JPH1040038A - Network printing system with preview function - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To apply this system to a printing processing and also to a field except printing on paper by transmitting intermediate data to a data communication network, converting the received intermediate data into printing data depending on a command system, and enabling the preview display of the intermediate data. SOLUTION: An intermediate data transmitting part 113 transfers intermediate data generated from an exclusive application library 112 to a data communication mechanism 114. The data communication mechanism 114 transmits communication information to a data communication network 102 for the destination of transmission designated by the intermediate data transmitting part 113. The communication information transmitted through the data communication network 102 is received by an intermediate data receiving part 121 of a print server 103, and stored in a spool area 106. Then, a printing processing part 124 which receives a printing request reads the intermediate data from the spool area 106, converts the data into a command system depending on a printer 104, and outputs the data through a printing processing mechanism 125 to the printer 104.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a network printing system with a preview function, and more particularly to a remote printing system for sending print data from a client terminal to a remote print server through a data communication network and executing printing. .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in this type of printing mechanism, print data is created at a client terminal that executes print processing, and the print data is transmitted to a print server through a data communication network. The printing process is executed.

[0003]

In a general print server, it is possible to confirm a print request from any time and from any place, but it is not possible to confirm a print content.

[0004] In addition, there is a demand for a so-called paperless operation in which the print content is confirmed not by a printed matter but by an electronic mail or the like. In the conventional printing method, print data created by a client terminal is transmitted by a printer command. , The data reusability is low, and it is difficult to meet the demand.

[0005]

According to the present invention, a dedicated application library for printing is prepared. The application program issues a print command via a dedicated application library. The instructions issued through the dedicated application library are converted into a dedicated application intermediate data format and transmitted to the data communication network.

On the other hand, the print server can freely check the display of the print image by preparing an application program that develops bitmap information from the intermediate data into a print image and displays a preview.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of a printing apparatus according to the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 101 denotes an instruction terminal computer (client terminal) that executes a printing process. The instruction terminal computer 101 has a print application program 111 for performing print processing.

[0008] Print application program 111
Includes a dedicated application library 112 for printing according to the present invention, and it is necessary to perform print processing in accordance with a procedure determined by the dedicated application library 112.

FIG. 2 shows the print application program 111 and the dedicated application library 1 shown in FIG.
12 is a block flow of a twelfth embodiment. Printing application
The program 111 sets a function parameter in the function parameter setting unit 211 and calls the function 221 in the function calling unit 212 to call the function 221 in the dedicated application library 112.

[0010] Dedicated application library 111
Is composed of a plurality of functions 221. The print application program calls a function 221 according to the purpose, such as changing a character font or setting a line feed width. In the function 221, the parameter analysis unit 222 performs parameter analysis, and the intermediate data conversion unit 223 converts the data into intermediate data having the format 301 in FIG. The converted data is passed to the intermediate data transmission unit 113 in FIG.

FIG. 3 shows a data format of the intermediate data, which is called an intermediate code. 311 and 314 are
Character codes that do not mix with character data are assigned with codes indicating the start and end of the control command, respectively. 312
Is a command type indicating the type of control to be performed, and the function category 313 is collectively called a control command.

FIG. 4 is a table showing typical control commands in the form of the intermediate code 301 in FIG. Reference numeral 401 corresponds to 312 in FIG. 3, and the example of 402 corresponds to 313.
A column 403 shows an example of a specific control sequence, and corresponds to 302 in FIG.

The intermediate data transmission unit 113 shown in FIG. 1 passes the intermediate data generated from the dedicated application library 112 to the data communication mechanism 114. Reference numeral 114 denotes a general data communication mechanism. The data communication mechanism 114 is usually realized as a function of a network operating system.

If the 113 is made to correspond according to the communication procedure of 114, various communication means can be used. 114 is 113
The communication information is transmitted to the data communication network 102 to the transmission destination (printing destination) specified by (1). 11
By setting a plurality of transmission destinations, transmission to a plurality of print servers can be realized at the same time.

Reference numeral 103 in FIG. 1 denotes a processing terminal computer (print server) for performing printing. Communication information passing through the data communication network 102 is transmitted to the intermediate data receiving unit 12.
1 and stored in the spool area 106 in the format of FIG. Note that the file device 106 is assumed to be a file device on a magnetic disk, but may be an area in a main storage device or an electronic disk device.

FIG. 5 shows the format of the intermediate data stored in 106. 510 is a sequence number, 5
11 is the terminal name of the transmission source 101, 512 is the reception end time,
513 is the size of the received information, and 514 is the received information. Reference numeral 514 denotes data composed of an intermediate code having the format of 301 in FIG. 3 and ordinary characters, and is referred to as intermediate data.

The intermediate data management unit 122 in FIG. 1 manages the intermediate data stored in the spool area 106. The intermediate data management unit 122 includes information on the intermediate data stored in the spool area 106, a management number (sequence number) 510, a source terminal name 511, and a reception end time 51 in FIG.
2, and the size 513 of the intermediate data is displayed on the display 10.
5 is displayed to inform the user of the current spool status.

Further, the intermediate data management unit 122 receives a user's input instruction from the keyboard 107 and gives the user a print function (corresponding to the print processing unit 124) and a print confirmation function (corresponding to the print confirmation display unit 123). I will provide a.

When the user is displayed on the intermediate data management unit 122 to execute printing, the management number 510 is added to the print processing unit 124.
To send a print request. Upon receiving the print request, the print processing unit 124 reads the intermediate data from the spool area 106, converts the intermediate data into a command system depending on the printer 104, and
Output to 4. Note that the print processing mechanism 125 is a general print processing mechanism that is provided as a standard feature in an operating system.

On the other hand, when the user instruction to the intermediate data management unit 122 is a preview display, the information of the management number 510 in FIG. Upon receiving this confirmation display request, the print confirmation display unit 123
Reads the intermediate data from the spool area 106, converts it into image information, and displays it on the display 105 so that the user can confirm the print image.

The display 105 is assumed to be a display capable of displaying a bit map. By changing the print confirmation display unit 123, it is possible to cope with a display that cannot express information such as fonts but can only display characters.

Further, by changing the display 105, it is possible to utilize information such as sending an e-mail after converting to character data and saving a file after converting to a bitmap image.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the control procedure of 124 in FIG. 1, and S601 to S623 represent each step. First, in S601, the spool area 10 in FIG.
6 to read one character of intermediate data. It is determined whether or not the character data read in S602 is a code indicating the start of a control command. If they do not match, it is determined that the character is a normal character, and the flow advances to S604 to print the read character in S631.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S602 that the control command has started, in step S611, characters following the code indicating the end of the control command are read from the spool area 106 in FIG. The read control command has a meaning like 403 in FIG. 4, and is converted into a printer command depending on the printer command system in S612 for printer control.

In S612, various printers can be supported by preparing a plurality of conversion tables for associating the control commands with the printer commands. S612
The printer command converted in is controlled by the printer in the print execution process of S621, and the process proceeds to S622. S6
At 22, it is determined whether all the intermediate data has been read. If the reading has not been completed, the process proceeds to S601, and the reading process is continued.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S622 that all the intermediate data has been read, the flow advances to step S623 to execute FIG.
In step 106, the printed intermediate data is deleted from the spool area 106, and the processing ends.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the control procedure of 123 in FIG. 1, and S701 to S733 represent each step. First, in S701, the spool area 10 in FIG.
6 to read one character of intermediate data. It is determined whether the read character data is a code indicating the start of a control command in S702, and if they do not match, it is determined that the character is a normal character, and the flow advances to S704 to convert the read character into character information in S731. Then, the image information is stored in S732.

On the other hand, if it is determined in S702 that the control command has started, in S711, the spool command in FIG.
6 and then proceeds to S712. In S712, the read control command is in the range of 412 in FIG. It is determined whether the command is a control command. If it is determined that the command is the control command, the control content of the control command is image-converted in S713, and the flow advances to S732.

On the other hand, if it is determined in S712 that the received command is not the control command, the flow advances to S721. In S721, whether the read control command is a character type changing command in the range of 411 in FIG.
It is determined whether or not the command is a paper control system command. S7
If it is determined in S21 that the command is a character type change command, the flow advances to S722 to change the conversion font of the character processed in S731, and the flow advances to S733.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S721 that the command is not a character type change command, it is determined that the command is a paper control command indicated by reference numeral 413 in FIG. Proceed to. S
At 733, it is determined whether all the intermediate data has been read. If the reading has not been completed, the process proceeds to S701, and the reading process is continued.

On the other hand, if it is determined in S733 that all the intermediate data has been read, the flow advances to S734 to proceed to S734.
The image data created in step 32 is displayed on the screen, and the process ends.

[0032]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Use of a dedicated application library limits the scope of use.However, print data that passes through the data communication network is intermediate data, so data handling is easier and information using e-mail can be used. It can be applied to fields other than printing and printing on paper, such as utilization.

Further, since the print contents can be confirmed by the print server, useless printing can be suppressed, and a print request can be issued to a plurality of print servers at the same time.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic functional configuration of a printing mechanism according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic functional configuration of a print application program and a dedicated application library according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a data format of an intermediate code according to the embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a specific example of the data format of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a diagram exemplifying a management data format of an intermediate code in the present embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a printing process according to the embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a print confirmation process according to the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 101 Instruction Terminal Computer 102 Data Communication Network 103 Processing Terminal Computer 104 Printer 105 Display 106 Spool Area 107 Keyboard 111 Printing Application Program 112 Dedicated Application Library 113 Intermediate Data Transmitting Unit 114 Data Communication Mechanism 120 Data Communication Mechanism 121 Intermediate Data Receiving Unit 122 Intermediate data management unit 123 Print confirmation display unit 124 Print processing unit 125 Print processing mechanism 211 Function parameter setting unit 212 Function calling unit 221 Library function 222 Parameter analysis unit 223 Intermediate data conversion unit

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A data communication network which analyzes data input from data input means for inputting data relating to printing, converts the data into intermediate data which is converted into unified intermediate data independent of a command system, and converts the intermediate data into a data communication network. A network printing system with a preview function, which converts received intermediate data into print data depending on a command system and enables preview display of the received intermediate data. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate data is obtained by performing a parameter analysis of a predetermined function in a dedicated application library including a plurality of functions and converting data passed from an application program. The network printing system with a preview function according to claim 1, wherein: 3. The preview according to claim 2, wherein the application program sets a function parameter, and then calls a function according to a printing purpose, such as changing a character font and setting a line feed width. Network printing system with functions.