JP3514090B2 - Printing control method - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a print control method for a print system including a printing device such as a printer, a copying machine, and a facsimile, and a host that requests printing.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A sorter is one of the additional mechanisms of a printing apparatus. By using the sorter, it becomes unnecessary to sort the sheets when printing a plurality of copies. The number of bins of a general sorter is about 10 to 40.

On the other hand, in an OA network in which a plurality of computers share a printing apparatus, there is known a printing mode in which each bin of a sorter is used as a discharge tray dedicated to a specific recipient. For example, each bin is assigned to each computer (print request source) that is a sender of image data. In this case, the operator who gives an instruction to print on each computer may collect the printed paper (printed matter) discharged to the corresponding bin. Further, each bin can be assigned as a mailbox to a distribution destination (addressee) of the printed matter. In this case, not the operator who instructed the printing but the person in charge of collecting collects the printed matter from a predetermined bin. In any case, in the case of printing in which the paper is discharged to the pre-allocated bin in this way (this is referred to as "mail printing" for convenience), some information specifying the bin of the discharge destination is included. Print job data is provided from the computer to the printing device.

[0004]

If the sorter can be used not only for mail printing but also for original sorting as described above, the printing environment becomes more convenient.

However, since the bins assigned to each of the plurality of recipients are used for sorting, the printed matter is designated as sorting (this is referred to as "sort printing" for convenience). There is a risk that it will be mistakenly collected because it will be mixed with the printed matter of the mail print. Although an error in collection can be prevented by separating the mail printing bin and the sort printing bin, the number of assignable recipients and the maximum number of sort copies are reduced unless the bin is added.

It is an object of the present invention to facilitate the collection of printed matter when a plurality of bins are used for both sorting and paper discharge for each recipient.

[0007]

In the present invention, the orientation of the sheet is made different between the case of mail printing for discharging to a designated bin and the other case including sort printing. This allows the printed matter to be collected to be easily identified.
Further, in the sort printing, since it is necessary to collect the printed matter from a plurality of bins, the orientation of the paper is selected so that it is easy to collect.

According to the control method of the first aspect of the present invention, a plurality of bins for discharging paper are provided, and the first and second papers having the same size and different vertical and horizontal orientations are mounted as paper feeding options. At the time of printing by the printing device, the control information for specifying the bin and the control information for specifying the orientation of the image with respect to the paper are extracted from the print job data indicating the content of the print request to the printing device, and the type of printing without specifying the bin is performed. For the job, the image is printed on the first sheet in the direction according to the control information, and for the print job of the type that specifies the bin, the image is printed on the second sheet in the direction according to the control information. It controls the printing apparatus.

In the print control method according to the second aspect of the present invention, the first sheet used for the print job of the type that does not specify the bin has the longitudinal direction of the first sheet as the conveyance direction.

[0010]

1 is a block diagram of a print system 1 according to the present invention. The print system 1 is a part of a LAN in which a plurality of data processing devices including computers 11 to 14 are communicably connected to each other, and includes a printer 20 as a print output unit. The printer 20 is connected to the cable 50 using a network interface card (NIC) 26, and one computer 14 functions as a print server. Since the printer 20 has a port 25 for parallel transmission, serial transmission, infrared communication, etc., this port 2
It is also possible to adopt a network format in which the printer 20 and the computer 14 are connected by using 5, and the printer 20 is connected to the cable 50 via the computer 14.

The printer 20 includes a main body 20A and a sorter 20.
It is composed of B and. The main body 20A is provided with a total of four stages of paper storage units 31 to 34, and stores A4 size and B5 size papers in a vertical direction and a horizontal direction, respectively, as an option of automatic paper feeding. The vertical direction is a direction in which the sheet conveyance direction is the longitudinal direction, and the lateral direction is a direction in which the direction orthogonal to the sheet conveyance direction is the longitudinal direction.
The sorter 20B has a total of 11 bins b0 arranged in the vertical direction.
b10. 10 bottles b1 excluding the top
b10 is used for mail printing and sort printing,
The uppermost bin b0 is used when normal printing is not mail printing and the number of copies is one. As a modified example of the bin configuration, a special bin such as the bin b0 is not provided,
Some bins can be used for mail printing and sort printing.

A printer driver U1 is installed in each of the computers 11 to 13 as a host sharing the printer 20. The printer driver U1 is the printer 20.
It is software that outputs print job data in a format compatible with. Further, a print spooler U2, which is software for centrally managing print jobs, is incorporated in the computer 14 as a print server. The print job data output from each of the computers 11 to 13 is temporarily stored in the computer 11 and transferred to the printer 20 in an appropriate amount according to the progress of printing.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the printer 20. In the printer 20, a CPU responsible for data processing
Printing of image data is realized by an interconnection operation of the CPU 21 controlling the print engine 21 and the print engine 23. CP
The U21 temporarily stores the print job data DJ input from the print server in the reception buffer area of the memory 24, analyzes the command of the page description language, and expands the bitmap. The print engine 23 reproduces an image on paper based on the bitmap data. At that time, C
The PU 22 controls paper feeding and paper ejection in the sorter 20B based on the information received from the CPU 21.

The print job data DJ is the image information D.
0, bin designation information DC1, paper orientation information DC2, and other control information DC3. Bin designation information DC1
Is information indicating whether or not the paper needs to be discharged to a specific bin (that is, whether or not to perform mail printing), and specifies a bin to be used in mail printing. The paper direction information DC2 is information indicating the orientation of the image with respect to the paper, that is, the designation content of portrait / location. The other control information DC3 includes the paper size, the number of copies, and the like.

In the printing system 1 having the above-described structure, when the user designates mail printing, the paper is ejected to a specific bin that is assigned to each host in advance. Further, when the normal printing other than the mail printing is designated and the number of prints thereof is plural, the sorting is performed. That is, the bins b1 to b10 of the sorter 20B are used for both mail printing and sort printing. Therefore, in order to facilitate the collection of paper, the print system 1 is provided with a function peculiar to the present invention that makes the paper orientation different between mail printing and sort printing.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the relationship between the paper discharge direction M1 and the paper orientation. Since the printer 20 stores A4 and B5 sheets as described above, the choice of sheet size (size) is 2. As for the paper orientation, either portrait orientation or landscape orientation can be selected. However, although the portrait / location setting is retained, the paper of the predetermined orientation is automatically used as follows according to the type of printing.

In the case of mail printing, the horizontal paper P2
P4 is used. On the other hand, in the case of sort printing, vertically oriented sheets P1 and P3 are used. This is because in sorting printing, paper must be collected from multiple bins according to the number of copies to be printed, and in general, the user who instructed sorting printing wants to collect it quickly so as not to disturb other users. Is consideration. In view of the structure of a normal bottle, it is easier to collect vertically when compared to horizontally.
Further, in the normal printing of the number of copies to be discharged to the uppermost bin b0, a laterally oriented sheet is used, which is advantageous in terms of printing speed per sheet. Even if it is in the same landscape orientation as mail printing, the bins used are different, so there is no problem of paper mixing.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing an example of the operation on the host side. In each computer 11-13,
When the printer driver U1 is activated in response to a print request from the application program, it executes size / mode setting processing (# 111). Specifically, the print setting screen is displayed (strictly, the display is requested to the display driver), and the operation input is accepted. In this process,
The specified information such as the number of prints, paper size, and print type (mail print / normal print) is acquired.

Subsequently, in the case of normal printing, the number of copies to be printed is set as control information (# 112, # 113), and in the case of mail printing, identification data of the sender (host) is set as control information (# 112). , # 114).

After that, print job data DJ in which control information is added to the image information received from the application program is created, that is, the print stream is described (# 115), and the print job data DJ is sent to the print server (# 116). ). The print job data DJ includes the type of printing and the paper size, as well as the number of copies to be printed for normal printing and the identification data of the sending source for mail printing. In this example, the identification data of the type of printing and the sending source is the above-mentioned bin designation information DC1 and corresponds to the control information regarding the designation of the bin in the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing an example of the operation on the printer side. Command analysis of the print job is performed (# 121), and the type of printing is determined (# 122).

In the case of mail printing, bit map expansion for printing an image in a specified orientation (portrait or location) on a "landscape" paper of a designated size is performed (# 130) to identify the sender. The bin designated by the data is selected as the paper discharge destination (# 131), and the "horizontal" paper of the designated size is selected as the paper feed target (# 132). Then, the printing operation of discharging the requested printed material to the designated bin is performed (# 133).

In the case of normal printing and the number of prints is 1 (# 123), the image is printed in the specified orientation on the "landscape" paper of the specified size prior to the printing operation of step # 133. Bitmap development for (# 1
27), and select the bin b0 in the uppermost row as the discharge destination (# 1
28) Then, the specified size of "sideways" paper is selected as the paper feed target (# 129).

In the case of normal printing and the number of copies to be printed is two or more (# 123), prior to the printing operation of step # 133, the designated orientation is applied to the "vertical" paper of the designated size. Bitmap expansion for printing an image is performed (# 124), and a plurality of bins corresponding to the number of print copies are selected as paper ejection destinations from the upper side of the bin row (# 125), and the specified size of "portrait orientation" is set. The paper of "No." is selected as a paper feed target (# 126).

According to the data processing sharing between the host side and the printer side shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the load on the host side is small and the CPUs of the computers 11 to 13 are released quickly. Therefore, this form is suitable when the amount of control information added on the host side is large or when the processing capacity on the host side is low.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing another example of the operation on the host side. The printer driver U1 executes the same size / mode setting process as the above example (# 211),
The type of printing is checked (# 212).

In the case of mail printing, the identification data of the sender is acquired (# 212, # 214), the "horizontal" paper of the designated size is designated (# 220), and is assigned to the sender. Specify the existing bin as the paper discharge destination (# 22
1).

In the case of normal printing, first, the number of copies to be printed is acquired (# 212, # 213). If the number of prints is 1, specify "landscape" paper of the specified size (#
215, # 218), and the uppermost bin b0 is designated as the discharge destination (# 219). If the number of prints is 2 or more, specify "portrait" paper of the specified size (#
216), the number of bins required for sorting is selected from the upper side of the bin row and designated as the paper discharge destination (# 217).

After the paper and the bin are designated according to the type of printing and the number of copies, the print job data DJ in which the control information is added to the image information is created and sent to the print server (# 222, #). 223). The bin number of the information added to the print job data DJ is the bin designation information DC1 and corresponds to the control information relating to the bin designation in the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing another example of the operation on the printer side. Command analysis of the print job is performed (# 231), and bitmap expansion for printing the image in the designated orientation (portrait or location) on the designated orientation of the paper is performed (# 232). Select the bin specified by the bin number as the paper output destination (# 23
3) Select the designated paper as the paper feed target (# 2
34). Then, the printing operation of creating and discharging the requested printed matter is performed (# 235).

According to the data processing sharing between the host side and the printer side shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the printer 20
Since the printing can be performed according to the instruction from the host, it is possible to realize the function of switching the orientation of the sheet by using a general-purpose printer. That is, it is possible to facilitate the paper collection simply by upgrading the version of the existing printer driver incorporated in the computer.

In the above-described embodiment, the user may input the identification data of the sender, or the printer driver U1 may obtain it from the OS.
The form of mail printing is not limited to assigning a bin to a host as shown in the example, but it is also possible to assign a bin as a mailbox to a specific person such as a department such as a department or section, a department head, or a person in charge. it can. In that case,
A desired destination (distribution destination) is designated in each host. For example, the destination is input in step # 111 in the flowchart of FIG. 4 described above, and the input destination is set as the “destination setting” in the process of step # 114. Then, in step # 131 of the flowchart of FIG. 5, the bin corresponding to the destination may be selected.

[0033]

According to the invention of claim 1 or 2,
When a plurality of bins are used for both sorting and paper discharge for each recipient, collection of printed matter becomes easy.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, in the case of sorting, the work of collecting the printed matter from the plurality of bins can be efficiently performed.

[Brief description of drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a printer.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a relationship between a paper discharge direction and a paper direction.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of operation on the host side.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of operation on the printer side.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing another example of the operation on the host side.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing another example of the operation on the printer side.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 print system 20 printer (printing device) b1 to b10 bin DJ print job data P1, P3 first paper P2, P4 second paper DC1 bin designation information (control information relating to bin designation) DC3 other control information (image) Information for specifying the orientation of the paper) M1 Paper ejection direction

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Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A first device having a plurality of bins for discharging paper, and having the same size and different vertical and horizontal orientations as a paper feeding option.
And at the time of printing by the printing device loaded with the second paper, the control information regarding the designation of the bin and the control information for specifying the orientation of the image with respect to the paper are extracted from the print job data indicating the content of the print request to the printing device. , The image is printed on the first sheet in the orientation according to the control information for the print job of which the bin is not designated, and the second print job of the type for which the bin is designated.
A printing control method, wherein the printing device is controlled so that an image is printed on the sheet of paper in an orientation according to the control information. 2. The printing control method according to claim 1, wherein the first sheet used for the print job of the type that does not specify the bin has a longitudinal direction of the first sheet as a conveyance direction.