JP2007140957A - Print control unit - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To allow print without changing the port setting of a printer driver, which is set in a user's PC when IP address setting is changed by a third person. <P>SOLUTION: MAC address information of a printer is preserved in installing the driver. Based on the information, the IP address of the printer with the IP address changed therein is detected when the subsequent print is performed, so that the print is enabled by automatically setting the IP address. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention acquires the MAC address information of the printer when installing the printer driver, stores the MAC address information in a certain location, and if a third party user changes the IP address of the printer, Even when printing from the printer driver is disabled, the IP address of the printer whose IP address has been changed is acquired based on the MAC address information of the printer managed at the time of installation without the user having to manually change the port. The present invention also relates to a print control apparatus for automatically enabling printing to the printer and information acquisition.

  Conventionally, when a third party changed the IP address of a printer, the user had to change the port manually. In the prior art, when the IP address is set to DHCP, it can be solved by inquiring the changed address to the DHCP server.

A process for automatically changing the port of a printer driver according to a conventional technique uses a DHCP server (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In addition, there is one that considers making the communication environment easy (see, for example, Patent Document 2).
JP 2001-326656 A JP 2004-074458 A

  However, in the above-described conventional example, when a fixed IP address is set when there is no DHCP server, the IP address of the changed printer is acquired and printing can be automatically performed using the IP address. I could not. There is also a problem that the user must manually change the port settings.

  This invention can solve the said subject by providing the following structure.

  (1) In a network environment, when a user changes the network address (IP address, etc.) of a device, the printer driver that has been capable of printing and bidirectional communication can no longer be used (communication is no longer possible) A printing control apparatus comprising a detecting means for detecting ().

  (2) In the print control device described above, the printer whose IP address has been changed based on the MAC address information of the printer that previously used the port of the printer driver that became unable to communicate can be detected and automatically communicated A printing control apparatus comprising an automatic port switching processing unit that enables printing and information acquisition by switching to a different port.

  (3) The print control apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising an acquisition unit that acquires the MAC address information of the printer when the printer driver is installed, and a storage unit that stores the MAC address information of the printer. The printing control device.

  Even when a fixed IP address is set when there is no DHCP server, the present invention acquires the changed printer IP address based on the MAC address information of the printer, and automatically prints with the IP address. By making it possible, it is possible to reduce a user's operation that requires the user to manually change the port setting of the printer driver.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  Reference numeral 1 in FIG. 1 denotes a control unit that controls the entire apparatus, which includes a central processing unit (hereinafter referred to as a CPU) such as a microprocessor and various I / O ports, and outputs control signals and data signals to each unit. In addition, control is performed by inputting control signals and data signals from various parts described later. Reference numeral 2 denotes a read-only memory (ROM) for storing a program of the procedure shown in FIG. 2, a system program, a manager program, other application programs, a character font, a dictionary, and the like. Reference numeral 3 denotes a readable / writable memory (RAM) that stores application programs, document information, and the like loaded from a read-only memory (external ROM) 4 that is added to the outside. Reference numeral 5 denotes a keyboard control device (hereinafter referred to as KBC) that controls the keyboard 6 for inputting document information and various commands. Reference numeral 7 denotes a display control device (hereinafter referred to as CRTC) that controls a display device (display means; hereinafter referred to as CRT) 8 such as a flat panel having a flat or substantially flat display area using liquid crystal or the like. . Reference numeral 9 denotes a peripheral device controller (hereinafter referred to as PKC) that controls a flexible disk drive (hereinafter referred to as FDD) 10 and a hard disk drive (hereinafter referred to as HDD) 11 as an external storage device. Note that the program of the procedure shown in FIG. 2 may be stored in the FDD 10 or the HDD 11. Reference numeral 12 denotes a printing apparatus (hereinafter referred to as PRT) that forms an image using a head. This PRT 12 is an element constituting a part of the print control apparatus of the present invention. Reference numeral 13 denotes a pointing device (hereinafter referred to as PD) such as a mouse, which can be used for selectively instructing display on the CRT 8. The specifying unit and the display unit described above constitute a selection unit that selects speed printing.

  In the print control apparatus shown in FIG. 1, a program exists on the ROM 2, PRT 12, HDD 11, or RAM 3, and the control unit 1 is set to perform a desired process while sequentially reading the program through the system bus 14. ing.

  Next, FIG. 2A is a block diagram showing that the printer connected to the network and the PC can communicate with each other, and FIG. 2B changes the IP address of the printer 1 connected to the network. It is the block diagram which shows that communication became impossible at the time. Further, according to the present invention, for example, even when the IP addresses of PCs and printers all change (moving work etc.) (such as when the subnet changes), printing can be performed if the PC address resolution can be performed. It will be possible.

  Next, with reference to flowcharts showing the processing steps of FIGS.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a series of operations when installing the printer driver. In step 311, the printer connected to the network is searched for when the printer driver is installed. Next, processing for selecting a printer driver to be installed by the user from the printers searched in step 312 and installing the printer driver is shown. In step 313, the printer MAC address information and IP address information acquired in step 311 are stored, and printing is enabled based on the information.

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an operation process inside the PC when the user actually performs printing. In step 411, it is determined whether or not bi-directional communication by unicast communication is actually possible before printing. If communication is possible, it can be determined that printing is possible, and the process proceeds to step 416, where data is transmitted to the target printer as before. If it is determined that communication is impossible, the process proceeds to step 412 and the information stored in step 313 is acquired. In step 413, data is transmitted to all models based on the MAC address information acquired in step 412, and a response from the printer is awaited. If the IP address changes, the printer returns the IP address and MAC address switched to the PC to the PC. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the case where the user changes the IP address of the printer, or when the IP address is automatically assigned by the DHCP server and the IP address is leased from the DHCP server, is also the case. The same can be said when the IP addresses of PCs and printers all change (moving work etc.) (when the subnet changes). In step 414, an IP address is acquired based on the data acquired from the printer in step 413. In step 415, the IP address acquired in step 414 is set. In step 416, data is transmitted to the printer.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing in detail the target printer detection process in step 413. In step 511, a packet capable of detecting the printer is transmitted even in a state where unicast communication is not possible (such as an unconfigured device). It shows that. In step 512, reception processing of data from the printer is indicated. Step 513 shows processing for extracting IP address information and MAC address information from the data received in step 512, and shows that the processing is equivalent to step 414. With the processes listed above, it is not necessary for the user to manually change the IP address regardless of the value of the IP address of the printer, and printing to the printer that the user wants to send can be realized automatically. .

1 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of a print control apparatus of the present invention. It is a block diagram which shows the condition where communication becomes impossible when an IP address is changed. FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a series of operations when installing a printer driver. It is a flowchart figure which shows the operation | movement process at the time of a printing process being performed. It is a flowchart figure which shows the detection process of the object printer.

Explanation of symbols

1 Control unit (head control means)
2 ROM
3 RAM
4 External ROM
5 Keyboard control device 6 Keyboard (specific means)
7 Display control device 8 Display device (display means)
9 Peripheral device control device 10 Flexible disk 11 Hard disk 12 Printing device 13 Pointing device

Claims (3)

  In the network environment, there is provided a detecting means for detecting that communication cannot be performed in a situation where the printer driver that has been capable of printing and bidirectional communication becomes unavailable due to a change in the network address of the device. Print control device.   2. The print control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a printer whose IP address has been changed is detected and automatically communicated based on the MAC address information of the printer that previously used the port of the printer driver that has become unable to communicate. A print control apparatus comprising a port automatic switching processing means that enables printing and information acquisition in place of possible ports.   3. The print control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an acquisition unit that acquires the printer MAC address information and a storage unit that stores the printer MAC address information when the printer driver is installed. Print control device.

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