JP2002278870A - Network print system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a network print system in which a file stored in the file server of a private branch LAN is selected from a portable terminal set owned by a user and print data of the selected file is obtained from a printer at a printer-installing store such as a convenience store at the destination of going out. SOLUTION: In this network print system for printing out by the printer 9 at the printer-installing store such as a convenience store based on a printing instruction by operation from the portable terminal 2 of the user 1, the file stored in the file server 7 of the private branch LAN 6 is printed out from the printer 9.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a network printing system, and more particularly, to selecting a file stored in a file server of a private LAN from a portable terminal device owned by a user, and, for example, selecting a printer at a convenience store or the like on the go. The present invention relates to a network print system for obtaining print data of a selected file from a printer at an installation shop.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Referring to FIG. 11, which is a diagram for explaining the prior art, a conventional network print system comprises a user 21, a user's portable terminal 22,
Receiving device 23 for receiving a signal from
And a network 24 for interconnecting them, and a PC 26 for storing print data desired by the user 21.
And a LAN 25 to which a PC 26 is connected. The network 24 is a network on the go, and the LAN 25 is a network of the office. The network 24 and the LAN 25 are respectively connected.

[0003] A user 21 operates a portable terminal 22 to
The user specifies print data desired to be output, specifies a network address of the printer 27, and transmits a print request. The transmitted print request is received by the PC 26 via the network 24 and the LAN 25 via the receiving device 23. In accordance with the received print request, the PC 26 transmits the specified print data to the specified network address. The printer 27 outputs the received print data. Thus, the user 21 can obtain the print data stored in the PC 26 of his / her office on the go. One example of this system is described in JP-A-10-63601.

[0004]

A problem with this prior art is that it is difficult to obtain the network address of a printer connected to a network on the go. For example, it is common that the network address of a printer installed in a convenience store or the like is not known. There are not many printers connected to the network as a service, but there are many convenience stores where fax machines are installed in stores. However, there is hardly a service for disclosing a telephone number, automatically receiving a call, and performing FAX printing. This is because printing a printed material that does not know who takes it when is not guaranteed as a service because there is no guarantee that the service price will be obtained. Therefore, the method of knowing the network address of the printer and transmitting the print data to the network address is not suitable for realizing the printer at the printer shop.

An object of the present invention is to select a file stored in a file server of a private LAN from a portable terminal device owned by a user, and to select a file from a printer at a printer installation store such as a convenience store at a destination. An object of the present invention is to provide a network print system for obtaining print data of a selected file.

[0006]

A network print system according to the present invention provides a network print system for performing print output with a printer at a printer installation store such as a convenience store based on a print instruction from a user's portable terminal. The printer prints out a file stored in a local LAN file server.

Further, in the network print system according to the present invention, the user may use the mobile terminal to access the private LAN.
A file name of the file stored in the file server, the specified file is obtained from the file server, converted to a print image by an application server arranged on a network such as the Internet, and stored. It is characterized by the following.

Further, the network print system according to the present invention is characterized in that the printer is connected to the application server via a network and the stored print image is printed out by the user operating the printer. .

Further, the network print system according to the present invention is a facsimile machine for performing print output with a facsimile machine of a facsimile installation store such as a convenience store based on a print instruction from a user's portable terminal. The apparatus prints out a file stored in a file server of the local LAN from the apparatus.

[0010]

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a first embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1, a network print system according to this embodiment includes a user 1, a portable terminal 2, a provider 3, an Internet 4, a gateway, and the like. 5 and L
An AN 6, a local file server 7, an application server 8, and a printer 9 are provided.

The portable terminal 2 and the provider 3 are connected via a wireless line or the like. The provider 3, the gateway 5, the application server 8, and the printer 9 are mutually connected to the Internet 4. Gateway 5
And the local file server 7 are mutually connected to the LAN 6.

The portable terminal 2 is an information processing device having an Internet access function carried by the user 1. Specifically, the Internet access function has a mail function and a Web browsing function. For example, it is an Internet terminal such as a mobile phone / PHS equipped with a web browser such as i-mode, a PDA, and a notebook PC. The mobile terminal 2 is connected to the provider 3 by a wireless line or the like.

The provider 3 is a device for connecting the portable terminal 2 and the Internet 4. This is an internet service provider (internet provider)
Is equivalent to a gateway server owned by.

The Internet 4 is just The I
It shows a computer network connected to the world called internet.

The gateway 5 is connected to the Internet 4 and L
5 shows a device for connecting to AN 6. This is LAN6
It is installed to perform address conversion for connecting to the Internet, and to perform access control for unauthorized access from the Internet 4 to the LAN 6.

The LAN 6 is connected to each network device on the premises by a local area network.

The local file server 7 is a file server connected to the LAN 6. A plurality of files are stored in the server, and the files that the user 1 desires to output are included therein. In the file server 7,
The resident program is running and has a function of receiving request information from the application server 8, performing necessary processing according to the request information, and transmitting response information.

The application server 8 is a server connected to the Internet 4 and has a home page that can be browsed on the portable terminal 2.
The program is running. In addition, a function of generating, storing, and managing print data in cooperation with the local file server 7 is provided. Further, it has a function of transmitting result information to the portable terminal 2 and a function of transmitting print data accumulated by connection of the printer 9.

The printer 9 is a printer in a printer installation store such as a convenience store. There is a function to connect to the Internet 4. By connecting to the application server 8 by the device operation, the received print data can be printed.

Next, referring to FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8, the operation of this embodiment will be described in detail.

Referring to FIG. 2 showing a flow of an operation in which a user obtains a file list in the first embodiment, a user 1 operates a portable terminal 2 owned by the user to start a WEB browser. (S101). The WEB browser operating on the mobile terminal 2 accesses the application server 8 via the provider 3 and the Internet 4 (S102). In response to this, the application server 8 responds (S103), and displays a screen requesting transmission of the file list of the local file server 7 on the web browser operating on the mobile terminal 2 (S10).
4). FIG. 3 shows an example of this screen. User 1
Input the necessary input items displayed on the screen of the mobile terminal 2 and press a transmission request button (OK button in FIG. 3) (S105). The web browser operating on the mobile terminal 2 operates the application server 8 by pressing a button.
To the file list transmission request instruction (S10).
6). The file list transmission request instruction includes the server name, directory name, designation of whether or not to include the directory and below, and the mail address of the mobile terminal 2 which are input by the user 1.

Upon receiving the file list transmission request instruction, the application server 8 transmits file list transmission request information to the local file server 7 via the Internet 4, the gateway 5, and the LAN 6 (S10).
7). The file list transmission request information includes the information included in the file list transmission request instruction, the server name, the directory name, the designation as to whether or not to include the directory and the directory, and the mail address.

In the present embodiment, communication between the application server 8 and the local file server 7 is performed by electronic mail. The local file server 7 is connected to the LAN 6, and is provided with a gateway 5 for preventing unauthorized access from the Internet 4, and operates as a firewall. Therefore, the communication procedure is limited, and it does not always mean anything. Generally, sending and receiving e-mail is the least restrictive communication means.
In consideration of such a situation, the application server 8
It is assumed that the communication between the local file server 7 and is performed by mail.

Therefore, the file list transmission request information sent from the application server 8 to the local file server 7 is transmitted by mail (S107). The e-mail includes an identifier as a file list transmission request, a server name, a directory name, a designation as to whether or not to include a directory and the like, and an e-mail address.

The local file server 7 receives the file list transmission request information. On the premises file server 7, a program for receiving e-mail and monitoring e-mail contents is constantly operating. If the identifier of the file list transmission request is described in the received mail, search for the file by the server name and directory name described in the mail, and specify whether to include the directory below the mail list in the list , A file list is created (S108). The created file list is
The mail address described in the mail, that is, the mail address of the portable terminal 2 is set as a transmission destination, and mail is transmitted as file list information (S109). The data is transmitted via the LAN 6, the gateway 5, the Internet 4, and the provider 3. FIG. 4 shows an example of the contents of this mail. The user 1 operates the portable terminal 2 to receive the mail as shown in FIG. 4, and checks the contents of the mail to confirm which directory contains which file (S110).

Next, referring to FIG. 5, which is a diagram showing a flow of an operation in the first embodiment until the user requests the print data creation of the file and obtains the storage completion information, the user 1 The user operates the mobile terminal 2 owned by the user to start the WEB browser (S201). The WEB browser operating on the mobile terminal 2 accesses the application server 8 (S202). In response to this, the application server 8 responds (S203), and displays a screen requesting the creation of print data of the file specified by the local file server 7 on the web browser operating on the mobile terminal 2 (S204). FIG. 6 shows an example of this screen. The user 1 inputs necessary input items displayed on the screen of the mobile terminal 2 and presses a creation request button (OK button in FIG. 6) (S205). The WEB browser operating on the mobile terminal 2 is operated by pressing a button.
A print data creation request instruction is transmitted to the application server 8 (S206). The print data creation request instruction includes information on the server name, directory name / file name, and mail address of the mobile terminal 2 input by the user 1.

When the application server 8 receives the print data creation request instruction, the local file server 7
Sends the file transfer request information by e-mail (S20)
7). The mail content contains an identifier that is a file transfer request,
The server name, directory name / file name are described.

The local file server 7 receives the file transfer request information by mail. If the received mail contains the identifier of the file transfer request, a file specified by the server name and the directory name / file name described in the mail is obtained (S208).
The acquired file is transmitted to the application server 8 as a transmission destination by mail as an attached file (S209).

When the application server 8 receives the mail, the application server 8 extracts the attached file and starts a necessary application according to the extension of the file name.
The file is converted into print data and stored in the internal file storage mechanism (S210). Next, an ID and a password corresponding to the accumulated print data are generated (S2).
11). Next, the e-mail address included in the print data creation request instruction received in S206, that is, the e-mail address of the portable terminal 2, is taken out, and the storage completion information is e-mailed as a transmission destination (S212). The accumulation completion information includes information indicating that the accumulation of the file specified by the user 1 has been completed, and the corresponding ID and password. FIG. 7 shows an example of the contents of this mail.

The user 1 operates the portable terminal 2 to receive an e-mail as shown in FIG. 7, and sees the contents of the e-mail to know that the accumulation of the print data has been completed and the ID and password (S213). ).

Next, referring to FIG. 8, which is a diagram showing a flow of an operation until the user obtains a printed material by executing an operation on the printer according to the first embodiment, the user 1 is connected to a printer such as a convenience store. The user goes to the printer 9 in the installation shop and performs the operation of the printer 9 (S301). Here, the user enters the ID and password described in the received mail. The printer 9 connects to the application server 8 via the Internet 4 (S302), and receives the input ID and password. The application server 8 searches the internal file storage mechanism using the passed ID and password as keys, and acquires the stored print data (S303). The acquired print data is stored in the printer 9
(S304). The printer 9 prints the received print data from the device recording unit (S305).
The user 1 obtains a print of the specified file (S
306), a service fee is paid to the printer installation shop as the price of the printed matter (S307).

Referring to FIG. 9 which shows a second embodiment of the present invention by blocks, the difference between the first embodiment and the second embodiment is that the printer 9 is replaced by a facsimile machine 11. , FAX 11 and application server 8 are connected by telephone network 10. Printing of a file designated by the user is performed not by a printer but by a facsimile.

The operation from the user 1 launching the browser on the portable terminal 2 (S101 in FIG. 2) to the confirmation of the accumulation completion information by the user 1 (S213 in FIG. 5) is the same as that of the first embodiment. . The subsequent operation will be described.

FIG. 10 shows a procedure for printing the print data stored in the application server 8 using the FAX 11. The user 1 goes to the FAX 11 in a FAX installation store such as a convenience store, inputs the FAX number of the application server 8, and makes a call (S401). The FAX 11 dials the designated FAX number and connects to the application server 8 (S
402). After confirming the line connection, the user 1 inputs an ID and a password (S403), and the FAX 11 sends out a second dial (S404). When the user 1 presses the start key (S405), the FAX procedure is started (S405).
406). The application server 8 detects the transmitted second dial and acquires an ID and a password. Then, the internal file storage mechanism is searched using the ID / password as a key, and the stored print data is obtained (S407). The acquired print data is converted into FAX data and transmitted to FAX 11 (S408). F
The AX 11 prints the received FAX data from the device recording unit (S409). The user 1 obtains a print of the specified file (S410), and pays a service fee to the printer installation store as a price for the print (S411).

The second embodiment has the following merits as compared with the first embodiment. Since the printer according to the first embodiment is connected to the Internet and performs independent communication with an application server, a commercially available printer that is generally used cannot be used as it is. However, in the second embodiment, the printer was changed to FAX. This FAX can be used as it is by a normal FAX machine, so that the system is easier to introduce.

However, there are the following disadvantages. One is FA
Since print data is transferred by X communication, the line speed (33.6
kbps or less), and the printing wait time is long. Another problem is that the maximum resolution of a normal fax is 400 dpi, and the printer has a resolution of 600 dpi or more, so that the image quality is lower than that of a printer.

[0038]

As described above, the first effect of the present invention is that a printer installation shop such as a convenience store prints a file in a local LAN which the user usually uses in an office. Service can be provided. As a result, the environment for printing files used in the user's office has been increased. The reason for this is that the printer-installed store pays for the service by handing out the printed matter, so that the business as the printer-installed store has been established.

The second effect is that the user can use the mobile phone / PH
This means that a portable terminal having only a simple Internet access function such as S can print a file in its own LAN at a place where he / she is away from home. The reason is that by providing the application server with a mechanism for converting, storing, and managing a file into print data, the necessary functions of the terminal used by the user can be minimized.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a flow of an operation in which a user obtains a file list in the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is an example of a screen requesting transmission of a file list according to the first embodiment;

FIG. 4 is an example of mail contents of file list information according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a flow of an operation according to the first embodiment until a user requests print data creation of a file and obtains storage completion information.

FIG. 6 is an example of a screen requesting creation of print data of a file according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 7 is an example of the content of a mail indicating completion of storage in the first embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a flow of an operation until a user executes an operation on a printer to obtain a printed material in the first embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 illustrates a case where the user according to the second embodiment is an FA.
FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a flow of an operation until an operation is performed in X and a printed material is obtained.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a conventional network print system.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 User 2 Mobile Terminal 3 Provider 4 Internet 5 Gateway 6 LAN 7 Local File Server 8 Application Server 9 Printer 10 Telephone Network 11 FAX

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A network print system for performing print output with a printer of a printer installation shop such as a convenience store based on a print instruction by a user's operation from a portable terminal.
A network print system for printing out files stored in N file servers. 2. The user designates a file name of the file stored in the file server of the private LAN from the portable terminal, and the designated file is obtained from the file server, and is designated on a network such as the Internet. 2. The network print system according to claim 1, wherein said print server converts the print image into a print image and stores the print image. 3. The network according to claim 1, wherein, when the user operates the printer, the printer connects to the application server via a network and prints out the stored print image. Printing system. 4. A facsimile machine at a facsimile installation store such as a convenience store based on a print instruction by a user's operation from a portable terminal. A network print system for printing out stored files. 5. The system according to claim 5, wherein the user inputs a local LA from the mobile terminal.
N specifies the file name of the file stored in the file server, and specifies that the specified file is obtained from the file server, converted to a print image by an application server disposed on a network such as the Internet, and stored. 5. The network print system according to claim 4, wherein: 6. The facsimile machine connects to the application server by facsimile communication by operating the facsimile machine by the user, and prints out the stored print image. Network print system. 7. The network print system according to claim 3, wherein a file list of files stored in a local LAN file server is referred to by the user operating the portable terminal.