JP2002200798A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To use a storage medium for storing a predetermined volume of print data efficiently by using an external unit efficiently without retransmitting reprint of print data therefrom. SOLUTION: Print data from an external unit 1 is stored in a buffer memory 7 through a connection means 3, an interface means 4 and a control means 5 and stored, as spool and reuse data, in an HDD 8. The control means 5 generates list information for reusing print data. The list information is stored in the HDD 8 and stored, as cache data, in cache areas 7a and 7b. Upon turn on power, the list information is delivered from the HDD 8 to the cache areas 7a and 7b or the list information may be stored in the cache areas 7a and 7b while being compressed. One cache area 7a is made available and the other cache area 7b is made available and new list information is reflected using one cache data. Consequently, a reference access of list information does not wait for completion of cache data during update of the cache data.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a printing apparatus which is connected to an external device via a network or the like and stores and prints out print data for reprinting.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional printing apparatus connected to an external device through a network connection or the like, if the user connects the network from the external device, the print data is transferred to a file server or the like, and the file server prints the data to the printer server. The printing was executed by sequentially transferring the processing.
Further, when printing the print data for which printing has been completed again, the user retransmits the file to the file server from the external device. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 64-36461 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No.
No. 21227 and the like.

Further, as a method of reusing print data, a technique of reprinting at the request of a user,
Converts print data from the host device, stores it in a page buffer that stores one page, and has means for determining whether to initialize or save the image data in the page buffer that has been printed once, enabling reprinting. Is known. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-201 discloses this technology.
No. 075, JP-A-6-55783 and the like.

[0004] Further, page information for identifying the stored print data for each page is provided, the previously printed print data is reprinted for each page in response to a request, and management is performed based on information such as the print data retention time. To do this,
-30413, JP-A-9-174956,
JP-A-9-179704, JP-A-9-30533
No. 1 publication.

[0005]

However, in the printing apparatus having such a conventional configuration, when printing the print data that has been printed first, the print data that the user wants to print again from an external device or a file server. There is a problem that the same printed matter cannot be output from the printing apparatus unless the transmission is performed again.

In order to solve this problem, it is necessary for the printing apparatus to store print data to be reprinted in a non-volatile recording medium such as a hard disk drive (HDD) which can be used for a certain period of time. . However, the transfer speed of a current recording medium such as an HDD is slower than that of a storage medium such as a memory, and when functions are shared, there is a possibility that performance may be reduced due to access collision or the like. In addition, when the use of a network connection is premised, storage for spooling and reuse in the HDD, and inquiries from the user regarding the list information of the stored print data overlap, and the possibility of access collision is reduced. However, there is a problem that the response to the user may decrease.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to solving the above-mentioned problem of the prior art. When reprinting previously-printed print data, the data can be retransmitted without being retransmitted from an external device. Opening the external device to the user during the process of (1) allows the external device to be used efficiently, and furthermore, a means for storing a fixed amount of print data provided in the printing device has a configuration capable of reprinting, and the storage An object of the present invention is to provide a printing apparatus that can efficiently use a medium.

[0008]

In order to achieve this object, a printing apparatus according to the present invention comprises an interface unit for transmitting and receiving print data to and from an external device, and a first unit for storing print data via the interface unit. A printing apparatus comprising: a storage unit; a printing unit that expands print data stored in the first storage unit and prints out the data on a recording sheet; and a control unit that controls each unit. It is provided with a second storage means for storing, and reprinting is performed using the print data stored in the second storage means.

Also, list information for arbitrarily specifying the print data is added to the print data, the list information is stored together with the print data in the second storage means, and the print data is discriminated and confirmed based on the list information. It is characterized by doing.

[0010] Further, the list information stored in the second storage means is stored as cache data in the first storage means.

Further, the list information stored in the second storage means is compressed and stored as cache data in the first storage means, and the cache data in the first storage means is duplicated. And

The second storage means may be a nonvolatile storage means, or may be configured to be connected to a plurality of external devices via the interface means via a network.

[0013] According to the above arrangement, the number of accesses to the second storage means for storing a plurality of print data can be reduced, and the first storage means for storing the list information can be used efficiently.
Further, an access response to the list information can be improved, and unnecessary transmission of print data to be reprinted to a printing device connected via a network can be eliminated, so that an external device or a network can be used efficiently.

[0014]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG.
1 is an external device, 2 is a printing device, 3 is a connecting means for connecting the external device 1 and the printing device 2, 4 is an interface means for exchanging data according to the connecting means 3, 5 is a control means, and 6 is a printing means. A printer engine, 7 is a buffer memory serving as first storage means, 7a and 7b are cache areas for storing list information as cache data, and 8 is a second cache memory.
HDD which is a non-volatile recording medium of the storage means.

The present embodiment configured as described above will be described with reference to FIG. In response to a request from the external device 1, the print data is stored in the buffer memory 7 by the control unit 5 via the connection unit 3 and the interface unit 4.
The interface means 4 may be a one-to-one interface or a network interface. The print data stored in the buffer memory 7 is sent to the HDD 8 for storage as spool and reuse data. At that time, the control unit 5 creates list information for reusing print data.

The list information corresponding to the print data is stored in the HDD.
8, the data is also sent as cache data to cache areas 7a and 7b provided in the buffer memory 7, and the same data is stored in the HDD 8 and the buffer memory 7. Further, when the power is turned on, list information is sent from the HDD 8 to the cache areas 7a and 7b. In addition,
In order to use the buffer memory 7 efficiently, cache data stored in the cache areas 7a and 7b may be compressed and stored.

Also, in the printing apparatus 2, when a reference access request accompanying a print request to the list information from the external apparatus 1 is made at the time of creating the list information, one of the caches is set so that the list information being created is not sent. The area 7a is usable, the other cache area 7b is unusable, or the opposite state is used, and one of the duplicated cache data is used.

Further, when new print data is received, the unusable cache area 7b is made available, and the unusable cache area 7a is made unusable, and the new list information is reflected. This eliminates the need to wait for reference access to list information during cache data update until cache data creation is completed.

The HDD 8 in response to a print request from the external device 1
If there is no print data stored in the printer, the control means 5 sends the print data to the printer engine 6 from the HDD 8 and prints out the print data in response to the end of the storage of the print data for spooling.

When the connecting means 3 is constituted by a network such as a LAN and a plurality of external apparatuses 1 and printing apparatuses 2 are connected on the same network, a setting is made to identify the equipment constituting the network. Based on the ID, a reference access request accompanying the print request to the printing device 2 is first sent from the external device 1 to the printing device 2 connected to the network.

The reference access request sent to the printing device 2 on the network is processed by the control means 5 for managing the received data via the interface means 4 and the cache data list information in the buffer memory 7 is compared. If there is matching list information, the print data in the HDD 8 is sent to the printer engine 6 to perform printing, and the terminal device is notified of the completion of the reception of the print request. If print data having the matching list information is not stored, when requesting the external device 1 to transmit the print data, the external device 1 transmits the print data to the printing device 2 connected via the network.

As described above, in the printing apparatus 2, the received print data is spooled in the buffer memory 7, and after the completion of the spooling, the print data is sent to the printer engine 6.
To print out. In addition, when storing, it is stored in the HDD 8 together with the list information. The print data stored in the HDD 8 is deleted from old ones at regular intervals. Also, when the recording capacity in the HDD 8 exceeds a certain amount, the oldest data is similarly deleted.

As a method of generating list information, for example, H
Record the storage position, storage date and time, number of pages, etc. on the DD8,
The storage start block and the storage end block are used as the storage position, and the storage date and time are 4 digits of the year, month, day, time, etc.
200005301610 (200
(May 30, 2005, 16:10) is used and collected as one piece of print data information to form list information.

In the case of a network connection, it must be arbitrarily determined on the network. For example, the ID of an IP address used for transmission and reception of signals for network communication, the file name and time of a file to be printed, Using the stamp, the time stamp, the file name, and the IP address are connected to form list information.

Specifically, 135.246.79.80
In an external device having an IP address of 2000: file name: ABC, 2000/02/29 13: 5
The list information for sending a file created at 9:30 is 20000022135930ABC 1352460.
Used as 79080.

[0027]

As described above, according to the present invention,
HDD for storing a plurality of print data (second storage unit)
Access to the printer, efficient use of buffer memory and response of list information, and efficient use of external devices and networks without sending print data to be reprinted to printing devices connected via the network. This has the effect of being able to be used in a comprehensive manner.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 External device 2 Printing device 3 Connecting means 4 Interface means 5 Control means 6 Printer engine 7 Buffer memory 7a, 7b Cache area 8 HDD

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. An interface for transmitting and receiving print data to and from an external device, a first storage for storing the print data via the interface, and a printer for expanding the print data stored in the first storage. A printing unit that prints out and prints out on recording paper, and a control unit that controls each unit, comprising: a second storage unit that stores a predetermined amount of the print data; and a second storage unit. A reprinting device using the print data stored in the printer. 2. Adding list information arbitrarily specifying the print data corresponding to the print data, storing the list information together with the print data in a second storage unit,
The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the print data is determined and confirmed based on the list information. 3. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the list information stored in the second storage unit is stored as cache data in the first storage unit. 4. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the list information stored in the second storage unit is compressed and stored as cache data in the first storage unit. 5. The printing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the cache data in the first storage unit is duplicated. 6. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said second storage means is a non-volatile storage means. 7. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the interface unit is connected to a plurality of external devices via a network.