PDL common to a plurality of types of printers. Differences between printer types are absorbed by installed plug-ins. For this reason, the printer driver 110 of the PC 100 according to the present embodiment needs to use plug-ins corresponding to different platforms depending on the type of printer.

  The core driver 210 includes a screen display unit 211, a drawing unit 212, a setting management unit 213, and a communication unit 214, and generates a print command including drawing data according to PDL.

  In the present embodiment, there is a plug-in group 220 as a set of plug-ins that add functions to the core driver 210. The plug-in group 220 provides various functions not provided in the core driver 210 by adding one or a plurality of plug-ins to one core driver 210. In the plug-in group 220, the number of plug-ins may be zero in the initial state.

  The communication unit 214 transmits and receives data to and from the printer 150 via the communication interface 201. Then, the communication unit 214 realizes printing by the printer 150 by transmitting a print command including drawing data to the printer 150.

  A setting management unit 213 manages settings for the entire printer driver 110. For example, the setting management unit 213 performs print setting prohibition processing and various settings for printing. In addition, the setting management unit 213 reflects the bidirectional communication result on the print setting.

  The acquisition unit 215 acquires platform information of the printer 150 and main body plug-in list information from the printer 150 through communication control with the printer 150 by the communication unit 214.

  The platform information is information for identifying a platform mounted on the printer 150. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of platform information of the printer 150. In the example illustrated in FIG. 3, “Platform A” that is the name of the platform is included as the platform information. Note that the platform installed in the printer 150 may be different information depending on the model of the printer 150, such as the OS and firmware installed in the printer 150.

  The main body plug-in list information is information indicating a list for specifying main body plug-ins installed in the printer 150. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of main body plug-in list information. As shown in FIG. 4, the main body plug-in list information includes a plug-in name, a plug-in version, and an available flag. The plug-in name is the name of the printer main unit plug-in. The available flag is a flag indicating whether or not the main body plug-in is available. As described above, the main body plug-in list information includes information for identifying main body plug-ins operable on the printer 150.

  In the example illustrated in FIG. 4, three types of main body plug-ins added to the printer 150, that is, a BorderLine plug-in, a Stamp plug-in, and an AdvancedSecurity plug-in, are added. The BorderLine plug-in installed in the printer 150 has a version of 2.0, indicating that the available flag is set to available. The Stamp plug-in installed in the printer 150 has a version of 2.0, and the availability flag is set to be available. The AdvancedSecurity plug-in installed in the printer 150 indicates that the version is 1.0 and the availability flag is set to unavailable.

  In this way, the acquisition unit 215 acquires the platform name of the printer 150 main body and the installed main body plug-in list information through bidirectional communication by the communication unit 214. Then, the setting management unit 213 transfers the platform name acquired by the acquisition unit 215 and the main body plug-in list information to the setting management unit 224 of each plug-in included in the plug-in group 220. Thereby, each plug-in determines whether or not the function corresponding to the printer 150 can be used.

  The screen display unit 211 displays a print setting screen related to printing using the printer driver 110. In addition, the screen display unit 211 calls the screen display unit 222 of each plug-in included in the plug-in group 220 to perform display regarding each plug-in.

  The drawing unit 212 converts information received as a printing target from the application 205 via the OS 204 into a print command including drawing data that can be interpreted by the printer 150. In addition, the drawing unit 212 calls the drawing unit 223 of each plug-in included in the plug-in group 220 to perform drawing processing. However, even if the drawing unit 212 calls the drawing unit 223 of each plug-in, if the drawing unit 226 determines that the drawing unit 212 does not perform drawing processing, the drawing processing by each plug-in Is not done.

  A plug-in group 220 indicates a set of plug-ins installed for the printer driver 110. Each plug-in included in the plug-in group 220 is a plug-in that uses the function of the main body plug-in installed in the printer 150. In the present embodiment, a BorderLine plug-in 221A, a Stamp plug-in 221B, and an AdvancedSecurity plug-in 221C are included.

  The BorderLine plug-in 221 </ b> A is a function for adding ruled lines during aggregation, and includes a screen display unit 222, a drawing unit 223, a setting management unit 224, and a plug-in usage destination information storage unit 225.

  The plug-in use destination information storage unit 225 stores plug-in use destination information including information for identifying the main body plug-in of the printer that can be used by the plug-in. The plug-in usage information includes the printer platform and plug-in information for identifying a main body plug-in that can be used by the self plug-in (BorderLine plug-in 221A). In the present embodiment, it is assumed that the main body plug-in name and the main body plug-in version are included as information for identifying the main body plug-in that can be used by the own plug-in (BorderLine plug-in 221A).

  FIG. 5 is a diagram showing plug-in usage information of the BorderLine plug-in 221A added to the printer driver. In the example of the plug-in usage destination information shown in FIG. 5, the main body plug-in on the printer 150 side that can use the BorderLine plug-in 221A is shown for each line. For example, the first line indicates that version 2.0 of the BorderLine plug-in added to Platform A can be used. The second line indicates that version 1.0 of the BorderLine plug-in added to Platform A can be used. The third line indicates that version 1.0 of the EnhancedBorderLine plug-in added to Platform B can be used.

  The setting management unit 224 includes a determination unit 226 and manages settings for each plug-in. For example, the setting management unit 224 performs a print setting prohibition process and various print settings related to plug-ins.

  The determination unit 226 is based on the plug-in use destination information stored in the plug-in use destination information storage unit 225, the main body plug-in list information and the platform information passed from the setting management unit 213 of the core driver 210. Then, it is determined whether or not the own plug-in (for example, BorderLine plug-in 221A) is available. In the first embodiment, the result determined by the determination unit 226 is set in the valid / invalid flag. This valid / invalid flag is a flag indicating whether or not the plug-in is available, and is stored on the registry on the PC 100.

  As a specific process, the determination unit 226 determines whether there is a line in which the platform name included in the plug-in usage destination information stored in the plug-in information usage destination storage unit 225 matches the received platform information. Is determined. Then, the determination unit 226 receives the main body plug-in name and version information included in the line extracted from the plug-in usage information as the version information included in the main body plug-in list information. It is determined whether or not it matches the plug-in name and version included in the plug-in list information. Then, the determination unit 226 determines whether or not the available flag included in the row of the main body plug-in list information determined to match is available. Then, the determination unit 226 determines that the plug-in is available when it is indicated that it can be used.

  Thus, in this embodiment, the determination process is performed by the determination unit 226 provided for each plug-in. Thereby, the configuration and processing of the core driver 210 are simplified. Then, the printer driver 110 controls the printer 150 using only the plug-ins determined to be usable by the determination unit 226.

  The screen display unit 222 is called from the screen display unit 211 of the core driver 210 when displaying a setting screen for setting a driver, and performs display regarding the item of the plug-in. At that time, the screen display unit 222 can be used only when the determination unit 226 included in the same plug-in determines that it can be used, that is, when the valid / invalid flag is set to valid. Is displayed, and if the valid / invalid flag is set to invalid, the item of the plug-in is hidden. In this embodiment, the display is not displayed when it is set to be invalid. However, it is sufficient that the item of the plug-in cannot be selected, and for example, a semi-luminance display may be used.

  In the present embodiment, the screen display unit 222 manages the plug-in after referring to the various setting information managed by the setting management unit 224 when displaying the item of the plug-in. Items for selecting functions are displayed on the setting screen.

  The drawing unit 223 is called from the drawing unit 212 of the core driver 210 when generating a print command for the printer 150 and performs drawing processing based on the function of the plug-in. At that time, the drawing unit 223 depends on the function of the plug-in only when it is determined that the determination unit 226 included in the same plug-in can use it, that is, when the valid / invalid flag is set to valid. If the drawing process is performed and it is determined that it cannot be used, that is, if the valid / invalid flag is set to invalid, the drawing process by the function of the plug-in is not performed. Then, the drawing unit 223 refers to various setting information managed by the setting management unit 224 and is generated by the drawing process of the plug-in for the print command including the drawing data generated by the core driver 210. Add or modify information.

  The Stamp plug-in 221B is a stamp addition function. The Stamp plug-in 221B also includes a screen display unit 222, a drawing unit 223, a setting management unit 224, and a plug-in usage information storage unit 225, as with the BorderLine plug-in 221A. Except for the plug-in usage information storage unit 225, the description is omitted because it is the same as the BorderLine plug-in 221A.

  The plug-in usage destination information storage unit 225 of the Stamp plug-in 221B stores plug-in usage destination information including information for identifying the main body plug-in of the printer that can be used by the Stamp plug-in 221B. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing plug-in usage destination information of the Stamp plug-in 221B added to the printer driver. In the example of plug-in usage destination information shown in FIG. 6, the main body plug-in on the printer 150 side that can use the Stamp plug-in 221B is shown for each line. For example, the first line indicates that version 1.0 of the Stamp plug-in added to Platform A can be used. The second line indicates that the version 1.0 of the Stamp plug-in added to Platform B can be used.

  The AdvancedSecurity plug-in 221C is a job authentication function. Similarly to the BorderLine plug-in 221A, the AdvancedSecurity plug-in 221C also includes a screen display unit 222, a drawing unit 223, a setting management unit 224, and a plug-in usage destination information storage unit 225. Except for the plug-in usage information storage unit 225, the description is omitted because it is the same as the BorderLine plug-in 221A.

  The plug-in usage destination information storage unit 225 of the AdvancedSecurity plug-in 221C stores plug-in usage destination information including information for identifying the main body plug-in of the printer that can be used by the AdvancedSecurity plug-in 221C. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing plug-in usage information of the AdvancedSecurity plug-in 221C added to the printer driver. In the example of the plug-in usage information shown in FIG. 7, the main body plug-in on the printer 150 side that can use the AdvancedSecurity plug-in 221C is shown for each line. For example, the first line indicates that version 1.0 of the AdvancedSecurity plug-in added to Platform A can be used. The second line indicates that version 2.0 of the AdvancedSecurity plug-in added to Platform B can be used.

  FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the printer 150. As illustrated in FIG. 8, the printer 150 includes a communication interface 801, an information control unit 802, a platform 803, and a main body plug-in group 810.

  The communication interface 801 is an interface for connecting to an external network. Thereby, the printer 150 can communicate with the PC 100. For example, the communication interface 801 receives a print command from the PC 100. Further, the communication interface 801 receives a bidirectional communication request from the PC 100 and transmits firmware information and main body plug-in list information to the PC 100.

  The platform 803 provides standard functions related to printing of the printer 150. The platform 803 is different depending on the type of printer. The platform 803 has a function of using (calling) the added main body plug-in. Note that the types of main body plug-ins that can be added differ depending on the type of platform. Further, from the platform 803, the information control unit 802 can acquire a platform name for identifying the platform 803. The platform name according to this embodiment is assumed to be Platform A.

  The main body plug-in group 810 includes a main body plug-in installed in the printer 150. The main body plug-in group 810 according to the present embodiment includes a BorderLine main body plug-in 811A, a Stamp main body plug-in 811B, and an AdvancedSecurity main body plug-in 811C.

  Each main body plug-in interprets the information added to the print command, and reflects the function of the plug-in in the print result. Further, the main body plug-in has a version, and a print command that can be interpreted differs depending on each version. For this reason, between the plug-in of the printer driver 110 on the PC 100 side and the main body plug-in added to the printer 150, not only the type but also the consistency between versions must be present. In addition, the main body plug-in is not always available, and cannot be used due to settings from other devices or settings of the own device.

  Each main body plug-in has main body plug-in information 815. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of main body plug-in information stored in the BorderLine plug-in 815 of the printer 150. As shown in FIG. 9, the main body plug-in information includes a plug-in name indicating the plug-in, a version of the plug-in, and an available flag. As shown in FIG. 9, the main body plug-in information of the BorderLine plug-in indicates that the version is 2.0 and the available flag is available.

  Further, in the main body plug-in information of the Stamp plug-in, the version is 2.0 and the available flag can be used. In the main body plug-in information of the AdvancedSecurity plug-in, the version is 1.0 and the available flag is unavailable.

  The information control unit 802 acquires the platform name as platform information from the platform 803 when the communication interface 801 receives a bidirectional communication request with the PC 100. Further, the information control unit 802 acquires the main body plug-in information included in each main body plug-in from the main body plug-ins 811A to 811C included in the main body plug-in group 810, and acquires the acquired main body plug-in information. Main body plug-in list information is generated from. The platform information acquired by the information control unit 802 and the generated main body plug-in list information are transmitted to the PC 100 that has requested bi-directional communication by the communication interface 801.

  Next, the setting process for enabling / disabling each plug-in in the PC 100 according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the above-described processing procedure in the PC 100 according to the present embodiment.

  The validity / invalidity setting of each plug-in of the PC 100 according to the present embodiment is set when a driver is installed in the PC 100 or when a printing destination port is switched. In this way, the setting is performed at the timing considered to be the switching of the printer for printing. As a result, when the PC 100 is a mobile device, it can be used in accordance with the connection destination printer.

  Also, when a plug-in for the printer driver 110 is added to the PC 100, the setting for enabling / disabling each plug-in shown in FIG. 10 is performed. Further, when the setting screen of the printer driver 110 is displayed, valid / invalid setting may be performed. Accordingly, it is possible to quickly cope with a case where a main body side plug-in is newly added to the printer 150 or a case where the validity / invalidity of the main body side plug-in of the printer 150 is switched.

  First, the acquisition unit 215 of the core driver 210 acquires the platform information of the connection destination printer and the main body plug-in list information through bidirectional communication with the printer 150 (step S1001). Then, the platform information acquired by the acquisition unit 215 and the main body plug-in list information are transferred to each installed plug-in.

  Then, in the plug-in, a setting indicating whether or not the plug-in can be used is performed based on the received platform information and main body plug-in list information (step S1002). In this embodiment, a valid / invalid flag is set for each plug-in as a setting indicating whether or not it can be used.

  Then, the setting management unit 213 determines whether or not the setting indicating whether the plug-in can be used is completed (step S1003). If not completed (step S1003: No), the process waits until the process of step S1002 is completed for all plug-ins.

  If the setting management unit 213 determines that the setting indicating whether or not all plug-ins can be used has ended (step S1003: Yes), the process ends.

  The valid / invalid flag of each plug-in is set by the processing procedure described above. Next, specific processing of each step in FIG. 10 will be described.

  Next, the acquisition process of the platform information and the main body plug-in list information in the setting management unit 213 of the core driver 210 shown in step S1001 of FIG. 10 will be described. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the above-described processing procedure in the setting management unit 213 according to the present embodiment.

  First, the setting management unit 213 starts bidirectional communication with the connection destination printer 150 (step S1101). Then, the acquisition unit 215 in the setting management unit 213 acquires platform information from the printer 150 during bidirectional communication (step S1102).

  Further, the acquisition unit 215 acquires main body plug-in list information from the printer 150 (step S1103). Thereafter, the setting management unit 213 ends the bidirectional communication with the printer 150 (step S1104).

  Thereafter, the setting management unit 213 transfers the platform information and the main body plug-in list information to all installed plug-ins (step S1105).

  After the above-described processing procedure, setting by each plug-in is performed. Next, setting processing for determining whether or not the plug-in can be used in the plug-in setting management unit 224 according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the above-described processing procedure in the setting management unit 224 of each plug-in according to the present embodiment. It is assumed that the processing shown in FIG. 12 is performed for all plug-ins, and whether or not each plug-in can be used is set.

  First, the plug-in setting management unit 224 receives platform information and main body plug-in list information (step S1201). Then, the determination unit 226 in the setting management unit 224 determines whether there is a line in which the platform name included in the plug-in usage destination information stored in the plug-in usage destination information storage unit 225 matches the received platform information. It is determined whether or not (step S1202). If it is determined that there is no matching line (step S1202: No), the validity / invalidity flag of the plug-in is set invalid and the process ends (step S1208).

  On the other hand, when the determination unit 226 determines that there is a matching line (step S1202: Yes), a line with a matching platform name is extracted from the plug-in usage destination information (step S1203).

  Thereafter, the determination unit 226 determines whether or not there is a line in which the main body plug-in name and version match between the extracted line and the main body plug-in list information (step S1204). If it is determined (step S1204: No), the valid / invalid flag of the plug-in is set to invalid, and the process ends (step S1208).

  On the other hand, when the determination unit 226 determines that there is a line with the matching main body side plug-in name and version (step S1204: Yes), the matching line is extracted from the main body plug-in list information (step S1205).

  Then, the determination unit 226 determines whether or not the usable flag of the extracted row is “Enable” (step S1206). If it is determined that it is not “Enable”, that is, “Disable” (step S1206: No), the valid / invalid flag of the plug-in is set to invalid, and the process ends (step S1208).

  On the other hand, when the determination unit 226 determines that the availability flag of the extracted row is “Enable” (step S1206: Yes), the validity / invalidity flag of the plug-in is set to be valid, and the process ends (step S1207). ).

  The valid / invalid flag is set by the processing procedure described above. This valid / invalid flag is referred to when a setting screen is displayed or when drawing processing based on a print command is performed.

  Next, the valid / invalid flag set in the processing procedure described above in each plug-in of the present embodiment will be described. In the case of the BorderLine plug-in 221A, the determination unit 226 of the BorderLine plug-in 221A describes PlatformA indicated by the plug-in information in FIG. 3 from the plug-in usage information shown in FIG. The line and the second line are extracted in step S1203. Thereafter, the determination unit 226 determines that the extracted first line matches the first line of the main body plug-in list information of FIG. Therefore, the determination unit 226 extracts the first line from the main body plug-in list information. Since the extracted line is “Enable”, the setting management unit 224 of the BorderLine plug-in sets the valid / invalid flag as valid.

  Next, in the case of the Stamp plug-in 221B, the determination unit 226 of the Stamp plug-in 221B describes the Platform A indicated by the plug-in information in FIG. 3 from the plug-in usage information shown in FIG. The first line is extracted in step S1203. Thereafter, the determination unit 226 determines that the extracted first line does not have a line that matches the main body plug-in list information of FIG. For this reason, the setting management unit 224 of the Stamp plug-in 221B sets the valid / invalid flag as invalid.

  Next, in the case of the AdvancedSecurity plug-in 221C, the discrimination unit 226 of the AdvancedSecurity plug-in 221C describes the Platform A indicated by the plug-in information in FIG. 3 from the plug-in usage information shown in FIG. The first line is extracted in step S1203. Thereafter, the determination unit 226 determines that the extracted first line matches the third line of the main body plug-in list information of FIG. Therefore, the determination unit 226 extracts the third line from the main body plug-in list information. Since the extracted line is “Disable”, the setting management unit 224 of the AdvancedSecurity plug-in 221C sets the valid / invalid flag to invalid.

  Thus, in the present embodiment, the printer driver 110 can use only the function of the BorderLine plug-in.

  A display process by the screen display unit 222 of each plug-in according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the above-described processing procedure in the screen display unit 222 of each plug-in according to the present embodiment. In the processing procedure shown in FIG. 13, it is assumed that the screen display processing by the screen display unit 211 of the core driver 210 has already been started and has been called from the screen display unit 211. It is assumed that the call from the screen display unit 211 of the core driver 210 is made to the screen display units 211 of all plug-ins.

  First, the screen display unit 222 of each plug-in receives a display command from the screen display unit 211 of the core driver 210 (step S1301). Next, the screen display unit 222 acquires the valid / invalid flag registered in the registry via the setting management unit 224 (step S1302).

  Then, the screen display unit 222 determines whether or not the acquired valid / invalid flag is “valid” (step S1303). Then, when it is determined that the screen display unit 222 is not “valid” (“invalid”) (step S1303: No), the process is terminated assuming that no display is performed.

  On the other hand, if the screen display unit 222 determines that the valid / invalid flag is “valid” (step S1303: Yes), the setting management unit 224 indicates the state of various settings stored in the registry or DEVMODE. Information is acquired (step S1304).

  Thereafter, the screen display unit 222 displays the setting of each item corresponding to the own plug-in according to the acquired various setting states (step S1305). Note that the screen display unit 222 displays a fixed half-luminance value when the item to be displayed is in a prohibited state.

  By the processing procedure described above, items corresponding to each plug-in are displayed on the setting screen of the printer driver 110.

  FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of a setting screen displayed by the screen display unit 211 of the core driver 210 and the screen display unit 222 of each plug-in. In the setting screen illustrated in FIG. 14, Layout, Paper Size, Booklet, Copies, and Userid are displayed as standard functions of the core driver 210. 14 illustrates an example in which only the determination unit 226 of the BorderLine plug-in 221A is determined to be valid in the PC 100. Therefore, only the BorderLine check box 1401 is displayed as an item other than the standard function on the setting screen.

  As described above, in the printer driver 110 of the PC 100 according to the first embodiment, consistency is verified between the plug-in added to the printer driver 110 and the main body plug-in added to the printer 150. Items related to plug-ins that cannot be consistent are not displayed on the setting screen. Thereby, it is possible to suppress recognition of an item that cannot be used by the user, and it is possible to suppress an operation related to the item.

  Next, drawing processing by the drawing unit 223 of each plug-in according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing the above-described processing procedure in the drawing unit 223 of each plug-in according to the present embodiment. In the processing procedure illustrated in FIG. 15, it is assumed that the drawing process by the drawing unit 212 of the core driver 210 has already been started and that the drawing unit 212 has been called. It is assumed that the call from the drawing unit 212 of the core driver 210 is made to the drawing units 223 of all plug-ins. When called, a print command including drawing data is also transferred.

  First, the drawing unit 223 of each plug-in receives a drawing command from the drawing unit 212 of the core driver 210 (step S1501). Next, the drawing unit 223 acquires the valid / invalid flag registered in the registry via the setting management unit 224 (step S1502).

  Then, the drawing unit 223 determines whether or not the acquired valid / invalid flag is “valid” (step S1503). If it is determined that the drawing unit 223 is not “valid” (“invalid”) (step S1503: No), the drawing process is not performed, and the received print command is returned to the drawing unit 212 of the core driver 210. End the process.

  On the other hand, when the drawing unit 223 determines that the valid / invalid flag is “valid” (step S1503: Yes), information indicating the state of various settings stored in the registry or DEVMODE via the setting management unit 224. Is acquired (step S1504). The various setting states are set values, types of choices, prohibition states, and the like.

  Thereafter, the drawing unit 223 performs drawing processing corresponding to the plug-in according to the acquired various setting states, and adds or changes the received print command (step S1505).

  In the present embodiment, drawing processing using an effective plug-in is performed according to the above-described processing procedure. In this way, the printer driver 110 of the PC 100 can generate a print command using only a plug-in corresponding to the main body plug-in that can be used by the printer 150.

  In the present embodiment, the plug-in determination unit 226 determines that the plug-in name and version match, the received plug-in information, and the platform name included in the plug-in usage information. , Is determined to be usable when they match. However, it does not require that the plug-in information and the platform name match, and the determination unit 226 uses the plug-in only by matching the plug-in information (such as the plug-in name and version). You may judge that it is possible.

  As described above, in the print control system according to the present embodiment, it is possible to improve the reliability during printing by suppressing inconsistency between the main body plug-in installed in the printer 150 and the plug-in of the PC 100. it can.

  As described above, the print control system according to the present embodiment has the above-described configuration, and suppresses the display from the setting screen when the plug-in of the printer driver cannot be used, thereby allowing the user to Recognize that the function cannot be used. Further, by suppressing the drawing process by the function of the plug-in, adverse effects on the printer 150 and the printing result are suppressed.

(Modification of the first embodiment)
In the above-described embodiment, the example in which the core driver is common among a plurality of types of printers has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to the case where the core driver is common to a plurality of types of printers. For example, the core driver may be created for each type of printer. Therefore, in the modification of the first embodiment, a printer driver is prepared for each type of printer. In this modification, the printer driver is installed according to the type of printer to be connected. Only plug-ins that can be used by the printer driver, that is, plug-ins corresponding to the type of printer are installed.

  For this reason, in the modified example, since the printer driver is created for each type of printer, it is not necessary to determine the firmware of the printer when using the plug-in. However, there is a possibility that inconsistencies may occur in the version of the plug-in. Therefore, the determination unit included in the printer driver plug-in checks the version between the printer driver plug-in and the printer main unit plug-in to determine whether the printer driver is available. Based on the determination result, it is possible to suppress the display of items related to the plug-in and the drawing process using the plug-in. Thereby, the effect similar to 1st Embodiment can be acquired.

(Second Embodiment)
In the first embodiment, the example in which the plug-in is not displayed when the plug-in cannot be used has been described. However, it is not limited to non-display, and when a plug-in cannot be used, a setting that cannot be used for the plug-in may be performed and the prohibited state may be handled. Therefore, in the second embodiment, an example will be described in which a plug-in cannot be used and is handled as a prohibited state.

  FIG. 16 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the PC 1600 according to the second embodiment. As illustrated in FIG. 16, the PC 1600 is different from the PC 100 according to the first embodiment in that the printer driver 110 is changed to the printer driver 1610. In addition, about the structure similar to 1st Embodiment, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and description is abbreviate | omitted.

  In the printer driver 1610, the plug-in group 220 is changed to the plug-in group 1620 as compared with the printer driver 110 of the first embodiment.

  The plug-ins 1621A to 1621C included in the plug-in group 1620 are different from the plug-ins 221A to 221C of the first embodiment in the screen display unit 1622, the drawing unit 1623, and the setting management unit 1624. The determination unit 1626 is different in processing from the screen display unit 222, the drawing unit 223, and the determination unit 226 of the setting management unit 224 according to the first embodiment. Furthermore, the processing of the second embodiment is mainly different from the first embodiment in that no valid / invalid flag is used.

  That is, when the determination unit 226 of the setting management unit 224 according to the first embodiment determines that the own plug-in cannot be used, the valid / invalid flag is set to invalid, but the second embodiment When the determination unit 1626 of the setting management unit 1624 determines that the plug-in cannot be used, it sets an invalid value for the item for using the plug-in and sets a prohibited state.

  As a result, the screen display unit 1622 displays an invalid value and displays a plug-in item that cannot be used in a prohibited state according to the setting of the determination unit 1626. Furthermore, the drawing unit 1623 performs drawing processing according to the settings. At this time, since invalid values are set for functions that cannot be used, no processing is performed.

  Next, a processing procedure of the PC 1600 according to the second embodiment will be described. Also in the second embodiment, similarly to FIG. 10 of the first embodiment, the acquisition unit 215 of the core driver 210 performs platform communication of the connection destination printer and the main body plug by bidirectional communication with the printer 150. In-list information is acquired, and the plug-in sets whether or not the information can be used based on the platform information and the main body plug-in list information. The detailed procedure for setting whether it can be used is different from that of the first embodiment.

  Therefore, a setting procedure for determining whether or not the setting management unit 1624 according to the second embodiment can be used will be described. FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing the above-described processing procedure in the setting management unit 1624 of each plug-in according to this embodiment. It is assumed that the processing shown in FIG. 17 is performed for all plug-ins, and whether or not each plug-in can be used is set.

  First, in the same procedure as steps S1201 to S1206 of the first embodiment, the determination unit 1626 of the setting management unit 1624 performs the determination up to whether or not the availability flag of the extracted row is “Enable” (steps). S1701 to S1702, steps S1704 to 1707). When the determination unit 1626 determines that there is no row to be extracted (step S1702: No, step S1705: No), or when it is determined that it is not “Enable” in step S1707, that is, “Disable” (step S1707: No). ), An invalid value is set for all items relating to the presence / absence of use of the plug-in to set a prohibited state (step S1703).

  On the other hand, when the determination unit 1626 determines that the availability flag of the extracted row is “Enable” (step S1707: Yes), the processing ends without performing any particular processing.

  By the processing procedure described above, invalid values are set for each item of the plug-in that cannot be used, and a prohibited state is set.

  A display process by the screen display unit 222 of each plug-in according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing the above-described processing procedure in the screen display unit 1622 of each plug-in according to the present embodiment.

  First, the screen display unit 1622 of each plug-in receives a display command from the screen display unit 211 of the core driver 210 (step S1801). Next, the screen display unit 1622 acquires information indicating the state of various settings stored in the registry or DEVMODE via the setting management unit 1624 (step S1802). The acquired various setting states include invalid values set in FIG. 17 and prohibited states.

  Thereafter, the screen display unit 1622 displays the setting of each item corresponding to the own plug-in according to the acquired various setting states (step S1803). Note that the screen display unit 1622 displays a half-luminance fixed value when the item to be displayed is in a prohibited state.

  By the processing procedure described above, items corresponding to each plug-in are displayed on the setting screen of the printer driver 110. At that time, the plug-in determined to be unusable by the determination unit 1626 in FIG. 17 is displayed in a prohibited state after an invalid value is set.

  FIG. 19 is a diagram illustrating an example of a setting screen displayed by the screen display unit 211 of the core driver 210 and the screen display unit 1622 of each plug-in. On the setting screen shown in FIG. 19, Layout, Paper Size, Booklet, Copies, and Userid are displayed as standard functions of the core driver 210.

  In FIG. 19, since it is determined that only the determination unit 1626 of the BorderLine plug-in 1621A can be used in the PC 1600, the screen display unit 1622 of the BorderLine plug-in 1621A can set the BorderLine check box 1901. indicate.

  There are a Stamp check box 1902 and a Stamp Type list box as settings related to the plug-in Stamp. The Stamp checkbox sets whether or not to use the Stamp function. The Stamp Type list box sets the type of Stamp function. As for the Advanced Security plug-in, there are an Advanced Security check box 1903 and an Advanced Password edit box. The Advanced Security checkbox sets whether to use the Job authentication function. The Advanced Password edit box is a password for using the Job authentication function.

  Then, the determination unit 1626 of each plug-in determines that the Stamp plug-in and the AdvancedSecurity plug-in are not used. For this reason, the screen display unit 1622 of each plug-in does not check the check box 1902 for the Stamp plug-in and the check box 1903 for the AdvancedSecurity plug-in, and displays them in a semi-bright state as a prohibited state. The Advanced Security Advanced Password is blank and displayed with half-brightness.

  As described above, the printer driver 1610 of the PC 1600 according to the second embodiment verifies the consistency between the plug-in added to the printer driver 1610 and the main body plug-in added to the printer 150. , Items related to plug-ins that cannot be consistent are displayed in a semi-bright state after invalid values are set on the setting screen, so that users can recognize that items that cannot be used can be set, and operations related to those items can be performed Can be deterred.

  Next, drawing processing by the drawing unit 1623 of each plug-in according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 20 is a flowchart showing the above-described processing procedure in the drawing unit 1623 of each plug-in according to the present embodiment. In the processing procedure illustrated in FIG. 20, it is assumed that the drawing processing by the drawing unit 212 of the core driver 210 has already been started and that the drawing unit 212 has been called.

  First, the drawing unit 1623 of each plug-in receives a drawing command from the drawing unit 212 of the core driver 210 (step S2001).

  Thereafter, the drawing unit 1623 acquires information indicating the state of various settings stored in the registry or DEVMODE via the setting management unit 1624 (step S2002). The various setting states are set values, types of choices, prohibition states, and the like.

  Thereafter, the drawing unit 1623 performs drawing processing corresponding to the plug-in in accordance with the acquired various setting states, and adds or changes the received print command (step S2003). At this time, when the own plug-in cannot be used, an invalid value is set in the item indicating whether or not to use the plug-in, and therefore no particular drawing process is performed.

  As described above, the PC 1600 according to the second embodiment adds prohibition information regarding the setting related to the function when each function of the plug-in cannot be used. As a result, when the plug-in cannot be used, it is displayed in a half-brightness as a prohibited state, so that the user's operation is suppressed.

(Modification)
In the above-described embodiment, an example of a printer driver has been described. However, the processing described above is not limited to being applied to the printer driver, and may be applied to other drivers. For example, the present invention may be applied to a system configured with a PC and a network scanner connected via a network. In other words, if the system uses a driver installed on a PC and a device controlled by the driver and can expand the function by installing the driver on both the PC and the device, the system described above is used. The configuration and processing of the embodiment described above can be applied.

  FIG. 21 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the PCs 100 and 1600 according to the above-described embodiment. The PCs 100 and 1600 according to the above-described embodiments include a CPU 2101, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 2102 and a RAM 2103, a display device 2105 such as a display device, a communication I / F 2104, and a bus 2106 for connecting them. It has a hardware configuration using a normal computer.

  The printer driver executed on the PCs 100 and 1600 according to the above-described embodiments, and the plug-in of the printer driver are files in an installable format or an executable format, such as a CD-ROM, a flexible disk (FD), a CD- The program is recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as R and DVD (Digital Versatile Disk).

  Also provided by storing the printer driver executed on the PCs 100 and 1600 according to the above-described embodiments and the plug-in of the printer driver on a computer connected to a network such as the Internet and downloading via the network. You may comprise so that it may do. Further, the printer driver executed on the PCs 100 and 1600 according to the above-described embodiments, and the plug-in of the printer driver may be provided or distributed via a network such as the Internet.

  Further, the PCs 100 and 1600 according to the above-described embodiments may be configured to be provided by being incorporated in advance in a ROM or the like.

  The printer driver executed by the PCs 100 and 1600 according to the present embodiment and the plug-in of the printer driver have a module configuration including the above-described units (core driver and plug-in group), and as actual hardware The CPU (processor) reads the printer driver and the plug-in of the printer driver from the storage medium and executes them to load the above units onto the main storage device, and the core driver and plug-in group onto the main storage device. It is to be generated.

100, 1600 PC
110, 1610 Printer driver 150 Printer 160 Network 201 Communication interface 202 Plug-in installer 204 OS
205 Application 210 Core driver 211 Screen display unit 212 Drawing unit 213 Setting management unit 214 Communication unit 215 Acquisition unit 220, 1620 Plug-in group 221A-221C, 1621A-1621C Plug-in 222, 1622 Screen display unit 223, 1623 Drawing unit 224, 1624 Setting management unit 225 Plug-in usage information storage unit 226, 1626 Discrimination unit 801 Communication interface 802 Information control unit 803 Platform 810 Main unit plug-in group 811A to 811C Main unit plug-in 815 Main unit plug-in information

JP 2005-173701 A

Claims (12)

A plug-in for using the function provided by the device-side plug-in installed in the device connected via the network; and
Storage means for storing plug-in usage destination information including first identification information for identifying the device-side plug-in that can be used by the plug-in;
A device-side plug-in list including second identification information for identifying a device-side plug-in installed in the device from the device , and availability information indicating whether or not the device-side plug-in is available. An acquisition means for acquiring information;
Comparing the first identification information included in the plug-in usage information stored in the storage unit with the second identification information included in the device-side plug-in list information acquired by the acquisition unit; To determine whether the device-side plug-in identified by the first identification information is installed in the device, and if installed, can the installed device-side plug-in be used? Determining means for determining whether or not based on the availability information ;
Print control means for controlling the device by using only the plug-in determined to be usable by the determination means;
A device control apparatus comprising: The plug-in usage information further includes information for identifying a platform of the device that can be used by the plug-in,
The acquisition means further acquires platform information for identifying the platform of the device,
The determining means further determines whether or not the plug-in can be used for the device based on the platform information and the plug-in usage information;
The apparatus control apparatus according to claim 1. When displaying a setting screen for setting the print control unit, the plug-in item determined to be usable by the determining unit is displayed, and the plug-in item determined to be unusable is hidden or half-displayed. Display means to display with brightness,
The device control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: The plug-in usage information stored by the storage means includes version information of the device-side plug-in,
The device-side plug-in list information acquired by the acquisition means includes version information for each device-side plug-in,
When the version information included in the device-side plug-in list information matches the version information included in the plug-in usage destination information, the determination unit is configured to match the device-side plugs with the matching version information. Determining that the plug-in is available,
The device control device according to claim 1, wherein the device control device is a device. It said discrimination means, the device control apparatus according to what is provided for each said plug, to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized. A computer-executable device control program capable of installing a plug-in for using a device-side plug-in function of a device connected via a network,
The computer includes storage means for storing plug-in usage information including first identification information for identifying the device-side plug-in that can be used by the plug-in;
A device-side plug-in list including second identification information for identifying a device-side plug-in installed in the device from the device , and availability information indicating whether or not the device-side plug-in is available. An acquisition step for acquiring information;
Comparing the first identification information included in the plug-in usage information stored in the storage means with the second identification information included in the device-side plug-in list information acquired in the acquisition step. To determine whether the device-side plug-in identified by the first identification information is installed in the device, and if installed, can the installed device-side plug-in be used? A determination step for determining whether or not based on the availability information ;
A control step of controlling the device using only the plug-in determined to be usable by the determination step;
A device control program for causing the computer to execute . The plug-in usage information further includes information for identifying a platform of the device that can be used by the plug-in,
The obtaining step further obtains platform information for identifying the platform of the device,
The determining step further determines whether the plug-in is available to the device based on the platform information and information identifying the platform included in the plug-in usage information. about,
The apparatus control program according to claim 6 . When displaying the setting screen for setting the device control program, the plug-in item determined to be usable by the determining step is displayed, and the plug-in item determined to be unusable is hidden or half-displayed. Display step to display with brightness,
The device control program according to claim 6 or 7 , further comprising: The plug-in usage information stored by the storage means includes version information of the device-side plug-in,
The device-side plug-in list information acquired by the acquiring step includes version information for each device-side plug-in,
In the determination step, when the version information included in the device-side plug-in list information matches the version information included in the plug-in usage destination information, the device-side plug in which the version information matches. Determining that the plug-in is available,
The device control program according to any one of claims 6 to 8 . 10. The device control program according to claim 6 , wherein the determination step is provided for each plug-in. A computer-readable storage medium storing the device control program according to any one of claims 6 to 10 . A device control system comprising a device capable of adding a function by installing a device-side plug-in, and a device control device connected to the device via a network,
The equipment is
Output means for outputting device-side plug-in list information indicating a list of the device-side plug-ins installed as available from the device control device to the device control device;
The device control device
A plug-in for using the function provided by the device-side plug-in installed in the device connected via the network; and
Storage means for storing plug-in usage destination information including first identification information for identifying the device-side plug-in that can be used by the plug-in;
A device-side plug-in list including second identification information for identifying a device-side plug-in installed in the device from the device , and availability information indicating whether or not the device-side plug-in is available. An acquisition means for acquiring information;
Comparing the first identification information included in the plug-in usage information stored in the storage unit with the second identification information included in the device-side plug-in list information acquired by the acquisition unit; To determine whether the device-side plug-in identified by the first identification information is installed in the device, and if installed, can the installed device-side plug-in be used? Determining means for determining whether or not based on the availability information ;
Printing control means for controlling the device by using only the plug-in determined to be usable by the determination means,
Equipment control system characterized by.

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