JP2000305732A - Network printing system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a network printing system for easily specifying a printer to be operated. SOLUTION: A network printing system is constituted by connecting a host device through a network such as an isernet with plural printer devices (printers). A control panel part 4 is provided with an LCD 5 for displaying a printer state, an on-line button 6, a reset button 7, a mark button 8, an on-line state display LED 9, a reset state display LED 10, and a mark state display LED 11. Thus, the printer device to be operated can be mark-displayed by the mark button 8.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a network printing system in which a host device and a printing device are connected via a network.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A host device (host computer) and a printing device (digital copying machine, printer, etc.) are connected via a network, and a document created using a document application on the host computer is designated by a designated printing device. 2. Description of the Related Art A network printing system that prints out a document has been widely used.

[0003] By the way, a printing apparatus that can be connected to a network includes a P called a utility that enables parameter setting and status acquisition of the printing apparatus via a network.
Software for C is attached. Then, if there are multiple printing devices on the network, this utility displays all the printing devices on the network. That is, the utility acquires the "name" and "communication address" given to the printing apparatus, and displays the list.

[0004] When selecting a printing device that the user wishes to operate, the user specifies the printing device to be operated by searching for and selecting a "name" or "communication address" that matches the printing device to be operated. are doing.

[0005]

By the way, the "name" given to a printing apparatus is often set in the same or similar format on all devices at the time of shipment from the factory. Difficult to distinguish when present on top. The “name” can be edited by the user, and an arbitrary character string can be set. However, if a similar “name” is set, it is difficult to distinguish the “name”.

If a plurality of printers are managed by a single administrator, the names will be consciously distinguished so that they can be easily distinguished. There are many cases where such a "name" is set. Also, the "communication address" is merely a series of numbers from the viewpoint of human beings, and it is not easy to distinguish it unless someone with a certain level of knowledge.

As described above, conventionally, although a list of data relating to all printing apparatuses on a network is displayed, it is difficult to specify a printing apparatus to be operated.

An object of the present invention is to provide a network printing system that can easily specify a printing device to be operated.

[0009]

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a network printing system in which a host device and a printing device are connected via a network. A flag indicating an object and being changeable by a user is provided, and the state of the flag is displayed on the host device.

[0010] In order to achieve the above object, a second aspect is provided.
According to the invention described in claim 1, the status of the flag is changed from a utility operating on a host device.

[0011] In order to achieve the above object, a third aspect of the present invention is provided.
The invention described in claim 1 is characterized in that the flag state is released to be turned off when setting of information necessary for printing is completed for the selected printing apparatus. is there.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a network printing system. This network printing system includes a host device (client PC) 1 and a plurality of printer devices (printing devices) 2 (2-1, 2-2, 2-3).
Are connected by a network 3 such as Ethernet.

The printer device 2 sends and receives print data and commands to and from a client on the network 3, and a printer main body that interprets the received print data and commands, performs image processing, and prints out. And an operation panel unit provided with a display device and an input device (button) for setting parameters and displaying the status of the printer.

On the other hand, when the printer device 2 is connected on the network 3, there is application software called a utility for operating the printer device from the remote host device 1. In the utility,
Parameter setting and status display of the printer 2 operating on the network 3 can be performed, and a plurality of printers 2 can be selectively operated.

In order to use the printer device 2 on the network 3, it is necessary to first set parameters necessary for communication for printing in accordance with the network environment by using a utility.

FIG. 2 is a layout diagram of an operation panel unit of the printer device, and FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a display example of a printer device list. The operation panel unit 4 shown in FIG. 2 includes a printer status display LCD 5, an online button 6, a reset button 7, a mark button 8, an online status display LED 9, a reset status display LED 10, and a mark status display LED 11. Each time the mark button 11 is pressed, the on / off state is toggled. When the mark button 11 is in the mark on state, the corresponding LED 11 is turned on.
11 goes out.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the control operation of the present invention. When the printer device 2 is installed on the network 3 and the user wants to perform initial settings, the user needs the printer device 2.
Press the mark button 8 on the operation panel section 4 once (S
1). The utility issues a parameter acquisition request packet by broadcast (S2).

As the specification of the acquisition request packet, a de facto standard SNMP protocol can be used. In SNMP, a plurality of parameter values can be acquired in one packet. The “mark state” is also a parameter to be acquired at the same time as the “printer name” and the “printer operation state”.

Upon receiving the parameter acquisition request packet (S3), the printer 2 processes the request and returns the requested parameter value to the requesting utility in a parameter acquisition response packet (S4).

When the utility receives the parameter (S5), it adds it to the printer list, and if the "mark state" is on (Y in S7), checks the "mark" column (S8), A mark is made (see FIG. 3), and the parameter values of each printer device that has responded are displayed on the screen of the host device 1.

After a lapse of a predetermined time (Y in S9), the user of the utility finds a printer device in the “mark-on state”, that is, a printer device with a mark in the mark column, from among the listed printer devices. Then, it is selected as an operation target printer (S10), and information necessary for printing, such as address setting and print server name setting, is set (S11).

Thus, since the operation intended by the utility is completed, the user presses the mark button 8 once to release the mark state (turn off the mark state). If the user forgets to cancel the setting, it may be an obstacle to specify another person or another printer. Therefore, it is recommended to cancel the setting.

Here, the utility that operates on the host device 1 located at a remote location can issue a parameter setting request for the printer device 2 via the network. In addition, this setting request packet specification is similar to acquisition,
An SNMP protocol or the like can be used. Therefore, the mark state can be eliminated from the utility.

In this case, when the host apparatus 1 requests the printer apparatus 2 to set the mark state to off, the printer apparatus 2 receiving the request turns off the mark state. At this time, the LED 11 is also turned off.

This corresponds to the mark button 8 on the operation panel unit 4.
The operation is the same as the operation of pressing to turn off. If the mark state can be normally turned off, a response packet is returned with a normal code to the setting request packet. If it cannot be turned off for some reason, a response packet is returned with an abnormal code.

[0026]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, it is possible to attach a mark based on a flag to a printing apparatus that the user wants to set, and it is easy to specify the mark from a utility. According to the second aspect of the invention, the flag can be released via the network, so that it is not necessary to go to the installation location of the printing apparatus for the release. According to the third aspect of the invention, the flag can always be returned to the initial state.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a network printing system.

FIG. 2 is a layout diagram of an operation panel unit of the printer device.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a display example of a printer device list.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a control operation of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Host device 2 Printer device 3 Network 4 Operation panel unit 5 Printer status display LCD 6 Online button 7 Reset button 8 Mark button 9 Online status display LED 10 Reset status display LED 11 Mark status display LED

Claims (3)

[Claims] In a network printing system in which a host device and a printing device are connected via a network, a flag that indicates a selection target and that can be changed by a user is provided inside the printing device, and the status of the flag is determined by the host device. A network printing system characterized by being displayed above. 2. The network printing system according to claim 1, wherein the state of the flag is changed from a utility operating on a host device. 3. The network printing method according to claim 1, wherein the state of the flag is turned off when the setting of the information necessary for printing is completed for the selected printing apparatus. system.