JP2008087363A - Printer and printing control program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a printer that can define the end of printed results per sender by changing the sides (face-up or face-down) of printed faces at a time when the printed results of print jobs are discharged to a paper discharge tray per the sender of the print job by using a function of perfecting printing, and to provide a printing control program. <P>SOLUTION: In this printer 200, when a printing job of a user printing a preceding printing job is printed (YES in step 403), the same printing face as the face printed before is printed, and then the printed paper is discharged. When a print job of a user different from the user of the print job printed before is printed (NO in step 403), the printing face is changed to print, and then the printed paper is discharged. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a printing apparatus and a printing control program.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is a technique called a network printer in which users of a plurality of personal computers (print requesting apparatuses) connected by a communication network spread throughout the company share a printing apparatus connected by the same communication network.

  This shared printing device accepts print jobs from multiple users and prints. Therefore, a large amount of print results are accumulated in the paper discharge tray, and when the print results are retrieved, the print results of others are mistakenly held. There was a problem of going home.

On the other hand, in Patent Document 1, a function for determining whether or not the page number of a printed page is a print end page number, and whether or not the printing part is the final part of the number of print jobs instructed to be printed. A printing control device, a printing system, and a printing method are proposed in which printing is performed with the printing direction reversed when it is determined that a page break or a part break is determined by these functions. Yes.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-198543

  However, in the technique of Patent Document 1, even when a printed matter that is difficult to understand even when the printing direction is reversed (for example, a landscape printed matter and a portrait printed matter) is mixed, it is not possible to distinguish the separation of the printed matter from the difference in the printing direction. It can be thought that it is difficult.

  Therefore, according to the present invention, by using the duplex printing function, the print surface orientation (face-up or face-down) when the print result is discharged to the discharge tray is made different for each print job transmission source. It is an object of the present invention to provide a printing apparatus and a print control program in which a separation of print results for each transmission source is clarified.

  In order to achieve the above object, the invention of claim 1 is directed to identifying means for identifying a user of a print job to be printed on the printing apparatus, and use of a print job printed by the user identified by the identifying means last time. If the determination means determines that the user is the same, the print job is printed on the same print surface as the previous print job. And a printing control means for controlling the printing job to be executed by switching the printing surface when it is determined that the users are not the same, each time the printing job user changes It is configured to print out by switching the surface.

  The invention according to claim 2 is the invention according to claim 1, wherein when the print control means switches between the print job printed last time and the print surface, it is necessary to print from the last page of the print job. In this case, after the print job is accumulated, the print job is controlled to be printed from the last page.

  The invention according to claim 3 is the invention according to claim 1, wherein the print control means is configured such that the print job printed last time is generated with print data sequentially from the first page and discharged with the print side down. If the determination means determines that the users are not the same, the print data is sequentially generated from the last page of the print job and discharged with the print side facing up. When the print data is sequentially generated from the last page and discharged with the print side up, if the user is determined not to be the same by the determination unit, the print job is printed from the first page of the print job. Data is sequentially generated and discharged with the print side down.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a print control program comprising: identifying means for identifying a user of a print job to be printed by a computer; and a user of a print job printed by the user identified by the identifying means previously. When it is determined that the user is the same by the determination unit for determining whether the user is the same, the print job is printed and discharged on the same print surface as the print surface of the previous print job, and the use When it is determined that the print jobs are not the same, the print job is configured to function as a print control unit that controls the print surface to be switched and discharged.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the print surface is switched and discharged every time the user of the print job changes, and the separation of the print result by the user becomes clear.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, when the printing result is discharged face up, there is an effect that it is not necessary for the user to change the order of the discharged printing result.

  According to the invention of claim 3, every time the user of the print job changes, there is an effect that the discharge of the print result is alternately switched between face-up and face-down.

  According to the invention of claim 4, the printing apparatus can be controlled so that the printing surface is switched and discharged every time the user of the print job changes, and the separation of the print result by the user becomes clear. Play.

  Embodiments of a printing apparatus and a print control program according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram illustrating an outline of a printing system 100 configured by the printing apparatus 200.

  The printing system 100 includes a printing apparatus 100 and personal computers 300-1, 300-2,..., 300-n (collectively referred to as personal computers 300), which are printing request apparatuses, connected to a communication line 10. Is done.

  A personal computer (hereinafter referred to as a PC together with the drawings) 300 creates a print job that can be printed by the printing apparatus 200 and transmits the print job to the printing apparatus 200.

  The printing apparatus 200 can receive and print a print job from a plurality of PCs 300-1, 300-2,... 300-n connected via the communication line 10, and has a duplex printing function. Printing can be performed on either the front or back side of the paper stored in the storage tray.

  In the printing system 100 configured as described above, when the printing apparatus 200 receives a print job, the printing surface for both sides is switched for each PC 300 that has transmitted the print job, and the print result is discharged face up or face down. Make paper.

  In face-up paper ejection, the printed surface of the paper to be ejected faces up, and in face-down paper ejection, the printed surface of the paper to be ejected faces down. The paper is discharged.

  The printing apparatus 200 reads the print job creator from the received print job, switches the print surface for duplex printing for each print job creator, and discharges the print result face-up or face-down. It can also be configured.

  Next, an outline of the configuration of the printing apparatus 200 will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an outline of the configuration of the printing apparatus 200.

  The printing apparatus 200 includes a communication I / F unit 201, a display / operation unit 202, a memory 203, a control unit 204, and a print engine 205.

  The communication I / F unit 201 is connected to the communication line 10 and exchanges information such as receiving a print job from the PC 300.

  The display / operation unit 202 serves as a user interface, and performs processing for displaying information to the user and processing for receiving an instruction from the user.

  The memory 203 performs processing such as storing a print job waiting for printing, temporarily storing the print job when printing discharged in face-up is performed, and the like.

  The control unit 204 performs overall control of the printing apparatus 200, reads the name of the PC 300 that is the transmission source of the print job received by the printing apparatus 200 or the creator of the print job from the received print job, and transmits it to the transmission source client. Printing is controlled by changing the vertical direction (face-up or face-down) of the print surface to be discharged for each creator or for each creator.

  The print engine 205 performs processing for printing the print job received from the PC 300 on paper.

  The print engine 205 also has a duplex printing function (duplex printing unit 206) that can print on both the front side and the back side of the stored paper, and each client that has transmitted a print job. In this case, printing is performed with the front side and the back side separately, and when printing is performed on the front side of the paper, the paper is discharged face down, and when printing is performed on the back side of the paper, the paper is discharged face up.

  Next, face-down paper discharge printed on the front surface and discharged by the duplex printing unit 206 of the printing apparatus 200 and face-up paper discharge printed on the back surface and discharged will be described with reference to FIG. I do.

  FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a printing result discharged to the discharge tray of the print engine 205.

  A description will be given of the result of the printing apparatus 200 receiving three print jobs, printing by the print engine 205, and paper discharge.

  First, the first print job received by the printing apparatus 200 is a print job A with two pages received from the PC 300-1, and the next received print job is four pages with the content received from the PC 300-2. Also, the last received print job is the print job C with the contents received from the PC 300-3 being three pages.

  When such three print jobs are received and printed by the printing apparatus 200, since the clients that transmitted the three print jobs are different, the print surface printed for each print job is discharged differently. The orientation of the printing surface of the printing result on the paper discharge tray differs depending on whether face up or face down.

  As shown in FIG. 3, when print job A is printed by the print engine 205, it is printed on the front side of the paper stored in the duplex printing unit 206, and the print side faces down on the discharge tray. The paper is discharged (reference number 51).

  In this way, the print results of the print job A for two pages transmitted from the PC 300-1 are discharged face down (reference number 51).

  Also, since the next print job B has a different client name from the previous print job A, printing and discharge are performed so that the direction of the print surface to be discharged is opposite to the direction of the previous print job A. Done.

  That is, the print job B is printed on the back side of the stored paper by the double-sided printing unit 206, and is discharged face-up with the print side facing up on the discharge tray (reference number 52).

  In this way, the print result of the print job B for four pages transmitted from the PC 300-2 is discharged face up (reference number 52).

  Since the next print job C has a client name different from that of the previous print job B, printing and discharge are performed so that the direction of the print surface to be discharged is opposite to the direction of the previous print job B. Is done.

  That is, the print job C is printed on the surface of the stored paper by the double-sided printing unit 206, and is discharged face-down with the print side facing down on the discharge tray (reference number 53).

  In this way, the print result of the print job C for three pages transmitted from the PC 300-3 is discharged face down (reference number 53).

  Next, a processing flow performed in the printing apparatus 200 will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a processing flow performed by the printing apparatus 200.

  When the communication I / F unit 201 of the printing apparatus 200 receives a print job and the control unit 204 accepts the print job (step 401), the control unit 204 reads the transmission source client name of the accepted print job (step 401). 402) It is determined whether or not the read source client name is different from the source client name of the print job printed by the printing apparatus 200 last time (step 403).

  The transmission source client name of the print job that was previously printed by the printing apparatus 200 is stored in the memory 203.

  If the client name of the transmission source of the print job printed last time is different from the client name of the transmission source client of the print job received in step 401 (YES in step 403), the print result printed on the paper discharge tray is printed. In order to change the orientation of the ground, the printing surface of the paper printed by the duplex printing unit 206 is switched (step 404).

  That is, when printing is performed on the front surface of the storage paper last time, the control unit 204 controls the printing surface to be switched and printed on the back surface of the storage paper.

  In addition, when printing is performed on the back side of the storage paper last time, the control unit 204 controls the printing surface to be switched and printed on the front side of the storage paper.

  If printing is performed on the side different from the previous printing and printing is performed on the back side of the storage paper and face-up is discharged (YES in step 405), the print job is printed from the last page and discharged. Therefore, the one-end print job is stored in the memory 203 (step 406).

  Then, control is performed by the control unit 204 so that printing is performed from the last page of the print job stored in the memory 203 (step 407), printing is performed from the last page, and the discharge result is face-up on the discharge tray. The paper is discharged (step 408).

  In addition, when replacement of the printing surface is instructed in step 404 and printing is performed on a surface different from the previous printing, if printing is performed on the surface of the storage paper and the paper is discharged face-down (NO in step 405). The accepted print job is printed from the first page and discharged face down with the print side facing down on the discharge tray (step 408).

  When the paper discharge is completed, the printing performed this time is stored in the memory 203 to be printed on the surface of the storage paper and discharged face down.

  In addition, when a print job is received (step 401) and the sender client name of the print job is read (step 402), the sender client name is the same as the sender client name of the previously printed print job. (NO in step 403), the printing unit is controlled by the control unit 204 so that the orientation of the print surface of the print result on the paper discharge tray is the same as the print surface of the print result printed and discharged last time. Is not switched.

  Since the switching of the printing surface is not instructed, the duplex printing unit 206 performs printing on the same side as the storage paper on which the previous print job was printed, and the previous print job is printed even when the paper is discharged. The paper is discharged so that the printed surface of the printing result faces in the same direction as the printed surface of the discharged printing result (step 409).

  When the paper discharge is completed, the printing performed this time is printed on the back side of the storage paper, and the fact that the paper is discharged face up is stored in the memory 203.

  By performing the processing in this way, if the transmission source client name of the received print job is different from the previous transmission client name, the print surface orientation of the print result on the paper discharge tray is reversed from the previous one. If the source client name of the received print job is the same as the previous source client name, it is discharged so that the orientation of the print surface of the print result is the same as the previous one on the output tray. The

  Therefore, if the paper is discharged so that the orientation of the print surface of the print result is opposite to the previous one (difference between face-up and face-down), it is separated from the print result of the print job sent from another client that was printed last time. This is convenient for the user who takes out the print result from the paper discharge tray.

  In addition, when print jobs are continuously transmitted from the same client to the printing apparatus 200 and printed, when the print jobs from the same client are continuously received, the orientation of the print surface of the print result is the same as the previous one. In this case as well, in this case, if the user takes the print result from the discharge tray, the print result is discharged in the same direction (face-down or face-up). So convenient.

  The printing apparatus 200 reads the transmission source client name (step 402), and determines whether or not the read transmission source client name is different from the transmission source client name of the print job that has been printed last time (step 403). ) Although it has been described that the paper discharge process is advanced by face up or face down, the creator of the received print job is read from the print job instead of the name of the transmission source client (step 402). It may be determined whether or not the job is different from the creator of the print job that was printed last time (step 403), and the paper discharge process may be advanced by face-up or face-down.

  By doing so, it becomes easy for the user to take out the print result from the paper discharge tray because it becomes easy to understand the print result and the print result of the print job transmitted from another creator.

  In addition, when the same creator continuously transmits print jobs to the printing apparatus 200 for printing, when the print jobs from the same creator are continuously received, the orientation of the print surface of the print result is the same as the previous one. In this case as well, in this case, for the user who takes out the print result from the discharge tray, the print result is discharged in the same orientation (face up or face down). Because it is convenient.

  In this embodiment, when printing is performed on the surface of the storage paper by the duplex printing unit 206, the printing apparatus 200 is discharged face down with the print side facing down on the discharge tray, and the duplex storage unit 206 stores the storage paper. It has been explained that when printing is performed on the back side of the printer, the print side is ejected face up with the print tray facing up, but this is due to the printing device. The relationship may be different from the above.

  The present invention can be used in a printing apparatus and a print control program.

  According to the present invention, the orientation (face up or face down) of the print surface when the print result of the print job is discharged to the discharge tray by using the double-sided printing function is set for each transmission source of the print job. It is possible to make them different, and it becomes easy to understand the classification of the print results, and it is possible to reduce the occurrence of the problem of returning the print results of others by mistake.

1 is a configuration diagram showing an outline of a printing system 100. FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an outline of a configuration of a printing apparatus. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating a printed result that has been discharged. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a processing flow performed by the printing apparatus 200.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Communication line 200 Printing apparatus 300, 300-1, 300-2, ... 300-n Personal computer

Claims (4)

An identification means for identifying a user of a print job to be printed;
Determining means for determining whether the user identified by the identifying means is the same as the user of the print job printed last time;
When it is determined by the determination means that the users are the same, the print job is printed on the same print surface as the previous print job, and it is determined that the users are not the same. A print control means for controlling to execute printing of the print job by switching the printing surface, and
A printing apparatus that switches a printing surface and prints out each time a user of the print job changes. The print control means includes
When it is necessary to print from the last page of the print job when switching between the print job printed last time and the print surface, the print job is printed from the last page after accumulating the print job. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the printing apparatus is controlled as follows. The print control means includes
When print data is sequentially generated from the first page and discharged with the print side down when the previously printed print job is determined that the users are not the same, the print job When the print data is sequentially generated from the last page of the print and discharged with the print side up, and the previous print job is generated with the print data sequentially from the last page and discharged with the print side up 2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein if the users are determined not to be the same by the determination means, print data is sequentially generated from the first page of the print job and discharged with the print surface facing down. . Computer
An identification means for identifying a user of a print job to be printed;
Determining means for determining whether the user identified by the identifying means is the same as the user of the print job printed last time;
When the determination means determines that the users are the same, the print job is printed out on the same print surface as the previous print job, and the users are determined not to be the same Is a print control program for functioning as a print control means for controlling the print job so as to change the print side and discharge the print.

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