JP2001277672A - Printer and printer system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a printer in which waste can be eliminated in test printing. SOLUTION: In printers E, F connected with a host unit, i.e., a computer A, and a plurality of other computers through a network, an operating section 32 is provided with a print output continue key 31 for allowing print output of remaining pages and copies when only arbitrary pages of a job being printed by a plurality of copies are designated by a user and test printed previously.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printer connected to a network, and a printer system in which a computer and a printer are connected via a print server serving as an interface, and more particularly to control in test printing.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a printer system in which a computer and a printer are connected via a print server serving as an interface, print data created by a computer application or utility is transmitted to a printer connected via the print server. Is printed by the printer.

In such a printer system, when it is desired to print out a plurality of copies of print data with a beautiful (desired) image density, the user of the job first prints out one copy as a test print, and then performs the test print. After confirming the image state of the result, an operation of outputting the remaining number of copies is performed. At this time, the user has to return to his or her computer again in order to instruct the remaining copies to be printed, and send the print data from the computer to the printer again, which is troublesome.

[0004] In order to solve such a problem, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-299936 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open
Japanese Patent Publication No. 356 proposes a technique for continuously performing test printing and normal printing by a single print instruction.

That is, in both publications, once all the print data is transmitted from the computer to the printer, the user determines the result of printing out the first copy, and then decides whether to continue or stop printing. A technique has been disclosed in which an instruction is given from an operation unit on a printer.

[0006]

However, in the above-described test printing of the prior art, if all the pages are printed by the test printing, even if a large number of printed materials are printed, pages that do not need to be confirmed are printed. There is a problem that a large amount of printed matter is generated.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a printer and a printer system capable of eliminating waste in test printing.

[0008]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printer, which is connected to a computer, which is a host device, connected to a network by a user. When test printing of only an arbitrary page is performed, a print output continuation key for permitting print output of the remaining pages and the remaining number of copies is provided in the operation unit.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in a printer which is connected to a computer as a higher-level device via a network, of a job for printing a plurality of copies, only an arbitrary page designated by a user is first trial printed. The operation unit is provided with a stop key for stopping the print output of the remaining pages and the remaining number of copies and deleting the print data.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the printer according to the first aspect, when a plurality of densities are set in the test print, a desired density number is set when the printout of the remaining pages and the remaining number of copies is continued. A key for inputting a density number is provided on the operation unit.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in a printer system in which a computer and a printer are connected via a network, the computer has a function of designating an arbitrary page to be tested and printed first in a job for printing a plurality of copies. The printer prints the designated page and then continues printing the remaining pages and the remaining number of copies, or
It has a key input means for determining whether to cancel and delete the print data.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the printer system according to the fourth aspect, the computer has a function of setting a plurality of densities at the time of test printing and designating a test print page for each density. It is characterized by having.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the printer system of the fourth aspect, the computer has a function of transmitting test print data to a plurality of printers at the same time.

According to the first and fourth aspects of the present invention, only the pages set by the user can be trial-printed, and the printout can be continued only when the printer permits, so that the information desired by the user is minimized. It is confirmed by printing, the generation of useless printed matter is suppressed, and the printing time is shortened.

According to the second and fourth aspects of the present invention, when the image density desired by the user is not obtained, the print data stored in the printer is deleted. Printing time is reduced.

According to the third and fifth aspects of the present invention, since test printing is performed with a plurality of image densities, a wide range of image densities can be obtained by a single test printing, and a desired image density among the image densities can be obtained. Since the print output is continued, the generation of useless printed matter is suppressed, and the printing time is shortened.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, by instructing a plurality of printers to perform test printing, the test printing time is reduced as compared with the case where test printing is performed by one printer.

[0018]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of the printer system. Computers A, B, C, and D each used by four users as input devices;
A printer system is composed of printers E and F for outputting print data created in B, C and D, and a print server G connected to the two by an interface cable and controlling the interface between the two. In the case of this configuration, each user of the computers A, B, C and D communicates with the printer E or the printer F via the print server G.
Can be output to

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a computer, a printer, and a print server constituting the printer system. The computer A is equipped with a printer control unit 1 including a video and a command I / F unit (the other computers B, C and D are the same).

The print server G includes a central processing unit 11, a computer control unit 12, a printer I / F control unit 13, a user personal registration data storage unit 14, a network control unit 15, and a peripheral device information storage unit 16. .

The printers E and F are connected to a print server G.
A print I / F unit 21, an image data storage unit 22, a CPU for controlling the entire printer, a ROM in which a control program is written, a RAM for storing control data, and the like, a print output control unit 23, data,
Arithmetic processing unit 2 for processing and processing data such as control data
Equipped with four.

Similarly, the printers E and F include an I / O control unit 25 for controlling a drive system and a sensor system in the printer, an image data control unit 26 for performing image density control, which is an object of the present invention, and a user. Operation display control unit 27 for operating density number, print output continuation, stop, etc., operation key switch control unit 2
Equipped with eight. The printers E and F store image data and information from the computer A by linking them to a RAM or the like. Further, the operation key switch control unit 28 receives key inputs of a stop key 29, a density number input key 30, and a print output continuation key 31 of the operation unit 32.

From the computer A to the print server G,
Image data, printing (printing) conditions, user information, image density, and the like are transmitted, and the respective data are transmitted to the printers E and F via the printer I / F control unit 13 of the print server G. The printers E and F include a print output control unit 23
The image data and the information from the computer A are linked and stored in a RAM or the like.

FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 are flowcharts of test print (print) control. In FIG. 3, the operations of steps S1 and S2 are performed by the computer A as a user operation. That is, first, data to be printed (printed) is created (S1). Then, at that time, a page to be subjected to test printing, an image density number for each page, and information on a plurality or one output destination printer are input and a print output instruction is transmitted to the print server G (S2).

The print server G checks whether the received data is a test print (S3). If it is not a test print, the data is transmitted to the printer E or the printer F as normal print processing, and the printers E and F execute the normal print processing (S4).

If it is a test print, the print server G
Checks whether there are a plurality of output destinations (S5).
Each information is transmitted (S6). If there is only one output destination, print data and various information are transmitted to either printer E or printer F (not shown).

Two printers E and F or 1
The printer E or F first checks from the information from the print server G whether there is a page instruction in the designated test print (S7). If so, the print data of the designated page is stored in the image data storage unit. Then, the data is developed in the Devio memory 22 (S8).

Next, it is confirmed whether or not there is a plurality of density instructions in the information from the print server G (S9). If there are a plurality of density instructions, the designated density adjustment value is set for each of the designated pages (S9). S10). Then, the printer performs print output at the density designated for each page (S11).

Next, in FIG. 4, operations of steps S12 to S14 are performed as a user operation. This operation is performed by the operation units 32 of the printers E and F. In other words, the user checks the printed matter output by the printers E and F (S12), and if there is an image that he / she likes among all of the printed matter, that is, when the output is continued with the printed matter (S12). In S13, the desired density number is input by the density number input key 32, and the print output continuation key 31 is pressed (S14). If the output is not to be continued (N in S13), the stop key 29 is pressed (not shown).

In the printers E and F, printing is stopped by pressing the stop key 29, and the print data stored in the RAM is deleted (S15). In the case of a print output continuation instruction, the adjustment value of the designated density number is set, and the remaining pages and the number of copies are printed (S16). As described above, it is possible to provide a test print function that can easily extract an image desired by a user, which is an object of the present invention.

[0031]

According to the first and fourth aspects of the present invention, it is possible to test print only a page set in advance by a user,
Since print output can be continued only when permitted by the printer side, the information desired by the user can be confirmed with minimal printing, the occurrence of useless printed matter can be suppressed, and the printing time can be reduced. I can do it.

According to the second and fourth aspects of the present invention, the print data stored in the printer is deleted when the image density desired by the user is not obtained, so that the occurrence of useless printed matter is suppressed. And printing time can be reduced.

According to the third and fifth aspects of the present invention, since test printing is performed at a plurality of image densities, a wide range of image densities can be obtained by a single test printing, and a desired image density can be obtained. Since print output is continued at the image density of, useless printed matter can be suppressed,
In addition, the printing time can be reduced.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, by instructing a plurality of printers to perform test printing, the test printing time can be reduced as compared with the case where test printing is performed by one printer.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a printer system.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a computer, a printer, and a print server that constitute the printer system.

FIG. 3 is a test print control flowchart.

FIG. 4 is a continuation of the flowchart in FIG. 3;

[Explanation of symbols]

 A, B, C, D Computer E, F Printer G Print server 29 Cancel key 30 Density number input key 31 Print output continuation key 32 Operation unit

Claims (6)

[Claims] In a printer which is connected to a computer as a higher-level device via a network, when a test print of only an arbitrary page designated by a user is first performed among jobs for printing a plurality of copies, the remaining pages and the number of remaining copies are provided. A print output continuation key for permitting print output of the printer is provided on the operation unit. 2. In a printer which is connected to a computer as a higher-level device via a network, when trial printing of only an arbitrary page designated by a user is first performed in a job for printing a plurality of copies, the remaining pages and the remaining number of copies are set. A print key provided in the operation unit for stopping print output and deleting the print data. 3. The printer according to claim 1, wherein, when a plurality of densities are set for the test print, a density number input key for inputting a desired density number is used to continue printing the remaining pages and the remaining number of copies. A printer provided in an operation unit. 4. In a printer system in which a computer and a printer are connected via a network, the computer has a function of designating an arbitrary page to be trial-printed first in a job for printing a plurality of copies. Printer system having key input means for determining whether to continue printing of the remaining pages and the remaining number of copies after test-printing the selected page, or to cancel and delete the print data . 5. The printer system according to claim 4, wherein the computer sets a plurality of densities during test printing.
A printer system having a function of designating a test print page for each density. 6. The printer system according to claim 4, wherein the computer has a function of transmitting test print data to a plurality of printers at the same time.