JPH08221227A - Network printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To eliminate the necessity of transmitting the data of a file for which printing is completed from a terminal again when the data is reprinted by copying the job that a file server finishes delivering to a printer server and storing the job in a history queue. CONSTITUTION: Printing request data is transmitted from a terminal 1 to a file server 3 and the file server 3 spools this data in the queue 5 for the printer 2 on a network. The file server 3 delivers the job for the printer 2 from the queue 5 to a printer server 4 in order. At this time, the file server 3 copies the job in a history queue 6. When a user wants to print the file for which printing was previously completed again, the job stored in the history queue 6 is designated. Thus, the job can be outputted to the printer 2 on the network without retransmitting data from a terminal 1.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a network printer device such as a LAN.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional network printer, a user transfers print data from a terminal to a file server and sequentially delivers print jobs from the file server to the printer server to execute printing. In addition, when printing the completed file again, the user retransmits the file from the terminal to the file server.
A device relating to this type is disclosed in JP-A-64
There are Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 36461/1993, Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 26405/1993, and the like.

[0003]

In the above-mentioned prior art, when the file which has been printed is printed again, the same printed matter is output from the printer unless the user sends the file to be printed again from the terminal to the file server. It had the drawback of not being able to. An object of the present invention is to improve such a problem, and when reprinting the data of a file that has already been printed, it is not necessary to send the data again from the terminal, and the data is sent for reprinting. It is an object of the present invention to provide a network printer device that enables efficient use of the terminal by releasing the terminal of the user during the period. In addition, the file server is provided with means (storage medium) for storing a fixed amount of jobs that have been delivered to the printer server, so that file data that has already been printed can be retransmitted from the printer without being retransmitted from the terminal to the printer queue. An object of the present invention is to enable the storage medium to be used efficiently when it has a printable configuration. further,
In the case of the above configuration, it is an object of the present invention to allow a user to perform processing such as copying, sorting, and deleting for his / her own job.

[0004]

In order to achieve the above object, a network printer device of the present invention manages a terminal (1 in FIG. 1) that outputs a print request on the network and a queue of the printer on the network. A file server (3 in FIG. 1) having means (6 in FIG. 1) for storing a fixed amount of jobs that have been delivered to the printer server, and a printer server (4 in FIG. 1) for delivering the job received from the queue to the printer. , A printer (2 in FIG. 1) that executes printing in accordance with the job is provided so that the user can reprint the data of the file for which printing has been completed from the terminal to the printer queue without retransmitting the data. The feature is that it is configured. Further, the file server is characterized in that it deletes jobs that have passed a certain time in a queue that stores a certain amount of jobs that have been delivered to the printer server. Further, the file server is characterized in that, in a queue that stores a fixed amount of jobs that have been delivered to the printer server, each processing (copying, sorting, deleting, etc.) is performed on the jobs in the queue.

[0005]

In the present invention, the file server copies the job that has been delivered to the printer server and stores it in the history queue in a certain amount. Therefore, when the user reprints the data of the file for which printing is completed first, You can reprint from a network printer without sending the data again. When the job is specified from the history queue, the ID number of the accumulated job is displayed on the display of the user terminal and specified, or the ID number is notified by mail and specified. Also, during this reprint, the user's terminal is released and can be used more efficiently. Further, since the job after a certain period of time has been deleted from the history queue, the capacity of the storage medium allocated to the history queue becomes smaller, and the storage medium can be used efficiently. In addition, display its history queue,
By giving the user a unique name corresponding to the job, for example, when there is no need for reprinting, the user can delete the unnecessary job by using the job name.

[0006]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a network system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The configuration of this embodiment includes a terminal 1 having a unit for outputting a print request on a certain network,
A printer 2 having means for performing print processing, and a file server 3 for queue management of the printer 2 on the network
A printer server 4 having means for passing a job received from the queue to the printer 2 to the printer 2, a queue 5 for the printer 2, and a queue for storing a fixed amount of jobs delivered to the printer server 4 (hereinafter referred to as a history queue). ) There is 6.

In this embodiment, first, as shown in FIG. 2, the user outputs a print request from the terminal 1 to the printer 2 on the network. The print request data from the terminal 1 is transmitted to the file server 3, and the file server 3 spools this in the queue 5 for the printer 2 on the network. The file server 3 sequentially delivers jobs to the printer 2 from the queue 5 to the printer server 4. At this time, the file server 3 also copies the job to the history queue 6. Jobs delivered to all other printers on the network are similarly copied to the history queue 6 and accumulated in order. This allows
When the user wants to print again the file for which printing has been completed first, by specifying the job stored in the history queue 6, the user can output the data from the terminal 1 to the printer 2 on the network without retransmitting the data. As a method for the user to specify the job from the history queue 6, a method of displaying the ID number of the job accumulated in the history queue 6 on the display to the user's terminal 1 or a method of notifying the job ID number by mail There is
The user designates a job from the history queue 6 by this ID number.

Next, another embodiment will be described. In the above embodiment, when the medium of the history queue 6 that stores a certain amount of jobs delivered to the printer server 4 is small, the medium itself cannot be stored if the certain amount of data is stored. . Therefore, in the present embodiment, the file server 3 adds information (for example, a time stamp) to the job accumulated in the history queue 6 so as to determine when the job is accumulated, and deletes the job after a certain time has passed. To configure.

Further, in the above embodiment, the printer server 4
In the history queue 6 that stores a fixed amount of jobs that have been handed over, there remains a problem that the user cannot perform each process for his or her job. Therefore, in this embodiment, when jobs are accumulated in the history queue 6, the file server 3 inputs a unique job name for this job to the user's terminal 1. That is, at the time of job accumulation, the job can be displayed on the display of the terminal 1 and the user can input the job name, and thereafter, the user can use the job name to perform each process (eg, copy, sort, delete). To

[0010]

According to the present invention, when the user reprints the data of the file for which printing has been completed first, the user can reprint from the network printer without sending the data again from the terminal. Also, this frees the user's terminal while sending data for reprinting, allowing more efficient use of the terminal. Further, by configuring such that a job that has passed a certain period of time is deleted from the history queue, the size of the capacity of the storage medium allocated to the history queue becomes smaller, and the storage medium can be used efficiently. Furthermore, by configuring the user to perform each process using the job name or the like, the user can delete the job by himself / herself when the need for reprinting is eliminated.

[Brief description of drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a sequence diagram showing an operation of the network system in the embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1: Terminal, 2: Printer, 3: File server, 4: Printer server, 5: Queue, 6: History queue.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A terminal for outputting a print request on a network, a file server for managing a queue of printers on the network, a printer server for passing a job of the queue to a printer, and a printer for executing printing according to the job. In the network printer device including the above, the file server is provided with means for storing a fixed amount of jobs that have been delivered to the printer server, and the job copied to the storage means is reprinted from the printer. A network printer device characterized by the above. 2. The network printer device according to claim 1, wherein the file server is provided with a unit for deleting a job which has passed a predetermined time among the jobs copied to the storage unit. 3. The network printer device according to claim 1, wherein the file server is provided with means for performing respective processes including copying, sorting, and deleting with respect to the job copied in the storage means.