Device and its operation method for enabling printer to print page of desired design

Claim 2

A printer, comprising: acquiring section that acquires a print job file representing a print job by selectively performing a first movement or a second movement and printing section that performs printing on the basis of the print job file thus aequired; wherein: the print job file contains layout identification information serving to identify a layout file defining a page layout containing an image area and image identification information serving to identify an image file of an image, the first movement is accompanying movement which is movement of the layout file or the image file along with the print job file, the second movement is independent movement of the print job file, and the printing section parses the acquired print job file, prints a page layout that is defined in a layout file that is identified from the layout identification information contained in the print job file, as well as an image that is contained in an image file that is identified from the image identification information contained in the print job file.

Claim 3

The printer according to claim 1 , wherein: the print job file has a plurality of image areas which the page layout comprises and association information for placing images in the plurality of image areas; and the printing section prints a page on which images are disposed in each of the plurality of image areas on the basis of the association information.

Claim 4

The printer according to claim 1 , wherein: a plurality of layout description sections are contained in the print job file, and each layout description section contains layout identification information serving to identify a layout file describing the page layout, and image identification information serving to identify an image file of an image associated with an image area of the page layout; and the printing section prints a page on which the image is disposed on the basis of the descriptive content for each of the layout description sections.

Claim 5

The printer according to claim 1 , wherein: the print job file contains one or more items of file identification information serving to identify each of one or more data files, and a specified code, and the one or more items of file identification information is(are) contained in a predetermined range within the print job file; and, upon detecting the specified code, the printing section handles a data file, which is identified from a predetermined file identification information item among one or more file identification information items within the predetermined range, as a layout file representing the page layout, and handles a data file, which is identified from another file identification information item, as the image file of the image.

Claim 6

The printer according to claim 1 , wherein the selectively performing the first movement and the second movement comprises: performing the first movement when a path name of the layout file and image file described in the print job file is a relative path name, and performing the second movement when the path name of the layout file and image file described in the print job file is an absolute patent name.

Claim 7

A data source device that is capable of communicating with a job file acquisition device capable of acquiring a print job file, the print job file containing layout identification information serving to identify a layout file defining a page layout containing an image area, and image identification information serving to identify an image file of an image, the data source device comprising: a selecting section that selects a first movement or a second movement; and an outputting section that outputs the print job file to the job file acquisition device by performing the first movement of the second movement thus selected, wherein: the first movement is accompanying movement which is movement of the layout file or the image file along with the print job file, the second movement is independent movement of the print job file.

Claim 8

A data source device that is capable of communicating with a job file acquisition device capable of acquiring a print job file, the print job file containing layout identification information serving to identify a layout file defining a page layout containing an image area, and image identification information serving to identify an image file of an image, the data source device comprising: a selecting section that selects a first movement or a second movement; and an outputting section that outputs the print job file to the job file acquisition device by performing the first movement of the second movement thus selected, wherein: the first movement is accompanying movement which is movement of the layout file or the image file along with the print job file, the second movement is independent movement of the print job file.

Claim 9

The data source device according to claim 6 , wherein: when the second movement is selected, the outputting section outputs the layout file and the image file after independently outputting the print job file.

Claim 10

The data source device according to claim 6 , wherein: an identifier, which indicates a break for each page, and at least one item of image identification information that is associated with the image areas of each page are matched with respect to a single item of layout identification information in the print job file.

Claim 11

The data source device according to claim 6 , wherein: the print job file further contains a description relating to printing conditions desired by a user.

Claim 12

The data source device according to claim 6 , wherein: the selecting section selects the first movement when a path name of the layout file and image file described in the print job file is a relative path name, and selects the second movement when the path name of the layout file and image file described in the print job file is absolute path name.

Claim 13

A job file acquisition device that is capable of communicating with a data source on which a print job file is saved, the print job file containing layout identification information serving to identify a layout file defining a page layout containing an image area, and image identification information serving to identify an image file of an image, the job file acquisition device comprising: an accjuiring section that acquires the print job file by selectively performing a first movement or a second movement, the print job file that is output from the data source; and a saving section that parses the print job file thus acquired and saves a layout file that is identified from the layout identification information contained in the print job file, as well as an image file that is identified from the image identification information contained in the print job file, wherein: the first movement is accompanying movement which is movement of the layout file or the image file along with the print job file, and the second movement is independent movement of the print job file.

Claim 14

A job file acquisition device that is capable of communicating with a data source on which a print job file is saved, the print job file containing layout identification information serving to identify a layout file defining a page layout containing an image area, and image identification information serving to identify an image file of an image, the job file acquisition device comprising: an accjuiring section that acquires the print job file by selectively performing a first movement or a second movement, the print job file that is output from the data source; and a saving section that parses the print job file thus acquired and saves a layout file that is identified from the layout identification information contained in the print job file, as well as an image file that is identified from the image identification information contained in the print job file, wherein: the first movement is accompanying movement which is movement of the layout file or the image file along with the print job file, and the second movement is independent movement of the print job file.

Claim 15

The job file acquisition device according to claim 11 , wherein the selectively performing the first movement and the second movement comprises: performing the first movement when a path name of the layout file and image file described in the print job file is a relative patent name, and performing the second movement when the path name of the layout file and image file described in the print job file is an absolute path name.