KR100509469B1 - Method for management of printing information in a network printer system - Google Patents

Abstract

Any one of the plurality of computers additionally records the assigned e-mail address in print data and transmits it to the print server; The printer server spools the composite print data obtained by combining the e-mail address and the print data and sequentially transmits the same to the printer; The printer separates the e-mail address and print data from the composite print data, prints the separated print data, determines whether the print job is completed, and prints information indicating the completion of printing when the print job is completed. Sending the print information together with the e-mail address to the print server if the print job is not completed and an error occurs. The print server detects the print information and the e-mail address transmitted from the printer, converts the print information into an e-mail form, and then transmits the converted print information to any one computer to which the e-mail address is assigned; In any one computer, print information transmitted from a print server is displayed in a predetermined display form.

Therefore, the user can easily check the print job status without the user's separate operation.

Description

Method for management of printing information in a network printer system}

The present invention relates to a printing information management method of a network printer system, and more particularly, to a network printer system in which a plurality of computers are connected to one printer in a network form, each of which relates to printing information. The present invention relates to a printing information management method of a network printer system, which enables a user to easily check printing information on his computer by sending it by E-mail.

In addition, the present invention, when there is a print job waiting in the network printer, by sending the print job time or completion time for each print job by e-mail to each computer, so that the user can know the print information more accurately The present invention relates to a printing information management method of a network printer system which improves the efficiency of a print job.

Network printer system means that one printer, one printer server, and a plurality of computers are connected through a local area network (LAN), and the print server transmits print data from the plurality of computers to the print server. It refers to a system in which print jobs are performed by sequentially spooling print data to a printer. Such a system can realize a low-cost office automation system by allowing several users to share a single printer.

In the case of a general printer in which the computer and the printer are connected one-to-one, it is common to install the printer at a point adjacent to the computer. However, in the case of a network printer system, since several computers are connected to one printer, the printer is inevitably located at a point far from each computer.

However, according to such a conventional network printer system, the following problems occur.

First, after the users who are located far from the printer send the print job to the printer, to check whether the print job is completed, the contents of the "print manager" of the application programs installed in the user's computer should be checked. In this case, if the user forgets to check the "print manager", it is impossible to confirm whether the print job is completed until the print job is memorized again.

Second, only the contents of the "print manager" can confirm the completion of printing and the progress of the print job only if the print job is currently in progress. However, when a large number of print jobs are waiting in the network printer, it is inconvenient because a large amount of time must pass before the print job can be confirmed.

Third, when there is no application "print manager" in the computer, it is cumbersome for the user to visually check the network printer in order to confirm the completion of the print job.

Fourth, when a large number of print jobs are queued in the network printer, the user cannot know the print completion time of the corresponding job, so it is necessary to check whether the print job is in progress at any time. Therefore, the work efficiency is lowered.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to solve such problems, and an object of the present invention is to transmit an e-mail including information on whether a print job is completed to an e-mail address registered in a printer corresponding to each computer. The present invention provides a printing information management method of a network printer system that enables a user to easily check printing information.

In addition, another object of the present invention is to calculate the estimated time when the print job is performed or the estimated time when the print job is waiting for a large number of print jobs in the printer, corresponding to the corresponding e-mail address registered in the printer corresponding to each computer The present invention provides a method of managing print information of a network printer system capable of efficiently performing a print job by transmitting an e-mail including time information.

A feature of the present invention for achieving such objects is a network printer system, in which any one of a plurality of computers additionally records an assigned e-mail address in print data and sends it to a print server; The printer server spools the composite print data obtained by combining the e-mail address and the print data and sequentially transmits the same to the printer; The printer separates the e-mail address and print data from the composite print data, prints the separated print data, determines whether the print job is completed, and prints information indicating the completion of printing when the print job is completed. Sending the print information together with the e-mail address to the print server if the print job is not completed and an error occurs. The print server detects the print information and the e-mail address transmitted from the printer, converts the print information into an e-mail form, and then transmits the converted print information to any one computer to which the e-mail address is assigned; In one computer, printing information transmitted from a print server is displayed in a predetermined display form.

On the other hand, another feature of the present invention is a network printer system, in which any one of a plurality of computers additionally records an assigned e-mail address in print data and transmits it to a print server; The printer server spools the composite print data obtained by combining the e-mail address and the print data and sequentially transmits the same to the printer; The printer separates the e-mail address and print data from the composite print data, checks if there are any print jobs waiting, and estimates the estimated print completion time of the print data if there are any print jobs waiting, and shows the estimated estimated print completion time. Print information is sent to the print server along with the e-mail address. If the print job can be performed, separate print data is printed, the print job is judged completed, and the print completion is completed. Sending print information indicating to the print server together with the e-mail address, and transmitting print information indicating the error content to the print server together with the e-mail address if an error occurs without a print job being completed; The print server detects the print information and the e-mail address transmitted from the printer, converts the print information into an e-mail form, and then transmits the converted print information to any one computer to which the e-mail address is assigned; In one computer, printing information transmitted from a print server is displayed in a predetermined display form.

Here, after separating the e-mail address from the complex print data transmitted from the print server, the process of registering the separated e-mail address may be further performed.

Further, the printer may temporarily store the e-mail address separated from the composite print data, transmit the print information and the e-mail address to the printer server, and register the temporarily stored e-mail address.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. First, in adding reference numerals to the elements of each drawing, it should be noted that the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals as much as possible even if they are displayed on different drawings. In addition, in the following description there are shown a number of specific details, such as components of the specific circuit, which are provided only to help a more general understanding of the present invention that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. It is self-evident to those of ordinary knowledge in Esau. In describing the present invention, when it is determined that a detailed description of a related known function or configuration may unnecessarily obscure the subject matter of the present invention, the detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Figure 1 shows the overall configuration of the network printer system applied to the present invention, Figure 2 shows a detailed block diagram of FIG.

Referring to FIG. 1, a plurality of computer groups 1 are connected to a print server 3 via a local area network cable (LAN cable) 2, and the print server 3 is connected to a printer (4) through a printer cable 4. 5) is connected. At this time, the print server 3 is responsible for spooling print data transmitted from the plurality of computer groups 1 and sequentially transmitting the print data to the printer 5.

Meanwhile, the detailed configuration of FIG. 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 2.

First, the computer 6 will be described. The computer processing unit 7 controls the system as a whole according to a predetermined program. In particular, the central processing unit 7 for the computer manages the e-mail address corresponding to the computer 6, and controls the transmission operation of the print data and the printing information transmitted from the printer 5 to be displayed.

The application program 8 is a predetermined program for displaying print information, which is converted into an arbitrary display form so that the job information transmitted from the printer 5 can be displayed under the control of the central processing unit 7 for the computer. Do this.

The memory 9 stores various programs to be executed by the central processing unit 7 for computers and temporary data generated during various processes of the computer 6.

The image signal processing unit 10 signals the print information converted by the application program 8 into image information. The image information processed in this manner is displayed by the display unit 11 so that the user can visually confirm it.

The input / output interface 12 transmits the print data transmitted from the central processing unit 7 for the computer to the print server 3 via the local area network cable 2 and at the same time print information transmitted from the print server 3. Received by the local area network cable (2) and delivers it to the central processing unit (7) for the computer.

On the other hand, the print server 3 spools the print data transmitted from the computer 6 to the printer 5 via the printer cable 4, and prints information including the e-mail address transmitted from the printer 5. The print information is transmitted to the computer 6 corresponding to the e-mail address, which is authorized.

On the other hand, when the printer 5 is described, the printer central processing unit 13 controls the printer 5 as a whole according to a predetermined program. In particular, the printer central processing unit 13 receives print data through the print server 3 and controls printing to be performed, and at the same time, adds an e-mail address registered in the print information to the print server 3. Will output In addition, the central processing unit 13 for the printer analyzes the amount of print data queued, estimates the print completion time of the print data, and outputs the estimated print completion time information to the printer server 3.

The ROM 14 stores a program to be executed by the central processing unit 13 for a printer. In particular, the ROM 14 stores a table of e-mail addresses corresponding to a plurality of registered computer groups 1.

RAM 15 temporarily stores the print data, and in particular, temporarily stores the e-mail address to be newly registered, performs a print job, and then transmits the e-mail address to be newly registered to the ROM 14 so that the new e-mail address is stored. To be registered in the ROM 14.

The engine driver 16 converts the print data transmitted from the printer central processing unit 13 into bitmap data suitable for a print job, detects an error in the printer engine 16, and transmits the corresponding information for the printer. Transfer to the central processing unit (13).

The printer engine 16 is an area where actual printing is performed, and includes various sensors, image forming tuners, charging rollers, transfer rollers, developing rollers, supply rollers, photosensitive drums, and fixing units.

Referring to Figures 3 to 9 with respect to the operation of the present invention having such a configuration as follows.

<1st Example of this invention>

When a print job is selected (S1), the central processing unit 7 for the computer performs a job of additionally recording the print data to print the assigned email address (S2). Thereafter, the print data in which the electronic mail address is additionally recorded is output to the print server 3 through the input / output interface 12 and the local area network cable 2 (S3). The print server 3 spools the print data sent from the computer 6, checks whether there is other print data waiting, and checks the print order of the print data. Here, if there is other print data waiting, the print data is stored in the storage means of the printer server 3, and if there is no other print data waiting, the print data is transmitted to the printer 5.

On the other hand, when a print job command is received by the printer 5 (S4), the printer central processing unit 13 separates the e-mail address from the print data in which the e-mail address is additionally recorded (S5), and then the user's electronic The mail address is temporarily stored in the RAM 15 (S6), and a print job for the pure print data is performed (S7). That is, the printer central processing unit 13 transmits the data to be printed to the engine driver 16, and the engine driver 16 converts the print data into a bitmap form for printing, and then sends it to the printer engine 17. By sequentially transmitting, a print job is performed.

After that, the central processing unit 13 for the printer checks whether the print job is completed (S8), and when it is determined that the print job is completed, converts the print completion contents into the print information form, and then prints the print server together with the e-mail address. 3) (S9).

If it is determined that the print job is not completed, the central processing unit 13 for the printer checks whether an error (paper, jam, toner, insufficient memory, etc.) occurs during the print job (S10). If no error occurs during the print job in step 10 (S10), this means that the print job is in progress, and the printer central processing unit 13 returns to step 7 (S7) to control to continue the print job. .

If it is determined in step 10 (S10) that an error occurs during the print job, the printer central processing unit 13 detects the error content through various sensors or sensing means (S11), and prints the detected error content. After the information is converted into an information form, it is transmitted to the print server 3 together with the e-mail address (S12).

In step 9 (S9), if the print information indicating the completion of printing is transmitted with the e-mail address, or in step 12 (S12) the print information indicating the error content is sent with the e-mail address, the print server 3 print information. Is transmitted to the computer 6 corresponding to the e-mail address, and the printer central processing unit 13 registers the e-mail address temporarily stored in the RAM 15 in the ROM 14 (S13).

On the other hand, when print information is received by the computer 6 (S14), the computer processing unit 7 drives the application program 8 to convert the print information into a displayable form (S15), and the converted print information. Is provided to the image signal processing unit 10 to perform signal processing and display on the display unit 11 (S16). Accordingly, the user of the computer 6 can check the print information without a separate operation.

6A illustrates an embodiment in which an e-mail message is displayed on the display unit 11 when a print job is normally performed, and FIG. 6B illustrates an e-mail when an error occurs and the print job is not normally performed. An embodiment of a state in which a message is displayed on the display unit 11 is shown. For example, there are various forms of an error occurrence state in which a print job is not normally performed, as shown in FIG. 6B, and the computer 6 stores text messages corresponding to these forms in advance, and then transmits them from the printer server 3. It is preferable to set to selectively display a message such as no paper or JAM occurrence, low toner or low memory in response to the error content of the printing information.

<2nd Example of this invention>

Prior to describing the second embodiment of the present invention, descriptions of drawings overlapping with the first embodiment are omitted, and for the matters necessary for describing the second embodiment, reference is made to the drawings shown in the first embodiment. It is known in advance.

When the print job is selected (S17), the computer central processing unit 7 checks whether the print job using the printer 5 is in the initial state (first used state) (S18). In this step 18 (S18), if the computer 6 determines that the print job using the printer 5 is in the initial state, the central processing for the computer to register the e-mail address of the computer 6 in the printer 5 is performed. The device 7 performs an operation of adding an email address to the print data (S19). If, in step 18 (S18) above, the computer 6 determines that the print job using the printer 5 is not the initial state, the e-mail address of the computer 6 is already registered in the printer 5. As the status is shown, the computer processing unit 7 does not perform step 19 (S19). Thereafter, the print data or the pure print data in which the electronic mail address is additionally recorded is output to the print server 3 through the input / output interface 12 and the local area network cable 2 (S20). The print server 3 spools the print data sent from the computer 6, checks whether there is other print data waiting, and checks the print order of the print data. Here, if there is other print data waiting, the print data is stored in the storage means of the printer server 3, and if there is no other print data waiting, the print data is transmitted to the printer 5.

On the other hand, when a print job command is received by the printer 5 (S21), the printer central processing unit 13 checks whether the currently accepted print data has been transmitted from the registered user's computer 6 (S22). . If it is determined that the print data has not been transmitted from the computer 6 of the user registered in step 22 (S22), the printer central processing unit 13 sends the electronics of the computer 6 which has transmitted the currently accepted print data. After the e-mail address is separated from the print data in order to register the postal address (S23), the e-mail address of the user is temporarily stored in the RAM 15 (S24). If it is determined that print data has been transmitted from the user's computer 6 registered in step 22 (S22) above, this means that the e-mail address of the computer 6 is already registered in the printer 5, as described above. Since the central processing unit 13 for the printer does not perform the above steps 23 (S23) and 24 (S24).

Thereafter, the printer central processing unit 13 exchanges information with the print server 3 to check whether there is a waiting print job (S25), and if there is a waiting print job, detects the amount of print data waiting. By performing the calculation operation to estimate the expected print completion time (S26). For example, if the time required to print one page of print data is 10 seconds, if the total number of pages in the waiting file is 50 pages and the total number of pages of the print data is 25 pages, this is 500 seconds (8 minutes 20 seconds). ) The waiting time of the print data is 750 seconds (12 minutes 30 seconds), which is 250 seconds (4 minutes 10 seconds), which is the print time required for the print data. . This estimation process may use the amount of data (number of bytes, etc.) in addition to the methods mentioned above.

When the estimated print completion time is estimated in step 26 (S26), the printer central processing unit 13 converts the estimated estimated print completion time information into the print information form, and then returns to the printer server 3 together with the e-mail address. It transmits (S27).

When the print server 3 receives the print information indicating the expected print completion time together with the e-mail address, the print server 3 transmits the print information to the computer 6 corresponding to the e-mail address, and the printer central processing unit 13 The e-mail address temporarily stored in the RAM 15 is registered in the ROM 14 (S28). After that, the central processing unit 13 for the printer checks whether or not the job is to be printed, and keeps checking until the job is to be printed, and performs other pending print jobs. Since the execution process of the waiting print job is the same as that of the print job for the corresponding print data, it will be described in detail in the process of performing the print job for the print data which will be described later.

If there is no waiting print job in step 25 (S25) or it is determined in step 29 (S29) that the job is to be printed, the central processing unit 13 for the printer performs the print job (S30). . That is, the printer central processing unit 13 transmits the data to be printed to the engine driver 16, and the engine driver 16 converts the print data into a bitmap form for printing, and then sends it to the printer engine 17. By sequentially transmitting, a print job is performed.

Subsequently, the printer central processing unit 13 checks whether the print job is completed (S31), and when it is determined that the print job is completed, converts the print completion contents into the print information form, and then prints the print server together with the e-mail address. 3) (S32).

If it is determined that the print job is not completed, the printer central processing unit 13 checks whether an error (paper, jam, insufficient toner, insufficient memory, etc.) occurs during the print job (S33). If no error occurs during the print job in this step 33 (S33), this means that the print job is in progress, and the printer central processing unit 13 returns to step 30 (S30) to control to continue the print job. .

If it is determined in step 33 (S33) that an error occurs during the print job, the central processing unit 13 for the printer detects the error content through various sensors or sensing means (S34), and prints the detected error content. After the information is converted into an information form, it is transmitted to the print server 3 together with the e-mail address (S35).

In step 31 (S31), if the print information indicating the completion of printing is transmitted with the e-mail address, or in step 35 (S35) with the print information indicating the error content with the e-mail address, the print server 3 prints the print information. Is transmitted to the computer 6 corresponding to the e-mail address, and the printer central processing unit 13 registers the e-mail address temporarily stored in the RAM 15 in the ROM 14 (S36).

On the other hand, when print information is received by the computer 6 (S14), as described with reference to Fig. 5, the central processing unit 7 for the computer drives the application program 8 to convert the print information into a displayable form ( S15), the converted print information is provided to the image signal processing unit 10 to perform signal processing and display on the display unit 11 (S16). Accordingly, the user of the computer 6 can check the print information without a separate operation.

9A illustrates an embodiment in which an e-mail message is displayed on the display unit 11 when a print job is normally performed, and FIG. 9B illustrates an e-mail when an error occurs and the print job is not normally performed. An embodiment of a state in which a message is displayed on the display unit 11 is illustrated. In FIG. 9C, when there are a plurality of waiting print jobs, an e-mail message indicating an expected printing completion time of the corresponding print data is displayed on the display unit 11. An embodiment of the state is shown.

On the other hand, in adding the e-mail address to the print information in the printer 5 during the process of the present invention, it may be set to detect the e-mail address of the pre-registered user directly from the ROM (14), to perform a print job The e-mail address may be previously detected from the ROM 14, temporarily stored in the RAM 15, and set to be detected from the RAM 15 at a time when print information should be added.

As described above, in the detailed description of the present invention, specific embodiments have been described, but various modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the described embodiments, but should be defined by the claims below and equivalents thereof.

As a result, according to the printing information management method of the network printer system according to the present invention, the following advantages occur.

First, by sending the complete or error information about the print job to the user's computer by e-mail, and the user's computer to display the print information sent from the printer, so that the user does not need a separate operation The status can be easily checked by the user.

Second, when a large number of print jobs are waiting on the printer, the estimated time of completion of the print job is estimated and the user is notified by e-mail, so that the user can more easily recognize the print job status. This efficiency can be increased by being able to concentrate on other tasks until this completion time.

1 is an overall configuration diagram of a network printer system applied to the present invention;

2 is a detailed block diagram of FIG. 1;

3 is a flowchart illustrating a process of transmitting print data and an email address from a computer according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

4 is a flowchart illustrating a process of printing print data in a printer and transmitting print information to a computer according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

5 is a flowchart illustrating a process of displaying print information on a computer according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

6A and 6B are display state diagrams of a display unit according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

7 is a flowchart illustrating a process of transmitting print data and an email address from a computer according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

8A and 8B are flowcharts illustrating a process of printing print data in a printer and transmitting print information to a computer according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

9A to 9C are display state diagrams of a display unit according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

<Description of the code | symbol about the principal part of drawing>

1: computer group

2: Local Area Network (LAN) Cable

3: printer server 4: printer cable

5: printer 6: computer

7, 13: central processing unit 8: application programs

9: memory 10: video signal processor

11: display unit 12: input / output interface

14: ROM 15: RAM

16: engine drive 17: printer engine

Claims (4)

A network printer system comprising a printer server connected to a printer and spooling print data, and a plurality of computers networking connected to the printer server, A first transmission step of additionally recording an e-mail address assigned to any one of the plurality of computers in the print data and transmitting it to the print server; A second transmission step of spooling the composite print data obtained by combining the email address and the print data by the printer server and transmitting the spooled composite print data to the printer; The printer separates the e-mail address and the print data from the composite print data, prints the separated print data, determines the completion of a print job or an error of a print job, and prints the print information on the corresponding content. A print information processing step of transmitting the postal address to the printer server; A print information transmission step of converting, by the printer server, the print information transmitted from the printer into an e-mail form, and then transmitting the print information to the one computer to which the e-mail address is assigned; And And a display step of displaying the print information transmitted from the print server in a predetermined display form at any one computer. The method of claim 1, wherein the printing information processing step, And separating the e-mail address from the complex print data transmitted from the printer server, and then registering the separated e-mail address. The method of claim 2, wherein the printing information processing step, Temporarily storing the e-mail address separated from the composite print data in the printer; And And transmitting the print information and the e-mail address from the printer to the print server, and registering the temporarily stored e-mail address. A network printer system comprising a printer server connected to a printer and spooling print data, and a plurality of computers networking connected to the printer server, A first transmission step of additionally recording an e-mail address assigned to any one of the plurality of computers in the print data and transmitting it to the print server; A second transmission step of spooling the composite print data obtained by combining the email address and the print data by the printer server and transmitting the spooled composite print data to the printer; The printer separates the e-mail address and the print data from the composite print data, checks whether there is a print job waiting, and estimates an expected print completion time of the print data when there is a print job waiting. Transmitting print information indicating the estimated print completion time to the printer server together with the e-mail address, and printing the separated print data if the print job can be performed, and completing or printing the print job. A print information processing step of determining an error of a job and transmitting print information of a corresponding content to the print server together with the e-mail address; A print information transmission step of converting, by the printer server, the print information transmitted from the printer into an e-mail form and then transmitting the print information to any one computer to which the e-mail address is assigned; And And a display step of displaying the print information transmitted from the print server in a predetermined display form at any one computer.