JP2001005626A - Method and unit for output control, and storage medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make efficiently usable a multi-output system by selecting the output device which has finished output most earliest and is in the place of the shortest transfer time. SOLUTION: A transfer time calculating means 204 finds the time needed to transfer print data by printers as the products of data transfer speeds and print data sizes and stores and saves them in a transfer time storage part 205. A print time calculating means 207 calculates the printing end time of a printer group which is printed in operation and is registered in a network topology management table 203 and currently in printing operation from the print data sizes stored in a print data size storage part 202, and the time when a print controller sends print data to the respective printers last time, the print transfer times, and print data sizes. The printing time calculating means 207 calculates the printing end times of print data currently on the print controller as to the respective printers and a printer selection part 209 selects the printer which has the earliest printing end schedule time and sends the print data out.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an output control method and apparatus for controlling output devices such as a plurality of printing devices for printing information stored on a storage medium, and a control program for controlling the output control device. And a storage medium storing the same.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a printing environment in which a plurality of printing apparatuses are connected to a network, as a prior art for efficiently distributing these, a printing time is estimated and calculated from a type of print data and a printing end time is short. (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 10-350) has been proposed.
No. 58).

[0003]

However, in today's complicated and enormous network environment, when printing a large amount of information such as image data, the transfer time on the network cannot be ignored.

[0004] At this time, even if the next printing time is assigned based on the mere estimation of the printing end time as in the conventional example described above, there is no guarantee that the actual printing completion time will be the shortest.

In particular, in a wide area network, the bandwidth of the network varies depending on the route, and a case where a constant transfer rate is guaranteed is rather rare.

[0006] For this reason, the operator cannot obtain the print result in a short time, and many troubles have occurred in operating the printing apparatuses distributed on the network in a time efficient manner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and a first object of the present invention is to provide an output control method capable of operating an efficient multi-output system. And a device.

A second object of the present invention is to provide a storage medium storing a control program for controlling the above-described output control device of the present invention.

[0009]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an output control method comprising: a transfer time calculating step of calculating a transfer time to a plurality of output devices on a network; An output end time calculating step of calculating the output end time of the middle output device, and an output device selecting step of selecting an output device having the earliest scheduled output end time are provided.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an output control method according to the first aspect, wherein the transfer time calculating step includes a step of measuring a size of the output data. It is characterized by comprising a measuring step and a calculating step of calculating a transfer time from a management table for managing the form of the network system and the data size.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an output control method according to the first aspect, wherein the transfer time calculating step includes a step of measuring a size of the output data. It is characterized by comprising a measuring step, a transfer rate storing step of storing a transfer rate at the time of previous output, and a calculating step of calculating a transfer time from the transfer rate and the data size.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an output control method according to the first, second, or third aspect, wherein the output device is a printing device. And

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an output control method according to the first or second aspect, wherein the output data is print data. .

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an output control device for calculating a transfer time to a plurality of output devices on a network.
An output end time calculating means for calculating an output end time of an output device during output, and an output device selecting means for selecting an output device having the earliest scheduled output end time are provided.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided an output control device according to the sixth aspect, wherein the transfer time calculating means measures a size of the output data. It is characterized by comprising measuring means, and calculating means for calculating a transfer time from a management table for managing the form of the network system and the data size.

In order to achieve the first object, an output control device according to claim 8 is the output control device according to claim 6, wherein the transfer time calculating means measures the size of the output data. It is characterized by comprising measurement means, transfer rate storage means for storing the transfer rate at the time of previous output, and calculation means for calculating the transfer time from the transfer rate and the data size.

In order to achieve the first object, an output control device according to a ninth aspect is characterized in that, in the output control device according to the sixth aspect, the output device is a printing device.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an output control device according to the seventh or eighth aspect, wherein the output data is print data. .

In order to achieve the second object, a storage medium according to claim 11 is a storage medium storing a control program for controlling an output control device for controlling a plurality of output devices on a network. The control program includes a transfer time calculation module that calculates a transfer time to a plurality of output devices on a network, an output end time calculation module that calculates an output end time of the output device that is outputting, and an output end schedule. An output device selection module for selecting an output device with the earliest time.

According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a storage medium according to the twelfth aspect, wherein the transfer time calculation module measures a size of output data. And a calculation module for calculating a transfer time from a management table for managing the form of the network system and a data size.

In order to achieve the second object, the storage medium according to claim 13 is the storage medium according to claim 11, wherein the transfer time calculation module measures a size of output data. A transfer speed storage module for storing a transfer speed at the time of previous output;
A calculation module for calculating a transfer time from the transfer speed and the data size.

In order to achieve the second object, the storage medium according to claim 14 is the storage medium according to claim 11, wherein the output device is a printing device.

In order to achieve the second object, a storage medium according to claim 15 is the storage medium according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the output data is print data.

Further, in order to achieve the second object, the storage medium according to the sixteenth aspect provides the storage medium according to the eleventh aspect or the first aspect.
The storage medium according to claim 5, wherein the storage medium is a floppy disk.

Further, in order to achieve the second object, the storage medium according to the seventeenth aspect provides the storage medium according to the eleventh to fourteenth aspects or the first aspect.
The storage medium according to claim 5, wherein the storage medium is a hard disk.

In order to achieve the second object, the storage medium according to the eighteenth aspect provides the storage medium according to the eleventh to fourteenth aspects.
The storage medium according to claim 5, wherein the storage medium is an optical disk.

[0027] In order to achieve the second object, the storage medium according to the nineteenth aspect provides the storage medium according to the eleventh to fourteenth or fourteenth aspects.
6. The storage medium according to claim 5, wherein the storage medium is a magneto-optical disk.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a storage medium according to the present invention.
5. The storage medium according to claim 5, wherein the storage medium is a CD-R.
OM (Compact Disk Read Only)
Memory).

In order to achieve the second object, the storage medium according to the twenty-first aspect provides the storage medium according to the eleventh aspect or the fourteenth aspect.
5. The storage medium according to claim 5, wherein the storage medium is a CD-R.
(Compact Disk Recordable)
It is characterized by being.

In order to achieve the second object, a storage medium according to claim 22 is provided according to claims 11 to 14 or 1
6. The storage medium according to claim 5, wherein the storage medium is a magnetic tape.

In order to achieve the second object, the storage medium according to the twenty-third aspect provides the storage medium according to the eleventh aspect or the fourteenth aspect.
5. The storage medium according to claim 5, wherein the storage medium is a nonvolatile memory card.

Further, in order to achieve the second object, the storage medium according to the twenty-fourth aspect provides the storage medium according to the eleventh to fourteenth aspects.
5. The storage medium according to claim 5, wherein the storage medium is a ROM.
(Read Only Memory) chip.

[0033]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a print system having a print control device as an output control device according to the present embodiment. In the figure, 1 is a print control device, 2
Are terminal devices for which the operator issues a print request, 3a, 3b, 3c
Is a printing device (output device) represented by a well-known ink jet system or electrophotographic system.

The printing control device 1, the terminal device 2, and the printing devices 3a and 3c are connected to the network 5, and the printing device 3b
Is connected to the network 5 via the network 6. There are various methods and line speeds to be connected to the networks 5 and 6, and a router device 4 is provided between the printing device 3c and the network 5 and in the middle of the network 6.
a and 4b are interposed respectively. The network 6 has a lower line speed than the network 5, and is used for wide area connection.

In FIG. 1, first, the operator operates the terminal device 2.
A print instruction is given above. The print data instructed to be printed is sequentially stored in the print control device 1 via the network 5.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the print control device 1. In the figure, reference numeral 201 denotes a print data size measuring unit; 202, a print data size storage unit;
Is a network topology management table that records the positions of the printing apparatuses 3a to 3c on the networks 5 and 6 and the line speeds of the networks 5 and 6 reaching the network, 204 is a transfer time calculating unit, 205 is a transfer time storage unit, and 206 is a transfer speed. The storage unit, 207 is a print time calculation unit (print end time calculation unit), 208 is a print end time storage unit, and 209 is a printing device selection unit.

In FIG. 2, upon receiving print data, the print control device 1 firstly prints the print data size measuring means 2.
In step S <b> 01, the size (the number of bytes) of the print data is acquired and stored in the print data storage unit 202. The transfer time calculation means 204 is provided in the network topology management table 2
With reference to FIG. 03, a list of the currently operating printing apparatuses and connection routes to the printing apparatuses 3a to 3c are acquired.

Network topology management table 20
3, information about the data transfer speed on the route to each of the printing devices 3a to 3c is registered along with the connection route to each of the printing devices 3a to 3c. Transfer time calculation means 204
Represents the time required for transfer of print data as a product of the data transfer speed and the print data size, for each of the printing devices 3a to 3a.
3c, and is stored in the transfer time storage unit 205.

Further, the printing control device 1 controls the printing devices 3a to 3a.
By storing the transfer speed at the time when the print data was previously transferred to the transfer speed storage unit 206 in c, the transfer time information can be used as transfer speed information used for calculation by the transfer time calculation unit 204.

The printing time calculation means 207 extracts the printing apparatus currently being printed from the printing apparatuses registered in the network topology management table 203. Printing time calculation means 2
07 indicates the printing end time of the printing apparatus group during printing.
The print data size stored in the print data size storage unit 202, the time when the print control apparatus 1 transmitted the previous print data to the printing apparatuses 3a to 3c, the print transfer time of the previous print data, and the print data size of the previous print data Is calculated from

The formula for calculating the printing end time is as follows:
It becomes an expression.

Print end time = print data sending time + transfer time + print time (1) In a printing apparatus that is not currently printing, the print end time is the current time. These print end time calculation values are:
It is stored in the print end time storage unit 208.

The printing time calculating means 207 is provided for each printing device 3.
The print end time of the print data currently on the print control apparatus 1 is calculated for a to 3c.

The transfer start time and the scheduled print end time are based on the transfer time of the current print data to each of the printing devices 3a to 3c, the print time, and the print end time stored in the print end time storage unit 208 as follows ( It is calculated by the equations (2) and (3), respectively.

Transfer start time = [print end time−transfer time] (2) (when [] is earlier than the current time, the transfer start time is set to the current time) Scheduled print end time = transfer start time + Transfer time + Print time ... (3) Finally, the printing device selection unit 209 determines whether the printing devices 3a to 3c
Of the scheduled printing end times is selected and the print data is sent.

In the printing control apparatus according to the present embodiment, the functions of the above-described embodiment are realized by a computer reading and executing a control program stored in a storage medium. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and performs a part or all of actual processing such as an OS (Operating System) running on a computer based on an instruction of the control program, and performs the processing described above. It goes without saying that a case where the function of the present embodiment is realized is also included.

As a storage medium for storing the control program, for example, a floppy disk, hard disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, CD-ROM (Co-ROM)
mpact Disk Read Only Memo
ry), CD-R (Compact Disk Rec)
order, a magnetic tape, a nonvolatile memory card, a ROM chip, or the like.

[0049]

As described in detail above, according to the output control method and apparatus of the present invention, the output end time is calculated, the transfer time to the output device on the network is calculated, and the output ends the earliest. By selecting the output device located at the place where the transfer time is the shortest, efficient output device distribution can be realized even in a multi-output system on a complicated network system. Also, by storing the actual transfer speed on the network for calculating the transfer time and calculating based on this, it is possible to select a more accurate output device.

Further, according to the storage medium of the present invention, it is possible to smoothly control the output control device of the present invention as described above.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a printing system having an output control device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an output control device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 printing control device (output control device) 2 terminal device 3a printing device (output device) 3b printing device (output device) 3c printing device (output device) 4a router device 4b router device 5 network 6 network 201 print data size measuring means 202 Print data size storage unit 203 Network topology management table 204 Transfer time calculation unit 205 Transfer time storage unit 206 Transfer speed storage unit 207 Printing time calculation unit (print end time calculation unit) 208 Print end time storage unit 209 Printing device selection unit

Claims (24)

[Claims] A transfer time calculating step of calculating a transfer time to a plurality of output devices on a network; an output end time calculating step of calculating an output end time of an output device being output;
An output device selecting step of selecting an output device having the earliest scheduled output end time. 2. The transfer time calculating step includes: a size measuring step of measuring a size of output data; and a calculating step of calculating a transfer time from a management table for managing a form of a network system and a data size. The output control method according to claim 1, wherein: 3. The transfer time calculating step includes: a size measuring step of measuring a size of output data; a transfer speed storing step of storing a transfer speed at a previous output; and a transfer time based on the transfer speed and the data size. 2. The output control method according to claim 1, comprising a calculating step of calculating. 4. The output control method according to claim 1, wherein said output device is a printing device. 5. The output control method according to claim 2, wherein the output data is print data. 6. A transfer time calculating means for calculating a transfer time to a plurality of output devices on a network, an output end time calculating means for calculating an output end time of an output device being output,
Output device selecting means for selecting an output device having the earliest scheduled output end time. 7. The transfer time calculating means comprises: a size measuring means for measuring the size of output data; and a calculating means for calculating a transfer time from a management table for managing the form of the network system and a data size. The output control device according to claim 6, wherein: 8. The transfer time calculating means includes: a size measuring means for measuring a size of output data; a transfer speed storing means for storing a transfer speed at the time of previous output; 7. The output control device according to claim 6, further comprising a calculating means for calculating. 9. The output control device according to claim 6, wherein the output device is a printing device. 10. The output control device according to claim 7, wherein the output data is print data. 11. A storage medium storing a control program for controlling an output control device for controlling a plurality of output devices on a network, the control program comprising: a transfer time to a plurality of output devices on a network. , An output end time calculation module that calculates the output end time of the output device that is outputting, and an output device selection module that selects the output device that has the earliest scheduled output end time. Storage medium. 12. The transfer time calculation module comprises: a size measurement module for measuring the size of output data; and a calculation module for calculating a transfer time from a management table and a data size for managing the form of the network system. The storage medium according to claim 11, characterized in that: 13. A transfer time calculating module, comprising: a size measuring module for measuring a size of output data; a transfer speed storing module for storing a transfer speed at a previous output; and a transfer time based on a transfer speed and a data size. 2. A calculation module for calculating a value.
The storage medium according to claim 1. 14. The storage medium according to claim 11, wherein said output device is a printing device. 15. The storage medium according to claim 12, wherein said output data is print data. 16. The storage medium according to claim 11, wherein said storage medium is a floppy disk. 17. The storage medium according to claim 11, wherein the storage medium is a hard disk. 18. The storage medium according to claim 11, wherein the storage medium is an optical disk. 19. The storage medium according to claim 11, wherein said storage medium is a magneto-optical disk. 20. The storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the storage medium is a CD-ROM (Co-ROM).
mpact Disk Read Only Memo
ry). The storage medium according to claim 11, wherein: 21. The storage medium is a CD-R (Comp)
16. The storage medium according to claim 11, wherein the storage medium is an act disk recordable. 22. The storage medium according to claim 11, wherein said storage medium is a magnetic tape. 23. The storage medium according to claim 11, wherein the storage medium is a nonvolatile memory card.
The storage medium according to the above. 24. The storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the storage medium is a ROM (Read
The storage medium according to claim 11, wherein the storage medium is an only memory (IC) chip.