JP2001282497A - Printing system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a printing system which enables error printing data to be easily confirmed. SOLUTION: In the printing system connecting a printer device and a host 2 to a network, the host 2 is provided with a printing data analysis means 102 for analyzing whether printing data are error data or not and a function for analyzing the printing data by the means 102 before outputting the data, and when the printing data are error, displaying the error.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printing system including a host (host computer) and a printer connected to the host.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In the above-described printing system, print data created by a host application or utility is sent to a printer, analyzed and processed by a printer controller, and output from a printer engine to paper. I have.

Here, for example, when a command to print an image is sent in place of a command to print characters, for example, because the user has selected and printed an incorrect printer driver on the host computer. However, the image data is interpreted as a character code, and a character string having no meaning is printed. In this case, the character string is often printed in a large amount, so that a large amount of paper is wasted, and a user wastes time until the printing is stopped.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H11-3193 discloses a printer capable of recognizing a language error of a page description language. There has been proposed a printer having a configuration including an error detecting unit for detecting an error by checking a character code to be printed therein.

[0005]

When data printed by another printer is used for another printer, an error may occur on the host side due to differences in specifications unique to the model, even in the same printer language. there were. For example, in the case of a printer language such as PostScript, the specification itself of the printer language does not depend on the device (printer), but device-dependent data is added to the output from the printer driver. If such data is transmitted to another printer, an error occurs.

[0006] In a programmable printer language such as the above-mentioned PostScript, a user sometimes creates print data independently without using an application or a driver. In such a case, this data is actually transferred to a printer device. Unable to determine whether the data is correct until sending and viewing the print result.

In the above-mentioned prior art, an error on the host side is checked on the printer side, and the user cannot check the error on the host side, and the error is checked only after visiting the printer. However, there is a problem that error confirmation takes time.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a print system in which error print data can be easily confirmed.

[0009]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, in a print system in which a printer and a host are connected to a network, the host determines whether the print data has an error. A print data analyzing means for analyzing, and a function of analyzing print data before output by the print data analyzing means, and displaying, when the print data is an error, a notice to that effect. is there.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the print system of the first aspect, the print data analyzing means includes:
When an error is displayed on the host, a function of determining whether to output or discard the error print data to a printer device based on an external input is provided.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the print system of the first aspect, the print data analyzing means includes:
When an error is displayed on the host, it has a function of determining whether to output, discard, or edit the error print data to a printer device by an external input.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the host includes print data analysis means for analyzing whether or not the print data is an error, and analyzes the print data before output by the print data analysis means, Is an error on the host, and notifies the user of the error, so that the user can confirm that there is an error without going to the location of the printer.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, it is possible to confirm that an error has occurred on the host when the host has output error print data, and to transmit or discard the print data. Can be avoided from sending useless data to the printer device.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, when an error print data is output from the host, it is possible to confirm that an error has occurred on the host and to transmit or discard the print data. Alternatively, by being able to select edit, it is possible to avoid sending unnecessary data to the printer, and if the print data is edited on the host, the corrected data is transmitted to the printer.

[0015]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a printing system. The printing system includes a printer 1 and a host 2
Are connected by the network 3. The number of printers 1 and the number of hosts 2 are both arbitrary.

FIG. 2 is a module configuration diagram of a print data output unit on the host side in the print system. The host 2 includes data transmission software 101 that can transmit print data to the printer 1 such as a printer driver or a utility that can transmit data to the printer 1 as a module, and print data to which the present invention is applied. An analysis unit 102 and a print spooler 103 are provided. Hereinafter, the operation of the print data analysis unit 102 will be described.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a first operation example (corresponding to the first aspect of the invention) of the print data analysis means. When print data is transmitted from the host 2 to the printer device 1, the print data analysis means 102 receives and analyzes the data before it is passed to the print spooler 103 and output (S 1).

When the print data analysis unit 102 analyzes that the print data has an error (S
(Yes in 2) displays an error on the print data on the display unit (not shown) of the host 2 (S3). If the print data is normal (No in S2), the print data is passed as it is to the print spooler 103 and becomes a normal output (S4).

In this manner, the user can check the print data on the host 2 if the print data is in error, without checking the print result on the printer device 1.
As shown in this flow, data output can be performed even if the print data has an error.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a second operation example (corresponding to the second aspect of the invention) of the print data analysis means. When print data is to be transmitted from the host 2 to the printer device 1, the print data analyzing means 102 receives and analyzes the data before it is passed to the print spooler 103 and output (S11).

When the print data analysis unit 102 analyzes that the print data has an error (S
(Yes in 12) displays an error in the print data on the display unit (not shown) of the host 2 (S13). If the print data is normal (No in S12), the print data is passed as it is to the print spooler 103 and becomes a normal output (S16).

In the operation example, the print data analyzing means 102
It has a selection function that allows the user to select whether to transmit or discard data, in other words, a function to determine whether to transmit or discard according to an instruction from the user, and waits for an input after an error is displayed (S14).

Here, if the user selects, for example, the discarding of the erroneous print data from the operation unit (not shown) of the host 2, the print data is discarded (S15). If the output of the print data is selected, the print data is transmitted to the printer device 1 (S16).

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a third operation example of the print data analysis means (corresponding to the third aspect of the present invention). When print data is transmitted from the host 2 to the printer device 1, the print data analysis means 102 receives and analyzes the data before it is passed to the print spooler 103 and output (S 21).

When the print data analysis unit 102 analyzes that the print data has an error (S
(Yes in 22) displays an error on the print data on the display unit (not shown) of the host 2 (S23). If the print data is normal (No in S22), this print data is passed as it is to the print spooler 103 and becomes a normal output (S26).

In this operation example, the print data analyzing means 102
It has a selection function that allows the user to select whether to send, discard, or edit data, in other words, it has a function to determine whether to send, discard, or edit according to instructions from the user, and waits for input after displaying an error (S24).

Here, if the user selects, for example, the discarding of the erroneous print data from the operation unit (not shown) of the host 2, the print data is discarded (S25). If the output of the print data is selected, the print data is transmitted to the printer device 1 (S26).

If the user selects to edit the print data, an editor for the print data is activated, and the print data is edited (S27). If the error information I / F between the editor and the print data analysis means 102 is provided, it is possible to indicate to the user which part in the print data has what kind of error and to edit the print data. Necessary information can be provided to the user.

In this way, when an error occurs, the user can directly edit the print data,
The edited data can be transmitted to the printer 1.

[0030]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the host has print data analysis means for analyzing whether or not the print data is error, and analyzes the print data before output by the print data analysis means. However, if the print data is an error, the error is displayed on the host and the user is notified.Therefore, even if the user does not go to the printer device, the error on the host can be detected. You can check.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, when an error print data is output from the host, it is possible to confirm that an error has occurred on the host, and to transmit the print data. By being able to choose whether to discard,
It is possible to avoid sending useless data to the printer device.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, when an error print data is output from the host, it can be confirmed that an error has occurred on the host, and in addition to the transmission of the print data. By selecting whether to discard or edit, it is possible to avoid sending unnecessary data to the printer, and if the print data is edited on the host, the corrected data can be sent to the printer. Can be sent.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a print system.

FIG. 2 is a module configuration diagram of a print data output unit on the host side in the print system.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a first operation example of a print data analysis unit.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a second operation example of the print data analysis unit.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a third operation example of the print data analysis unit.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Printer apparatus 2 Host 3 Network 101 Data transmission software 102 Print data analysis means 103 Print spooler

Claims (3)

[Claims] In a print system in which a printer and a host are connected to a network, the host includes print data analysis means for analyzing whether or not the print data is an error, and prints before output by the print data analysis means. A print system having a function of analyzing data and displaying an error if the print data is an error. 2. The print system according to claim 1, wherein, when an error is displayed on the host, the print data analyzing means determines whether to output or discard the error print data to a printer by an external input. A print system having a function of determining. 3. The print system according to claim 1, wherein the print data analysis means, when an error is displayed on the host, determines whether the error print data is output to the printer, discarded, or edited. A print system having a function of determining the value based on an input from a printer.