Printer control system with copier type document handling

Claim 2

A print control system comprising: a memory partitioned into plural blocks respectively for storing an application block for controlling processing of information signals, a printer driver block for controlling conversion of information signals to print data, and a document formatting block; a processor coupled to the memory for performing operations on the information signals according to control signals from the memory; a print spooler coupled to the processor for storing the print data; the processor being responsive to control signals of the printer driver block for converting information signals produced according to control signals of the application block to print data and for generating print command signals; and means for sending the print data and the print command signals from the processor to the print spooler, wherein the processor is responsive to control signals of the document format block to intercept the print data and the print command signals, to reformat the intercepted print data according to document formatting signals of the document format block, and to output the reformatted print data to the print spooler.

Claim 3

A print control system according to claim 1, further comprising a second memory for storing the intercepted print data and wherein the processor is responsive to the control signals of the document format block to reformat the stored intercepted print data.

Claim 4

A print control system according to claim 2, wherein the second memory comprises a plurality of disk storage means and means responsive to a count of the print data for selecting one of the plurality of disk storage means.

Claim 5

A print control system according to claim 1, further comprising means responsive to the control signals of the document format block for selecting at least one of a plurality of document format signals.

Claim 6

A print control system according to claim 4, wherein the processor is responsive to the selected document format signals to reverse the order of pages of the print data being outputted to the print spooler.

Claim 7

A print control system according to claim 4, wherein the processor is responsive to the selected document format signals to group pages of the print data being outputted to the print spooler.

Claim 8

A print control system according to claim 4, wherein the processor is responsive to the document format signals to produce duplex pages of the print data being outputted to the print spooler.

Claim 9

A print control system according to claim 4, wherein the processor is responsive to the document data format signals to produce multiple copies of the print data being outputted to the print spooler.

Claim 10

A print control system in a windows environment comprising: a memory partitioned into plural block respectively for storing a windows application block for controlling processing of information signals, a windows printer driver block for controlling conversion of information signals to print data, and a document formatting block; a processor coupled to the memory for performing operations on the information signals according to control signals from the memory; a windows print spooler coupled to the processor for storing the print data; the processor being responsive to control signals of the windows printer driver block for converting information signals produced according to control signals of the application block to print data and for generating windows spooler command signals; and means for sending the print data and the windows spooler command signals from the processor to the windows print spooler, wherein the processor is responsive to control signals of the document format block to intercept the windows print spooler command signals and the print data, to reformat the intercepted print data, and to output the reformatted print data windows to the windows print spooler.

Claim 11

A print control system in a windows environment comprising: a memory partitioned into plural block respectively for storing a windows application block for controlling processing of information signals, a windows printer driver block for controlling conversion of information signals to print data, and a document formatting block; a processor coupled to the memory for performing operations on the information signals according to control signals from the memory; a windows print spooler coupled to the processor for storing the print data; the processor being responsive to control signals of the windows printer driver block for converting information signals produced according to control signals of the application block to print data and for generating windows spooler command signals; and means for sending the print data and the windows spooler command signals from the processor to the windows print spooler, wherein the processor is responsive to control signals of the document format block to intercept the windows print spooler command signals and the print data, to reformat the intercepted print data, and to output the reformatted print data windows to the windows print spooler.

Claim 12

A print control system in a windows environment according to claim 9, further comprising a second memory for storing the intercepted print data and wherein the processor is responsive to the control signals of the print document block to reformat the stored intercepted print data.

Claim 13

A print control system in a windows environment according to claim 10, wherein the second memory comprises a plurality of disk storage means and means responsive to a count of the print data for selecting one of the plurality of disk storage means.

Claim 14

A print control system in a windows environment according to claim 9, further comprising means responsive to the control signals of the document format block for selecting at least one of a plurality of document format signals.

Claim 15

A print control system in a windows environment according to claim 12, wherein the processor is responsive to the selected document format signals to reverse the order of pages of the print data being outputted to the print spooler.

Claim 16

A print control system in a windows environment according to claim 12, wherein the processor is responsive to the selected document format signals to group pages of the print data being outputted to the print spooler.

Claim 17

A print control system in a windows environment according to claim 12, wherein the processor is responsive to the selected document format signals to produce duplex pages of the print data being outputted to the print spooler.

Claim 18

A print control system in a windows environment according to claim 12, wherein the processor is responsive to the selected document format signals to produce multiple copies of the print data being outputted to the print spooler.

Claim 19

A print control method comprising the steps of: storing an application block to control processing of information signals, a printer driver block to control conversion of information signals to print data, and a document formatting block in a memory; processing the information signals according to the stored control signals including converting information signals produced according to control signals of the application block to print data and spooler command signals responsive to control signals of the print driver block; and sending the print data and the spooler command signals to a print spooler; intercepting the print data and the spooler command signals responsive to control signals from the document formatting block; reformatting the print data responsive to control signals of the document formatting block; and sending the reformatted print data to the print spooler.

Claim 20

A print control method comprising the steps of: storing an application block to control processing of information signals, a printer driver block to control conversion of information signals to print data, and a document formatting block in a memory; processing the information signals according to the stored control signals including converting information signals produced according to control signals of the application block to print data and spooler command signals responsive to control signals of the print driver block; and sending the print data and the spooler command signals to a print spooler; intercepting the print data and the spooler command signals responsive to control signals from the document formatting block; reformatting the print data responsive to control signals of the document formatting block; and sending the reformatted print data to the print spooler.

Claim 21

A print control method according to claim 17, wherein the intercepted print data is stored and the stored intercepted print data is reformatted.

Claim 22

A print control method according to claim 18, wherein the intercepted print data is stored on one of a plurality of disk storage units selected responsive to a count of the intercepted print data.

Claim 23

A print control method according to claim 17, further comprising the step of selecting at least one of a plurality of document format signals responsive to the control signals of the document formatting block.

Claim 24

A print control method according to claim 20, wherein the print data is reformatted by reversing an order of pages of the print data responsive to the selected document format signals.

Claim 25

A print control method according to claim 20, wherein the print data is reformatted by grouping pages of the print data responsive to the selected document format signals.

Claim 26

A print control method according to claim 20, wherein the print data is reformatted by producing duplex pages of the print data responsive to the selected document format signals.

Claim 27

A print control method according to claim 20, wherein the print data is reformatted by producing multiple copies of the print data responsive to the selected document format signals.

Claim 28

Computer executable process steps which format document information to be sent to a print spooler, the process steps including: a storing step which stores document formatting control signals; a converting step which converts the document information to print data and print spooler command signals; a first sending step which sends the print data and print spooler command signals to the print spooler; an intercepting step which intercepts the print data and the print spooler command signals sent to the print spooler; a reformatting step which reformats the intercepted print data responsive to the document formatting control signals; and a second sending step which sends the reformatted print data to the print spooler.

Claim 29

Computer executable process steps which format document information to be sent to a print spooler, the process steps including: a storing step which stores document formatting control signals; a converting step which converts the document information to print data and print spooler command signals; a first sending step which sends the print data and print spooler command signals to the print spooler; an intercepting step which intercepts the print data and the print spooler command signals sent to the print spooler; a reformatting step which reformats the intercepted print data responsive to the document formatting control signals; and a second sending step which sends the reformatted print data to the print spooler.