JPH08228254A - Digital composite machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To enhance the operability and the job efficiency in the case of print processing by allowing the digital composite machine to directly read and print out data of a work station or the like. CONSTITUTION: When a composite machine 4a connecting to a network 1 prints out data of a work station, an operation management section 52 of the composite machine 4a selects a work station designated by an operation section 43 to send the transfer request of designated data. A data processing section 53 spools the data transferred based on this request. The operation management section 52 displays the spooled transfer data on a display section 44 to make the content of the transferred data clear. The transfer data are printed out by a command from the operation section 43.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a digital multifunction machine having a copy function, a facsimile function, a printer function and a scanner function, which is connected to a work station and a network to which a personal computer or the like is connected. It is about improvement.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A computer which is connected to a work station or a network to which a personal computer or the like is connected and which is used for printing or copying the data or the like of an original created by the work station or the like. -A digital multi-function peripheral having a function, a facsimile function, a printer function and a scanner function is used. When printing the data of a document created by a workstation, etc. with this digital multi-function peripheral, the operator first operates the operating section of the digital multi-function peripheral to change the operation mode to the print mode. After setting, set various conditions. After that, the operator inputs a print request at a predetermined workstation or the like and transfers the data to be printed to the digital multi-function peripheral. The digital multi-function peripheral prints the transferred data.
When the printing of the transferred data is completed, the operator takes out the printed matter and then releases the operation mode of the digital multi-function peripheral from the print mode.

[0003]

When printing the data of the original created by the workstation or the like by the digital multi-function peripheral connected to the network as described above, the workstation or the like is used. It is necessary to know in advance the device configuration of the digital multi-function peripheral connected to the network, for example, the paper size and amount of paper in the paper feed tray, the state of the sorter, and the functions. In addition, the operation of the digital multi-function peripheral connected to the network is different from that when it is used as a stand-alone type. For this reason, when an operator such as a work station prints an original or the like, he or she goes to the digital multi-function peripheral every time to check the paper size of the paper feed tray and then the operation mode. It was necessary to set the print mode. After setting in this print mode, it was necessary to return to the workstation, issue a print request by the workstation, etc., and then return to the digital multi-function peripheral to collect the printed matter. For this reason, the operator
There was a disadvantage that time wasted because it had to go back and forth between the digital camera and the digital camera.

Further, when an operator such as a work station prints an original or the like, it is necessary to go to the digital multi-function peripheral and set the operation mode to the print mode each time. Therefore, it is not possible to prioritize and request the output time and output location of the printed matter, and in some cases, the digital multi-function peripheral installed at the closest position cannot be used. In such a case, a digital multi-function peripheral installed far from the workstation used by the operator must be used, and the operator's burden becomes heavier.

Further, after the print mode is set in the digital multi-function peripheral, the process returns to the work station or the like, and the print request is issued in the work station or the like to start the printing and then to return to the digital multi-function peripheral. However, the data transferred to the digital multi-function peripheral cannot be confirmed in advance before printing, and in some cases, data different from desired data may be printed. In such a case, it is necessary to return to the work station or the like again to check the data to be printed and make a print request, and it is necessary to make multiple round trips between the work station and the digital multi-function peripheral. there were.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above drawbacks, and an object of the invention is to obtain a digital multi-function peripheral capable of directly reading out data such as workstation and printing it by the digital multi-function peripheral. It is what

[0007]

A digital multi-function peripheral according to the present invention has a copy function, a facsimile function, a printer function and a scanner function when connected to a network to which a workstation and a personal computer are connected. In the digital multi-function peripheral, the operation management unit that sends a data transfer request to the workstation specified by the operation unit or the personal computer via the network, and the transferred data.
It is characterized by having a data processing unit for spooling data.

It is desirable that the operation management section displays the transfer data spooled by the data processing section on the display section. Further, the transfer data spooled by the data processing unit is printed.

[0009]

According to the present invention, when printing data such as workstations connected to the network and connected to the network by the digital multi-function peripheral, the operation management unit is operated from the operation unit. A specified workstation or the like is selected and a transfer request for the specified data is sent out. The data transferred by this request is spooled by the data processing unit. Further, the operation management section displays the spooled transfer data on the display section to clarify the content of the transferred data. The spooled transfer data is printed and output according to an instruction from the operation unit.

[0010]

1 is a connection diagram showing a device connected to a network according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure,
The network 1 has a plurality of workstations (hereinafter,
WSs 2a and 2b, personal computers (hereinafter referred to as PCs) 3a and 3b, and digital multi-function peripherals (hereinafter referred to as multi-function peripherals) 4a and 4b are connected. The multi-function peripherals 4a and 4b have a copy function, a facsimile function, a printer function and a scanner function, and as shown in the block diagram of FIG. 2, store a CPU 41 for managing the entire apparatus and various control programs and data. Memory 42, operation unit 43, display unit 4
4, a scanner unit 45, a printer unit 46, a facsimile unit 47, a database management unit 48, a job management unit 49, a service management unit 50, a device management unit 51, an operation management unit 52, data. It has a processing unit 53 and a communication control unit 54.

The data base management unit 48 manages, accesses and saves fonts, forms, read images, facsimile reception data, usage history data and the like. When the job management unit 49 is executed by a plurality of services and devices designated by a user of the WS 2a, 2b or PS 3a, 3b, the job management unit 49 performs status management, completion report, etc. by using them as one unit. . Service management unit 50
Is the management of various services such as copy service, facsimile service, printer service and scanner service.
Performs execution, notification of completion, and status management. Device management unit 51
Manages, accesses, and uses various physical devices.
Performs state management and attribute management. Operation management unit 52
Has the input information of the operation unit 43, manages the display information of the display unit 44, and outputs the input information to the WS 2a, 2b and the PS 3a, 3
WS2 specified in the operation unit 43 while being output to b
A data transfer request is sent to the a, 2b and PS 3a, 3b via the network 1. The data processing unit 53 is WS2.
The data transferred from a, 2b or PS3a, 3b is spooled. Further, the operation management unit 52 displays the content of the data spooled by the data processing unit 53 on the display unit 44. The communication control unit 54 controls communication with the network 1.

The multifunction machine 4a having the above-described structure is used to perform WS.
The operation of printing the data of the original created in 2a will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

The user of WS2a uses the multifunction machine 4a to execute WS2a
When printing the data, the user goes to the installation place of the multi-function peripheral 4a, operates the operation unit 43 of the multi-function peripheral 4a to specify the WS 2a, and inputs a data list acquisition request. The operation management unit 52 of the multi-function peripheral 4a selects the designated WS2a, and sends a transfer request for the data list stored in the WS2a to the communication control unit 54. The communication control unit 54 sends the data list transfer request sent to the WS 2 via the network 1.
transfer to a. When the WS 2a receives the data list transfer request, the network 1 stores the stored data list.
To the multifunction peripheral 4a. Operation of multifunction device 4a
The option management unit 52 displays the data list transferred from the WS 2a on the display unit 44. The user of the WS 2a confirms this display, selects the required data, and inputs the required data number and data transfer request from the operation unit 44. The operation management unit 52 transfers the input data number specifying the data number to the WS 2 a via the communication control unit 54. When the WS 2a receives the data transfer request, it reads the data specified by the data transfer request and transfers it to the multifunction peripheral 4a via the network 1. The data processing unit 53 of the multi-function peripheral 4a spools the transferred data.

When a transfer data display request is input from the operation unit 44 in this state, the operation management unit 52 displays the transfer data spooled by the data processing unit 53 on the display unit 4.
Display in 4. The user of WS2a displays this displayed data
The contents of the data are confirmed, and if the data is the desired data, the data is specified from the operation unit 43 and the print request is input. When a print request is input, the operation management unit 52 sends a print command to the service management unit 49. Service Management Department 4
9 receives the print command, the displayed transfer data is displayed and specified.
Data to the printer unit 46 and execute printing. If the displayed data is not the desired data, WS
The user 2a again inputs a transfer request for the data list and repeats the above processing.

As described above, when the user of the WS 2a prints the data stored in the WS 2a by the multifunction device 4a, the data stored in the WS 2a is simply operated by operating the operation unit 44 of the multifunction device 4a. Since the data can be read out and transferred and the transferred data can be directly confirmed by the multifunction peripheral 4a, the data stored in the WS 2a can be printed easily and accurately. .

In the above embodiment, the case where the data stored in the WS 2a is printed by the multi-function peripheral 4a has been described, but other services such as the facsimile transmission of the data stored in the WS 2a. Can be similarly executed by the multifunction peripheral 4a.

In addition, since the multifunction peripheral 4a itself requests data transfer from the WS 2a and the like and inputs various processing requests, the device configuration of the multifunction peripheral 4a, for example, the paper size and the amount of paper in the paper feed tray, It is possible to input a processing request while grasping the status and functions of the sorter, and to accurately perform a predetermined processing such as printing. Further, since the multifunction peripheral 4a itself inputs a processing request for printing or the like, it is possible to arbitrarily set the priority of processing, and each WS 2a, 2b or PS 3a, 3 can be set.
It is possible to perform a process such as printing by selecting the multifunction peripheral closest to b.

[0018]

As described above, according to the present invention, when printing data such as workstations connected to the network and connected to the network by the digital multifunction machine, the digital multifunction machine is used. Select the workstation etc. specified by to send the transfer request for the specified data,
Since the desired data is transferred to the digital multi-function peripheral, the data stored in the workstation can be printed only by the digital multi-function peripheral.

Further, since the contents of the transferred data are displayed on the digital multi-function peripheral, it is possible to surely confirm whether or not the data is necessary.

Further, it is possible to prevent the printing of wrong data because the displayed and confirmed data is printed, and it is possible to always obtain the desired data.

In addition, the digital multi-function peripheral itself works as a workstation.
Since the data such as the application is directly read and printed, the operation of the printing process can be simplified and the time required for printing by the user such as the workstation can be shortened.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a connection diagram showing devices connected to a network according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a multifunction peripheral according to the above embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the above embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Network 2 Work Station (WS) 3 Personal Computer (PC) 4 Multifunction Machine 41 CPU 43 Operation Section 44 Display Section 50 Service Management Section 52 Operation Management Section 53 Data Processing Section

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A digital multi-function peripheral having a copy function, a facsimile function, a printer function and a scanner function, which is connected to a work station and a network to which a personal computer or the like is connected, and a work station designated from an operation section. −
A digital composite having an operation management section for sending out a data transfer request to an application or a personal computer via a network, and a data processing section for spooling the transferred data. Machine. 2. The digital multi-function peripheral according to claim 1, wherein the operation management section causes the display section to display the transfer data spooled by the data processing section. 3. The digital multi-function peripheral according to claim 1, wherein the transfer data spooled by the data processing unit is printed.