JP2002051173A - Printing system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a printing system, in which completion of print can be notified by sound and completion of print and generation of error can be notified, without having to interrupt the operation. SOLUTION: A notice voice server 6 comprises a job-transmitting/receiving section, a job-analyzing section, a job storage section, and a job-corresponding voice managing section. The job-transmitting/receiving section transmits a print job to an imaging apparatus 5 or receives a printing job from client terminals 1, 2. The job-analyzing section examines and analyzes the user ID of a received print job and adds a voice command and voice data to the print job, thus generating data being transmitted to the imaging apparatus 5. The imaging apparatus 5 reproduces voice data of the print job added with the voice command which is received from the notice voice server 6 and prints an image.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printing system, for example, which is connected to a plurality of external devices (terminal devices) via a network, reproduces voice data of a print job with voice, and prints print data. And a printing system for performing the same.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, a printing system including a plurality of terminal devices connected via a network and an image forming apparatus such as a printer for printing a print job from the plurality of terminal devices has been used. . In a printing system including these image forming apparatuses and terminal devices,
The user can transmit the print job even from a place remote from the image forming apparatus, and can cause the image forming apparatus to print the print job.

[0003]

However, in a case where a user prints in an office partitioned by a partition with an image forming apparatus installed remotely from a terminal device connected via a network, the printing process in the image forming apparatus is started. Sometimes the situation cannot be checked directly. Further, when a plurality of terminals are connected to the image forming apparatus via a network, that is, in an environment where many users share and use the image forming apparatus, even if one user issues a print request, Your print job may be waiting because it is in use. In such a situation, it is difficult to know the print status of the print job of the user, and there is a case where the user does not notice that the printing is not completed and performs a useless operation such as going to get a document.

Accordingly, a first object of the present invention is to provide a printing system which can notify a print completion notice by sound and allow a user to know the completion of printing and occurrence of an error without interrupting work. That is. Second embodiment of the present invention
The purpose of is that even if multiple users share the same server, notification sound data can be set for each user,
An object of the present invention is to provide a printing system in which each user can know the progress with a unique sound.

[0005]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, receiving means for receiving print data to which identification information for identifying an individual operator is added from one or more terminals, and receiving the print data by the receiving means Printing means for printing the print data obtained, and voice data indicating that an error or an event such as printing start, printing end, out of paper, paper jam, or the like has occurred during printing by the printing means. Voice storage means for storing corresponding to the identification information of, and voice identification means for identifying whether voice data corresponding to the identification information of the print data received by the receiving means is stored in the voice storage means, If the voice identification means identifies that voice data is stored in the voice storage means, the voice data corresponding to the identification information is added to the print data. A voice adding unit that outputs voice-attached print data; and a voice reproducing unit that reproduces the voice data added by the voice adding unit. When print data is printed by the printing unit, printing starts, print ends, When each event or error such as an error in the middle of printing occurs, the sound reproducing means achieves the first object by reproducing the sound data added to the print data with sound.

In the invention according to claim 2, the sound reproducing means further comprises a reproduction setting means for setting not to reproduce the sound data added to the print data with sound by the sound adding means. Achieve two objectives.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the voice setting means can set registration or deletion for each operator of the voice data stored in the voice storage means in correspondence with the identification information unique to the operator. The second object is achieved by further providing

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of a printing system according to the present embodiment. The printing system includes client terminals 1 to 4, an image forming apparatus (printer) 5, and a notification voice server 6. Each of the client terminals 1 to 4 has a printer driver for transmitting a print job and a voice and registering it on the notification voice server 6. The client terminals 1 and 2 are connected to an image forming apparatus 5 and a communication voice server 6 via a data bus. In addition, the client terminal 3 is connected by Vicentro,
The client terminal 4 is directly connected to the image forming apparatus 5 through a serial connection.

The client terminals 1 to 4 are a workstation for transmitting a print job to the image forming apparatus 5,
A control device such as a personal computer or a host computer may be used. In the present embodiment,
The image forming apparatus 5 included in the printing system will be described as a printer, but is not limited thereto, and may be an image forming apparatus such as a printing machine or a copying machine. In the present embodiment, as an example, client terminals 3 and 4 are directly connected to image forming apparatus 5, and client terminals 1 and 2 are connected to image forming apparatus 5 and notification voice server 6 via Ethernet (registered trademark). However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a plurality of client terminals may be connected via a network. Also,
Although the client terminals 1 and 2 are connected by Ethernet, other LANs (Local Area Net)
work), WAN (Wide Area Network)
rk) or the like, and may be connected to the image forming apparatus 5 via a network.

The notification voice server 6 includes a job transmission / reception unit, a job analysis unit, a job storage unit, and a job correspondence voice management unit, although not shown. The job transmitting / receiving unit transmits a print job to the image forming apparatus or receives a print job from the client terminals 1 and 2. The job analysis unit checks and analyzes the user ID of the received print job,
A command and a voice are added to the print job to generate data to be transmitted to the image forming apparatus. The job correspondence management unit includes a large-capacity storage device having a user ID, a sound for each event, and a management table (see FIG. 2) for managing the sound.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a management table stored in the job corresponding voice management unit. As shown in FIG. 2, the job correspondence management unit registers and stores voice data corresponding to each user ID and event. Here, each event indicates an operation in the image forming apparatus, such as printing start of a print job, printing end, running out of paper, paper jam, and other errors. As described above, the job correspondence management unit sets in advance, for example, event 1 to start printing a print job from the client terminal 1, event 2 to end printing, and event 3 to run out of paper. Voice data is stored in association with each event number and each user ID.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment. The image forming apparatus 5
A network interface unit 11 for transmitting and receiving a print job to and from external devices (here, client terminals 1 and 2 and a notification voice server 6) to which the image forming apparatus 5 is connected via a network, and a data identification unit 12 for identifying print data , Controller unit 1 for forming an image
3. A printer engine unit 14 for printing the processed print image on paper, a storage unit 15 for storing print jobs and sound (sound) data, a sound reproduction unit 16 for vocalizing and reproducing sound data, and a sound reproduction unit 16 A speaker unit 17 that outputs voiced voice data as sound is provided. The data identification section 12 identifies whether the notification data is included in the received data.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the concept of a print job. FIG. 4A shows an example of a print job transmitted from the client terminals 1 to 4 to the notification voice server 6.
FIG. 3B shows an example of a print job transmitted from the notification voice server 6 to the image forming apparatus 5. The print job transmitted by the user from the client terminals 1 to 4 to the notification voice server 6 includes a user ID, a source address, a destination address, and print data. When the user sends a print instruction for a print job as shown in FIG. 4A from the client terminal 1, the notification voice server 6 that has received the print job from the client terminal 1
That is, a voice command extracted from the job correspondence management unit as shown in FIG. 4B is added to the data, and the print job to which the voice command is added is transmitted to the image forming apparatus 5.

Next, in the client terminals 1-4,
The voice command first set by the user will be described. There are three voice commands, a voice data registration command, a voice data deletion command, and a voice data reproduction command, as described below. The voice command is set by the user on the printer driver of each of the client terminals 1 to 4, and is transmitted as a data packet from each of the client terminals 1 to 4 to the notification voice server. The first notification voice server that receives this voice command,
First, each voice command is described and stored in a management table of the job correspondence management unit. Hereinafter, the data format for packet communication of each voice command, the hexadecimal description of the data format, each function, and each setting will be described.

Command specifications (1) In case of voice data registration command The data format (data format) is "ESC DC
2 X m1, m2, ＠ data ”,
If this is expressed in hexadecimal, “1B 12 60 m12C
m2 2C 40 data ”. When such a data format is set on the printer driver of the client terminal 1 and transmitted to the notification voice server 6, the notification voice server 6 sets “the event number of the binary / voice data in the management table of the job correspondence management unit. Register "command has been received. “M1” in the data format indicates that the user
4 means the event number designated, and the event number is registered as an event number represented by a numeral in a character expression. Possible values for the event number are
0 to 255. When the registration area of this event number runs out, registration is not performed. In the case of overwriting, registration is performed again after deletion, but registration is not performed if the designated area cannot be obtained. “M2” means a reproduction volume of audio data to be reproduced in the image forming apparatus 5 specified by the user, and a specifiable value is 0 to 1
0. “Data” means the content of audio data reproduced by the image forming apparatus 5 specified by the user. For example, when printing is started, “start printing” can be specified. In addition, "m1",
When a value out of the range is designated by “m2”, the voice command in the notification voice server 6 is invalidated.

(2) In case of voice data deletion command The data format (data format) is "ESC DC
2 X m1, m2, ＠ data ”,
If this is expressed in hexadecimal, “1B 12 61 m1 2C
00 2C 40 00 ". When such a data format is set on the printer driver of the client terminal 1 and transmitted to the notification voice server 6,
The notification voice server 6 has received the instruction of “deleting the event number of the binary / voice data from the management table of the job correspondence management unit”. “M1” in the data format indicates that the user
4 means the event number designated, and deletes the event number represented by a numeral in a character expression. Possible values for the event number are
0 to 255. “M2” means a reproduction volume of audio data to be reproduced in the image forming apparatus 5 specified by the user, and the specified value is “00”. "D
“ata” is the content of the audio data reproduced by the image forming apparatus 5 specified by the user. Here, 00 is specified because it is to be deleted.

(3) In the case of audio data playback command The data format (data format) is "ESC DC
2 Y m1, m2, ＠ data ”
This is expressed in hexadecimal as "1B 12 59 m1 2C
m2 2C 40 data ”. When such a data format is set on the printer driver of the client terminal 1 and transmitted to the notification voice server 6, the notification voice server 6 receives a command of "reproduce binary / voice data". Become. “M1” in the data format means a reproduction volume of audio data to be reproduced in the image forming apparatus 5 specified by the user, and a specifiable value is 0 to 10.
“M2” means the number of times of reproduction of audio data in the image forming apparatus 5 that can be specified by the user at the client terminal 1, and the specifiable value is 0 to 10. "Dat
“a” means the content of audio data reproduced by the image forming apparatus 5 specified by the user, and for example, when printing is started, “start printing” can be specified. When a value out of the range is designated by “m1” and “m2”, the voice command in the notification voice server 6 is invalidated.

Next, the operation of the image forming apparatus 5 and the notification voice server 6 of the printing system according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. Note that a case where the user uses the client terminal 1 of the printing system will be described as an example. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of the print job transmission / reception processing in the notification voice server. First, when a user opens data to be printed on the client terminal 1 and starts processing a print request from an application, the communication control unit of the client terminal 1 transmits a print job to the notification voice server 6. When receiving the print job from the client terminal 1 (step 51), the notification voice server 6 analyzes the user ID of the received print job by the job analysis unit (step 52). This user ID can be registered in advance in the job correspondence management unit of the notification voice server 6 for each user, and the job analysis unit of the notification voice server 6 is registered in advance with the job correspondence management unit. The voice command is added to the print job based on the management table of (1).

Here, the job analysis unit checks the management table of the job correspondence management unit, and if there is a corresponding user ID (step 53; ID present), the job analysis unit starts from the address described in the management table (see FIG. 2). The audio data corresponding to event 1 is extracted (step 55). The job correspondence management unit manages voice data for each event (error contents such as a paper jam and a paper out are also included in the event), and the job analysis unit registers corresponding to the user ID received from the client terminal 1. The operation of extracting the audio data for the event being performed one by one is repeated (step 55; present). When the job analysis unit fetches all voice data related to the corresponding user ID from the management table of the job correspondence management unit (step 55; none), the job transmission / reception unit sends all voice data fetched by the job analysis unit to a voice command. Is added to the non-print job. The voice command added to the print job also includes a voice data reproduction command (see command specifications), and the print job to which the voice command has been added is transmitted to the image forming apparatus 5 by the job transmitting / receiving unit. (Step 57) The processing in the notification voice server 6 ends.
User ID corresponding to the management table of the job correspondence management unit
If there is no print job (step 53; no ID), the job transmitting / receiving unit transmits the received print job to the image forming apparatus 5 as it is (step 57), and ends the processing in the notification voice server 6.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a print processing procedure of a print job in the image forming apparatus. When a print job is received from the notification voice server 6 by the network interface unit 11 of the image forming apparatus 5 (step 61), the data identification unit 12 identifies whether the received print job includes a voice command. (Step 62). The data identification unit 12 identifies the data bit of the voice command added to the received print job (step 62), and “1B 12 59 ...”
If there is an "audio data reproduction signal" that starts with (see the audio data reproduction command in the command specification) (step 6)
3; Y), the added voice command, that is, all voice data is registered (temporarily stored) in the storage unit 15.
If the print start audio data (which means an audio data reproduction command of the command specification) is registered,
The data identification unit 12 reads the print start audio data from the data storage unit 15 and sends the data to the audio reproduction unit 16. The audio reproducing unit 16 converts the audio data corresponding to the audio command into audio and sends the audio data to the speaker unit 17.
Reproduces the voiced voice data (step 6).
4).

After the reproduction of the sound by the speaker unit 17 is completed (step 64), the controller unit 13 sends the image generated from the print data in the print job to the printer engine unit 14, and the printer engine unit 14 starts printing (step 64). Step 65). If the data identification unit 12 identifies that no voice command is added to the received print data (step 63; N), the controller unit 13
Sends the image generated from the print data in the print job to the printer engine 14, and the printer engine 14 starts printing (step 65). If an error such as an event or a paper jam or a paper out occurs in the image forming apparatus 5 (step 66; N), the data identification unit 12 outputs the voice data of the voice command registered in the storage unit 15. Of the event number corresponding to the error. If the error notification voice data, which is the voice data corresponding to the event number, exists in the storage unit 15 (step 67; Y), the data identification unit 12 reads the error notification voice data from the storage unit 15 and
Send to 6. The voice reproducing unit 16 converts the voice data corresponding to the voice command into voice and sends it to the speaker unit 17, and the speaker unit 17 reproduces the voiced error notification voice data (step 64).

If the printing by the printer engine unit 14 is not normal (step 66; N) and the error notification voice data is not in the storage unit 15 (step 67; N), the data identification unit 12 performs the following printing end notification processing. (Step 69-
Go to 70). Also, there is a case where the printing by the printer engine unit 14 is not normal (Step 66; N) and the error notification voice data is in the storage unit 15 (Step 67;
Y) After the error notification voice data is reproduced by the speaker unit 17, the data identification unit 12 proceeds to the following print end notification processing (steps 69 to 70). When the printing by the printer engine unit 14 is completed normally (step 6
6; Y), the data identification unit 12 searches the voice data of the voice command stored in the storage unit 15 for an event number corresponding to the end of printing. The print end audio data which is the audio data corresponding to this event number is stored in the storage unit 1
5 (step 69; Y), the data identification unit 12
Reads the print end audio data from the storage unit 15 and sends the data to the audio reproduction unit 16. The audio reproducing unit 16 converts the audio data corresponding to the audio command into audio, and
And the speaker unit 17 reproduces the voiced print end voice data (step 70), and the image forming apparatus 5
Is completed. If there is no print end sound data which is sound data corresponding to the event number in the storage unit 15 (step 69; N), the processing in the image forming apparatus 5 ends as it is. As described above, it is possible to set different sounds (sound data) for each user such as an event such as a start, an end of printing, an error, and the like, and reproduce the set sound by the image forming apparatus. Since the status is notified, the user can easily recognize the progress.

Next, a process for the notification voice server 6 which can be set by the user at the client terminal 1 will be described. The user opens data to be printed on the client terminal 1 and sets print conditions in the print properties of the printer driver as a start of print request processing. Here, the printer driver refers to a printer driver on the client terminals 1 to 4 for setting options for printing and printing conditions. The user
Start printing with the printer driver on the client terminal 1,
It is possible to select and set on / off whether or not to reproduce the notification sound corresponding to the end or error occurrence. In the notification sound reproduction setting, it is possible to set whether to reproduce all or a part of the sound data of the event number corresponding to the user ID registered in the notification sound server 6. Instead of making these settings each time the user starts printing, the settings once selected by the printer driver may be stored.

When the user selects the notification voice reproduction setting to be off, the user ID included in the print job from the client terminal 1 is specified to a value outside the registration range of the notification voice server 6, and It is possible to prevent voice data, which is a voice command, from being added. As a result, even if the notification voice server 6 receives the print job and analyzes the user ID of the print job by the job analysis unit, the corresponding user ID is not in the management table of the job correspondence management unit. The job can be transferred to the image forming apparatus 5 as it is. Then, the image forming apparatus 5 performs a normal printing process. Also,
If the user sets in the printer driver of the client terminal 1 to turn off only the audio data corresponding to the specific event number, the job analysis unit of the notification audio server 6 determines whether or not the audio data is present (step 6 in FIG. 5).
2), the audio data of the corresponding event number is not taken out from the management table of the job correspondence management unit. Thereby, it is possible to prevent only the audio data corresponding to the specific event number specified by the user from being reproduced. As described above, even when the notification in the image forming apparatus 5 is not necessary, it is possible to set so that the client terminals 1 to 4 do not reproduce the audio data registered in the notification audio server 6.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a procedure for registering / deleting voice data in the notification voice server. In the printer driver of the client terminal 1,
When generating data with a "voice command" (refer to the command specification) and transmitting it to the notification voice server 6, the user registers the data with the voice command generated on the printer driver in the notification voice server 6 as voice data. Or not. Similarly, the user can select whether to delete the voice data already registered in the notification voice server 6 on the printer driver. When the user sets audio data to be registered / deleted on the client terminal 1, this setting is added as registered data or deleted data and transmitted to the notification audio server 6 together with the print job. When the job transmitting / receiving unit of the notification voice server 6 receives the print job from the client terminal 1 (step 81), the job analysis unit analyzes the user ID related to the voice command in the received print job (step 82), The voice data in the received print job is identified whether the registered data is the deleted data (step 83).

If the received print job is registered data, that is, registered (step 83; registration), the user I of the received print job is stored in the management table of the job correspondence management unit.
A search is made as to whether or not there is audio data relating to D (step 85). If the voice data corresponding to the user ID has already been registered in the management table of the job correspondence management unit (step 85; ID is present), the received new registered data is added and overwritten, that is, the new registered data is described in the management table. Swap the address and data (step 8
7), the processing in the notification voice server 6 ends. When voice data corresponding to the user ID is not registered in the management table of the job correspondence management unit (step 85; ID
None), a user ID is newly added to the management table (step 86), new voice data corresponding to the added user ID is additionally registered (step 87), and the process in the notification voice server 6 is completed. . Here, when the content of the registration data in the print job is related to the audio data corresponding to the existing event number, the content of the audio data corresponding to the event number registered in the management table is rewritten. That means. Also,
The addition means that when the content of the registration data in the print job corresponds to the new event number, the new event number and the audio data corresponding to the new event number are added to the management table.

If the received print job is delete data, that is, delete (step 83; delete), voice data corresponding to the event number or user ID of the delete data in the management table of the job correspondence management unit is deleted ( Step 84), end the processing with the notification voice data. As described above, since the voice data can be added, changed, or deleted from the client terminal 1 to the notification voice server 6, it is possible to arbitrarily change at which event the voice sounds.

As described above, since the image forming apparatus 5 can receive audio data and reproduce the received audio data, the image forming apparatus 5 can be used as a speaker function. In the printing system of the present embodiment, the notification voice server 6 has been described as being separate from the image forming apparatus. However, the present invention is not limited to this. A print server having a function of analyzing a user ID added to a print job, a function of registering and deleting voice data corresponding to a user ID and an event number added to a print job, a function of adding voice data to a print job, and the like. The image forming apparatus 5 may be provided.

[0029]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, when print data is printed by the printing means, when an event or error such as printing start, printing end, or an error during printing occurs, the sound reproducing means is turned on. Since the audio data added to the print data with audio is reproduced, the progress can be easily notified to the user.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, there is no need for notification because the sound reproducing means further includes a reproduction setting means for setting not to reproduce the sound data added to the print data with sound by the sound adding means. In such cases, the user can arbitrarily set the notification sound off.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a voice setting means capable of setting registration or deletion for each operator of the voice data stored in the voice storage means in association with the identification information unique to the operator. With further provision, the user can arbitrarily change which event sounds the sound.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of a printing system according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a management table stored in a job corresponding voice management unit.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an image forming apparatus according to the exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the concept of a print job.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure of a print job transmission / reception process in the notification voice server.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a print processing procedure of a print job in the image forming apparatus.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of audio data registration / deletion in the notification audio server.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1-4 client terminal 5 image forming device 6 notification voice server 11 network interface unit 12 data identification unit 13 controller unit 14 printer engine unit 15 storage unit 16 audio playback unit 17 speaker unit

Claims (3)

[Claims] A receiving unit that receives, from one or a plurality of terminals, print data to which identification information for identifying an individual operator is added; a printing unit that prints the print data received by the receiving unit; When printing by means, voice data indicating that there is an error or event such as printing start, printing end, out of paper, paper jam, etc. of the print data in association with the operator's unique identification information. Storage means; voice identification means for determining whether or not voice data corresponding to the identification information of the print data received by the reception means is stored in the voice storage means; and voice data stored in the voice storage means by the voice identification means. And voice addition means for adding voice data corresponding to the identification information to the print data to make print data with voice when the data is stored. Sound reproducing means for reproducing the sound data added by the sound adding means, wherein when the print data is printed by the printing means, each event or error such as printing start, printing end, an error during printing, etc. The printing system according to claim 1, wherein, when the voice data is generated, the voice reproducing unit reproduces voice data added to the print data with voice. 2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a reproduction setting unit configured to set the audio reproduction unit so as not to reproduce the audio data added to the print data with audio by the audio addition unit. system. 3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a voice setting unit configured to set registration or deletion of voice data stored in said voice storage unit in association with operator-specific identification information for each operator. The printing system according to claim 1, wherein the printing system is a printing system.