JP2000305742A - Printer connection confirming system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a printer connection confirming system for easily confirming connection between a printer and a print server, and for sufficiently fulfilling the communication test of a printer equipped with a bi-directional mode. SOLUTION: A printer 4 (4-1 to 4-n) is provided with a test request transmitting means 4A which transmits a test request to a print server 3, a test print request receiving means 4B which receives a test print request transmitted from the print server 3 in response to the test request from the test request transmitting means 4A, and a test printing means 4C which operates test print when a test print request is received by the test print request receiving means 4B. The print server 3 is provided with a test request receiving means 3A which receives the test request from the printer 4 and a test print request transmitting means 3B which transmits the test print request to the printer 4 which transmits the test request in response to the test request received by the test request transmitting means 3A.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a system for confirming the connection of a printer to a print server that relays a print request from a network.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, when a print request from a personal computer (personal computer) or the like existing on a network is given to a printer, a print server is provided to relay the print request. That is, as shown in FIG. 4, a print request from a personal computer or the like existing on the network N is given to the print server 1 and distributed by the print server 1 to the designated printer 2 (2-1 to 2-1).
2-n).

The connection between the printer 2 and the print server 1 is confirmed by inputting a test item and an identification number of a printer to be tested to the print server 1 and operating a special button. . When the special button is operated, a test print request relating to the test item is sent from the print server 1 to the printer 2 indicated by the identification number, and a test print is performed by the printer 2 according to the test print request.

[0004]

However, according to such a conventional printer connection confirmation method, the identification number of the printer to be tested must be known in advance.
Very cumbersome. Further, by performing a printer connection test based on a test print request from the print server 1, a communication test limited to one direction (reception when viewed from the printer) is performed, and reception can be performed, but no transmission test is performed. However, it was insufficient as a communication test for a printer having a bidirectional mode.

The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a bidirectional mode capable of easily confirming a connection between a printer and a print server. An object of the present invention is to provide a printer connection confirmation system which can sufficiently satisfy a communication test of a printer provided with the printer.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, a printer connection confirmation system according to the present invention comprises: a test request transmitting unit for transmitting a test request to a print server to a printer; Test print request receiving means for receiving a test print request sent from the print server in response to a test request from the server, and test print means for performing test print when the test print request is received by the test print request receiving means. A test request receiving means for receiving a test request from a printer, and transmitting a test print request to the printer which has transmitted the test request in response to the test request received by the test request receiving means. And a test print request transmission means. According to the present invention, when a test request is transmitted from a printer to a print server, the print server transmits a test print request to the printer that has transmitted the test request in response to the test request, and the printer that has received the test print request. Performs a test print.

[0007]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on embodiments. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, a test request transmitting unit 4A that transmits a test request to the print server 3 to the printer 4 (4-1 to 4-n), and a request from the test request transmitting unit 4A. Test print request receiving means 4B for receiving a test print request sent from the print server 3 in response to the test request, and test print means for performing test printing when the test print request is received by the test print request receiving means 4B 4C. A test request receiving means 3A for receiving a test request from the printer 4 to the print server 3 and a test print to the printer 4 which has transmitted the test request in response to the test request received by the test request receiving means 3A. And a test print request transmitting unit 3B for transmitting a request.

Here, the connection confirmation between the printer 4 and the print server 3 is performed as follows. For example, when confirming the connection between the printer 4-1 and the print server 3, a test item is selected on the printer 4-1 (step 201 shown in FIG. 2), and a special button (not shown) is operated. . As a result, a test request corresponding to the selected test item is transmitted from the test request transmitting unit 4A of the printer 4-1 to the print server 3 (Step 202), and received by the test request receiving unit 3A of the print server 3 (Step 202). Steps 206 and 207). In this case, a print data request is sent as a test request.

The print server 3 includes a test request receiving unit 3
In response to the test request from the printer 4-1 received by A, a test print request is transmitted from the test print request transmitting means 3B to the printer 4-1 which has transmitted the test request (step 208). In this case, print data is transmitted as a test print request.

The test print request sent from the print server 3 is sent to a test print request receiving means 4 of the printer 4-1.
B. When the test print request is received by the test print request receiving means 4B (YES in step 203), the test print means 4C executes test print (steps 204 and 205).

In the above description, as an example, the printer 4
-1 and the print server 3 are checked, but the test print is similarly performed when the connection between the other printers 4-2 to 4-n and the print server 3 is checked. Is performed.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, when a test request is transmitted from the printer 4, the test print is executed by the printer 4 that has transmitted the test request via the print server 3. The connection between the printer 4 and the print server 3 can be easily confirmed without the need to know in advance the identification number of the printer to be used and the trouble of inputting the identification number. Further, the bidirectional connection between the printer 4 and the print server 3 is confirmed, and the communication test of the printer 4 having the bidirectional mode is sufficiently satisfactory, and the reliability of the test is improved.

FIG. 3 shows a print server 3 and a printer 4.
1 shows the outline of the internal configuration. The print server 3 has a CPU
3-1; Centro controller 3-2; Data transmitter / receiver 3
-3, and the centro controller 3-2 performs the functions of the test request receiving means 3A and the test print request transmitting means 3B. The printer 4 includes a CPU 40-1 and an LCD display unit 4
0-2, a key operation unit 40-3, and a print control unit 40-4.
And a data transmission / reception control unit 40-5. The data transmission / reception control unit 40-5 performs the functions of the test request transmitting unit 4A and the test print request receiving unit 4B, and the CPU 40-1
And the printing control unit 40-4 fulfills the function of the test printing unit 4C.

Although FIG. 1 has been described assuming that n printers 4 are connected to the printer server 3, the number of printers 4 may be one. By applying the present invention, a test can be easily performed even when a plurality of printers are connected, or in a state where there is no device such as a personal computer.

[0015]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, when a test request is transmitted from a printer, a test print is executed in the printer which transmitted the test request via a print server. The connection between the printer and the print server can be easily confirmed without the need to know in advance the identification number of the target printer and the trouble of inputting the identification number. Further, the bidirectional connection between the printer and the print server is confirmed, and the communication test of the printer having the bidirectional mode is sufficiently satisfactory, and the reliability of the test is improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining connection confirmation between a printer and a print server in a printer connection confirmation system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing processing operations on the printer side and the print server side when confirming connection between the printer and the print server.

FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically illustrating an internal configuration of a print server and a printer in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a conventional connection check between a printer and a print server.

[Explanation of symbols]

3 print server 3A test request receiving means 3B
Test print request transmission means, 4 (4-1 to 4-n) ... printer, 4A ... test request transmission means, 4B ... test print request reception means, 4C ... test print means, N ... network,
40-1 CPU, 40-2 LCD display, 40-3
... Key operation unit, 40-4. Print control unit, 40-5.

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (71) Applicant 000232025 NEC Data Equipment Co., Ltd. 3-49-1 Kamiishihara, Chofu-shi, Tokyo (72) Inventor Kento Suzuki 2- 2-3 Shimomeguro, Meguro-ku, Tokyo Inside the Tamura Electric Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Genichi Takahashi 2-3-3, Shimomeguro, Meguro-ku, Tokyo Inside the Tamura Electric Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Shozo Kamiyama 3-3-1, Toyosu, Koto-ku, Tokyo No. NTT Data Corporation (72) Inventor Mikio Nagai 5-1-1 Shiba, Minato-ku, Tokyo Inside NEC Corporation (72) Inventor Keiichi Aoki Three-Sen Kamiishihara, Chofu-shi, Tokyo 49-chome, No. 1 F-term in Nihon Electric Data Equipment Co., Ltd. (reference) 2C061 AP01 HQ17 KK04 5B021 AA01 BB01 BB05 NN23

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A print server that relays a print request from a network, and a printer that receives a print request from the print server, wherein the printer transmits a test request to the print server; Test print request receiving means for receiving a test print request sent from the print server in response to the test request from the test request sending means;
Test print means for performing test print when a test print request is received by the test print request receiving means, the print server comprising: a test request receiving means for receiving a test request from the printer; And a test print request transmitting means for transmitting a test print request to a printer which has transmitted the test request in response to the test request received by the means.