JP2000020267A - Network shared printer system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a network shared printer system which holds an change history of changed parameters in a NIC provided in a printer. SOLUTION: The network shared printer system consists of PCs 1 to 3, a server 4, and a network printer 5 equipped with a network interface card(NIC). When one of the PCs (client) 1 to 3 changes parameters, information on the change history is stored in the NIC, and sent and displayed in response to an inquiry about a change request from the connected PC1 or network printer, thereby improving the usability for users.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a network shared printer system, and more particularly, to a network shared printer system that retains a change history of network parameters.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a network system provided with a conventional network parameter setting method, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No.
No. 10663 discloses a “network integrated construction system, a method for installing a network connection device, and a method for setting network parameters”.

In the above conventional example, a method of setting network parameters for a network connection device is described. The present invention relates to a function of leaving a setting history of network parameters set by this method or another method. The contents that can be left as history information include, for a change request, [protocol name having an item to be changed], [time], [request source task name] and the like.

Most current printers are network compatible. It is possible to operate as a shared printer on a network by inserting a network interface card (hereinafter, NIC) or the like into a slot portion of the printer.

[0005]

However, this N
In an IC, a plurality of protocols (for example, TCP /
IP, IPX / SPX, NetBEUI, AppleT
alk, etc.) in many cases, and in order to use each protocol environment, it is necessary to set some parameters, for example, a network address and a printer name on the network, according to the environment. There is.

In many cases, parameter settings are made on a network using a dedicated utility from a PC, and there are also items that can be set from a panel in a printer having a panel. In order to set parameters, it is often the case that a password is used to limit the setters, but in consideration of ease of use, those who actually install the setting utility are free to use it. In many cases, it is possible to set parameters. Therefore, if security related to the setting is strict, there is a problem that it is difficult to use.

In addition, if the configuration is such that parameters can be freely set as described above, there is a problem in using the printer as a shared printer if network settings are frequently changed without permission.

A first object of the present invention is to respond to a request for changing a parameter of a NIC from a PC via a network or the like, and a change history (who, when, what) is held, thereby causing a problem. An object of the present invention is to provide a network shared printer system that can determine the cause such as "who changed" in such a case.

A second object of the present invention is to provide a means for clarifying the cause of a user rather than restricting the user easily by strengthening security or the like, thereby operating a network shared printer suitable for each user environment. It is an object of the present invention to provide a network sharing printer system which enables it.

A third object of the present invention is to store a change history (who, when and what) in response to a NIC parameter change request from a panel in a printer having a panel. It is an object of the present invention to provide a network shared printer system which enables to find out the cause such as "who changed" when the problem occurs.

[0011]

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a network sharing system in which a printer having a network interface card, a plurality of PC devices, and a server computer are connected via a network. In the printer system, the plurality of PC devices each include first parameter changing means for changing various parameters set in a network environment;
The server computer is any one of the plurality of PC devices.
When the parameter information is changed by the first parameter changing unit, the PC other than the arbitrary one PC
When a parameter is changed from a plurality of PCs based on the notification means for notifying the device and the parameter information notified by the notification means, a detailed change history is held on the network interface card.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided second changing means for changing various parameters set in a network environment from a panel of the printer. When the parameter information is changed, a detailed history of the change is stored on the network interface card.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, it is possible to selectively designate the retention of the change history of each parameter in a plurality of PC devices for each item.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the network comprises:
It is characterized by being constituted by Ethernet.

[0015]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, a network sharing printer system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Referring to FIGS. 1 to 13, an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a configuration of a shared printer in a network environment in a network shared printer system according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, a network shared printer system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of PCs 1 to 3.
, The server 4 and the network printer 5 are interconnected via the Ethernet 6.

Data requested to be printed by a PC (client) is sent to the network printer 5 via the Ethernet 6. At this time, there are several types of communication protocols on the network for the data requested to be printed. For example, TCP / UP, IPX / SPX, N
The transmission is controlled by a communication protocol such as etBEUI and AppleTalk.

Depending on various communication protocols, there are cases where data is directly transmitted to and exchanged with the printer, and cases where print data is once spooled in the server 4 and then sent to the printer, and differs depending on each method. There are also a method of designating a PC or a printer by an address or a method of designating a PC or a printer by a name, which also differs depending on various communication protocols.

Which communication protocol can be used depends on each user environment, and when a plurality can be used, which protocol is used depends on each PC (client) set by the user.

A network interface card (hereinafter, NIC) that functions as a network in a printer is:
It is a part that communicates with a PC or server using various protocols, and holds parameters required for communication, such as printer addresses and names, which vary depending on the environment set by each user.

FIG. 2 shows an example of the types of parameters that can be set by the NIC. In FIG. 2, for example, T
When controlling communication by the CP / IP protocol, I
Parameters such as a P address, a subnet mask, a default gateway address, an access control address, an access control mask, a network boot, and a frame type are set.

When a network administrator installs a network printer, the network administrator first sets various parameters of the printer (NIC) to settings suitable for the user environment. This allows use as a shared printer in each user environment. Regarding the setting method, each maker provides a unique setting utility for installing each printer (NIC).

FIGS. 3 to 5 show display examples of a parameter setting screen in a network environment. Administrators and users use these setting utilities to set each parameter.

FIG. 3 shows a case where an IP address is set. From the top of the display example, "IP address (S)" is marked, and an IP address (I), a subnet mask (M), and a default gateway (G) are set. Furthermore, "AR
A check mark is also attached to the part of “Specify IP address by P + PING (R)”.

FIG. 4 shows a case in which NetWare is set. From the top of the display example, a print server (P) and a file server (F) are shown, and an operation mode including a plurality of items is set.

FIG. 5 shows a case where NetBEUI is set. From the display example, a computer name (N), a work group (W), a comment (C), and a share name are set, and it is possible to set whether to notify the completion of printing. .

The setting utility itself is provided for the client and the admin. The client utility has a function for only a general user to see the setting, and the admin utility has a function for setting the setting items. is there. In some cases, a parameter function is set instead of the admin / client to add a password function for setting.

According to the present invention, the history of "who changed what and when" is recorded, so that the status of each network can be grasped by the manager of each network. Information for building can be obtained.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a flow of processing according to the first embodiment of the present invention. First, a PC (client) requests a NIC (printer) to change parameters using a setting utility (A1).
After receiving the change request, the NIC changes the set values of the held parameters (B1) and records the change history (B1).
2) Return completion to the PC. On receiving the change completion, the PC displays the result of the change request (A
2).

As described above, the processing flow itself for a parameter change request is a simple flow similar to the other.
A new function is that the NIC keeps its change history, and the contents of the change history record who changed what and when. For this purpose, the information corresponding to “who” is passed from the PC when setting with the setting utility. The information of "when" is obtained from the system clock of the printer system on the NIC side. The part corresponding to "what" is the parameter itself.

FIG. 7 shows a data structure when setting is performed from a PC using a setting utility. The request packet is composed of a request command, request source information PC name / address, setting items (or numbers), and changed contents. The response packet includes a response command and a result (ON / NG). The response command includes a value (S) indicating a parameter setting request to the NIC.
ET) is entered.

The user information includes the name and address of the PC used in the network. Address is NI of PC side
This is an address unique to the NIC held by C. The setting item name is a value that specifies a parameter to be set. The setting content is the actual value of the parameter to be set.
The PC sends this information from the setting utility.

FIG. 8 shows the contents of the history information held on the NIC side. Information such as “when, who, what” is classified into items “Who, When, What”, respectively, and is stored as history information.

In FIG. 8, “What” corresponds to FIG.
The user information (PC name and address) shown in FIG. W
In the “hen” part, the time when the user information was obtained from the printer system is entered. In the “What” part, the setting item names and setting contents shown in FIG. 7 are entered. The above-mentioned history information is N
By holding the information on the IC side, the administrator can grasp the current access (change) state to the parameters of the network printer based on the history information and obtain information for constructing a management method suited to the situation. Becomes possible.

As a method of acquiring (confirming) the history information on the NIC side, a method of confirming using a utility from the PC side, a method of outputting the information summary sheet on paper from the printer side, and the like are conceivable but are not particularly mentioned.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. The basic function of the second embodiment of the present invention is the same as that of the first embodiment of the present invention, that is, the function of holding the network parameter change history in the NIC.

As in the environment of the first embodiment of the present invention, the network printer is often a printer-dedicated machine. In particular, in a user environment where the number of prints is large, a printer-dedicated machine for high-speed and clean printing is required. However, on the other hand, a user in an environment where the installation space is insufficient may need a multi-function device having a printer, a copy, and a FAX function by itself. Such digital multifunction peripherals are often used in small and medium-sized offices, and when used for copying or facsimile, a panel is necessarily required on the main unit side. Also needs to be set on the panel. In the second embodiment of the present invention, the functions realized in the first embodiment of the present invention can be realized even when a parameter setting request is made from the panel.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a flow of processing according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Two Ps on the network
C (client) is installed, and a process in a case where a parameter change request is issued from a printer panel from a setting utility is shown.

In FIG. 9, a parameter change request from the setting utility is made to the NIC (C
1) Further, when a parameter change request is made to the NIC from the printer panel (E1), the NIC changes the parameter set value (D1). Next, NIC
Stores a change history such as "who, when, what" (D2). The changed history information is displayed on each PC (client) as a result of the change request (C
2, E2).

FIG. 10 shows the format of the change request data. The format itself is similar to that shown in FIG. The difference is that when changing from the printer panel, information indicating "change from panel" is entered because the user information column cannot be specified. For example, “panel” is set in the area of the PC name. When the setting is executed from the printer panel, if an identification function such as an ID for identifying a specific user is provided, the ID is transmitted as a PC name at the time of setting and is left in the user information.

FIG. 11 shows the contents of the history information according to the second embodiment of the present invention. As in the case shown in FIG. 8, information such as “when, who, what” is classified by “Who, When, What”, respectively, and stored as history information. As a result, even when a setting request is made from a printer (multifunction peripheral) having a function of setting network parameters from the printer panel, the information can be left as a history. When a change request is issued from the printer panel and the PC at substantially the same time, the contents of the change processing performed later become valid.

The third embodiment of the present invention has a function of determining whether or not history information should be left for each parameter with respect to the function of leaving a history in response to the setting request of each parameter having the above contents. It is.

The history information itself is stored in a memory (storage area) in the NIC (or in the printer), but cannot be stored indefinitely because the memory capacity is naturally determined. When the history information becomes full, the stored old information is overwritten in order. For this reason, it is more efficient to record only the information required in the user environment more.

For example, in cases where an important IP address is frequently changed by someone in TCP / IP communication and suddenly becomes unusable, a request to change the IP address is made in order to investigate the cause. It is more efficient to leave only the history of

FIG. 12 shows the flow of the processing operation of the network shared printer system according to the third embodiment of the present invention. The overall flow is the same as in the case of the second embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 12, when a parameter change request from the setting utility is made to the NIC by the PC (F1), and a parameter change request is made by the printer panel from the printer panel (H1), the NIC changes.
The parameter set value is changed in (G1). NI
C detects the flags present for each parameter,
It is determined whether or not to perform the history (G2). When the history is performed, the information of the change history such as “Who, when, and what” is stored (G3), and when the history information is not stored in G2, the storing process is not performed. The result of the change request made in the NIC is displayed on each of the PC (client) and the printer (F2, H2).

In the case of this embodiment as an additional process, the history flag list is checked before the history is left after the parameter is changed. The history flag list is a list indicating whether or not the change history of each parameter is stored as history information in the memory.

FIG. 13 shows the structure of a history flag list according to the third embodiment of the present invention. There is a flag for each parameter. If "0", no history is left, and if "1", history is left. (The default is that all flags are 1 and the history is left.)

The history flag list is in the NIC,
The setting function of “0/1” can be performed only by the administrator. (Although the setting method of the administrator of this flag can be considered in two ways, that is, the case of the utility from the PC and the case of the panel, the details thereof will not be described here.)

The third embodiment of the present invention makes the parameter change history function more efficient for the user environment.

[0051]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the network sharing printer system of the present invention, when a network parameter is changed by a setting utility from a PC, the change history can be left. Therefore, when an unexpected situation occurs, it is possible to know "who went when" and to operate the network printer correctly.

Further, according to the network sharing printer system of the present invention, even when the network parameters are changed from the operation panel of the printer, the change history can be left. Therefore, when an unexpected situation occurs, "who went when" can be known, and the correct operation of the network printer can be performed.

Further, according to the network shared printer system of the present invention, it is possible to set whether or not to retain the information of the change history for each parameter, and it is possible to leave much information that is really needed, thereby improving efficiency. Good use becomes possible.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram schematically illustrating a network shared printer system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows an example of various protocols used in the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a first display screen when setting various protocols.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a second display screen when setting various protocols.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a second display screen when setting various protocols.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a flow of an operation according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a request packet according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the contents of history information according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a flow of a processing operation according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a request packet according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the contents of history information according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a flow of an operation according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 shows a history flag list according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1, 2, 3 PC (client) 4 Server 5 Network printer 6 Ethernet

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A network shared printer system in which a printer having a network interface card, a plurality of PC devices, and a server computer are connected via a network, wherein the plurality of PC devices are respectively set in a network environment. First parameter changing means for changing a parameter, wherein the server computer is configured to execute the arbitrary parameter information when parameter information is changed by the first parameter changing means by any one of the plurality of PC devices. Of 1
Notifying means for notifying a PC device other than the plurality of PCs, and when there is a parameter change from the plurality of PCs based on the parameter information notified by the notifying means, a detailed history of the change is transmitted to the network interface. A network sharing printer system characterized by being held on a card. 2. A printer according to claim 1, further comprising a second changing unit for changing various parameters set in a network environment from a panel of the printer, wherein when the parameter information is changed by the second changing unit, the change of the parameter is changed. The network sharing printer system according to claim 1, wherein a detailed history is stored on the network interface card. 3. The network sharing printer system according to claim 1, wherein the change history of each parameter in the plurality of PC devices can be selected and designated for each item. 4. The network sharing printer system according to claim 1, wherein the network is configured by Ethernet.