JP2002240369A - Printer for printing system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To receive printing data from a PC or the like of the outside, independently of the printer state for printing data in a printable state. SOLUTION: A printer controller 12 in a printer 10 comprises a printing data developing-processing means 12a, a frame data selection/printing controlling means 12b, and a printing-paper discharging processing means 12c, wherein the printing data developing-processing means 12a develops and processes to frame data printing data inputted from an external apparatus such as a PC, and stores the developed frame data in an auxiliary memory unit 13. The printing data developing-processing means 12a and the printing-paper discharging processing means 12c are operated asynchronously so as to enable reception of next printing data regardless of the printing process state of the printer 10. The frame data selection/printing controlling means 12b selects those currently printable among the stored frame data and sends the same to the printing- paper discharging processing means 12c.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a printer in a printing system, and more particularly, to a hard disk, an R
The present invention relates to a printer control method in a print system including a workstation such as a PC connected to a printer having an auxiliary storage device such as an AM and a flash memory via a communication line.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Normally, in a printer control system, print data sent from a computer to a printer is processed by the printer control system for developing the print data.
> Print processing of frame data-> Discharge processing of print pages is performed, and processing is sequentially performed.

In the case of the above method, if print data for a paper size not currently set in the paper feed tray of the printer is sent, or if a paper jam occurs in only some of the paper discharge devices, the printing process is stopped. Until the issue is resolved,
The next print data cannot be printed. However, even in such a state, the next print data sent includes, for example, print data of a paper size set in the paper feed tray of the printer or print data using a different paper output device. Some are possible. However, current printer control systems cannot accept printable data sent later.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and has been made in consideration of the problems described above. It is to save print data received from an external device such as a PC until the data can be normally printed. Accepts print data from an external device without depending on the printer, accepts and saves print data without being affected by the status of the printer (the status of the previous print), and automatically prints only prints that can be printed at that time. To automatically select one from a group of frame data stored in a built-in auxiliary storage device and send it to a printing / discharging process. is there.

[0005]

The invention according to claim 1 comprises a printer having an auxiliary storage device such as a hard disk, a RAM, and a flash memory, and a workstation such as a PC connected to the printer via a communication line. A print system for printing external print data from the workstation by the printer, wherein the printer expands and processes print data received from an external device such as a PC into a form suitable for a print engine of the printer. , And storing the frame data in the auxiliary storage device.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the printer in the print system according to the first aspect, a process of expanding and processing the external print data into the frame data, and sending the expanded and processed frame data to a print engine for printing. -It is characterized in that the process of discharging the paper can be operated asynchronously.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the printer in the print system according to the first or second aspect, print data is received without being influenced by the status of the printer.
The print data is expanded and processed into the frame data, and the expanded and processed frame data is stored in the auxiliary storage device.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the printer in the print system according to any one of the first to third aspects, the printer has a function of automatically selecting and controlling frame data stored in the auxiliary storage device. Of the plurality of frame data stored in the auxiliary storage device, only the currently printable data is selected from
It is characterized by performing a paper discharging process.

[0009]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a printer to which the present invention is applied. In the drawing, reference numeral 10 denotes a printer, and the printer 10 displays the status of the printer.
An operation panel unit 11 for performing various settings, a printer controller unit 12 for performing various controls, an auxiliary storage device 13 for storing various data for printing, and a print engine unit 14;
The printer controller unit 12 includes a print data developing / processing unit 12a, a frame data selection / print control unit 12
b, a print / discharge processing means 12c, and 20 is a network.

The printer controller unit 12 in the configuration example shown in FIG. 1 expands and processes print data input from the outside into frame data in the printer controller unit 12, and incorporates the expanded frame data. Print data development for storing in the auxiliary storage device 13;
The processing means 12a fetches the stored frame data from the auxiliary storage device 13, determines whether or not printing is possible in the current printer condition, and selects frame data selection / print control means 12b for controlling printing processing. It has a print / discharge processing unit 12c which is controlled by the control unit 12b and performs a print / discharge process of frame data. The processing means added in the present invention includes a print data developing / processing means 12a and a frame data selection /
This is the print control unit 12b.

FIG. 2 shows a printer 10 to which the present invention is applied.
Is a block diagram showing an example of a network system in which is incorporated. In the figure, reference numeral 30 denotes a workstation, and the workstation 30 is connected to the printer 10 via a network 20.

The print data transmitted from the workstation 30 shown in FIG. When the print data is sent to the printer 10, the print data developing / processing means 12a shown in FIG. 1 develops / processes the print data into data in a format (hereinafter, referred to as frame data) which is most easily processed by the printer 10. Do. Conventional frame data and various control information required for printing, such as sort printing, a paper feed tray, a paper discharge destination, and whether or not punching is performed, are immediately sent to the print / discharge processing unit 12c. Since printing is performed, a plurality of sets of frame data and control information are not managed.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the structure of a frame data block. In the figure, reference numeral 40 denotes a frame data block, and the frame data block 40 includes a header information section 4.
0a and an actual frame data section 40b. In the present invention, a set of frame data and control information is stored in the auxiliary storage device 13.
In order to select a set suitable for the situation of the printer 10 and perform a printing process, a frame data block 40 as shown in FIG. 3 is created and stored in the auxiliary storage device 13.

The inside of the frame data block 40 shown in FIG. 3 includes a header information section 4 in which the above-described control information is stored.
0a, an actual frame data section 40b in which frame data is stored.

The print data expanding / processing means 12a expands / processes print data sent from the outside, creates a frame data block 40, and stores it in the auxiliary storage device 13. Without waiting for the next print data.

As described above, the print data developing / processing means 1
2a does not wait for the completion of printing, and enters the reception processing of the next print data, so that the next print data is received regardless of the state of the printer, for example, the print processing is stopped due to the occurrence of paper JAM or the like. I can do it.

Frame data selection / print control means 12b
Operates without synchronization with the above-mentioned print data developing / processing means 12a. The frame data block 40 stored in the auxiliary storage device 13 is searched, and if found, the header information section 40a is read and the current status of the printer is confirmed. Here, if the state of the printer is such that the read frame data block 40 can be printed, it is confirmed whether or not the frame data block 40 can be passed to the print / discharge processing means 12c. If so, pass the print data. Further, the print / discharge processing unit 12c is processing the previous print data, or the state of the printer at that time is, for example, a state where the designated destination of the paper feed tray is out of paper, or the designated discharge destination is in use. Alternatively, if a read frame data block cannot be printed in a paper jam state, a state in which punch / staples are being used, or a state in which a plurality of copies are being printed, the processing of the frame data block is stopped. Find another printable frame data block.

The print / discharge processing means 12c also performs printing of frame data, for example, discharge control processing such as JAM recovery by other means (the print data developing / processing means 12a,
This is performed without synchronization with the frame data selection / print control means 12b), and the received frame data is printed.

FIG. 4 shows a printer 10 to which the present invention is applied.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a print processing flow of FIG.
FIG. 4A shows a processing flow of the print data development / processing means 12a, FIG. 4B shows a processing flow of the frame data selection / print control means 12b, and FIG.
10 shows a processing flow of the sheet discharge processing means 12c.

One PC connected to the network environment
(Workstation) to print data from the printer 10
When the printer 10 receives the data, the printer 10 executes the following steps S1 to S9.

First, when print data is transmitted from the workstation 30 (step S1), print data reception processing is started and data is fetched (step S2).
The captured print data is developed and processed into frame data, and the printer
(Step S3).

Next, the printing data development and printing shown in FIG.
In the frame data selection / printing control process shown in FIG. 4B operating asynchronously with the processing process, the frame data selection / printing control unit 12b sequentially checks the auxiliary storage device 13 described above. Frame data block 40
Is confirmed, the header information section 40a of the frame data block 40 is read, and control information at the time of printing is obtained (step S4).

The header information section 40a contains various kinds of control information specified at the time of printing, such as, for example, sheet tray designation information, sheet ejection destination designation information, presence / absence of punch / staple, and presence / absence of printing of a plurality of copies. ing.

Next, the frame data selection / print control means 12b detects the current state of the printer (step S).
5) Here, the status of the printer includes, for example, the status of the paper running out of a specific tray, the status of a paper JAM at a specific location, and the status of a finishing device such as a staple punch.

Further, it is determined whether or not printing can be executed (step S6), and if printing can be executed (YES).
), When printing is performed, the print / discharge processing means 12
It is determined whether or not c is controllable (step S7). If it is controllable (in the case of YES), printing / printing shown in FIG.
The discharge process starts. In step S6 described above,
If printing cannot be executed due to the print processing state by the print / discharge processing means 12c or the state of the printer 10,
The next frame data block is searched (step S4).

The state in which printing cannot be executed in step S6 (in the case of NO) means that, for example, A3 paper is set in the first tray and A4 paper is set in the second tray, and only A3 paper in the first tray is exhausted. In this case, a print request for printing on A3 paper cannot be processed, but a print request for printing on A4 paper only can be processed. In such a case, the present invention can process another print request without stopping the entire print processing.

Similarly to the above-described processing, in the printing / discharging processing shown in FIG. 4C operating asynchronously with other processing,
The print / discharge processing means 12c is activated based on the processing of step S7 shown in FIG. 4B, receives the information of the frame data block 40 from the auxiliary storage device 13 (step S8), and executes the print / discharge processing. Execute (Step S
9). In this printing / discharge processing, print-> discharge confirmation processing is sequentially performed as in the related art in order to enable processing such as JAM recovery.

[0028]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, print data can be stored in a printer until normal printing can be performed.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, print data can be received from an external PC or the like without depending on the state of the printer.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, print data is received without being influenced by the status of the printer (the status of the previous print), and only the prints which can be printed at that time are automatically selected and printed. Can be performed.

According to the invention of claim 4, it is possible to automatically select an appropriate frame data group from the frame data group stored in the auxiliary storage device built in the printer and send it to the printing / discharging process.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a printer to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a network system incorporating a printer to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a frame data block.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a print processing flow of a printer to which the present invention is applied.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Printer, 11 ... Operation panel part, 12 ... Printer controller part, 12a ... Print data development / processing means, 12b ... Frame data selection / print control means, 12
c: printing / discharge processing means, 13: auxiliary storage device, 14:
Print engine unit, 20 network, 30 workstation, 40 frame data block, 40a
Header information part, 40b ... real frame data part.

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A printer having an auxiliary storage device such as a hard disk, a RAM, and a flash memory, and a workstation such as a PC connected to the printer via a communication line. In a print system for printing with a printer, the printer converts print data received from an external device such as a PC into frame data developed and processed in a form suitable for the print engine of the printer, and stores the frame data in the auxiliary storage. A printer in a printing system, wherein the printer is stored in an apparatus. 2. A process of developing and processing the external print data into the frame data and a process of transmitting the expanded and processed frame data to a print engine and performing printing and discharging can be performed asynchronously. Claim 1 characterized by the following:
A printer in the printing system as described. 3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the print data is received without being influenced by the status of the printer, the print data is expanded and processed into the frame data, and the expanded and processed frame data is stored in the auxiliary storage device. Claim 1
Or a printer in the print system according to 2. 4. It has a function of automatically selecting and controlling frame data stored in the auxiliary storage device. Based on the remaining paper status of the printer or the like, a plurality of frame data stored in the auxiliary storage device 4. A printer in a print system according to claim 1, wherein only a currently printable one is selected, and a printing / discharging process is performed.