JP2000222229A - Method and device for exclusively controlling plural jobs, and medium recorded with exclusive control program for plural jobs - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method and device for exclusively controlling plural jobs and a medium recording the exclusive control program for plural jobs, which can exclude access to a prescribed interface by the plural jobs on a basic program allowing the occupation of the prescribed interface with respect to a prescribed one job with a simple configuration. SOLUTION: Even though there are plural programs to access to an LPT port 10a on a computer in the case when a program capable of occupying this LPT port 10a is limited to be single in the basic program executing the basic operation of the computer, each program comes to be able to grasp the occupying state of the port 10a before outputting data or a command to the port 10a by installing a flag showing the occupying state to a shared memory 170 and it is becomes possible to easily realize the logical exclusion control of the port 10a between plural programs with a such simple configuration.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an exclusive control method for a plurality of jobs, an exclusive control device, and a medium on which an exclusive control program for a plurality of jobs is recorded. The present invention relates to an exclusive control method for a plurality of jobs that exclusively controls access to the predetermined interface from a plurality of jobs on a basic program, an exclusive control device, and a medium recording an exclusive control program for a plurality of jobs.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Normally, a basic program used in a computer is limited to one program that can use an LPT port provided in the computer, that is, one job. For example, consider a case where the same computer and a printer are connected via an LPT port. At this time, a print job that generates print commands and print data as a plurality of jobs on the same computer, and a status monitor that generates a predetermined command to check the status of the printer and that performs bidirectional status communication with the printer A job or the like is executed, and commands output from these two jobs are sent to the printer via the LPT port. Here, as described above, the LPT port is designed to service only one job by the basic program. On the other hand, the print job and the status monitor job cannot recognize each other's processing status. Therefore, if the LPT port is occupied by a print job, other jobs, here the status monitor job, cannot recognize that the LPT port is occupied by the print job. For this reason, it is possible to recognize that the LPT port is occupied for the first time by obtaining a non-occupied error from the LPT port in order to output a status command. Therefore, it is necessary to repeatedly output the command until the print job is completed.

[0003]

In order to eliminate the inconvenience of limiting the number of jobs that can use the LPT port to one among a plurality of jobs as described above, each of the jobs must be placed between the LPT port and each job. A configuration in which a predetermined engine for packetizing commands and the like is arranged has been adopted. When receiving a predetermined print command or print data from a print job, this engine outputs the print command or print data in packet data to the LPT port and causes the printer to execute printing. At this time, when a predetermined status command is sent from the status monitor job to the engine, the engine inserts the status command as a packet into packet data including a print command and print data, and transmits the packet via the LPT port. ,
Send to printer. When the printer receives a status command that has become the same packet data as the print command or the like, the printer interprets the status command and returns a corresponding status to the LPT port. Then, the reply enters the engine and the status monitor job can be obtained.

That is, in the above-described method of accessing a predetermined interface from a plurality of jobs on a basic program that allows a predetermined job to occupy a predetermined interface, a status monitor command is used. Regarding those that can be inserted into the packet data of the print job as a packet, the printer can access the printer at the same time as the print job despite the fact that the print job occupies the LPT port by the above-described engine. However, commands related to operations and controls such as a control job for setting parameters of a scanner job or a printer may cause inconvenience to the job execution when inserted as a packet into a print job (extreme performance degradation or malfunction of the printer). Such). In addition, there is a problem that there is no mechanism for logically excluding the use of the LPT port for a plurality of jobs such as the print job, the control job, and the scanner job.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and simplifies access to a predetermined interface by a plurality of jobs on a basic program that allows a predetermined job to occupy a predetermined interface. It is an object of the present invention to provide an exclusive control method for a plurality of jobs that can be excluded by a simple configuration, an exclusive control device, and a medium recording an exclusive control program for a plurality of jobs.

[0006]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer system comprising: a plurality of mutually unrecognizable programs on a basic program which allows a predetermined job to occupy a predetermined interface; An exclusive control method for a plurality of jobs that exclusively controls access to the predetermined interface from a job, wherein an exclusive state acquisition step of inquiring whether or not the specific interface has an exclusive state and acquiring the exclusive state, An exclusion control step of inputting the occupation state of the predetermined interface from the occupation state acquisition step and executing exclusive control so as not to cause a conflict in occupation of the predetermined interface by accessing a plurality of jobs; and If access is permitted at, access to the specified interface In, it is constituted comprising an interface access step of notifying the occupation of the predetermined interface.

[0007] In the invention according to claim 1 configured as described above, the exclusive control method operates on a basic program that permits a predetermined interface to be occupied by a predetermined interface. Here, when a given job uses the same interface to execute a predetermined communication with an external device connected to the same interface, if the same job occupies the same interface, another job is executed on the same interface. Occupancy cannot be recognized before issuing the command. Thus, the present exclusive control method enables the exclusive control of the predetermined interface to be realized by checking the occupation state of the predetermined interface by another job when accessing the predetermined interface. I do.

In such a case, a job accessing the above-mentioned predetermined interface is executed under a predetermined condition described later.
In the interface access step, notification of the occupation of the predetermined interface is executed. This notification can be monitored by all the jobs operating on the basic program, and the job accessing the predetermined interface must be interface-accessed in the occupation status acquisition step before accessing the interface. An inquiry is made as to whether or not there is an occupancy state of the predetermined interface notified by the process, and the occupancy state is acquired. In the exclusion control step, the occupation state of the predetermined interface is input from the occupation state acquisition step, and the exclusion control is performed so that no conflict occurs in access to the predetermined interface. Therefore, in the interface access step, as a result of the exclusive control by the exclusive control step, a predetermined interface can be used without competing with another job. Then, when it is possible to access the predetermined interface without conflict, the interface access step notifies the occupation of the predetermined interface.

Here, the notification may be a direct notification to another job or an indirect notification. This direct notification may be configured to execute communication between jobs, that is, notified of occupation by so-called inter-process communication, or may be configured to send an occupation message to another job. Further, the indirect notification may be configured such that the occupation is written in a shared memory that can be used by a plurality of jobs, and another job confirms the contents of the shared memory to recognize the occupation. The indirect notification may be configured by an exclusive control method such as a semaphore. Also, the configuration may be such that the occupancy status acquisition step, the exclusive control step, and the interface access step are incorporated in a job as one of the processes executed by each job and operated, or each step is operated as a unique job. In addition, the configuration may be such that a job for accessing the predetermined interface and predetermined data are transmitted and received. That is, when the predetermined interface is accessed in the interface access step and the predetermined interface is occupied, other jobs accessing the interface thereafter detect the occupation state in the occupation state acquisition step, and perform the exclusive control step. The exclusive control is performed so that no conflict occurs in the interface.

The method of inquiring the occupancy state of the predetermined interface notified by the interface access step in the occupation state acquisition step may be performed when a predetermined job accesses the predetermined interface or inquired at predetermined intervals. The configuration may be as follows. Therefore, as an example of the latter, the invention according to claim 2 is the exclusive control method for a plurality of jobs according to claim 1, wherein the occupation state acquiring step is performed by the predetermined interface by the interface access step based on a predetermined interval. This is a configuration for inquiring about the occupation state. In the invention according to claim 2 configured as described above, the occupation state acquiring step inquires of the occupation state of the predetermined interface in the interface access step based on a predetermined interval. The predetermined interval is not particularly limited, and may be 1 second or 0.5 second, and may be changed as appropriate.

On the other hand, although exclusive control is executed according to the occupation state of the predetermined interface, for example, a print job of a computer having the predetermined interface outputs a print command and print data to a printer connected via the interface. If the printer can send the same packet data as the print command and print data to the printer, such as the status monitor command of the status monitor job that acquires the status of the printer, it is packetized together with the print command and print data. Can be sent to a printer. Therefore, according to a third aspect of the present invention, in the exclusive control method for a plurality of jobs according to any one of the first and second aspects, when a conflict occurs in the plurality of jobs when accessing the predetermined interface, The configuration includes a predetermined job that requests the job occupying the predetermined interface to process the job. In the invention according to claim 3 configured as described above, when a conflict occurs in accessing the predetermined interface, the plurality of jobs process the job occupying the predetermined interface. Has a predetermined job to request. That is, even if the printer is occupied by the print command for the printing operation as in the example described above, the status monitor command is packaged and sent to the printer together with the print command, and the printer sends the status based on the status monitor command to the status. It will be possible to respond to monitor jobs.

Some of the jobs occupy the predetermined interface for a long time. For example, there are a print job and a scanner job. In such a case, if a request by the scanner job to occupy the same interface occurs while the print job is occupying the same interface, the occupation request for the same scanner job is discarded because of the occupation of the same interface. In such a case, it is preferable that exclusive reservation of the interface can be made by the interface access step. According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the exclusive control method for a plurality of jobs according to any one of the first to third aspects, the exclusive control step includes setting a period during which the plurality of jobs occupy the predetermined interface. If the occupied job is a job that occupies the predetermined interface for a long period of time while being recognized in advance, an occupation reservation that occupies the predetermined interface next to the occupied job in the interface access step is executed. There is a configuration. In the invention according to claim 4 configured as described above, in the exclusive control step, a period in which the plurality of jobs occupy the predetermined interface is set and recognized in advance. Here, if the occupied predetermined job is a job that occupies the predetermined interface for a long time, a notification of occupancy reservation for occupying the predetermined interface next to the occupied job in the interface access step is executed. .

As described above, the method of exclusively controlling access to the print interface from a plurality of jobs on the basic program that permits the occupation of the print interface for one predetermined job is not necessarily limited to the method. It can be easily understood that the device also functions as an apparatus embodying the method. For this reason, the invention according to claim 5 exclusively controls access to the print interface from a plurality of mutually unrecognizable jobs on a basic program that allows a predetermined job to occupy a predetermined interface. An exclusive control device, for inquiring about the occupation state of the predetermined interface,
Occupancy status acquisition means for acquiring the occupancy status, and occupancy notification means for accessing the predetermined interface and notifying occupancy of the predetermined interface when the occupancy status acquired by the occupancy status acquisition device is not occupied. And exclusive control means for inputting the occupation state of the predetermined interface from the occupation state acquisition means and executing exclusive control so that no conflict occurs in the predetermined interface. That is, there is no difference in that the present invention is not necessarily limited to the method but is also effective as an apparatus embodying the method.

By the way, an exclusive control device that exclusively controls access to the print interface from a plurality of jobs that cannot be mutually recognized on a basic program that allows such a predetermined job to occupy a predetermined interface. The present invention is not limited to this, and may include various aspects, for example, may exist alone or may be used in a state of being incorporated in a certain device.
Therefore, it can be changed as appropriate, such as software or hardware. As an example of embodying the idea of the present invention, exclusive control for exclusively controlling access to the print interface from a plurality of mutually unrecognizable jobs on a basic program that allows a predetermined job to occupy a predetermined interface. When it becomes the software of the device, it naturally exists on the recording medium on which the software is recorded, and it cannot be said that it is used.

[0015] As an example, the invention according to claim 6 is a method for accessing the print interface from a plurality of mutually unrecognizable jobs on a basic program that allows a predetermined job to occupy a predetermined interface. Is a medium in which an exclusive control program of a plurality of jobs for exclusive control of a job is recorded, and the exclusive state acquisition step of inquiring about the occupation state of the predetermined interface and acquiring the same occupation state is obtained in the occupation state acquisition step. When the occupation state is not occupied, the predetermined interface is accessed and the occupancy notification step for notifying the occupation of the predetermined interface is performed. Conflict occurs on a given interface No way is a configuration that includes a exclusive control step for executing exclusive control.

Of course, the recording medium may be a magnetic recording medium, a magneto-optical recording medium, or any recording medium to be developed in the future. Also, the duplication stages of the primary duplicated product, the secondary duplicated product, and the like are equivalent without any question. In addition, the present invention is not limited to the case where the present invention is used even when the supply is performed using a communication line. further,
The concept of the present invention is not completely different even when part is software and part is realized by hardware, and part is stored on a recording medium and read as needed as needed. Such a form may be adopted.

[0017]

As described above, according to the present invention, a simple configuration allows a plurality of jobs to access the same predetermined interface on a basic program which permits the occupation of the predetermined interface for one predetermined job. It is possible to provide a logical exclusive control method for a plurality of jobs that can be mutually exclusive. According to the second aspect of the present invention, it is possible to recognize the occupation state of a predetermined interface at a predetermined interval. Further, according to the third aspect of the present invention, a command that can be inserted into packet data forming a command occupying a predetermined interface can be accessed regardless of whether the command is occupied.

Further, according to the invention according to claim 4,
When occupying a predetermined interface for a long time, occupancy reservation makes it possible to start the reserved job simultaneously with release of occupation. Further, claim 5
According to the present invention, on a basic program which allows a predetermined job to occupy a predetermined interface, it is possible to exclude access to the predetermined interface by a plurality of jobs with a simple configuration. A control device can be provided. Further, according to the invention according to the sixth aspect, on a basic program that permits the occupation of a predetermined interface for a predetermined job, access to the predetermined interface by a plurality of jobs is excluded by a simple configuration. It is possible to provide a medium in which exclusive control programs for a plurality of jobs that can be executed are recorded.

[0019]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a claim correspondence diagram of an exclusive control method for a plurality of jobs according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, the exclusion control method operates on a basic program that allows a predetermined interface C2 to be occupied by any one of a plurality of jobs C1 that cannot be mutually recognized. While confirming the occupation state C3, exclusive access control to the predetermined interface C2 is controlled so as to be occupied by one job. That is, in accordance with the occupation state C3 of the predetermined interface C2 acquired by the occupation state acquisition step C11, the exclusion control step C12 performs exclusive control so as not to cause conflict in occupation of the predetermined interface C2 by accessing a plurality of jobs C1. Execute. The interface access step C13 is the exclusive control step C.
When the access to the predetermined interface C2 is permitted at 12, the access to the predetermined interface C2 is executed. Along with this, the other plurality of jobs C1 are notified directly or indirectly of the occupation of the predetermined interface C2.

FIG. 2 is an external view showing a printing system in which a computer and a copying machine constituting an exclusive control apparatus to which an exclusive control method for a plurality of jobs according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied and a copying apparatus are formed. Here, computer 1
Inputs a print command or a scanner command to the copying apparatus 10. Then, the copying apparatus 10 that has received this command executes a predetermined operation. Accordingly, the copying apparatus 10 includes the scanner 20, the controller 30, and the printer 40. When the color image is read by the scanner 20 based on the control by the controller 30 that has received the command from the computer 1, The controller 30 performs image processing on the read image data to generate print data, and the printer 40 performs color printing based on the print data, or performs printing based on the print data input together with the print command.
Prints in color.

The present embodiment employs a configuration in which the connection between the computer 1 and the copying apparatus 10 is realized by an LPT interface. In such a case, one connector 50a of the predetermined cable 50 is connected to the LPT port 1a of the computer 1, and the other connector 50b is connected to the LPT port 10a of the copying apparatus 10. The scanner 20 and the printer 40 of the copying apparatus 10
Is capable of individually operating the scanner 20 or the printer 40 in accordance with a command output from the computer 1. Also, in the copying apparatus 10,
An operation panel 35 is provided to start copying and to
Operation button 35a for starting the copying machine 10
And a liquid crystal display 35b indicating the state of
The copy command and the scanner command can be output from the copying apparatus 10 alone.

Here, the scanner 2 provided in the copying apparatus 10
0, the controller 30 and the printer 40 will be schematically described. FIG. 3 shows a schematic configuration of the scanner 20, which employs a flat bed type. An illumination lamp 2 is provided below the transparent plate 21 on which the object to be scanned is placed.
2 and a line sensor 23 are slidably supported, and a drive belt 2 for driving them is provided.
4a, a pulley 24b and a drive motor 24c are arranged,
It is connected to the control circuit 25. When a color image is read, when the illumination lamp 22 is turned on based on a control signal from the control circuit 25, the object to be copied is illuminated through the transparent plate 21. Is irradiated on the line sensor 23 via the. The line sensor 23 includes a filter corresponding to the three primary colors of light and a CCD.
The elements are arranged in one row for each color, usually three rows. The three rows of CCD elements read the color arrangement of one row across the width direction of the copy object and output it as image data.
On the other hand, the control circuit 25 drives the drive motor 24c to control the illumination lamp 22 and the line sensor 24.
Are moved integrally in the length direction of the copy object,
The image data is acquired from the line sensor 23 and output every time it is moved by a minute distance. Thus, externally, the object to be scanned is sub-scanned in the length direction while main scanning in the width direction, and two-dimensional image data is generated.

FIG. 4 shows the controller 30 in a schematic block diagram. The controller 30 is substantially equivalent to a computer, and a RAM 33, a ROM 34, an operation panel 35, a hard disk 36, an I / O 37, and a communication I / F 38 are connected to a bus 32 of a CPU 31. The scanner 20 and the printer 40 are connected via the I / O 37 and the communication I / F 3
8 to the LPT port 10a. Also,
Basic programs such as an arithmetic program and a control program are written in the ROM 34, and the CPU 31
The basic program is executed while using M33 as a work area. The hard disk 36 is mainly used as a buffer for storing read image data and print data, and is used for storing programs that are updated sequentially. In addition, the operation panel 35
Is provided with various operation buttons 35a for starting copying and activating the scanner 20, as well as a liquid crystal display 35b for displaying and confirming operation information and status of the printer 40. The CPU 31 controls the operation panel via the bus 32. 35
Can be monitored or displayed.

FIG. 5 schematically shows the structure of the printer 40, which employs an ink jet system in which color ink is ejected onto a recording paper in a dot matrix form to perform printing. More specifically, the three print head units 41a
A print head 41, a print head controller 42 for controlling the print head 41,
Print head girder moving motor 43 for moving 1 in the girder direction
And a paper feed motor 44 for feeding print paper in the row direction, a print head controller 42, a print head girder moving motor 43, and a printer controller 45 serving as an interface between the paper feed motor 44 and external devices.

The printer 40 uses four color inks as printing ink, and each printing head unit 41a is formed with two independent rows of printing nozzles. The color ink to be supplied can be changed for each row of print nozzles. In this case, black ink (K) is supplied to both print head units 41a on the left side in the figure, and the print head unit 41a on the right side in the figure. Supplies magenta ink (M) to the left column, supplies yellow ink (Y) to the right column, supplies cyan ink (C) to the left column, and supplies right ink to the print head unit 41a in the middle of the drawing. Columns are unused. In this embodiment, four color inks are used. However, six color inks can be used by maximizing the use of two rows of print nozzles in the three print head units 41a. It is. In this case, dark and light inks are used for cyan and magenta, and a total of six colors can be used using yellow and black. In the present embodiment, the printer 40 of the ink jet system is adopted, but it is needless to say that the printer is not limited to the ink jet system. Therefore,
It may be a laser printer or a dot impact printer, and can be changed as appropriate.

FIG. 6 is a schematic block diagram showing the internal configuration of the computer 1 to which the exclusive control method for a plurality of jobs according to the present invention is applied. In FIG.
The RAM 103, the ROM 104, the display driver 105, the hard disk 106, the I / O 107, and the communication I / F 108 are connected to the 0 bus 102. Then, via the I / O 107, the keyboard 107a
And a mouse 107b are connected, and used for input work of a user of the computer 1, and a communication I / F 108
Is connected to the LPT port 10a. Also, ROM
A basic program such as an arithmetic program and a control program is written in 104, and the CPU 100
The basic program is executed while using 103 as a work area. The hard disk 106 is mainly
A printing program for causing the printer 40 of the connected copying apparatus 10 to perform printing, or the connected copying apparatus 10
An application program such as a scanner program for operating the scanner 20 is stored and used as a buffer for storing read image data and print data, or used to store a sequentially updated program and the like. . This application program is appropriately started and operated by the CPU 100. In addition, display driver 1
A display 106 is connected to the CPU 10 and the CPU 10.
0 indicates an input state and a processing state in the computer 1. Here, the above-described basic program restricts access to the LPT port 10a to one job. That is, when one of the printing program and the scanner program accesses the copying apparatus 10 via the LPT port 10a, the other program becomes inaccessible.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration for executing exclusive control on the LPT port 10a when the computer 1 operates a print program and a scanner program as jobs. In the figure, a print program 150 generates print data,
The predetermined information stored in the shared memory 170 is obtained from the polling program 150a. Further, the scanner program 160 issues a scanner command, and sends the shared memory 1 from the polling program 160a.
The predetermined information stored in 70 is acquired. The polling programs 150a and 160a periodically monitor and read the flags of the shared memory 170 and update the flags. The predetermined information is an occupation plug indicating the occupation state of the LPT port 10a. When the flag is on, it indicates that the LPT port 10a is occupied by either program, and when the flag is off, the LPT port 10a is LPT.
This indicates that the port 10a is open. Here, the interval at which the polling programs 150a and 160a periodically read flag information from the shared memory 170 is as follows.
It may be 1 second, 0.5 second, or may be changed as appropriate.

Accordingly, the print program 150 generates print data, outputs the print data to the LPT port 10a, and outputs the print data to the copying apparatus 10.
When printing is performed by the printer 40, print data is first generated and output to the print provider 150b.
Here, the print provider 150b communicates with the LPT port 10
At the stage of outputting to a, the status of the flag of the shared memory 170 acquired by the polling program 150a acquired by the printing program 150 is input. If this flag is off, the print data is output to the LPT port 10a and the printer 40 of the copying apparatus 10 executes printing. Similarly, when the scanner program 160 generates a scanner command and outputs it to the LPT port 10a and causes the scanner 20 of the copier 10 to scan the object to be scanned, the scanner command is first issued and output to the scanner provider 160b. I do. here,
The scanner provider 160b inputs the state of the flag of the shared memory 170 acquired by the polling program 160a acquired by the scanner program 160 at the stage of outputting the same command to the LPT port 10a.
If this flag is off, LPT port 1
A scanner command is output to 0a and the scanner 20 of the copier 10 is operated.

In the present embodiment, the LPT port 10a is adopted as a port for restricting a program that can be accessed by the basic program to which the exclusive control method is applied to one port. Such a port is not limited to the LPT port 10a, and the exclusive control method can be appropriately applied to any interface in which the number of programs accessed by the basic program is limited to one. Also,
In the present embodiment, the computer 1 operates on the LP
Although a print program and a scanner program are employed as programs for accessing the T port 10a, such a program is not limited to the print program and the scanner program.
It may be a status monitor program that acquires a status of 0 via the LPT port 10a. Further, in the present embodiment, the scanner 2
0 and the printer 40,
The equipment included in the copying apparatus is not limited to these, and may be a device in which a scanner and a facsimile coexist or a digital camera is provided instead of the scanner 20 as image data acquisition means. Therefore, in such a case, the computer 1 may operate the fax program or the digital camera program to access the LPT port 10a.

Next, FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the content of the exclusive control process of the LPT port 10a executed in the configuration shown in FIG. In the figure, the user of the computer 1 has a keyboard 107a or a mouse 1
When the print program or the scanner program is started from the input device 07b, each program receives a request for printing or executing the scanner (step S100). Then, each program generates print data and issues a print command or issues a scanner command (step S105). Here, when the data generation and the command issuance are completed, the LPT port 10 of the shared memory 170 is
The flag is acquired via polling programs 150a and 160a that periodically acquire the flag indicating the occupation state of a (step S110), and this data and command are output to the print provider 150b and the scanner provider 160b. Stored (step S1
15). Next, it is determined whether the flag is on or off (step S120).
Since a is not occupied by any program,
The flag is turned on to occupy the same LPT port 10a (step S125), and the data and command stored in each of the providers 150b and 160b are output to the LPT port 10a (step S13).
0).

Then, the printer 40 of the copying apparatus 10 which has input the data and the command executes printing based on the print command and the print data, and the scanner 20 starts scanning the object to be scanned based on the scan command. Then, the acquired image data is transferred to the computer 1 via the LPT port 10a. When the printing process and the scanner process are completed in the copying apparatus 10, the completion is notified to the print program and the scanner program (step S135), and the shared memory 170 for releasing the occupation of the LPT port 10a in response to the process completion. Is turned off (step S140). On the other hand, step S
If the flag is on at 120, the LPT port 10a is occupied by either the print program or the scanner program, and the print provider 150
b or the scanner provider 160b cannot output the data or command to the LPT port 10a, and thus discards the data or command (step S).
145). Therefore, a program in which data and commands are discarded because the LPT port 10a is occupied generates data again and issues commands.

Here, the print data is printed by a print command, the scanning is executed by a scanner command, and the acquired image data is transferred to the LPT port 10a.
Since the processing to be transferred via the .NET requires a large amount of data to be handled, it needs to be executed independently. However, when only a command is issued from the computer 1 so as to monitor the status of each device such as the printer 40 and the scanner 20 of the copying apparatus 10 to which the computer 1 is connected, a status monitor issued by a status monitor program (not shown) The command is packetized and inserted into the print data or scan command or image data via a monitor provider (not shown) to realize the parallel processing and the processing of the print and scanner to execute the status monitor processing. Is also good.

The contents of the parallel processing are shown in the flowchart of FIG. In the figure, when the user of the computer 1 starts the status monitor program from the input device of the keyboard 107a or the mouse 107b,
The program receives a request for a status to be monitored (step S200). Here, when data generation and command issuance are completed, the LPT
The port 10a acquires the flag via a polling program (not shown) that periodically acquires the flag indicating the occupation state of the port 10a (step S205). Then, a status monitor command instructing a reply of the requested status is output to the monitor provider (step S2).
10). Next, it is determined whether the flag is on or off (step S215). If the flag is on, it is determined that printing or scanner processing is being performed (step S220), and a status monitor command is added to the data of the print command or the scanner command. It is packetized and inserted (step S225). Then, the print provider 150
b or to the LPT port 10a via the scanner provider 160b (step S230).

In the above-described exclusive control process, LPT
The data and command of the process that has detected the occupation of the port 10a are discarded, and it is necessary to generate data and issue a command again. Therefore, LPT port 10
When the occupation of “a” is detected, it is convenient if it is possible to make a reservation to start processing when the detected occupation is released. Here, the contents of the reservation processing for reserving the occupancy are shown in the flowchart of FIG. In the figure, when a user of the computer 1 starts a print program or a scanner program from the input device of the keyboard 107a or the mouse 107b, each program receives a request for printing or executing a scanner (step S300). Then, each program generates print data and issues a print command or issues a scanner command (step S305). Here, when the generation of the data and the issuance of the command are completed, the flag is acquired via the polling programs 150a and 160a that periodically acquire the flag indicating the occupation state of the LPT port 10a of the shared memory 170 (step Along with S310), the data and the command are output to the print provider 150b and the scanner provider 160b and stored (step S315). Next, it is determined whether the flag is on or off (step S320). If the flag is on, the occupancy of the LPT port 10a is detected. At this time, the shared memory 1
The reservation occupancy flag 70 is turned on (step S32).
5) The processing is started simultaneously with the release of the occupation.

Then, the polling program 150a,
At 160b, the state of the flag is monitored (step S33).
0) When the process in which the LPT port 10a is occupied ends, the reservation is released, that is, the reservation occupation flag is turned off and the flag indicating the occupation is turned on to execute the process while occupying the LPT port 10a. (Step S
335). Here, the data and command stored in each of the providers 150b and 160b are output to the LPT port 10a (step S340). Then, the printer 40 of the copying apparatus 10 which has input the data and the command,
The printing is executed based on the print command and the print data, the scanner 20 starts scanning the object to be scanned based on the scan command, and converts the acquired image data into L.
The data is transferred to the computer 1 via the PT port 10a.
When the printing process and the scanner process are completed in the copying apparatus 10, the completion is notified to the print program and the scanner program (step S335), and the shared memory 170 is released to release the occupation of the LPT port 10a in accordance with the process completion. Is turned off (step S34)
0).

As described above, the print program, the scanner program, and the status monitor program constitute a plurality of jobs C1, and the LPT port 10a constitutes the interface C2. Then, the flag of the shared memory 170 constitutes the occupation state C3. Also, the above-described step S1
The exclusive control processing shown in 00 to S145 constitutes an occupation state acquisition step C11, an exclusive control step C12, and an interface access step C13. In the present embodiment,
Scanner program 160 and polling program 1
60a and the scanner provider 160b are executed as separate programs, each of which mutually transmits and receives data and the like, and realizes exclusive control of the LPT port 10a. Of course, these programs are integrated. It may be configured as a program, and the exclusive control may be realized by executing each function on one program, or a combination of these programs may be appropriately changed. The same applies to the print program 150, the polling program 150a, and the print provider 150b. The polling program 150
a, 160a, the print provider 150b, and the scanner provider 160b are formed and operated as an integrated program, and the print program 150 and the scanner program 1
It goes without saying that a configuration may be adopted in which a predetermined action is performed on the 60 to realize exclusive control.

As described above, in the basic program executing the basic operation of the computer 1, the LPT port 10
In this case, the number of programs that can occupy the “a” is limited to one.
Even if there are a plurality of programs accessing the port 10a, by setting a flag indicating the occupation state in the shared memory 170, each program can output the same data to the LPT port 10a before outputting the data or command to the LPT port 10a.
The occupation state of a can be grasped, and logical exclusion control of the LPT port 10a among a plurality of programs can be easily realized by the simple configuration as described above.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a claim correspondence diagram of an exclusive control method for a plurality of jobs according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an external view of a state in which a computer to which the exclusive control method is applied and a copying apparatus are connected.

FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a configuration of a scanner installed in the copying apparatus.

FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a configuration of a controller installed in the copying apparatus.

FIG. 5 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a configuration of a printer installed in the copying apparatus.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of the computer.

FIG. 7 is a schematic block diagram of a configuration for executing exclusive control processing by the computer.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the content of an exclusive control process executed by the computer.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the contents of parallel processing executed by the computer.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the contents of a reservation process executed by the computer.

[Explanation of symbols]

 C1 ... Job C11 ... Occupation state acquisition step C12 ... Exclusive control step C11 ... Interface access step C2 ... Interface C3 ... Occupation state

Claims (6)

[Claims] An exclusive control of a plurality of jobs for exclusively controlling access to a predetermined interface from a plurality of jobs which cannot be mutually recognized on a basic program which allows a predetermined job to occupy a predetermined interface. A method for inquiring whether or not there is an occupation state of the predetermined interface, and an occupation state acquisition step of acquiring the occupation state; and inputting the occupation state of the predetermined interface from the occupation state acquisition step. An exclusive control step of executing exclusive control so that a conflict does not occur in the occupation of the predetermined interface due to access of a job; and when access is permitted in the exclusive control step, access to the predetermined interface is performed. Interface that notifies the occupancy of a given interface An exclusive control method for a plurality of jobs, comprising an access step. 2. The exclusive control method for a plurality of jobs according to claim 1, wherein the occupation state acquiring step inquires about an occupation state of the predetermined interface by the interface access step based on a predetermined interval. Exclusive control method for multiple jobs. 3. The exclusive control method for a plurality of jobs according to claim 1, wherein when a conflict occurs in accessing the predetermined interface, the plurality of jobs are controlled by the predetermined interface. Exclusive control method for a plurality of jobs, characterized by having a predetermined job for requesting processing of a job occupying the same. 4. The exclusive control method for a plurality of jobs according to claim 1, wherein the exclusive control step recognizes in advance a period during which the plurality of jobs occupies the predetermined interface and If the occupied job is a job that occupies a predetermined interface for a long period of time, an occupation reservation that occupies the predetermined interface is executed next to the occupied job in the occupation notifying step. Exclusive control method of the job. 5. An exclusive control device for exclusively controlling access to the print interface from a plurality of jobs that cannot be mutually recognized on a basic program that allows a predetermined job to occupy a predetermined interface. An occupancy status acquisition unit for acquiring the occupancy status of the predetermined interface, and inputting the occupancy status of the predetermined interface from the occupancy status acquisition unit. An exclusive control means for executing exclusive control so as not to cause a conflict in the occupation of the predetermined interface; and when the exclusive control means permits access, accesses the predetermined interface and Interface access means to notify occupancy Exclusive control apparatus characterized by comprising. 6. An exclusive control program for a plurality of mutually unrecognizable jobs which exclusively controls access to the print interface from a plurality of jobs on a basic program which allows a predetermined job to occupy a predetermined interface. A medium for recording the occupation state of the predetermined interface, and an occupation state acquisition step of acquiring the occupation state, and inputting the occupation state of the predetermined interface from the occupation state acquisition step. An exclusive control step of executing exclusive control so as not to cause a conflict in occupation of the predetermined interface by accessing a plurality of jobs; and, when the exclusive control step permits access, accesses the predetermined interface. Together with the specified interface An exclusive access control program for a plurality of jobs.