JP2003208289A - Print system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a print system having a shared file on a network capable of preventing any wasteful print by letting a user know whether or not the shared file is already printed regardless of whether or not the user is the same when the print of the shared file is instructed. <P>SOLUTION: When the print of a file is instructed through a plurality of computers PC1-PC3 connected through a network W to shared printers PRT 1-PRT3, whether or not the same file name and print relevant information are already present in a log managing part 24, and already printed is retrieved, and the retrieval result is noticed to the print instructing side by noticing means 11 and 12. Thus, when it is identified that the print-instructed shared file is already printed, the execution of the print of the file can be stopped. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the consumption of sheets, toner, and power or the like as much as possible. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a print system suitable for allowing users of a plurality of computers connected to a shared printer via a network to print a shared file on the network.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In this type of system, a user
There is a case where it is desired to print the data accumulated in the shared file, for example, the installation manual of the general-purpose application software, by the printer shared on the network.

However, although the installation manual or the like may be referred to only once at the beginning, it has a large amount of data, so that printing by each user leads to waste of paper, toner and power. .

By the way, conventionally, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-1
In the 22835 publication, print jobs with the same file name by the same user are accepted from past print jobs in order to avoid wasteful printing of the same file by the same user who was printed in the past. There is disclosed a technique in which whether or not a print job with the same file name is accepted by the same user is prompted, and the user is prompted to reconfirm the necessity of printing.

[0005]

However, in the above-described conventional technique, the same file is simply avoided by the same user, and a file for which another user has instructed to print is not searched. Even if there is another user who printed in the past, it was not possible to know the user name or the like. Therefore, in the end, it is often the case that the file for which printing is instructed has to be executed as it is, and there is a disadvantage that paper, toner, power, etc. are wasted accordingly.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and in a print system provided with a shared file on a network, regardless of whether the user is the same or not when printing of the shared file is instructed. An object of the present invention is to provide a print system that can know whether or not the file has already been printed and can effectively avoid wasteful printing.

[0007]

Means for Solving the Problems The above-mentioned problems are solved when a shared file on the network is printed by an instruction from one of a plurality of computers connected to the shared printer via the network. A log management unit that stores the name and print-related information in association with each other;
Search means for searching whether or not the file already exists in the log management means when the shared file is instructed to be printed by the computer; and the file already exists in the log management means. And a notification means for notifying the computer instructed to print the print-related information corresponding to the file name.

In this print system, each time a user causes a shared printer to print a shared file via a computer, the file and print-related information are associated with each other and stored in the log management means. Then, after that, when the computer instructs the printing of the shared file, the searching unit searches by the searching unit whether the file name already exists in the log managing unit, and the file is logged. If the file already exists in the management means, the computer instructed to print is notified of the print-related information corresponding to the file name.

In other words, if there is a history of print execution not only by the user but also by another user in the past with respect to the shared file that the user has instructed to print, the print-related information can be known. Execution can be stopped, and an output product can be obtained based on the retrieved print-related information, and useless printing is avoided.

As the print-related information, the name of a computer that has previously given a print instruction can be mentioned. In this case, the user (computer) who has printed the same file in the past can be easily specified, and the output product can be easily obtained.

In addition to the computer name, the print-related information includes print setting conditions, print media, print date and time,
It may have at least one of the file update date and time and the belonging name of the printer that executed the printing. In this case, you can know the details of past print execution,
It becomes easier to obtain an output product, and it is possible to determine whether or not it is better to execute printing without obtaining the output product, depending on the content of the information.

Further, a plurality of shared printers are connected to the network, the log management means is provided for each printer, and a search is made as to whether or not the file name already exists in the log management means by a print instruction. It may be set so as to target all the shared printers installed in the computer.

In this case, even if there are a plurality of shared printers, a search is performed for each printer installed in the computer that issued the print instruction, and past print-related information of the same file name is accurately notified. .

Further, the printing-related information may be notified only when the computer instructing printing and the computer instructing printing in the past are in the same work group. In this case, it can be known that the same file has been printed in the past in the same work group, and wasteful printing can be efficiently avoided.

[0015]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a print system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, the printing system is
A plurality of computers PC1 to PC3, a plurality of printers PRT1 to PRT3, and a server SVR are connected via a network W. The number of printers and the number of computers are not limited to the examples.

The computers PC1 and PC2 belong to a work group A which is a group for each user, for example. The computers PC1 and PC2 have printers PRT1 and PRT as usable printers, respectively.
2 is installed. Also, a computer PC
3 belongs to another work group B, and the printer PRT3 is installed as a usable printer.

Each of the printers PRT1, PRT2, PR
Each time T3 executes a print job from the computers PC1 to PC3 transferred via the server SVR,
A log management unit (described later) that stores printing-related information at that time
Is equipped with.

FIG. 2 shows the configuration of the server SVR. The server SVR has a communication unit 11, a control unit 12, a shared file storage unit 13, and a storage unit 14.

The communication unit 11 is the computer PC.
1 to PC3 and printers PRT1 to PRT3 for transmitting and receiving data and signals. The control unit 12
It controls the entire server SVR as a whole, receives print instructions from the computers PC1 to PC3, sends print data to predetermined printers PRT1 to PRT3, or instructs sharing of a shared file as described later. At this time, the printer PRT1 issues a command for searching whether the file already exists in the printer log management unit.
A server that sends the print-related information corresponding to the file name to the computer instructed to print via the communication unit when the file is sent to the PRT3 or the file already exists in the log management unit. To control. The control unit 12 and the communication unit 11 function as notification means.

The shared file storage unit 13 stores shared files on the network W,
The storage unit 14 stores data sent to and received from the computers PC1 to PC3 and the printers PRT1 to PRT3.

FIG. 3 shows the configuration of the printers PRT1 to PRT3. Each printer includes a communication unit 21, a control unit 22,
The printing unit 23, the log management unit 24, and the storage unit 25 are provided.

The communication section 21 is for transmitting and receiving data and signals to and from the server SVR.

The control unit 22 controls each of the printers PRT1 to PRT1.
In addition to controlling PRT3 centrally, server SV
When the shared file stored in the shared file storage unit 13 of R is printed, the file name and the print-related information are associated and stored in the log management unit 24, or the computer instructs the printing of the shared file. Then, it is searched whether the file already exists in the log management unit 24. Therefore, in this embodiment, the control unit 22 functions as a search means.

Each time the shared file is printed, the log management unit 24 prints its file name (for example, AAA.doc).
And BBB. pdf) and print related information are stored in association with each other.

In this embodiment, the printing-related information is the names of the computers PC1 to PC3, as shown in FIG.
A work group name to which each computer belongs, print setting conditions (also referred to as print properties) such as designation and allocation of single-sided printing or double-sided printing, print medium, print date / time, file update date / time, and the like. When the log management unit 24 exists only in one printer or in a part other than the printer, the name of the printing printer is also recorded.

Of course, the print-related information is not limited to the above, and may be, for example, only a computer name. In addition to this computer name, the print setting conditions, print medium, print date and time, file It may have at least one of the update date and time and the print printer name.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, when any user of the computers PC1 to PC3 gives an instruction to print a shared file on the network W, the file is required by the shared printers PRT1 to PRT3. It is executed by printing. When printing is executed,
The file and print-related information are associated with each other and stored / stored in the log management unit 24 of the printer that executed the printing. In this way, the shared file name and print-related information are accumulated in the log management unit 24 each time printing is instructed.

On the other hand, when the user gives an instruction to print a shared file on the network W, each printer has an identical file name that has been printed in the past in the log management unit 24 according to a command from the server SVR. Search whether or not. The search is performed by at least the printers installed as usable printers in the computers PC1 to PC3 that instructed the printing. Of course, all printers or printers selected arbitrarily may be searched.

When the file already exists in the log management unit 24, the print related information corresponding to the file name is sent to the server SVR, and the server SVR sends the print related information to the computer instructing the printing. Information is notified. As a result, it is possible to know the print-related information including the print execution by the user in the past regarding the shared file such as the installation manual that the user wants to print. For this reason, if the file for which printing is currently instructed has already been executed for printing, it is possible to stop the execution of printing for that file, and it is possible to obtain the output product from the retrieved print-related information. Waste of money is suppressed.

In this embodiment, as the print-related information,
The workgroup name A (B) for which printing has been instructed in the past is stored. By using this, the workgroup of the computer for instructing printing in the past and the computer for instructing current printing are in the same workgroup. Only in some cases, the printer transmits the print-related information to the server, and further transmits the print-related information to the computer that issued the print instruction. Even if there is a print history of the same file in the past, it is practically possible to print again if the workgroup is different.Therefore, print-related information will be displayed only when it is within the same workgroup. By notifying, the present invention is intended to be effective. Even if the work groups are different, if the print history of the same file exists in the past, the corresponding print-related information may be notified.

Further, in this embodiment, as the print-related information, in addition to the computer name and workgroup name, there are print setting conditions, print media, print date and time, file update date and time, and these information are notified. Therefore, there is an advantage that the user can perform printing after examining and confirming the details of past print execution instructions in detail.

Further, since the search is performed for all the shared printers PRT1, PRT2 installed in the computer instructed to print, for example, the computer PC2, for example, the sharing relation of the printers PRT1, PRT2 for each workgroup of the user. Regardless of the above, it is possible to accurately know past print-related information having the same file name.

Next, the flow of processing at the time of executing printing in the printing system will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

At S101, the computer PC1 to PC1
A file shared by the PC 3 on the network W and printers PRT1 to PRT3 for printing the file
Specify and to give a print instruction. Here, for example, the file (file name \\
SVR \ AAA. doc) is opened, the printer PRT2 is designated, and a print instruction is given. The contents of the print instruction are the names of all the printers installed in the computer PC2 (PRT1, PRT2 in this embodiment).
And, together with the print related information such as the computer name (PC2), the work group name (A), and the print property, the information is sent to the server SVR.

In S102, the server SVR transmits the transmitted shared file name and the print-related information to all the printers PRT1 and PRT2 installed in the computer PC2 which has instructed to print.

At S103, the printers PRT
1 and PRT2, in response to a command from the control unit 22, print record information (called a log) having the same file name (\\ SVR \ AAA.doc) as the file for which printing is instructed in each log management unit 24. Search whether it already exists. If a log having the same print file name already exists in each of the log management units 11 and 12 (YES in S103),
It proceeds to S104. If a log having the same print file name does not already exist (NO in S103), the process proceeds to S107, print data is sent to the designated printer PRT2, and printing is executed.

In this embodiment, the printer PRT1
The same print file name (\\ S
VR \ AAA. Since the log having doc) exists, this stored log is extracted by the search.

In S104, it is determined whether or not the work group of the computer PC2 for which printing is instructed is the same as the work group of the extraction log. Computer PC for printing
If the work group A of 2 and the work group of the extraction log are the same (YES in S104), the process proceeds to S105. If the work group of the PC 2 for which printing is instructed and the work group of the extraction log are not the same (NO in S104), the process proceeds to S107, and the designated printer PRT2
The print data is transmitted to and the printing is executed.

In this embodiment, it is determined that the work group of the computer PC2 for which printing is instructed and the work group of the extraction log are the same (A), so S1
Go to 05.

In step S105, the server SVR notifies the computer PC2, which has instructed the printing, of the reconfirmation of the print execution together with the extraction log.

Upon receipt of the print execution reconfirmation notification, the computer PC2 which has instructed to print reviews the reception log, issues a print instruction when printing is desired, and sends print data to a predetermined printer PRT1. become. Then, in S106, the server SVR determines whether or not there is a print instruction from the computer PC2 in response to the notification of reconfirmation of the print execution. The determination may be made on the printer side.

In response to the print execution reconfirmation notification from the computer PC2 (YES in S106), in S107, the printing is executed according to the print data from the computer PC2, and the computer P2 is executed.
If there is no print instruction from C2 (the determination in S106 is N
O), it is considered that the print execution has been canceled, and the process ends.

After the printing is executed in S107, S1 is executed.
At 08, the corresponding shared file name and print-related information are recorded in the log management unit 24 of the printer PRT1 that executed the printing.

In the above embodiment, the printers PRT1 to PRT1.
The case where the PRTs 3 each include the log management unit 24 has been illustrated, but the log management unit 24 may be provided, for example, on the server SVR side, or may be arranged anywhere in the system. Further, when the print of the shared file is instructed, the search for whether the file already exists in the log management unit is performed by each of the printers PRT1 to PRT3, but may be performed by the server SVR. It may be performed in another part of the system. Further, when the file already exists in the log management unit, the server SVR notifies the computer of the print instruction of the print-related information.
1 to PRT3 may be directly performed, or may be performed from another part in the system.

[0047]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, if there is a history that not only the user himself / herself has executed the printing of the shared file that the user has instructed to print, but also the printing-related information of the shared file. Since it is possible to know, it is possible to stop the printing of the file, obtain the output product based on the retrieved print-related information, avoid wasteful printing, and reduce waste of paper, toner, power, etc. it can.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the user (computer) who has printed the same file in the past can be easily specified, and the output product can be easily obtained.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, since details of past printing execution can be known, it becomes easier to obtain the output product, and the output product can be obtained according to the content of the information. It is possible to determine whether or not it is better to execute printing without obtaining it.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, even if there are a plurality of shared printers, it is possible to reliably search for each printer installed in the computer instructed to print.

According to the invention of claim 5, it can be known that the same file has been printed in the same work group in the past, and wasteful printing can be efficiently avoided.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram showing a print system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a server used in the print system of FIG.

FIG. 3 is likewise a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the printer.

FIG. 4 is a table showing logs stored in a log management unit.

5 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing when printing is executed by the print system of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

11 ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ Server communication part 12 ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ Server control unit 13 ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ Shared file storage 21 ... Printer communication unit 22 .................. Controlling the printer 24 ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ Log Management Department PC1-PC3 ... Computer PRT1-PRT3 ... Printer W: Network

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (72) Inventor Koji Tsukada             2-3-3 Azuchi-cho, Chuo-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka Prefecture               Osaka International Building Minolta Co., Ltd. F-term (reference) 5B021 AA01 AA02 EE02 NN19

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. When a shared file on the network is printed by an instruction from one of a plurality of computers connected to the shared printer via the network, the file name is associated with print-related information. A log management unit that stores the file, a search unit that searches for whether the file already exists in the log management unit when the computer instructs the printing of the shared file, and the file has the log management unit. And a notification means for notifying the computer instructing printing of the printing-related information corresponding to the file name when the printing system already exists in the printing system. 2. The print system according to claim 1, wherein the print-related information is a computer name for which a print instruction has been issued in the past. 3. The print-related information includes at least one of a print setting condition, a print medium, a print date / time, a file update date / time, and a affiliation name of a printer that executed printing. Printing system. 4. A plurality of shared printers are connected to the network, the log management unit is provided for each printer, and a search is performed to determine whether the file name already exists in the log management unit. The printing system according to claim 1, wherein the printing system is set so as to target all the shared printers installed in the computer. 5. The print-related information is notified only when the computer instructing to print and the computer instructing to print in the past are in the same work group.
The printing system described in.