JP2006007785A - Printer applicable to network - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To grasp the status of use of a network-compatible printer per group or individual user, in the network-compatible printer shared for use with a network by a plurality of groups or users. <P>SOLUTION: The network-compatible printer is designed for the use with a network by a plurality of the groups or the users under a sharing system. In addition, the printer comprises a storage device which stores data on the number of printed sheets and indicates the number of printed sheets by group or user, a display means which displays the number of printed sheets indicated by data on the number of printed sheets stored in the storage device, and a reading device which reads the data on the number of printed sheets stored in the storage device to a host computer. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a network compatible printer used by a plurality of groups or users in a network environment, and more particularly to the number of printed sheets in a network compatible printer.

In recent years, in a network compatible printer used in an office, one printer is shared by a plurality of sections or a plurality of users (for example, Patent Document 1).
JP-A-6-324821

  In the office, an annual budget is allocated to each section, and it is necessary to calculate a printer usage fee (printing paper, consumables such as toner, or printer lease fee) from the budget for each section. However, it is difficult to calculate the printer usage fee for each section in a network compatible printer that is shared and used by a plurality of sections. Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to make it possible to grasp the usage status of a network-compatible printer for each group or each user in a network-compatible printer that is shared and used by a plurality of groups or users.

  The present invention relates to a network compatible printer compatible with a network that is shared and used by a plurality of groups or users, and a storage device for storing print number data indicating the number of prints for each group or each user. And display means for displaying the number of prints indicated by the print number data stored in the storage device, and means for reading out the print number data stored in the storage device to the host device.

  According to the present invention, in a network compatible printer that is shared by a plurality of groups or users, the number of prints for each group or user can be displayed on the host device and the network compatible printer. It is possible to easily grasp the printer usage status for each group or each user.

  The present invention relates to a network compatible printer compatible with a network that is shared and used by a plurality of groups or users, and a storage device for storing print number data indicating the number of prints for each group or each user. A display means for displaying the number of printed sheets indicated by the number of printed sheets stored in the storage device and a means for reading out the number of printed sheets stored in the storage device to the host device are provided.

Next, examples of the present invention will be described.
Example 1
Example 1 will be described below by taking an inkjet printer as an example. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a control system of the ink jet printer shown in FIG. 1 and 2, a CPU 21 in the form of a microprocessor is connected to host devices 100 to 102 via an interface 22, and programs stored in a program memory 24 in a ROM form, a data memory 23 in an EEPROM form, and the like. The recording operation is controlled based on the recording command data and the command signal (command) or the recording information signal read into the RAM-type working memory 25 from any of the host devices 100 to 102. Further, the CPU 21 moves the carriage motor by operating the carriage motor 71 via the output port 26 and the carriage motor control circuit 42 or operates the sheet feed motor 70 via the sheet feed motor control circuit 44. Then, the transport mechanism 43 is operated. Further, the CPU 21 can record a desired image on the recording medium 1 by driving the recording heads 9 </ b> A to 9 </ b> D via the head driving circuit 29 based on the recording information stored in the working memory 25. .

  The other components shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 are well-known and are not particularly related to the configuration of the present invention, and thus detailed description thereof is omitted.

  Next, FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the flow of operation of the first embodiment. In FIG. 3, an ID number is input by any of the host devices 100 to 102 via the interface 22 (S1). Only when the input ID number is recognized by the ID recognition device 28 (S2), a connection with the printer is made, and those who are not given an ID number are not allowed to use the printer. When the connection with the printer is permitted, print data is transferred (S3), and printing is started (S4).

When printing is completed (S6), the ID number and the number of printed sheets are stored in the billing memory 27 (S7). When data transfer is started but printing is stopped (S5), the process is terminated without storing the number of printed sheets. The data stored in the billing memory 27 is operated by operating the operation keys 60A to 60D, and a data read command in the billing memory 27 is issued to the CPU 21 via the input port 32, and the ID number and the cumulative number of printed sheets are displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 65. Can be displayed. Here, the accounting memory 27 is an erasable recording medium (such as an EEPROM), and the data in the memory can be erased by operating the operation keys 60A to 60D.
(Example 2)
In the second embodiment, as a means for reading data stored in the accounting memory 27, cumulative printing for each ID number is performed from the accounting memory 27 via the interface 22 and the ID recognition unit 28 from any of the host devices 100 to 102. The data of the number of sheets is read and displayed on the CRT monitor (any of 103 to 105).
Example 3
In the third embodiment, by using the operation keys 60 </ b> A to 60 </ b> D, the unit price of one print is input to the printer and held in the memory 27. Display for each ID number in the amount of money.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a control system in an ink jet printer. FIG. 2 is an external view of the ink jet printer. FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Recording medium 7 Conveyance motor 6 Carriage unit 9A Y recording head 9B M recording head 9C C recording head 9D Bk recording head 21 CPU
22 interface
23 data memory 24 program memory 25 working memory 26 output port 27 accounting memory 28 ID recognition unit 36 output port 42 carriage motor control circuit 43 transport mechanism 60A-60D operation keys 61A-61D LLED
65 Liquid Crystal Display Unit 70 Sheet Feed Motor Circuit 71 Carriage Motor 100-102 Host Device 103-105 CRT Monitor

Claims (4)

A network compatible printer that supports a network shared by multiple groups or users,
A storage device for storing print number data indicating the number of prints per group or per user;
Display means for displaying the number of printed sheets indicated by the number-of-printed-sheet data stored in the storage device;
A network compatible printer, comprising: means for reading the number of printed sheets stored in the storage device to a host device. An ID number input means for inputting an ID number from the host device;
2. The network-compatible printer according to claim 1, wherein the print number data indicates a print number for each ID number input by the ID number input unit. If the ID number input by the ID number input means is not recognized, has a non-permission means that does not allow the connection;
3. The network compatible printer according to claim 1, wherein the host device transfers the print data when the connection is permitted. Receiving means for receiving print data;
The network compatible printer according to claim 1, further comprising: a printing unit that performs printing based on the print data received by the receiving unit.