JP2003246121A - Print system and method for managing print schedule - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To adjust the order of outputting a plurality of print data appropriately without relying upon manpower in a print system, e.g. a printer. <P>SOLUTION: The print system outputting a plurality of printed matters based on a plurality of print data from a printer comprises means for adjusting the order of outputting the printed matters from the printer according to the information of schedule of a process required for completing a final printed matter. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention is most suitable in consideration of the work up to the final printing process (for example, this machine printing process or bookbinding process) when one or more print data is output from a printing device such as a printer. The present invention relates to a print system and a print schedule management method for performing output in an efficient order. For example, in the case of print output (for example, remote proof) in which a plurality of print data are transmitted and received from a plurality of remote locations by communication, The present invention relates to a suitable technique for achieving such requirements.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, when a plurality of print data are output from a printing apparatus, print data (generally, data relating to printing of a subject part) is output in the order in which output is designated. Even if the print data that takes a short time to create the final printed matter (for example, the printed matter after bookbinding) and that needs to be prioritized for output from the printing device, the print data for which output is specified before If there are one or more, the print data that should be given priority is output after the print data for which output was previously specified is output.

Conventionally, there is also a system and a method for determining the priority order when designating the output of print data and allowing the designated print data to be preferentially output. It is necessary to determine the priority order every time print data output is designated.

[0004]

As described above, in the related art, the print data which should be output prioritized by the printing apparatus cannot be output prioritized, resulting in an inefficient work form.
Even if the printing order is changed by relying on human hands, mistakes may occur due to human factors. Particularly in remote proofing, print data is transmitted from a remote location to a receiving server and printing is performed without human intervention. There is a process schedule (for example, school finish date, delivery date, etc.) according to each purpose in the transmitted print data, but if the process schedule is ignored and output is performed by the printing device, it is given priority. In some cases, it may take time until the print data to be output as a print data is actually output, which may cause a problem in efficiency. In addition, it is very difficult and not efficient to adjust the output order from the printing device based on the judgment of a person when the transmission of the transmitted print data is completed, and at the same time, the cause of human error. Became.

The present invention has been made in view of the drawbacks of the prior art, and it is an object of the present invention to appropriately adjust the order of outputting a plurality of print data in a printing apparatus such as a printer without relying on manual labor.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object in the present invention, first of all, the invention of claim 1 is a printing system for outputting a plurality of printed materials based on a number of print data from a printing apparatus. A printing system, comprising: a print order adjusting unit that adjusts an order in which print products are output from a printing device according to process schedule information indicating a schedule of processes required to complete a final print product.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a print system according to the first aspect, further comprising print schedule data creating means for creating print schedule data in which the process schedule information is described. Is.

According to the third aspect of the invention, either the integrated transmission / reception of the print schedule data and the print data or the separate transmission / reception in the form that the correspondence between the print schedule data and the print data is known. The printing system according to claim 2, further comprising a print data transmitting / receiving unit that performs at least one of the above.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a print schedule printing means for taking out arbitrary information from the print schedule data and printing it on at least a part of a medium forming the printed matter. The printing system described in 2 or 3 is used.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for managing a schedule for outputting a plurality of prints based on a plurality of print data from a printing device, wherein a schedule of steps required to complete a final print is provided. A print schedule management method is characterized by including a print order adjusting step of adjusting the order in which printed materials are output from the printing apparatus according to the information of the process schedule shown.

The invention according to claim 6 further comprises a print schedule data creating step for creating print schedule data in which the process schedule information is described. It is a thing.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, whether the print schedule data and the print data are integrated for transmission and reception,
7. The print schedule management method according to claim 6, further comprising a print data transmission / reception step of performing at least one of transmission / reception separately performed in a form in which the correspondence between the print schedule data and the print data is known. It was done.

The invention of claim 8 further comprises a print schedule printing step of taking out arbitrary information from the print schedule data and printing it on at least a part of a medium forming the printed matter. Alternatively, the print schedule management method described in 7 is used.

[0014]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION A typical embodiment of the present invention is
The details will be described below.

In the printing system according to the present invention, a so-called printer (printing device) may be configured independently, or may be configured in combination with a computer, an information recording device or the like separately from the printer. good.
However, the printer is preferably a printer that can print when the print data is electronic data that can be handled by a computer. Typical examples of such printers include inkjet printers, thermal transfer printers, electrophotographic printers, and the like.

The printing system according to the present invention is shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 2, the print schedule data creating unit 1 creates print schedule data in which a process schedule (generally, a process schedule related to creation of a final printed matter such as school finish date, delivery date, etc.) is created, and print data (generally, The print data transmitting / receiving means 2 transmits / receives data together with the data relating to the printing of the subject part). The received data is passed to the print order adjusting unit 3, and if other print waiting data already exists, it is necessary to compare the print schedule data corresponding to each existing print data to change the output order. If so, the order of output on the printing device is changed. Further, when the print data is output from the printing apparatus, the print schedule printing unit 4 prints the information arbitrarily acquired from the print schedule data on the printed matter by using the information of the print schedule data.

Particularly preferably, as shown in FIG. 2, the printing system according to the present invention is a transmission source of print data and print schedule data, and the transmission device A, the transmission device B, and the transmission device C installed at a plurality of locations. ... is effective in a remote proof mode such as the network 14 used for transmission / reception, the receiving device 15 for receiving the transmitted print data and print schedule data, and the printer 16 for outputting the print data.

The print data and the corresponding print schedule data from each of the transmitting device A, the transmitting device B, the transmitting device C, ...
4 to the receiving device 15. The receiving device 15 that receives the data passes the print data and the print schedule data to the printer 16. The printer 16 compares the print schedule data corresponding to the delivered print data with the print schedule data corresponding to the other print data already received and waiting to be printed, and it is necessary to change the output order. If there is, the print data output order is changed. Further, at the time of outputting the print data, the schedule information such as the school completion date and the delivery date obtained from the print schedule data is printed in an area other than the subject area.

Next, an embodiment of the printing system and the printing schedule management method according to the present invention will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

S (STEP) 1; The print data is prepared on the side transmitting the print data. The print data is prepared by the transmitting device.

S (STEP) 2; Print schedule data is created based on the process schedule of the print data. As shown in FIG. 4, the print schedule data is data describing the process schedule of the corresponding print data. The print schedule data is created by the sending device.

S (STEP) 3; In the transmitting device, the print data and the print schedule data are integrated into one so as to prevent confusion of the data when a plurality of data are simultaneously received on the receiving side.

S (STEP) 4; The integrated data is transmitted from the transmitting device to the receiving device.

S (STEP) 5: The receiving device receives the integrated data transmitted from the transmitting device.

S (STEP) 6; The receiving device divides the received integrated data into print data and print schedule data. The print schedule data paired with the print data is held in a state where it can be seen that it is a pair. Print data and print schedule data are passed from the receiving device to the printer.

S (STEP) 7: The printer receives the print data and the print schedule data, and from the process schedule data included in the print schedule data,
Acquire information on the school completion date necessary for determining the printing priority.

S (STEP) 8: The printer compares the end date of the print data newly received from the receiving device with the end date of the print schedule data of the print data already in the print waiting state.

S (STEP) 9: As a result of the comparison, if the completion date of the print data newly received from the receiving device is later than any completion date of the print data already in the print waiting state, the process proceeds to STEP 10. On the other hand, if the completion dates of the print data newly received from the receiving device are earlier than the completion dates of some of the print data already in the print waiting state, the process proceeds to STEP 11.

S (STEP) 10: The printer turns the output of the print data newly received from the receiving device to the end of the print data already in the print waiting state. STEP
Proceed to 12.

S (STEP) 11: The printer sets the output order of the print data newly received from the receiving device and the print data already in the print waiting state so that the printing is performed in the order of the completion date. Replace (adjust).

S (STEP) 12; When outputting the print data, the printer prints the process schedule data described in the print schedule data outside the subject range of the printed matter. At this time, the information on the school completion date, which is the criterion for the output order adjustment, is printed in bold type so that it can be distinguished from the information that is not the other criterion.

The following will supplementarily explain the embodiment of the present invention.

(1) Information used as a judgment criterion when changing the output order of print data in the print waiting state is information about a process schedule related to the print data and may be a judgment criterion for changing the order. If so, any information will do.

(2) One or a plurality of pieces of information may be used as a criterion when changing the output order of print data in the print waiting state.

(3) In the printing system of the present invention, one or a plurality of printing devices may output print data.

(4) In the printing system of the present invention, the printing apparatus that outputs the print data may be of any type as long as it can print.

(5) When the place where the print data is prepared and the place where the print data is output are different, the print schedule data may be created by either.

(6) When the place where the print data is prepared is different from the place where the print data is output, the print schedule data does not necessarily have to be transmitted at the same time as the print data, and the correspondence with the print data is clear. If so, it may be set in advance on the print data output side.

(7) The print schedule data may be included in the description of the print data from the time of creation.

(8) The print schedule data may be created by using a part of the description method of the print data.

(9) The print schedule data may include a description other than the schedule information.

(10) When printing the information extracted from the print schedule data, the printed information may be a part or all of the print schedule data.

[0043]

According to the first and fifth aspects of the invention, the output order of the print data is adjusted to an efficient output order according to the process schedule information corresponding to the print data to be output, without human intervention. There is an effect that can be.

According to the second and sixth aspects of the present invention, the print schedule data in which the information of the process schedule is described is created, and the output order of the print data is the process schedule described in the print schedule data without human intervention. According to the information, there is an effect that it is possible to make an adjustment to change to an efficient output order.

According to the third and seventh aspects of the present invention, even when the place where the print data is prepared and the place where the printed matter based on the print data is output are distant from each other, the printing in which the process schedule information is described is described. Create schedule data,
There is an effect that the output order of the print data can be adjusted to an efficient output order according to the process schedule information described in the print schedule data without human intervention.

According to the fourth and eighth aspects of the invention, since the process schedule information of the print data is arbitrarily taken out and printed on the printed matter, a person who uses the target printed matter can surely check the process schedule and progress of the print data. The effect is that you can know.

As a result of the above, the present invention has an effect that a printing device such as a printer can appropriately adjust the order of outputting a plurality of print data without relying on human labor.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram illustrating a printing system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a printing system according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of print schedule data.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Print schedule data creation means 2 ... Print data transmission / reception means 3 ... Printing order adjusting means 4 ... Printing schedule printing means 14 ... Network 15 ... Receiving device 16 ... Printer A ... Sending device B ... Sending device C ... Sending device

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (72) Inventor Takayuki Hasegawa             1-5-1 Taito, Taito-ku, Tokyo Toppan stamp             Imprint Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Seiji Furuya             1-5-1 Taito, Taito-ku, Tokyo Toppan stamp             Imprint Co., Ltd. F-term (reference) 2C061 AP01 AQ04 AQ05 AQ06 HK11                       HQ06 HR02                 5B021 AA01 BB01 BB04 BB09 CC05                       EE01

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A printing system for outputting a plurality of prints based on a plurality of print data from a printing device, wherein printing is performed according to process schedule information indicating a schedule of processes required to complete a final print. A printing system comprising: a printing order adjusting unit that adjusts an order in which printed materials are output from the apparatus. 2. The printing system according to claim 1, further comprising print schedule data creating means for creating print schedule data in which information of the process schedule is described. 3. Printing by performing at least one of transmission / reception in which the print schedule data and print data are integrated, or transmission / reception that is performed separately in such a form that the correspondence between the print schedule data and print data is known. The printing system according to claim 2, further comprising a data transmitting / receiving unit. 4. The print schedule printing means for extracting arbitrary information from the print schedule data and printing it on at least a part of a medium on which the printed matter is formed, according to claim 2 or 3. Printing system. 5. A method of managing a schedule for outputting a plurality of prints based on a plurality of print data from a printing device, wherein the process schedule information indicates a schedule of processes required to complete a final print. A print schedule management method comprising a print order adjustment step of adjusting the order in which printed materials are output from a printing device. 6. The print schedule management method according to claim 5, further comprising a print schedule data creating step of creating print schedule data in which information of the process schedule is described. 7. Print data for performing at least one of transmission / reception in which the print schedule data and the print data are integrated, or transmission / reception performed separately in a form in which the correspondence between the print schedule data and the print data is known. The print schedule management method according to claim 6, further comprising a transmission / reception step. 8. The printing according to claim 6, further comprising a printing schedule printing step of taking out arbitrary information from the printing schedule data and printing it on at least a part of a medium forming the printed matter. Schedule management method.