JP2000181665A - Network printer system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a network printer system which reduces transfer time of printing request data from a terminal computer and also reduces printing wait time by linking with a printer server and adding a function to a memory for data transmission and reception mounted on a printer. SOLUTION: A printer server 20 discriminates from which terminal computer a printing request is issued among plural terminal computers connected to a network 30 according to the address of the terminal computer and makes a printer start printing. Printing request maximum data length is defined to the printer server so that a certain terminal computer can not occupy a printer 10 exclusively. When printing requests come from plural terminal computers, the memory area of a memory 40 mounted in the printer 10 is divided in order to store printing request data, transfer waiting time of the printing request data is reduced and transfer time is also reduced. A boundary position where the memory area is divided is variable, and the printing request data are stored in accordance with the largeness and smallness of a data amount within the range of the printing request maximum data length.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a network printer system in which a plurality of terminal computers are connected via a network.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a network printer system in which a plurality of terminal computers are connected to a plurality of printers and a printer server and perform a printing operation by remote control from a certain terminal computer or a plurality of terminal computers, a plurality of printers are simultaneously connected to one printer. When printing is started from the terminal computer, the printing process is performed in the order in which the data arrives regardless of the amount of data. In addition, when a print request is issued to the printer that is currently performing print processing from another terminal computer connected to the network, it is necessary to wait for the currently performed print processing to end. Furthermore, the greater the amount of data, the longer the waiting time. In addition, there is a problem that the amount of data to be printed is small, so that the user has to wait for one page.

[0003] In a conventional network printer system, in order to reduce the waiting time of a user, a method of monitoring the operating state of the printer on the host side and performing optimal printing has conventionally been devised. For example, there is JP-A-5-265777. This means that each server has a print queue, and when the load on each print queue varies, the print jobs are moved, the print queue status is optimized, and all print jobs on the network are promptly transferred. Output. In Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-81492, a printer is registered in a print server, and control is performed by assigning a priority to print data, so that the printer operates efficiently and the entire print waiting time is reduced. In Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 9-198210, the print server automatically selects a printer that can print when the printing is started.

[0004]

However, for example, when only one printer is connected on the network, there is a problem that printing takes time. Also,
Even when a plurality of printers are connected, there is a problem in that a task such as a need to notify the location of the printer occurs in order to notify which printer the printer has been output.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves the above-mentioned problem. By adding a function to a data transmission / reception memory mounted on a printer in cooperation with a printer server, printing from a terminal computer is performed. An object of the present invention is to provide a network printer system that reduces the transfer time of request data and reduces the print waiting time.

[0006]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a network printer system in which a plurality of terminal computers are connected to a printer via a network. When printing is started from the plurality of terminal computers to the printer, which terminal computer of the plurality of terminal computers is started printing is determined by the addresses of the plurality of terminal computers, and from the plurality of terminal computers, A printer server that controls to receive a print request, and from the plurality of terminal computers via the printer server,
When a plurality of print requests are received from the printer, the printer is provided with a storage unit that is mounted on the printer and stores the plurality of print requests in a divided memory area.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the network printer system, when the print server receives a print request from the plurality of computers to be transferred to the printer, the printer server specifies a maximum length of a data phase of a data array. This is characterized in that one terminal computer does not occupy the printer.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided the network printer system, wherein the boundary positions of the plurality of divided memory areas of the storage means mounted on the printer are transferred from a plurality of terminal computers. It is characterized by being variable depending on the size of the requested data amount.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the network printer system, a plurality of divided memory areas of the storage means mounted on the printer receive a print request from two or more terminal computers at one time. If there is, the memory area is divided into banks, and each bank is divided into two by address.

In the network printer system according to the present invention, if the print request data cannot be transferred from the terminal computer to the printer server due to the definition of the maximum length of the data phase, it is transmitted to the terminal computer. It is characterized by.

Further, a network printer system according to the invention of claim 6 is characterized in that a plurality of the printers are connected to the printer server.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the network printer system of the present invention. In FIG. 1, a terminal computer 1, a terminal computer 2, a terminal computer 3, and a terminal computer 4 are connected to a printer server 2 via a network 30.
0 is connected to the printer 10. Printer 1
0 has a memory 40 mounted thereon. In this embodiment, four terminal computers are used. However, the number of terminal computers is not limited to four, and necessary terminal computers can be connected.

The printer server 20 determines which of the plurality of terminal computers connected to the network 30 has issued a print request from the address of the terminal computer, and activates the printer 10 for printing. When a plurality of terminal computers simultaneously issue a print request, the maximum data length of the print request is specified in the printer server so that a certain terminal computer does not occupy the printer 10. If there is a print request exceeding the maximum data length of the print request, it is reported to the terminal computer.

When a print request is received from a terminal computer, the printer server 20 checks whether a print request has been received from another terminal computer connected to the network 30. If a print request has not been received from another terminal computer, the printing process of the terminal computer that has first made the request is performed on the printer 10.
In this case, the printer 10 uses the entire area of the memory 40 in the printer for print request data sent from the terminal computer that has made the request.

When the printer server 20 detects that there is a print request from another terminal computer, it notifies the printer 10 of the print request information, and the printer 10 divides the area of the memory 40 mounted therein. FIG. 2 is a memory area division diagram when the area of the memory 40 mounted on the printer 10 is divided into two. The memory area is divided by an address, and one memory area is allocated to print request data coming from one terminal computer, and the other memory area is allocated to print request data coming from another terminal computer. Thereafter, the respective memory areas are accessed in order, so that one terminal computer does not occupy the memory access, and the print request data is accumulated in the allocated memory areas.

FIG. 3 is a memory area division diagram when a print request is made from two or more terminal computers. FIG.
In the example of the above, one can respond to a print request from up to eight terminal computers. When a print request is received from two or more terminals, the printer server 20 detects the request and notifies the printer 10 of the information. The printer 10 divides the memory area by the number of terminal computers that have been requested to access the memory 40 based on the print request information.

In this case, as shown in FIG. 3, the bank is first divided into banks, and each bank is divided into two by a certain address. Each of the divided memory areas is allocated to a terminal computer that has issued a print request. If an odd number of terminal computers have issued a print request, a certain bank is not divided. In this case, the memory area is allocated to the terminal computer having the largest data amount among the terminal computers requesting the printing.

FIG. 4 is a division diagram of the memory area of the memory 40. As shown in FIG. 4, the boundaries of the addresses are variable for each bank, and it is possible to determine how much memory space is to be secured depending on the amount of print request data. Since the amount of print request data transferred by each terminal computer is different from each other, a larger memory area is secured for the terminal computer holding a large amount of data, so that the data transfer from the terminal computer to the printer server 20 is performed. The number of transfers can be reduced, the transfer time from the terminal computer can be reduced, and the time from transfer to printing can be reduced.

FIG. 5 is a transfer data arrangement diagram showing an example of a data arrangement transferred from the printer server 20 to the printer 10. A header is added to the head of each data, and the header includes the address of each terminal computer. The printer 10 accumulates the print request data in the memory area allocated based on the address. The length of each data phase in FIG. 5 is also variable depending on the print request data amount. However, in order to prevent one terminal computer from occupying the printer 10, the maximum length of each data phase is fixed.

[0020]

As described above, according to the present invention, when printing is started from a plurality of terminal computers to a printer, it is determined which one of the plurality of terminal computers has started printing. Can be determined from the resource. Further, when printing is started from a plurality of terminal computers at a time, the maximum length of the data phase of the data array transferred from the printer server to the printer is defined and controlled so that a certain terminal computer does not occupy the printer. be able to.

Further, according to the present invention, the boundary position of each divided memory area of the memory mounted on the printer is variable, so that the amount of print request data transferred from a plurality of terminals depends on the size. If the memory area can be changed and the data phase does not exceed the maximum length, the print request data can be stored even if the data amount is large, and the transfer time of the print request data from the terminal computer to the printer is reduced. be able to.

According to the present invention, the memory mounted on the printer can divide the memory area.
When a print request is issued from one or more terminals, the memory device divides the address area into a plurality of banks, and allocates each memory area to the plurality of terminal computers that have issued the print request. Even if there is a print request, the print request data can be stored at the same time, so that the transfer time can be reduced and the print waiting time can be reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an embodiment of a network printer system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a memory area division diagram when a memory area mounted on the printer shown in FIG. 1 is divided into two parts.

FIG. 3 is a memory area division diagram when a memory area mounted on the printer shown in FIG. 1 is divided into eight.

FIG. 4 is an area division diagram of a memory mounted on the printer shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a transfer data arrangement diagram showing an example of a data arrangement transferred from the printer server shown in FIG. 1 to the printer.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1, 2, 3, 4 terminal computer 10 printer 20 printer server 30 network 40 memory

Claims (6)

[Claims] In a network printer system in which a plurality of terminal computers are connected to a printer via a network, when the plurality of terminal computers start printing on the printer, the plurality of terminal computers are connected to the printer. A printer server that determines from which terminal computer printing has been started based on the addresses of the plurality of terminal computers, and controls to receive print requests from the plurality of terminal computers; and the plurality of terminals via the printer server. A network printer system, comprising: a storage unit mounted on the printer when a plurality of print requests are sent from the computer to the printer, and storing the plurality of print requests in a divided memory area. 2. When the printer server receives a print request from the plurality of computers to be transferred to the printer, one terminal computer specifies the maximum length of a data phase of a data array so that one terminal computer can control the printer. 2. The network printer system according to claim 1, wherein the network printer system is not occupied. 3. A boundary position of a plurality of divided memory areas of the storage unit mounted on the printer is variable depending on a magnitude of data requested to be printed transferred from a plurality of terminal computers. The network printer system according to claim 1, wherein: 4. The memory area divided into a plurality of storage units mounted on the printer, the memory area is divided into banks when two or more terminal computers request printing at a time. 4. The network printer system according to claim 1, wherein each bank is divided into two by an address. 5. The network according to claim 1, wherein, when the maximum length of the data phase is specified, when the print request data cannot be transferred from the terminal computer to the printer server, the print request data is transmitted to the terminal computer. Printer system. 6. The network printer system according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of said printers are connected to said printer server.