JP2005346443A - Network printing system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To mount a spooling function by utilizing storage devices of other printers connected to a network by a printer without a large-capacity storage device for spooling. <P>SOLUTION: Spool substitution processing is performed by utilizing the storage device of the other printers connected to the network. In this case, spool data are dispersed to a plurality of printers, thus preventing spool substitution processing from failing even if there is a printer that is not subjected to spool substitution since, for example, the printer is busy. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  Involved in network printing systems.

When outputting a document from a host computer or the like to a printer, the output data is stored (spooled), and if it is the same document, the spooled data is output again, and the application is executed on the host computer. Can be restarted and printing time and labor can be reduced, and on the printer side, the time required for RIP (character, graphic, bitmap data, etc.) of the document can be reduced. Printers and print servers that implement these functions have already been realized (for example, Patent Document 1).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 06-040092

  However, in general, in order to have a spool function, it is expensive to construct a system equipped with a large-capacity storage means such as a hard disk, and it is currently implemented only in a relatively expensive printer. It is.

  The present invention has been made paying attention to the above points. In a network printing system in which a plurality of printers are connected to a network, when there are one or more printers with spools, the storage means is provided. To provide a network printing system that allows a printer having no spool to be used as a printer that is inexpensive but can also use a spool function by implementing a spool function using the storage means of the printer with spool. Objective.

  The present invention can solve the above problems by providing the following configuration.

(1) In a network printing system in which commands and data such as characters, graphics, and bitmaps are received and converted into raster data, a printer for outputting images is connected to a network, and a plurality of such printers are connected to the network. The system is connected to two types of printers with a spool function having storage means for storing reusable raster data and printers without the storage means.
When the printer having no storage means receives a print request from a host computer or the like, it sends a spool substitution request signal to the spool function printer, and one printer with the spool function sends a permission signal for the spool substitution request or Reply with a disapproval signal,
When the printer having no storage means receives the permission signal, it receives commands and data such as characters, graphics, and bitmaps according to the print request, converts them into raster data, and transmits the raster data to the image output device. At the same time when the image is output, the raster data is transmitted to the printer with the spool function that has returned the approval signal via the network, and additional information for specifying the series of print processing is also transmitted.
The spool function printer receives the raster data and the incidental information, stores the raster data according to the incidental information so that it can be reused in the storage means,
The printer that does not have the storage means has additional information for storing the information for specifying the machine body of the printer with spool that is permitted to replace the spool, together with the additional information for specifying the series of print processes. And when the operator reprints the series of printing processes, the raster data corresponding to the series of printing processes is received from the printer with the spool function and printed.
Implement the spool function in the procedure,
A network printing system characterized in that the spool function is implemented even in a printer having no storage means by the above method.

  (2) The network printing system according to (1), wherein the raster data is transmitted and received after being compressed using a compression unit.

  (3) In the above (1) or (2), the incidental information includes at least information for specifying a document name used at the time of a print request, a print time, and a printer body that has made a spool replacement request. A featured network printing system.

  (4) In (1), the printer that does not have the storage means transmits a print substitution request signal to a plurality of the printers with the spool function, and only one of the plurality of printers with the spool function. When the permission signal is returned, spool replacement processing is performed by the printer with the spool function that has returned the permission signal. When there is the permission signal from a plurality of devices, one is automatically selected and spooled. A network printing system characterized by performing alternative processing.

  (5) In the above (1), a printer that does not have the storage means transmits a print substitution request signal to one or more printers with the spool function, and the printer substitutes all of the one or more printers with the spool function. When the permission signal is received, a signal indicating that the spooling could not be performed is stored in the incidental information storage means in place of the information for specifying the machine body of the spooled printer that permitted the spool substitution. A network printing system characterized by this.

  (6) The network according to any one of (1) to (5), wherein when a reprint instruction using a spool function is issued, reprinting is performed from a spool function printer that is actually spooled. Printing system.

  By having the image data after the raster data be subjected to spool substitution processing by a printer with a spool function connected on the network, the spool function can be implemented even for a printer having an inexpensive configuration.

  By implementing the spool replacement process to multiple spool function printers connected to the network, and automatically selecting one of the spool function printers that returned a permission signal, one printer with spool function is installed. Rather than having the spool substitution process performed, the failure probability of the spool substitution process is reduced, so that the serviceability of the spool substitution process can be improved.

  Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to examples.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the present invention.

  Storage means for storing reusable raster data among printers that receive commands and data such as characters, graphics, and bitmaps, convert them into raster data, and output images as described above in claim 1 Here, the printer provided is called a printer with a spool function. The storage means will be referred to as spool data storage means.

  In FIG. 1, 101 is a printer with a spool function, 103 is a printer that does not have the storage means, and is simply described as a printer in the figure. Reference numeral 104 is a host computer, and 105 is a network that can be connected to each other using Ethernet (registered trademark) or the like.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a printer that does not have spool data storage means.

  Reference numeral 201 denotes network connection means provided for connecting a network and a printer. Reference numeral 202 denotes a raster data that is compressed to reduce the data size, or the received compressed data is decompressed to become raster data. Compression / decompression means 203, temporary storage means using a RAM or the like for temporarily storing data, 204 a CPU which is a general-purpose arithmetic processor, and 205 an image output for printing an image An apparatus 206 is supplementary information storage means for storing supplementary information.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a printer with a spool function.

  Reference numeral 301 denotes network connection means provided to connect the network and the printer. 302 compresses raster data to reduce the data size, or decompresses received compressed data to make raster data. Compression / decompression means 303, temporary storage means using a RAM for temporarily storing data, 304 a CPU as a general-purpose arithmetic processor, and 305 an image output for printing an image An apparatus 306 is a spool data storage unit.

  The spool data storage means 306 often uses a device having a large storage capacity such as an HD because raster data requires a large storage capacity. On the other hand, the incidental information storage means requires less storage capacity than raster data such as the document name and print time. Therefore, the system can be configured at a lower cost than when the spool data storage means 306 is installed. Is possible.

  This will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

  First, the host computer 104 instructs the printer 103 to perform printing processing in order to print a document created using an application such as a word processor or a spreadsheet.

  When the print process is instructed, the printer 103 transmits a spool replacement request to the printer with spool.

  When the spool substitute printer 101 receives the spool substitute request, it returns a spool substitute permission signal or a non-permission signal in accordance with the status of the spooled printer.

  When the printer 103 receives a spool substitution non-permission signal, the printer 103 identifies additional information for a series of print processing, such as the name of the document to be printed, the print time, and the host computer that has instructed printing. A signal indicating that spooling could not be performed is stored together with information such as the host name and user account name to be printed, and the print processing is continued. It receives commands and data such as characters, graphics, and bitmaps from the host computer 104, performs RIP processing, converts them into raster data, stores them in temporary storage means, and outputs an image from the image output device.

  Upon receiving the spool substitution permission signal, the printer 103 receives commands and data such as characters, graphics, and bitmaps from the host computer 104, performs RIP processing, and converts them into raster data. Here, RIP processing is performed by the CPU 204, but dedicated hardware for performing RIP processing may be mounted. The raster data created by the RIP process is stored in the temporary storage means and output from the image output device 205. At the same time, the compression processing is performed by the compression / expansion means 202, and via the network via the network connection means 201, Sent to a printer with a spool function. Also, incidental information for specifying a series of print processes, for example, information such as a document name to be printed, a print time, a host name or user account name for specifying a host computer instructing printing, and the number of printed pages is transmitted. . The auxiliary information can be replaced with a list of appropriately assigned symbols that facilitates the searchability at the time of reuse and makes it possible to specify the series of print processes. The same sequence of symbols may be stored in the attached printer 101 and the printer 103. Further, the auxiliary information and the spool machine specifying information for specifying the spool of the printer with the spool permitted to be replaced with the spool are also stored in the auxiliary information storage means 206. The spool machine identification information may be an IP address if the network uses TCP / IP, or is implemented as a unique number in the network connection means if Ethernet (registered trademark) is used. You may use the MAC address currently made.

  The printer 101 with a spool function receives the raster data and supplementary information for specifying the series of print processes, and stores the raster data in the spool data storage unit 306 in a reusable state. FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the storage state of the spool data storage means. It is divided into an incidental information storage unit and a raster data storage unit. When searching for data at the time of reprinting, it is described in this embodiment so as to facilitate searching by searching for information such as the document name and print time in the incidental information storage unit and specifying the data. Yes.

  In FIG. 4A, incidental information is stored for each raster data corresponding to a series of stored printing processes in the incidental information storage unit. FIG. 4B describes the incidental information for each raster data in more detail. The document name, print time, start address of the portion where raster data A is stored, the data capacity of raster data A, etc. are stored from above, and if a reprint instruction for raster data A is received, the raster data With reference to the incidental information storage unit A, the storage part in which the raster data A is stored is read out.

  The reprint instruction can be specified by reading the supplementary information from the supplementary information storage unit 206 on the user interface of the main body of the printer 103 (for example, a display with a touch panel), displaying the supplementary information list. It may be mounted so as to be designated via the host computer 104. For example, when an application for instructing reprinting of the host computer 104 inquires the printer 103 of a list of a series of print processes that can be reprinted, the printer 103 reads the supplementary information from the supplementary information storage unit 206, A list of incidental information is displayed on a display connected to the host computer.

  FIG. 5 shows a table of the supplementary information list of the displayed printer 103. The operator refers to a list as shown in FIG. 5 and instructs the operator to reprint the desired document. The reprint permission / inhibition column indicates whether or not reprinting is possible. When the above-mentioned “signal indicating that spooling could not be performed” is displayed, it is displayed as “not possible” and reprinting is performed for the operator. You may show that it is not possible.

  Further, when a reprint instruction is given, if the printer 103 and the printer 101 with the spool function are printers having substantially the same gradation characteristics, the printer 101 with the spool function can be reprinted. In this case, network load reduction and transfer time can be omitted.

  As described above, by adopting the embodiment described in the present embodiment, a printer capable of performing a spool function at low cost can be realized.

(Example 2)
FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining this embodiment.

  Storage means for storing reusable raster data among printers that receive commands and data such as characters, graphics, and bitmaps, convert them into raster data, and output images as described above in claim 1 Here, the printer provided is called a printer with a spool function. The storage means will be referred to as spool data storage means.

  In FIG. 6, reference numeral 601 denotes a printer 1 with a spool function, and 602 denotes a printer 2 and 603 with a spool, which is a different body from the 601. A printer 1 does not have the storage means. . Reference numeral 604 denotes a host computer, and reference numeral 605 denotes a network that enables mutual connection using Ethernet (registered trademark) or the like.

  The printer 603 has the same configuration as in FIG. 2, and the printer 1 601 with spool function and the printer 2 602 with spool function may have the same configuration as in FIG.

  In this embodiment, a case where a plurality of printers with a spool function are connected to a network will be described.

  This will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

  First, the host computer 104 instructs the printer 103 to perform printing processing in order to print a document created using an application such as a word processor or a spreadsheet.

  When the print process is instructed, the printer 103 transmits a spool replacement request to the printer with spool. Here, the difference from the first embodiment is that a spool replacement request is transmitted to a plurality of printers with a spool function. In the present embodiment, two units are used, but it is needless to say that three or more units can be implemented.

  Upon receiving the spool replacement request, the spooled printer 601 returns a spool replacement permission signal and a non-permission signal in accordance with the status of the spooled printer.

  Similarly, when the spool replacement printer 602 receives a spool replacement request, it returns a spool replacement permission signal or non-permission signal in accordance with the status of the spooled printer.

  When the printer 603 receives spool substitution non-permission signals from all the printers with spool functions (two in this case), the auxiliary information storage means 206 stores additional information such as print information. A signal indicating that spooling could not be performed is stored together with information such as a document name to be printed, a print time, a host name specifying a host computer that has instructed printing, and a user account name, and the printing process is continued. It receives commands and data such as characters, graphics, and bitmaps from the host computer 104, performs RIP processing, converts them into raster data, stores them in temporary storage means, and outputs an image from the image output device.

  When the spool 603 receives a spool substitution permission signal from only one of the plurality of printers with a spool function, the printer 603 selects the printer with the spool function that has returned the spool substitution permission signal. For example, the printer with spool function 2 is executing another print process and returns a non-permission signal in response to the print replacement request. The printer with spool function 1 is in a situation where spool replacement is possible, and the permission signal is output. When the reply is made, the printer 1 with the spool function is selected, and the spool substitution function is executed as in the first embodiment.

  When the printer 603 receives a spool substitution permission signal from two or more of a plurality of printers with a spool function, the printer 603 automatically selects one of the printers with a spool function that has returned the permission signal. As in the first embodiment, the spool substitute function is implemented. For example, when both the spool function printer 1 and the spool function printer 2 return a permission signal, a function of automatically selecting the priority order by selecting the spool function printer 1 is set in advance. The spool data storage means 305 of each of the plurality of printers with a spool function may inquire about the available storage capacity and select the printer with the spool function with the largest available storage capacity. However, the method described in this example is not necessary as long as the embodiment can be automatically selected.

  In addition, although the supplementary information and the spool machine identification information for identifying the machine body of the printer with spool that permits spool substitution are stored in the supplementary information storage unit 206, they are described in the first embodiment. In the embodiment, when the spool replacement process is performed by the printer 1 with the spool function, information that can identify the machine body of the printer 1 with the spool function is used. When the spool replacement process is performed by the printer 2 with the spool function, the spool function is added. Information that can identify the machine body of the printer 2 is stored.

  Although FIG. 5 is used for the description in the first embodiment, it is assumed that a table of the supplementary information list of the displayed printer 603 is represented. The operator refers to a list as shown in FIG. 5 and instructs the operator to reprint the desired document.

  Here, the document name Patent. The raster data of the document “doc” is stored in the spool data storage means of the printer 1 with spool function. Assume that the raster data of the document “doc” is stored in the spool data storage means of the printer 2 with a spool function.

  For example, Patent. When the doc reprint instruction is issued, the printer 603 reads the incidental information storage unit 206 and reads the Patent. Recognizing that it is stored in the printer 1 with printer function from the external spool machine body identification information corresponding to doc, the raster data is received from the printer 1 with spool function and reprinting is performed. Beer. If it is doc, raster data is similarly received from the printer 2 with spool function and reprinted. These are automatically performed when a reprint instruction is issued, and the user does not need to be aware of which printer with the spool function stores the raster data when issuing the reprint instruction.

  Although the embodiment for performing spool substitution processing in a distributed manner to a plurality of printers with a spool function has been described, compared to the first embodiment, a single printer with a spool function may not be able to perform spool substitution processing. However, by allowing the spool replacement process to be performed by another printer with a spool function, the probability of the spool replacement process failing is reduced, and the serviceability of the spool replacement process is improved.

  If there is a reprint instruction, if the printer 603, the printer with spool function 1601, and the printer with spool function 2 602 are printers having substantially the same gradation characteristics, the printer 1 601 with spool function or the spool function It is possible to mount the attached printer 2 602 so that reprinting is performed from the printer that is actually spooling. In this case, the network load can be reduced and the transfer time can be omitted.

It is the figure showing the characteristic of Example 1 of this invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a printer that does not have a spool storage unit. It is a figure explaining the printer with a spool function which has a spool memory | storage means. It is a figure explaining the memory | storage state inside a spool memory | storage means. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating display of a spool document list for a reprint instruction. It is a figure showing the characteristic of Example 2 of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

101 Printer with Spool Function 103 Printer 104 Host Computer 105 Network

Claims (6)

In a network printing system in which commands and data such as characters, graphics, and bitmaps are received and converted into raster data, a printer for outputting an image is connected to a network, and a plurality of the printers are connected to a network, the network printing system includes: Two types of printers, a spool function printer having a storage means for storing reusable raster data and a printer without the storage means, are connected.
When the printer having no storage means receives a print request from a host computer or the like, it sends a spool substitution request signal to the spool function printer, and one printer with the spool function sends a permission signal for the spool substitution request or Reply with a disapproval signal,
When the printer having no storage means receives the permission signal, it receives commands and data such as characters, graphics, and bitmaps according to the print request, converts them into raster data, and transmits the raster data to the image output device. At the same time when the image is output, the raster data is transmitted to the printer with the spool function that has returned the approval signal via the network, and additional information for specifying the series of print processing is also transmitted.
The spool function printer receives the raster data and the incidental information, stores the raster data according to the incidental information so that it can be reused in the storage means,
The printer that does not have the storage means has additional information for storing the information for specifying the machine body of the printer with spool that is permitted to replace the spool, together with the additional information for specifying the series of print processes. And when the operator reprints the series of printing processes, the raster data corresponding to the series of printing processes is received from the printer with the spool function and printed.
Implement the spool function in the procedure,
A network printing system characterized in that the spool function is implemented even in a printer having no storage means by the above method.   The network printing system according to claim 1, wherein the raster data is transmitted and received after being compressed using a compression unit.   3. The network printing system according to claim 1, wherein the supplementary information includes at least information for specifying a document name used at the time of a print request, a print time, and a machine body of a printer that has requested a spool replacement. .   2. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the printer having no storage means transmits a print substitution request signal to a plurality of printers with a spool function, and only one of the plurality of printers with a spool function receives the permission signal. When a reply is received, the spool substitute process is performed by the printer with the spool function that has returned the permission signal, and when there is the permission signal from a plurality of units, one is automatically selected and the spool substitution process is performed. A network printing system characterized by this.   2. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the printer having no storage means transmits a print replacement request signal to one or more printers with a spool function and receives a disapproval signal from all of the one or more printers with a spool function. In this case, a signal indicating that spooling could not be performed is stored in the incidental information storage means in place of information for specifying the machine body of the spooled printer that permitted spool substitution. Network printing system.   6. The network printing system according to claim 1, wherein when a reprint instruction using a spool function is issued, reprinting is performed from a printer with a spool function that is actually spooled.

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