JP2009297907A - Printer and control method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve the efficiency of print processing with the transmitting processing load of an application layer lessened by performing a data transmitting concerning a print job, etc. below a transport layer. <P>SOLUTION: The printer is equipped with I/F12 for receiving a printing request from a printing request issuer through a communication network 4, and CPU11 for performing the control so that the above printing demand may be transmitted below the transport layer out of the hierarchical structure of a software. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a printing apparatus and the like, and more particularly to a printing apparatus that performs data transfer related to a print job or the like below a transport layer, and a control method therefor.

  In recent years, the spread of various printing apparatuses has been remarkable. In addition, with the miniaturization and high performance, there is a degree of freedom in the place where it can be installed. In particular, for example, a thermal / thermal transfer sublimation printing apparatus is widely used in medical sites, laboratories, schools, and the like because high-quality printing results can be expected. As described above, most printers used for business use are often connected to a network and can be shared by a plurality of users.

  For example, in a medical field, various devices are network-connected in accordance with a standard called DICOM (Digital Imaging and C0mmunications in Medicine). DICOM is a standard that defines a format for medical images taken with modalities such as computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and computed radiography (CR), and a communication protocol between medical imaging devices that handle the images. It is a standard. Various kinds of medical information are transmitted and received between the apparatuses by communication based on the standard, and can be printed out.

  That is, more specifically, a system is constructed on the network so that image data acquired by the modality can be transferred to the printing apparatus and output via a LAN (Local Area Network) or the like. Various kinds of specific processing relating to this output can be designated by description of parameters from the modality side which is the image data transmission side.

  In such a medical field, the user usually issues an output request to the printing apparatus (imager) set in advance on the modality side. Depending on the output status of the user, requests concentrate on a specific printing apparatus, and processing wait occurs.

  As a technique for solving this problem, for example, in Patent Document 1, a printing system is constructed by connecting a client and a plurality of printers to a network, and one printer determines the number of copies of a print job in which a plurality of copies are designated by the client. A printing apparatus with an alternative printing function is disclosed in which processing load is distributed by correcting to one copy and distributing to another alternative printer.

JP 2004-181647 A

  However, the above-described prior art is a solution for a case where a print request is transmitted from an application such as a personal computer in the form of a print job (PRINT JOB). The printing apparatus that has received the print job analyzes the contents of the print job and determines the transfer destination in the application layer. Therefore, a load other than the printing process may be applied to the application layer of the printing apparatus that is the transfer source.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to reduce the transfer processing load of the application layer and improve the efficiency of the print processing by performing data transfer related to a print job or the like below the transport layer.

  According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printing apparatus that receives a print request from a print request source via a communication network, and transfers the print request below the transport layer in the software hierarchical structure. And control means for controlling.

  Therefore, the print request is transferred below the transport layer.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printing apparatus control method including a step of receiving a print request from a print request source via a communication network, and transferring the print request below a transport layer in a software hierarchical structure. And controlling to do so.

  Therefore, the print request is transferred below the transport layer.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a printing apparatus and a control method thereof that reduce the transfer processing load of the application layer and improve the efficiency of the printing process by performing data transfer related to a print job or the like below the transport layer. Can do.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention (hereinafter simply referred to as an embodiment) will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

  A printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is compliant with, for example, DICOM, and distributes print processing from a modality to printing apparatuses on a network below the transport layer and distributes printing processing. One of them.

  FIG. 1 shows and describes the configuration of a network system using a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, printing apparatuses 1a, 1b,... (Hereinafter collectively referred to as reference numeral 1) are modalities 2a, 2b, 2c,. 2), a host computer 3 that performs image analysis and the like, and a communication network 4 that conforms to the DICOM standard.

  With such a configuration, the modality 2 transmits a wide variety of image data to other devices on the communication network 4. Further, the modality 2 shares the image data with other users (other modalities, etc.). The printing apparatus 1 receives and prints out medical image data from different manufacturers and different types of modalities based on the standard DICOM. The image data may be analyzed by the host computer 3, transmitted to the printing apparatus 1, and printed out by the printing apparatus 1. DICOM is an example applicable to this embodiment, and it is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to this.

  FIG. 2 further illustrates and describes the internal configuration of the printing apparatus 1 among various apparatuses on the communication network 4 shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the printing apparatus 1 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11 that controls the entire printing apparatus 1. The CPU 11 is connected to the communication network 4 via an interface 12 as communication means.

  Further, the CPU 11 as the control means is connected to a print section 16 having a ROM (Read Only Memory) 13, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 14 as a storage means, an operation section 15, a multi-tray and the like via a control bus. Has been.

  In such a configuration, the interface 12 is a network interface. Under the control of the CPU 11, the interface 12 outputs various data output from the modality 2 via the communication network 4 based on the DICOM standard, and various data output to the communication network 4. The data in which the IP address of the printing apparatus is set is selectively acquired from the inside.

  The RAM 14 constitutes a work area of the CPU 11, a buffer for various data communication by the interface 12, and the like. The RAM 14 also stores rewritable setting information and the like.

  The ROM 13 stores programs related to various processing procedures related to the CPU 11, various font data used for print processing, and the like. The ROM 13 holds various types of information such as the type of information for specifying the manufacturer and model, and the printable media size (size), media type (type), color / monochrome, and other compatible image output conditions. .

  The operation unit 15 is formed by various controls provided on the operation panel of the printing apparatus 1, a touch panel provided on a display unit (not shown), and the like. In this embodiment, various instructions, settings, resets, and the like to the printing apparatus 1 can be performed by operating the operation unit 15. The operation can be instructed from the host computer 3 on the communication network 4.

  The print unit 16 includes a media transport mechanism, a print head, a head drive mechanism, and the like. The top of the media transport mechanism is equipped with a multi-tray that can accommodate multiple types of media. In the medical printer of this example, media of different media types and media sizes are set in the multi-tray. Is possible.

  The media set in each tray of the multi-tray is detected by a sensor (not shown), and the CPU 11 can recognize the type. Accordingly, when the printing process is performed by the printing unit 16, a medium designated by the control of the CPU 11 is automatically selected and conveyed directly below the print head. The print head is, for example, a thermal head. The print head selectively energizes and drives the heat generating elements based on the input image data, and executes print processing using the generated heat energy.

  The CPU 11 performs overall control of the operation of the printing apparatus 1. At the same time, print instruction information directly obtained from the host computer 3 or each modality 2 is identified, and the print processing is automatically determined based on setting information and a processing method to be described later. If the type of media specified by the print instruction information cannot be used in any tray of the printing unit 16, an alternative medium is selected from the multi-tray according to the preset priority condition, and the print processing is performed. It is possible to continue.

  FIG. 3 shows a functional hierarchy of software of the printing apparatus 1.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the functional layer of software includes a network interface layer 100, a network layer 101, a transport layer 102, and an application layer 103.

More specifically, in the network interface layer 100, a protocol for physical connection is processed by a NIC (Network Interface Card) 100a and a device driver 100b. In the network layer 101, the Internet module 101a controls the data transfer path (routing control). More specifically, an IP address is assigned to the transfer destination for the data transferred from the transport layer 102.

  In the transport layer 102, the transport port module 102a performs packetization of data and processing such as a port number for identifying an application.

  In the application layer 103, the print processing application 103 a generates an image based on the data received by the CPU 11 via the I / F 12 and performs print processing for controlling the printing unit 16. In the application layer 103, the print processing application 103a periodically acquires each job list and calculates the number of remaining prints and the like by a method described later. Further, the transport layer 102 is notified of the IP addresses and port numbers of the printing apparatuses 1b, 1c,. A print job has a data amount of several tens of kilobytes to several megabytes, whereas a job list has data of several tens of kilobytes to several kilobytes. In addition, the calculation process of the remaining print number, which will be described later, is an arithmetic operation, and the load on the application layer is small.

  In a print request conforming to DICOM, a print data is transmitted after a session on the communication network 4 is established between the print request source and the printing apparatus. Focusing on this point, in this embodiment, the print request from the modality 2 is distributed to the other printing apparatuses 1 on the communication network 4 below the transport layer 102, and the printing process is distributed. Data related to the print request is interpreted between the print request source and another print apparatus that is the transfer destination of the print request.

  In the printing apparatus 1a, the IP addresses of the other printing apparatuses 1b, 1c,... And the port number of the print processing application 103a are registered. The IP address and port number of the printing apparatus 1a are registered in modalities 2a, 2b,.

  Now, it is assumed that the printing apparatus 1a is processing a print request from the modality 2, and the printing apparatuses 1b, 1c,. FIG. 4 shows a flowchart relating to processing when a print request is issued from the modality 2 to the printing apparatus 1a.

  That is, the print processing application 103a of the printing apparatus 1a periodically obtains a job list from the other printing apparatuses 1b, 1c,... On the communication network 4, and multiplies the film number / paper number by the number of copies. The remaining number of prints is calculated (step S1). The job list of the own apparatus is also managed in the same manner, and the remaining print count is calculated.

Here, details of the job list are shown in FIGS. As shown in these drawings, in the job list, the print request source, the print request reception time, the label, the number of films / the number of papers, and the number of copies are associated with each other. Now. If the job list in FIG. 5A is from the printing apparatus 1a and the job list in FIG. 5B is from the printing apparatus 1b, the number of remaining prints is calculated as follows.
Number of remaining prints of the printing apparatus 1a = 3 × 2 + 1 × 1 + 1 × 1 + 1 × 5 + 1 × 1 = 14
Number of remaining prints of the printing apparatus 1b = 2 × 1 + 1 × 1 + 1 × 5 + 1 × 1 + 1 × 1 = 10

  Subsequently, the print processing application 103a of the printing apparatus 1a, when the printing apparatus 1a is printing, and there are printing apparatuses 1b, 1c,. Is sent to the transport module 102a (step S2). In the example of FIGS. 5A and 5B, the printing apparatus 1b is specified as the transfer destination, and the transfer destination (IP address, port number) is notified.

  If the remaining numbers of the printing apparatuses 1b, 1c,... Are the same, the IP address and port number of the apparatus whose registration order is first may be notified to the transport module 102a. However, it is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to this.

  Next, data is transferred from the Internet module 101a to the transport module 102a of the printing apparatus 1a (step S3). The transport module 102a performs the following processing when the port number of the data transferred from the Internet module 101a is the print processing application 103a. That is, when the IP address and port number other than the printing apparatus 1a are notified from the print processing application 103a, the data is rewritten to the port number, the data is transferred to the Internet module 101a, and the IP address to be transferred is notified. (Step S4).

  Upon receiving this notification, the Internet module 101a of the printing apparatus 1a attaches the IP address notified in step S4 to the data transferred from the transport module 102a and passes it to the device driver 100b (step S5).

  Thus, the device driver 100b transfers the data to the printing apparatus corresponding to the IP address according to the attached IP address (step S6).

  Therefore, according to the printing apparatus and the control method thereof according to this embodiment, the print processing application 103a can leave the process of distributing print requests to other printing apparatuses below the transport module 102a. You can concentrate. That is, the processing load of the printing apparatus itself can be efficiently distributed.

  As described above in detail, according to an embodiment of the present invention, a print request from a print request source is received in a printing apparatus that distributes print processing among a plurality of printing apparatuses connected on a DICOM-compliant network. The data is transferred to another printing apparatus below the transport layer. Further, the print request data is interpreted between the print request source and the print request transfer destination printing apparatus. Then, in a printing apparatus that distributes printing processing among a plurality of connected printing apparatuses, the remaining print quantity of the registered printing apparatus is obtained, and the IP address and port number of the printing apparatus to be transferred are transferred to the transport layer. To notify.

  Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the present invention, a job list is periodically acquired from another printing device on the communication network, the number of copies is multiplied by the number of films / paper and the number of copies is calculated. If the device is printing and there is a printing device with a small number of prints remaining on the communication network, the data is transferred from the print processing application that notifies the transport module of its IP address and port number and the Internet module. Then, when the port number of the transferred data is a print processing application, when the IP address and port number other than the own device are notified from the print processing application, the port number is rewritten to the port number. IP address to be transferred to the Internet module and transferred The transport module for notifying the device, the IP address notified to the data transferred from the transport module in response to the notification, the Internet module passed to the device driver, and the data according to the attached IP address. There is provided a printer apparatus provided with a CPU as a control means for transferring data relating to a print request based on software having a hierarchical structure with a device driver that transfers to a printing apparatus corresponding to the IP address.

  Therefore, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the printing apparatus can perform data transfer below the transport layer, reduce the transfer processing load on the application layer, and improve the efficiency of print processing.

  The embodiment of the present invention has been described above, but the present invention is not limited to this, and it is needless to say that various improvements and changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

  For example, the acquisition timing of the job list is not limited periodically, and when there is a print request from the modality 2 to the printing apparatus 1a during printing, the job list of the other printing apparatuses 1b, 1c,. May be obtained. In this case, more efficient and accurate distribution of processing is realized than when periodically acquired.

  Further, the transfer destination may be notified to the modality according to the DICOM standard. In this case, the Called AE title in response to the association establishment request is notified of which printing apparatus has been transferred. For example, it is assumed that an association establishment request is issued from the modality 2 to the printing apparatus 1a. In this case, if the printing apparatus 1a (AE title “PRINTER1”) is printing and the printing apparatus 1b (AE title “PRINTER2”) has a smaller number of prints remaining, the association establishment request is sent to the printing apparatus 1b. Forwarded to Then, the printing apparatus 1b returns a response to Modality 2 with Called AE title “PRINTER2”, and the transfer destination is notified.

1 is a configuration diagram of a network system using a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. The figure which further embodies and shows the internal structure of a printing apparatus among the various apparatuses on a communication network. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a functional hierarchy of software of a printing apparatus. 6 is a flowchart related to processing when a print request is made to the printing apparatus from a modality. (A) And (b) is a figure which shows an example of a job list.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Printing apparatus, 2 ... Modality, 3 ... Host computer, 4 ... Communication network, 11 ... CPU, 12 ... I / F, 13 ... ROM, 14 ... RAM, 15 ... Operation part, 16 ... Printing part

Claims (7)

Communication means for receiving a print request from a print request source via a communication network;
And a control unit that controls the print request to be transferred below the transport layer in the software hierarchical structure. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication network conforms to DICOM. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the data related to the print request is interpreted between a print request source and another print apparatus that is a transfer destination of the print request. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit acquires information on a remaining printing number of the registered printing apparatus, and notifies the transport layer of an IP address and a port number of the printing apparatus to be transferred. The printing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the notification is performed at a predetermined interval. The printing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the notification is performed when a print request is received. Receiving a print request from a print request source via a communication network;
And a step of controlling the print request to be transferred below the transport layer in the software hierarchical structure.

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