JPS61196326A - Priority processing system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To decrease the waiting time of an emergent printing job by executing the interruption priority printing after completing to print the page which is presently printed when the printing request is controlled by the priority rank and the rank job higher than the printing job during the execution is received. CONSTITUTION:For the printing request sent from a communicating control part 4, the priority rank is discriminated by a rank discriminating table 10 in the printing control part, stored to priority rank lists 13 and 14 in a reception control table 12, and printed and processed in the priority sequence. When the printing request of the priority rank higher than the printing job which is presently executed is sent, a page monitoring part 11 in a printing control part 9 detects the page completion during the printing, the printing job, which is presently executed, is once saved to a printing data buffer 8, the information is stored to a saving information storing part 15, and thereafter, the interruption printing processing is executed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a priority processing method for printer output in a distributed processing system or the like.

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, distributed processing systems (multi-station systems) have become popular, in which a plurality of general-purpose terminal devices connected to a solid device are distributed and each department can execute its own processing.

The above system is characterized by sharing resources such as files and printers under the management of solid equipment, and each station can access the above shared resources as appropriate to perform necessary processing. .

However, accesses to shared resources may be concentrated, so generally, jobs are processed in the order they are received or by giving priority to the received jobs.

However, even in a system that performs priority processing as described above, a running job may occupy the job for a long time, and in that case, even if an urgent job occurs, it will have to wait until the running job finishes. Become.

For example, the processing speed of a printer is particularly slow, and if the amount of print jobs being executed is large, the first
Even if line-level emergency printing processing occurs, the user will have to wait for a long time.

This requires adding printers to the system, which is costly, so a priority processing method that can shorten the processing waiting time for urgent print jobs is desired.

[Conventional technology]

A conventional example will be explained below.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a multi-station system, in which 2a to 2n are display stations, l
Display station 2 is equipped with mask files, etc.
This is a station controller that controls a to 2n.

The display stations 2a to 2n are terminal devices that have intelligent functions and are capable of inputting and outputting data and processing data while talking to the display screen, and communicate with the stage controller 1 as necessary, for example, to store mask files. It reads the data and performs processing such as inventory search.

The station controller 1 constantly polls each display station, sends transmission requests, commands, etc., performs communication, accesses mask files, etc., and relays communication between stations.

On the other hand, the display stations 2a to 2n are connected to the printer 3.
connection is possible, and a display station is appropriately selected and the printer 3 is installed.

A display station (hereinafter referred to as a printer station) to which the printer 3 is connected accepts print requests from other stations, receives print data, and executes the printing.

The outline of its operation will be explained below.

A print request at each station is transferred to the printer station 2n via the station controller 1.

In the printer stage engine 2n, the print management unit 5, print data buffer 7, and reception management table 6 operate, and when the printer 3 is empty and ready to print, requests the requesting display station to send print data. death,
The received print data is temporarily stored in the print data buffer 7, and the print data is sent to the printer 3.

When a print request is received from another display station during the above-mentioned printing, the print management section 5 stores the received print information in the reception management table 6, and after the print job in progress is completed, the print job waiting to be printed is sent from the reception management table 6. Search, request the corresponding display station to send print data, and execute printing.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

As explained above, the conventional method prioritizes processing in the order of reception or on a job-by-job basis, so even if first-line priority printing processing such as issuing transaction slips occurs during printing of back-order operations, etc. However, there is a problem in that it is necessary to wait until printing is completed.

Means for Solving Problem C] The problems with the above conventional methods are that there is a means for managing print requests by priority, a means for managing print data to be sent to the printer on a page-by-page basis, and a means for managing print data sent to the printer by page, and This problem can be solved by the priority processing method of the present invention, which includes means for performing interrupt priority printing processing on a high-level received print job after the printing of the page being executed is completed.

[Effect]

According to the present invention, a priority is assigned to each print job, the received print jobs are managed according to the priority, data to be sent to the printer is monitored on a page-by-page basis, and page end information (page break signal) is sent to the printer. When detected, the received print job with a higher priority is interrupted.

That is, since the interrupt printing process is performed page by page, the waiting time for urgent printing can be significantly reduced.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of print management of a printer station that explains the present invention in detail, in which 8 is a print data buffer that temporarily stores interrupt print data as well as print data being executed, and 9 is a print management section. A page monitor monitors the page break information of the data being printed, that is, the data sent to the printer 3. 11.

The priority determination table 10 stores a predetermined priority order for print jobs, with first-line jobs such as printing sales slips placed at the top, and forms such as offline processing at the bottom. Priority is given.

The reception management table 12 has storage areas for each priority (1st priority table 13, 2nd priority table 14, etc.)
), and reception information such as reception station No. 1 print job name is stored therein. Print jobs with the same rank are sequentially stored so that they are executed on a first-in, first-out basis.

Reference numeral 15 denotes a save storage unit for saving print information when a print job in progress is interrupted;
, print start page, etc. are stored.

Other same symbols represent the same object.

The priority processing operation will be explained below.

(1) A display station with a print request sends the print request along with print information such as the station number and print job name to the printer station 2n via the station controller l.

(2) The printer station 2n receives the print request, refers to the order determination table 10, stores the above print information in the corresponding priority order table of the reception management table 12, and if the print request is to be executed, the requester Requests the display station to send print data.

(3) (&The axis display station sends print data with line feed and page feed codes added according to the print format specified by the operator.

(4) The printer station 2n temporarily stores the received print data in the print data buffer 8, and sequentially sends the print data to the printer 3 according to a request from the printer 3.

(5) If a print request is received from another display station while a print job is being executed, it will be stored in the reception management table 12, and if it has a higher priority than the print job currently being executed, the print request will be sent to the printer 3. After monitoring the print data, detecting a page break, and sending the print job, execution of the print job is temporarily stopped, and the print information is stored in the save storage section 15.

(6) Next, in order to execute the print job with the higher priority, the display station is requested to send print data, and the printing is executed with priority.

(7) After executing the above priority processing, search the save storage unit 15 and return to the canceled print job.

Note that in the above description, the printer 3 is managed by the display station, but the same implementation can be performed even if the printer 3 is managed by the station controller 1.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, it is possible to manage the priorities of received print jobs at the printer station and perform interrupt print jobs on a page-by-page basis, thereby significantly reducing the waiting time for urgent print jobs. There is an effect that can be done.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the priority processing method of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a conventional print processing method. In the figure, ■ is a station controller, 2a and 2b are display stations, 2n is a printer station, 3 is a printer, 4 is a communication control unit, 8 is a print data buffer, 9 is a print management unit, 10 is a ranking determination table, and 11 is a 12 is a reception management table; 13 is a first priority table; 14 is a second priority table; 15 is a save storage unit.

Claims (1)

[Claims] A priority processing method for printer output, which includes a means for managing print requests by priority, a means for managing print data to be sent to the printer on a page-by-page basis, and an accepted print job with a higher priority than the print job in progress. and means for carrying out interrupt priority printing processing after the printing of the page being executed is completed.