JPH10232748A - Print system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To simplify selecting processing and to accelerate the print of printing job when plural image output devices, which can execute the printing job, are existent. SOLUTION: This system is provided with a 1st function for specifying any device satisfying the print conditions of printing job among plural image output devices 103, 105 and 106 linked to networks 100 and 104 when a print server 102 receives the printing job which does not designate any one of image output devices 103, 105 and 106, 2nd function for waiting the turn of printing execution in the queue of selectable image output devices in place of the printing job received by the print server 102, reporting transition to an execution enable state to the print server 102 at the time of such transition, generating a substitutive job to be extinguished by itself after the end of printing execution for plural devices and inputting such a job to the queue for each image output device, and 3rd function for sending print data only to the substitutive job first turned into execution enable state and canceling the other substitutive jobs.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method for issuing a proxy job of an actual print job to a device capable of printing based on print conditions when there are a plurality of image output devices capable of executing a print job. The present invention relates to a print system for printing and executing a job that can be executed first among proxy jobs.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a conventionally known print system, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-183109 is disclosed. In this printing system, the host computer keeps track of the estimated printing completion time for the unprocessed printers, and calculates the required printing time from the execution speed of each printer and the print data to be processed. The printer device that completes printing the earliest is selected from the required time and the estimated printing completion time of each printer device.

[0003]

However, in the conventional printing system as described above, the print completion prediction time for each printer device and the processing time required for newly transmitting data in each printer device are required. And a process of calculating the estimated completion time of each printer device is required, so that it takes time to select the most appropriate device from among a plurality of printer devices (image output devices) and becomes a print target. There is a problem that job processing becomes complicated.

The present invention has been made in view of the above, and when there are a plurality of image output apparatuses capable of executing a print job, the selection processing is simplified and the printing of the print job is performed. The purpose is to speed up the process.

[0005]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printer system, comprising: a terminal device for creating / saving print information in an information transmission path such as a network; In a print system in which a plurality of image output devices that execute processing and a print server that distributes a print job sent from the terminal device to the plurality of image output devices are connected, the print server includes the image output device. A first function of specifying a device that satisfies the printing conditions of the print job from a plurality of image output devices connected to the network when the device receives a print job for which no device is specified; Instead of a print job, the print execution queue is waited for in a selectable image output device queue. A second function of generating a plurality of proxy jobs which are notified to the print server and disappear by themselves after the execution of the printing, and put them into a queue for each of the image output apparatuses; A third function of sending print data only to a job and canceling another proxy job.

That is, when a print job for which an image output device is not specified is sent, the print server issues the substitute job according to claim 1 to all printable image output devices, and the print job is issued. Only the job that has transitioned to the print executable state earliest among the plurality of proxy jobs that have been printed is executed, and the other proxy jobs are canceled, so that even if there are multiple image output devices, the optimal device can be used. Since the selection can be made relatively easily, the printing process can be started quickly in the system, and even if a failure occurs in the device, special error handling can be performed if it can be executed by another device. Printing can be performed without performing.

Further, in the printer system according to the second aspect, instead of the print server canceling a job other than the executed proxy job, the respective proxy jobs can be executed. In this case, if the actual print job has been started after execution, the print job itself disappears.

That is, by transferring the life cycle progress to a proxy job after entering the print queue of the image output apparatus, the function can be separated from the print system, and a simpler system is constructed.

Further, in the printer system according to the third aspect, instead of the print server canceling a job other than the job to be executed, the print job is executed by another proxy job during standby. When they are started, they disappear by themselves.

That is, by canceling the substitute job itself during standby, even if there is a subsequent job waiting to be executed in the print queue, it is possible to eliminate the overhead for that job.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the printer system, instead of the print server canceling a job other than the executed proxy job, the proxy job performing printing is replaced with another proxy job. This is to cancel the job.

That is, since the proxy job to be executed cancels another proxy job, it is not necessary for each proxy job to know the progress of the other proxy job.

Further, in the printer system according to the fifth aspect, instead of providing a queue for each image output device, the print server has a queue for each image output device.

That is, by providing a print queue for each image output device in the print server, the management of the proxy job can be performed more easily.

In a printer system according to a sixth aspect of the present invention, a terminal device for creating / saving print information in an information transmission path such as a network, a plurality of image output devices for executing print processing, In a print system connected to a print server that distributes a print job sent from a device to the plurality of image output devices, the image output device saves the print job sent from the print server and sequentially prints the print job. A print system, wherein the print server comprises:
A first function of specifying a device that satisfies the printing conditions of the print job from a plurality of image output devices connected to the network when the image output device receives a print job that is not specified; If there is no suitable image output device, and if it is possible to satisfy the printing conditions by using a plurality of image output devices or by dividing and executing a plurality of printing processes, use the printing process. As many print jobs as possible are queued in a selectable image output device queue instead of a print job.
A proxy job that notifies the print server when the state changes to the executable state and repeats the operation of making the print job exist even when printing is completed until the print job condition is satisfied is generated and stored in the queue for each image output device. The second function to be input and the print data that can be executed by the image output device are sequentially sent to the substitute job in the executable state, and when the print condition is satisfied, the substitute job in standby is canceled and And a third function for notifying the executing proxy job that the printing conditions have been satisfied.

That is, as in the case of printing a large number of copies, 1
Even if a job that cannot be executed by one image output device is issued, the print condition of the job can be satisfied by dividing the print job to be executed by a plurality of image output devices. By executing the proxy job as much as it can process, the system does not need to determine which image output device and which image output device to output, and how many print jobs to divide. The quickest print processing can be executed.

[0017]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a printing system according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(System Configuration) FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a print system according to the present invention. This print system is a network 1 such as a LAN.
On the other hand, a terminal device 101 such as a personal computer or a workstation for transmitting image information and image information (print job) sent from the terminal device 101 are received, and appropriate information is printed based on printing conditions included in the print job. Print server 1 that distributes print jobs to various image output devices
02, the image output device 103a and the image output device 10
3b are connected to the plurality of image output devices 103.
Further, the image output device 105a and the image output device 105 are connected to the print server 102 via the network 104.
b, a plurality of image output devices 105 are connected, and an image output device 106 is independently connected.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the image output devices 103, 105 and 106. The queue 201 stores print jobs in the order received and the image output unit 20.
2 is provided.

[Embodiment] Next, each embodiment will be described based on the above configuration. In these embodiments, it is assumed that the image output device has each function as shown in Table 1, for example.

[Table 1]

[Embodiment 1] In this embodiment 1,
The operation when the image output device is not specified in the printing conditions and a print job pj1 with the printing conditions as shown in Table 2 is issued from the terminal device 101 will be described below with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. explain.

[Table 2]

In the flowchart of FIG. 4, first, a print job is issued from the terminal device 101, and it is determined whether the print server 102 has received the print job (S401). If it is determined that the print job has been received, the print server 102 refers to the output conditions of the job and determines whether an image output device has been designated (S402).

If it is determined in step S402 that no device is designated, the print server 102 checks the devices 103, 105, and 106 on the networks 100 and 104 for devices that satisfy the job printing conditions (S403). ), It is determined whether there are a plurality of selectable devices (S404). If there are not a plurality of selectable devices (there is only one), the print job is placed in the print queue of the corresponding device. That is, a job of an executable device is input (S405).

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S402 that an apparatus has been designated,
405 is executed. Also, the above step S404
If the print server 102 determines that there are a plurality of selectable devices, the print server 102 generates proxy jobs for the selectable devices and enters them into the print queue of each selectable device (S406).

The proxy job waits for processing in each print queue, and when it becomes executable, the print server 102
Requests data. And print server 1
02 becomes executable first, and sends data to the proxy job that made the data request (S407) and cancels other proxy jobs (S408).

A more specific description will now be given. For example, the executable devices in the above are the devices A and C in Table 1. Therefore, in the example of the state of the print queue shown in FIG. 3, the print server 102 generates two substitute jobs pjob-1a and pjob-1c and submits them to the print queues A and C, respectively. This proxy job pj
Ob-1a and pjob-1c wait in each print queue until they become executable.

Now, assuming that the proxy job pjob-1c becomes executable, the proxy job pjob-1c requests the print server 102 for data (output conditions, print data, etc.) necessary for printing. Print server 10
2 is a proxy job pjob-1c which has become executable first
To the proxy job pjob-1
a is canceled (deleted from the print queue A).

Therefore, by the above processing, a print job for which no device is specified is executed by the first executable device. In this embodiment, an example in which each device includes a print queue has been described. However, the same applies to a configuration in which the print server 102 has a queue for each device.

[Embodiment 2] In this embodiment 2,
The method of canceling a substitute job will be described.
That is, in the first embodiment, the print server 10
Second, the proxy job has a function of canceling a proxy job other than the first executable proxy job.

This is because each proxy job checks whether or not the print job has already started to execute, and if it has started, disappears itself (cases (1) and (2) below); There is a case where the printing job becomes the printing ready state first and the proxy job that has started executing the printing job cancels another proxy job (case (3) below). Hereinafter, each case (1), (2), and (3) will be described.

Case (1): When Each Proxy Job Disappears When Print Executable State The proxy job waiting in the print queue is required to print to the print server 102 when it enters the print executable state. Requesting accurate data. At this time, the print server 10
If a value indicating that printing execution has already been started by another proxy job is returned from 2, the proxy job disappears by itself.

Case (2): When the print job itself disappears during standby It is inquired whether or not the print job has been started at a certain interval while waiting in the print queue. At this time, if the print server 102 returns a value indicating that printing has already been started by another proxy job, the proxy job disappears by itself.

Case (3): When a proxy job performing printing cancels another proxy job The proxy job that is first in a printable state receives print data from the print server 102. At this time, the fact that "printing started" is notified to the other proxy job, and the other proxy job is cancelled.

[Embodiment 3] Here, a case where a print server having a printing function for a large number of copies is used will be described. That is, the operation when the terminal device 101 issues a print job pj2 as shown in Table 2 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

In the flowchart of FIG. 5, first, a print job is issued from the terminal device 101, and it is determined whether or not the print server 102 has received the print job (S501). If it is determined that the print job has been received, the print server 102 refers to the output conditions of the job and determines whether an image output apparatus has been designated (S502).

If it is determined in step S502 that an apparatus has not been specified, the print server 102 checks the apparatuses 103, 105, and 106 on the networks 100 and 104 for an apparatus that satisfies the job printing conditions (S503). ), It is determined whether there is a selectable device (S504). If there is a device that can be selected here, or if the device has been designated in step S502,
The print job is input to the print queue of the corresponding device, and is processed there (S505).

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S506 that there is no selectable device, it is determined whether or not the device can be executed by further dividing (S506). That is, as in the case of printing a large number of copies,
It is determined whether it is possible to satisfy the printing conditions by dividing the number of times even for one device. If the print server 102 determines that the job can be executed if the job is divided, the print server 102 generates proxy jobs for the selectable devices and enters them into the print queues of the selectable devices (S507). Here, the device that can be selected is a device that satisfies printing conditions other than the conditions that can be satisfied by division.

Next, it is determined whether or not the substitute job is in an executable state (S508). In other words, the proxy job waits for processing in each print queue, and determines whether the job is executable. When it becomes executable here, it requests data from the print server 102. The print server 102 determines, among the printing conditions included in the print job,
A print condition for the executable proxy job is generated, and the data is passed (S509). Then, the printing conditions are changed (S510). Subsequently, it is determined whether or not the printing condition is satisfied (S511). If it is determined that the printing condition is not satisfied, the process returns to step S508, and the above operation is repeatedly performed until the printing condition is satisfied.

If it is determined in step S511 that the printing conditions are satisfied, the waiting substitute job is canceled (S512). In addition, for the proxy job that is performing printing, the fact that the printing conditions are satisfied is notified (S51).
3), end these series of operations. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S506 that the print job cannot be executed even if the print job is divided, the print requesting terminal is notified (S5).
14), these series of operations are completed.

As described above, in the above description, the executing proxy job knows that the print job is to be divided and executed, and does not return a notification indicating that the printing conditions are satisfied even after the printing is completed. We request the print server 102 for the next print data. When the notification of “satisfaction of printing conditions” is received, the message disappears after printing is completed.

In this embodiment, of the printing conditions,
Although there is no apparatus that can satisfy “19 copies” at a time, it can be satisfied by dividing the conditions. Since the selectable devices are the device A and the device C, the print server 102 transmits the two substitute jobs pjob-2a and pjo
b-2c is generated and input to the print queues A and C, respectively. These proxy jobs pjob-2a, pjob-
2c waits until it becomes executable in each print queue.

Now, assuming that the proxy job pjob-2a becomes executable, the proxy job pjob-2a requests the print server 102 for data (output conditions, print data, etc.) necessary for printing. Print server 10
Reference numeral 2 changes the number of copies in the printing conditions to "5 copies" executable by the image output apparatus, and passes the data and a notification that the printing is being divided to the proxy job pjob-2a. Also, the remaining number of print copies is changed to “14 copies”. Next, the proxy job pjo
Assuming that b-2c is in the executable state, the print server 102 sets the print condition to “10 copies”, passes it to the proxy job pjob-2c, and changes the remaining number of copies to “4 copies”.

Next, it is assumed that the proxy job pjob-2a has finished printing "number of copies: 5 copies". Proxy job pjo
In b-2a, since the print job is being divided and printed,
It requests data from the print server 102. This time, the print server 102 creates data of “number of copies: 4” and passes it to the proxy job pjob-2a. Here, since the print condition “19 copies” is satisfied, the print server 10
2 is a proxy job pjob-2a, pjob during printing
-2c is notified of "satisfaction of printing conditions".

Although not present in this embodiment,
If there are still waiting jobs,
Cancel this. After that, the proxy job pjob-
Since 2a and pjob-2c have been notified of "satisfaction of printing conditions", they disappear after each printing is completed. Therefore,
Through the above processing, a large number of print jobs can be divided and executed by a plurality of image output apparatuses.

[0045]

As described above, according to the print system according to the present invention (claim 1), when a print job for which an image output device is not specified is sent, the print server is configured as described in claim 1. The described proxy job is issued to all printable image output devices, and only the job that has transitioned to the print executable state earliest among the plurality of issued proxy jobs is printed and executed. By canceling, even if there are a plurality of image output devices, the most suitable one can be selected relatively easily, so that a quick print processing in the system can be started. Even if a failure occurs, if it can be executed on another device, no special error handling is performed.
Printing can be performed.

Further, according to the printing system of the present invention (claim 2), after entering the print queue of the image output device, the life cycle progress is delegated to the proxy job, thereby separating the function from the printing system. Therefore, it is possible to realize a simpler system construction.

According to the printing system of the present invention, the substitute job itself is canceled during the standby, so that even if a subsequent job waiting to be executed exists in the print queue, the overhead for the job is canceled. Can be eliminated.

According to the printing system of the present invention, since the proxy job to be executed cancels another proxy job, each proxy job needs to know the progress of the other proxy job. Disappears.

Further, according to the print system of the present invention, since a print queue for each image output device is provided in the print server, the management of the proxy job can be performed more easily.

Further, according to the printing system of the present invention, even if a job which cannot be executed by one image output apparatus is issued, such as a case of printing a large number of copies, the corresponding printing is performed. Since the job is divided so as to be executed by a plurality of image output devices, the printing conditions of the job can be satisfied. In addition, since the substitute job is executed for each process that can be processed, the system determines which image output device and It is not necessary to make a determination such as outputting to the image output device or dividing the print job into several parts, and finally the quickest print processing can be executed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the image output device in FIG.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a state of a print queue.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an operation process according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an operation process according to the third embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 100, 104 Network 101 Terminal Device 102 Print Server 103, 105, 106 Image Output Device 201 Queue 202 Image Output Unit

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A terminal device that creates / stores print information in an information transmission path such as a network, a plurality of image output devices that execute print processing, and a print job that is sent from the terminal device. In a print system in which a print server for delivering to an image output device is connected, when the print server receives a print job for which the image output device is not specified, a plurality of image outputs connected to the network are output. A first function of specifying a device that satisfies the printing conditions of the print job from the device; Notify the print server when the status changes, and create a plurality of proxy jobs that disappear by themselves after printing is completed. A second function of inputting a queue to each image output apparatus and a third function of sending print data only to the proxy job which is in an executable state first and canceling another proxy job. A printing system characterized by the following. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the proxy server cancels a job other than the job to be executed, instead of canceling the job.
2. The print system according to claim 1, wherein the actual print job disappears after the start of execution. 3. The print server according to claim 2, wherein the proxy server cancels the job other than the job to be executed, instead of canceling the job by the print server, when the print execution is started by another proxy job during standby. The print system according to claim 1, wherein: 4. The printing method according to claim 1, wherein the proxy server cancels the job other than the job to be executed by the print server, instead of the print server canceling the job. The printing system according to 1. 5. The print system according to claim 1, wherein the print server has a queue for each image output device, instead of providing a queue for each image output device. 6. A terminal device that creates / stores print information in an information transmission path such as a network, a plurality of image output devices that execute print processing, and a print job that is sent from the terminal device. A print system in which a print server connected to an image output device is connected, wherein the image output device stores a print job sent from the print server and has a mechanism capable of sequentially performing print processing. Receiving, from the plurality of image output devices connected to the network, a device that satisfies the printing conditions of the print job when the print server receives a print job for which the image output device is not specified. (1) The function and the case where there is no executable image output device, and the use of a plurality of image output devices or the use of a plurality of If the print conditions can be satisfied by dividing the print processing into print processing and executing the print processing, the print execution is performed in a selectable image output device queue in place of the print job by the number of print jobs that can be used. Generates a proxy job that notifies the print server when waiting for a turn and transitions to the executable state, and repeats the operation of making the print job exist until the conditions of the print job are satisfied even when printing is completed. A second function of inputting a queue to each device, and sequentially sending print data of an amount executable by the image output device to the proxy job in an executable state, and a standby proxy when a printing condition is satisfied. A third function of canceling the job and notifying the running proxy job that the printing conditions have been satisfied;
A print system comprising: