JP2002259074A - Printer system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a high convenience network printer provided with a temporary stoppage function. SOLUTION: The printer stores received image data into a HDD according to an output instruction to the printer from a computer screen (S3). Picture data are continuously stored, until the reception of image data is completed (S4). When a temporary stop instruction is received from a computer side, before reception is completed (S5), the received image data are continuously stored until the entire data are received, and the printer waits for the next instruction data from the computer, after reception has been completed. When temporary stop instruction is not received during the reception of the image data, received picture data are raster-developed (S6) and the printer changes to printing processing (S7). When the temporary stop instruction is transmitted from the computer during printing (S8), the printer operates, until the processing of transfer paper during printing is completed. When the processing is completed, the printer awaits for the next instruction from the computer, while remaining pictures are kept stored in a HDD. If there is no temporary stop instruction given during the printing, the printing of image data for each page is completed (S9), and printing operation is terminated, after the whole pages have been printed (S10 and S11).

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a printer system, and more particularly, to a printer using a network printer, which is applicable to print output control and the like, and which can control an external instruction in a printing operation process of an output document. About the system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an output device such as a printer in a network environment, when an output instruction is transmitted from a computer and the output operation is stopped due to a mistake in the specified data, all output data is canceled and corrected. Later, the output instruction and the transfer of the image data had to be performed again from the beginning. As a result, wasteful printed matter increases,
Users also often spend extra time.

For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2000-141834 discloses a technique for remedying such inconveniences. The technique includes means for temporarily stopping a printing operation, means for canceling the printing operation, means for deleting a temporarily stopped print job, and the like. An image forming apparatus and an image forming method are described. In this method, the printer receives the image data and the print mode transmitted by the user and performs the printing operation. At that time, the printing unit is temporarily stopped and temporarily stopped by a print pause button and a pause release button from an operation unit provided in the printer. Release the suspension.

In this method, a printing operation is controlled by an operation unit provided in the printer based on contents specified by a user operation. However, printers connected to the network are not limited to printers installed nearby, and instructions given after arriving at the printer do not reduce wasteful printed matter much. This is very inconvenient.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and solves these disadvantages and uses a network printer having a highly convenient temporary stop function. Its purpose is to provide a system.

[0006]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a large-capacity nonvolatile memory having an environment electrically connectable to a plurality of computers and capable of storing image data transmitted from a computer by a user; A printer system using a network printer having a memory for storing control commands transmitted from a computer according to the present invention, characterized in that a user can temporarily stop printing after transmitting image data from a computer screen. It is.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, printing can be temporarily stopped even while the user is transmitting image data.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect of the present invention, when a print cancel instruction is received from the user during a temporary stop, the image data stored in the nonvolatile memory and the control command stored in the memory are transmitted. Delete all
This is characterized by terminating the print job.

[0009]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a printer system according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the configuration example shown in FIG. 1, the printer 3 and four users A,
Computers 1a, 1b, 1c, and 1d used by B, C, and D as input devices, respectively, and a print server 2 that manages an interface between these computers 1 and a printer 3 according to the present invention are electrically connected to each other. It is connected. In the case of this configuration, each of the users A, B, C, and D can output to the printer 3 via the print server 2, and each is connected by a generally known cable, wireless, or the like. It will not be described in particular.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram for functionally explaining a printer system according to one embodiment of the present invention. A printer control unit 11 connected to the print server 2 and having a video and command I / F unit is provided inside the computer 1a (represented by the computer A as a representative), and the print server 2 also has an I / F with the computer 1a.
The F section is provided in the computer control section 22. Further, the computer 1a is provided with another control unit 12, and the print server 2 has a central processing unit 21, a printer control unit (command interpreter) 23, a user data storage unit 24, a network control unit 25, and a peripheral device information storage unit. 26 are equipped.

Data such as image data, paper size, and number of print copies are transmitted from the computer 1a between these units, and each data is sent to the printer 3 via the printer control unit (command interpreter) 23 of the print server 2.
Sent to In the printer 3, a video connected to the print server 2, a command I / F unit 32, an image data control unit 37, an image data processing unit 36, a CPU for controlling the entire printer, a ROM in which a control program is stored, and control data are stored. A print output control unit 33 composed of a RAM or the like, an arithmetic processing unit 34, a large-capacity memory for storing image data and a control unit (image data (memory) control unit) 35 for the large-capacity memory, and an I / O in the printer And a printer input / output control unit 31 for controlling the printer. The printer stores the image data and the information from the computer (user) in a RAM or the like in a linked manner.

FIGS. 3 and 4 are views for explaining an example of a graphical user interface (GUI) displayed on a monitor screen until a user issues a print instruction and a printing operation is completed. FIG. 3 shows an example of a screen for a user to actually transmit a print instruction from a computer monitor. The printer model name on the screen,
Settings such as paper size, image magnification, and number of copies are displayed.
Click the button to start printing.

FIG. 4 shows an example of a screen displayed on the monitor screen from the start to the end of the printing operation. This is an example of the operation screen of the present invention in which the printing operation is ended in the middle when the cancel button is clicked, and the printing is paused when the print pause button is clicked.

FIGS. 5 to 7 are flowcharts for explaining the user operation (computer) and the internal operations of the printer. First, a user creates image data (step S1), and sends an output instruction to the printer on the screen shown in FIG. 3 (step S2). The printer sends the received image data to the HDD
And the like (step S3). At this time, the printer keeps storing the image data until the reception is completed (step S4). Alternatively, a suspension instruction is received from the computer before the reception is completed (step S
5) and the processing shifts to the processing A shown in FIG.

In the process A, the received image data is similarly stored (step S21), and the storage is continued until all the data is received (step S22). When the reception is completed, the process waits for reception of the next instruction data from the computer (step S23). When a pause release instruction is transmitted from the computer (step S24), the printer is
The printing operation of the image data in D is restarted (step S2
7) Then, when a print stop is transmitted from the computer (step S25), the image data in the HDD is discarded, and the printing operation ends (step S29). As described above, in the temporary stop state, the printer releases the temporary stop from the computer (Step S26), stops printing (Step S28), and remains in the standby state.

Next, if the printer does not receive a pause instruction while receiving the image data, the printer rasterizes the received image data (step S6) and shifts to printing processing (step S6).
7). When a pause instruction is transmitted from the computer during printing (step S8), the printer proceeds to processing B shown in FIG.

In the process B, the operation is performed until the process of the transfer paper being printed is completed (step S31). When the process is completed, the next instruction from the computer is waited while the remaining image in the HDD is stored (step S32). Thereafter, the control shifts to the same control as the process A according to the instruction from the computer.

The printer completes the printing of image data for each page unless a pause instruction is received from the computer during printing (step S9), and ends the printing operation when printing of all pages is completed (step S10). (Step S
11). As described above, it is possible to provide a network printer which is excellent in convenience by being able to operate the computer to temporarily stop, cancel, and cancel the printer printing operation, which is the object of the present invention.

[0019]

(1) Effects of the first aspect: The printing operation can be temporarily stopped during the printing operation or the data transmission of the print data instructed to be printed from the screen of the computer operated by the user, so that carelessness is inadvertently performed. The user can confirm the image data for which printing has been instructed while printing is stopped, and if there is a mistake, useless printed matter can be reduced.

(2) Action and effect on the second aspect: The control operation of the first aspect can be controlled even during data transmission of image data to be printed, so that useless printed matter is eliminated if the operation is not shifted to the printing operation. Can be.

(3) The function and effect of the third aspect: In the first and second aspects, when the user determines that the data is incorrect, the increased image data can be discarded on the printer side, thereby reducing unnecessary printing operations to the printer. Can be.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a printer system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram for functionally explaining a printer system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a graphical user interface (GUI) displayed on a monitor screen until a user issues a print instruction and a print operation is completed.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a graphical user interface (GUI) displayed on a monitor screen until a user issues a print instruction and a print operation is completed.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining a user operation (computer) and each internal operation of the printer.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining a user operation (computer) and each internal operation of the printer.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart for explaining a user operation (computer) and each internal operation of the printer.

[Explanation of symbols]

1a, 1b, 1c, 1d: computer, 2: print server, 3: printer.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A large-capacity nonvolatile memory having an environment electrically connectable to a plurality of computers and capable of storing image data transmitted from a computer by a user, and storing a control command transmitted from the computer by the user. A printer system using a network printer including a memory, wherein a user can temporarily stop printing after transmitting image data from a screen of a computer. 2. The printer system according to claim 1, wherein printing can be temporarily stopped while the user is transmitting image data. 3. When a print cancel instruction is received from a user during a pause, all image data stored in the nonvolatile memory and control commands stored in the memory are deleted, and the print job is terminated. The printer system according to claim 1.