BACKGROUND

Field of the Disclosure

The present disclosure relates to an application and an information processing apparatus extends a function of a printer driver separated from the printer driver and.

Description of the Related Art

A configuration using a printer driver to transmit print data from a host computer to a printer apparatus is known in general. Operating system (OS) that is basic software is installed in a host computer, and a printer driver is configured in accordance with the specification defined by the OS and operates when called from the OS.

The vender that provides a printer apparatus can provide a component that uses the OS to instruct a printer to perform printing by providing a printer driver suitable for the printer apparatus adapted to the specification of the OS.

When Windows® 8 or earlier versions by Microsoft® is used as the OS, the printer driver is configured by an architecture called V3 printer driver. The V3 printer driver can provide a function of displaying user interface (UI) at a timing when a request from a user occurs and urging the user to perform some operation.

Further, in recent years, in Windows 8 or later versions, an architecture called V4 printer driver appears. In the V4 printer driver, since the security property is prioritized, the customizing property of the printer driver is lower than that of the V3 printer driver.

In the V4 printer driver, for example, a configuration module is provided by the OS, and the vender providing the printer apparatus can provide only a setting file or a script file used for customizing the operation of the printer apparatus. To compensate reduction in the customizing property as with the V4 printer driver, the vender providing a printer apparatus can provide a dedicated application used for assisting (extending) the function of a printer driver. Such an application is called Universal Windows Platform (UWP) Device Apps. The UWP Device Apps is an application separated from a printer driver.

In the UWP Device Apps, the vender providing a printer apparatus provides metadata including HardwareID of a printer driver called device stage and ID of the UWP Device Apps on a printer driver basis. Thereby, the printer driver and the UWP Device Apps separated from the printer driver can be associated with each other. Note that a plurality of printer drivers are generally supported by single UWP Device App. The UWP Device App is opened in Microsoft Store® and automatically delivered to the user.

The UWP Device Apps can have a function called Workflow (WF) that executes a process related to printing in response to a predetermined user operation or the like. Further, the UWP Device Apps can have a function called PrintPreference used for setting a print setting unique to a printer.

Further, a printer driver called a universal printer driver as a printer driver used for controlling multiple types of printer apparatuses having different functions is known (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-135658). In such a type of printer drivers, functions for each individual printer apparatus is included on a model basis in advance, and the optimal UI is displayed in accordance with the model.

SUMMARY

As described above, the UWP Device App is provided to all the users from the Microsoft Store or the like. The present inventors have noticed that such UWP Device App cannot customize the function on a user basis.

The present specification includes embodiments that address the issues described above. The present specification includes a mechanism that customizes the function of an application separated from a printer driver and configured to extend the printer driver on a user basis.

Further features of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings.

