JP2012064042A - Printer system, image data distribution device, image data transmission method and program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve printing processing capacity in a printer system with a tandem type printer and a print inspection device.SOLUTION: A printer system includes a tandem type printer 2 having printing devices 21 and 22 for printing, a print inspection device 3 for inspecting the quality of an image printed by the tandem type printer 2, a RIP device 4 for instructing a switch 5 on a transmission destination of an image data to be printed and transmitting information indicating a printer which is the image data transmission destination to the print inspection device 3, and the switch 5 connected among the RIP device 4, the printing devices 21 and 22, and the print inspection device 3. The switch 5 transmits the image data received from the RIP device 4 to either of the printing devices 21 and 22, and also to the print inspection device 3 at the same time.

Description

  The present invention relates to a printer system having a tandem printing apparatus and a print inspection apparatus, an image data distribution apparatus used in the printer system, an image data transmission method, and a program.

  In recent years, for the purpose of speeding up printing processing, two printer devices are arranged in series. For example, the front and back surfaces of recording paper can be continuously printed by each printer device, or the toner color of each printer device can be changed. Instead, a so-called tandem printing apparatus that prints a two-color image by printing a single-color image with different colors on the same surface of a recording sheet by using each printer is known (see Patent Document 1).

  In a printing apparatus that prints a large amount of images at high speed, such as this tandem printing apparatus, it is necessary to inspect the print quality at a certain frequency in order to maintain the quality of the printing result at a certain level. As an apparatus for performing such a print inspection, image data input to a printer device is stored, and an image printed by the printer device is read by a scanner to obtain image data. An apparatus (printing inspection apparatus) that determines whether print quality is good or not by comparing is known (see Patent Document 2).

When such a print inspection apparatus is combined with a tandem printing apparatus to form a printer system, the structure is as shown in FIG. 5, for example.
In the printer system of FIG. 5, a RIP (Raster Image Processor) device 91 outputs print data to be output from a host computer or the like to the printer device 921 or 922 of the tandem printing device 92 for printing. Received together with output destination information for specifying a certain printer device. At this time, if each print data received from the host computer or the like is vector image data such as a postscript, the RIP device 91 converts each received vector image into bitmap image data for printing. . Then, after outputting each bit map image data for printing to the printer device specified by the output destination information, the same bit map image data is transmitted to the print inspection device 93.

  By the way, in the conventional printer system, the bitmap format image data once transmitted from the RIP apparatus 91 to the printer apparatus 921 or 922 of the tandem printing apparatus 92 is transmitted again to the print inspection apparatus 93 to inspect the printed matter. The method is taken. However, in this method, while the bitmap format image data is being transmitted to the print inspection apparatus 93, the next bitmap format image data to be printed cannot be transmitted to the printer apparatus 921 or 922, and printing is performed. The operation may be interrupted, and there is a problem that the print processing capacity (number of printed sheets per hour) of the entire system is lowered.

In addition, for the purpose of enabling the same image data to be printed simultaneously on all the printing apparatuses, a method of transmitting the same image data to all the printing apparatuses simultaneously (simultaneous transmission) is also known (see Patent Document 3). ).
If this method is used, the same image data can be simultaneously transmitted to the printer apparatus and the print inspection apparatus. However, in the tandem printing apparatus, different image data is printed by a plurality of printer apparatuses. Therefore, when the conventional image data simultaneous transmission method is applied to a printer system composed of a tandem printing apparatus and a print inspection apparatus. On the printer device side, it is necessary to determine whether or not it is image data to be printed, and it cannot be applied as it is.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide image data to be printed in a printer system including a tandem printing apparatus having a plurality of printer apparatuses and a print inspection apparatus. This is to transmit to the printer device used for printing as well as to the print inspection device at the same time to prevent a decrease in print processing capability.

The present invention includes a tandem printing apparatus that performs printing by a plurality of printer apparatuses, a print inspection apparatus that inspects the quality of an image printed by the printer apparatus based on image data input to each of the printer apparatuses, An image data distribution apparatus for instructing a switch as a transmission destination of image data to be printed and transmitting information indicating a printer as a transmission destination of the image data to the print inspection apparatus, the image data distribution apparatus, and the printers And the switch connected between the printer and the print inspection device, and the switch is one of the printer devices instructed by the image data distribution device and the print inspection. A printer system that transmits image data to an apparatus.
The present invention also provides a tandem printing apparatus that performs printing using a plurality of printer apparatuses, and a print inspection apparatus that inspects the quality of an image printed by the printer apparatus based on image data input to each printer apparatus. An image data delivery device that instructs the switch to send image data to be printed to the switch, and sends information indicating the printer that is the image data send destination to the print inspection device, the image data delivery device, An image data distribution device in a printer system comprising: each switch device; and the switch connected between the print inspection device, wherein the image data transmission destination is any one of the printer device and the A transmission destination instruction means for instructing the print inspection apparatus to the switch, and an image data for transmitting the image data to the switch. A data transmitting unit, an image data distribution device having an information transmission means for transmitting information indicating a printer device which is the destination of the image data on the printing inspection apparatus.
The present invention also provides a tandem printing apparatus that performs printing using a plurality of printer apparatuses, and a print inspection apparatus that inspects the quality of an image printed by the printer apparatus based on image data input to each printer apparatus. An image data delivery device that instructs the switch to send image data to be printed to the switch, and sends information indicating the printer that is the image data send destination to the print inspection device, the image data delivery device, An image data transmission method in a printer system comprising: each printer device; and the switch connected between the print inspection device, the image data transmission destination being any one of the printer device and Instructing the print inspection apparatus to the switch; transmitting the image data to the switch; and the switch. Transmits the image data received from the image data distribution apparatus to any one of the printer apparatuses according to the instruction of the transmission destination in the instructing step, and simultaneously to the print inspection apparatus. An image data transmission method comprising: a step of transmitting; and a step of transmitting to the print inspection apparatus information indicating a printer device that is the transmission destination of the image data instructed by the instructing step.
The present invention also provides a tandem printing apparatus that performs printing using a plurality of printer apparatuses, and a print inspection apparatus that inspects the quality of an image printed by the printer apparatus based on image data input to each printer apparatus. An image data delivery device that instructs the switch to send image data to be printed to the switch, and sends information indicating the printer that is the image data send destination to the print inspection device, the image data delivery device, The printer of the image data distribution apparatus in the printer system having the switch connected between each printer apparatus and the print inspection apparatus, and any one of the printer apparatus and the print Destination instruction means for instructing the inspection device to the switch, and an image for transmitting the image data to the switch And data transmission means, is information indicating a printer device which is the destination of the image data programmed to function as an information transmission means for transmitting to the printing inspection apparatus.

  According to the present invention, in a printer system including a tandem printing apparatus having a plurality of printer apparatuses and a print inspection apparatus, image data to be printed is transmitted to the printer apparatus used for the printing and also to the print inspection apparatus. Transmission at the same time can prevent a decrease in print processing capacity.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a printer system according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a data output unit of the printer system according to the present embodiment. FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the operation | movement procedure of a RIP apparatus of the printer system which concerns on this embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the operation | movement procedure of a switch of the printer system which concerns on this embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows an example of a structure of the conventional printer system.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a printer system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
The printer system 1 receives a print request from a tandem printing apparatus 2 having two printer apparatuses 21 and 22, a print inspection apparatus 3 for inspecting the quality of an image printed by the printer apparatuses 21 and 22, and a host computer or the like. The RIP device 4 is an image data distribution device that transmits image data for printing to the printer device designated by the print request out of the printer devices 21 and 22.

  Here, when the print data transmitted from the host computer or the like is image data different from the bitmap image data, for example, vector image data such as postscript, the RIP device 4 uses the vector image data for printing. It also has a function of converting to bitmap image data.

  The printer system 1 also includes a switch 5 connected between the RIP device 4 and the printer devices 21 and 22 and the print inspection device 3, a connection between the RIP device 4 and the switch 5, and a switch 5 and the printer device. 21 and 22 and serial buses 61 to 64 for connecting the print inspection apparatus 3 and transmitting image data. Here, the switch 5 has a function of simultaneously transmitting the image data received from the RIP device 4 to any one of the printer devices 21 and 22 and the print inspection device 3. The switch 5 includes a processing unit 51 that is a computer having a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory) in which a program is written, a RAM (Random Access Memory) for temporary storage of data, and the like. A control memory 511 including a RAM or the like in the unit 51 is provided.

  The RIP device 4 includes a data receiving unit 41 that receives print data transmitted from a host computer or the like, and the received print data when the received print data is vector image data other than bitmap image data, for example. An image conversion unit 42 as image conversion means for converting to bitmap image data for printing, and a data output unit 43 for outputting the bitmap image data generated by the image conversion unit 42 to the switch 5 via the serial bus 61 Have. Further, the data output unit 43, the printer devices 21 and 22, and the print inspection device 3 are directly connected by the control line 7, and when the data output unit 43 transmits image data via the serial buses 61 to 64, Various information is exchanged between the data output unit 43, the printer devices 21 and 22, and the print inspection device 3 via the control line 7.

  The serial buses 61 to 64 and the switch 5 comply with the PCI Express Base Specification 2.1 standard, which is a serial bus communication standard, and image data is divided into a predetermined byte length and transmitted in the form of data packets. Each data packet generally includes a header part including operation instruction information relating to the operation of the transmission destination and information indicating the type of the packet, and a payload part which is the main body of the transmission data.

  The data packet includes a memory write request packet for writing to the control memory 511 in the switch 5 and an operation instruction storage area (configuration memory space) provided in the control memory 511. There are types such as a configuration write request packet for writing or a message request packet for transmitting message data. Note that the type of data packet is identified by including information indicating the type of data packet in the header of the data packet.

  Here, the PCI Express Base Specification 2.1 standard includes a broadcast function for transmitting (simultaneous transmission) to all devices connected to the serial bus, in addition to a normal unicast function for transmitting data packets to only one device. It has a multicast function to transmit to a specific plurality of devices. Which transmission function is used is indicated by the operation instruction information included in the header part (in the case of the broadcast function), or provided in the configuration memory space in the control memory 511 of the switch 5 The switch 5 extracts the operation instruction information from the header portion of the communication packet received from the RIP device 4 as indicated by writing the operation instruction information in the operation control register (operation control register). Alternatively, the operation instruction information written in the operation control register in the switch 5 is read to determine the transmission destination of the received packet. If neither the broadcast function nor the multicast function is designated, an operation using the unicast function is performed.

  The tandem printing apparatus 2 has a function of performing printing on the front and back surfaces of recording paper, for example, by the printer apparatuses 21 and 22. Further, the print inspection apparatus 3 receives and stores the same data as the image data transmitted from the data output unit 43 to the printer devices 21 and 22, and optically prints the print image printed on the recording paper by a scanner or the like. The quality of the print image is inspected by comparing the read image data with the image data stored as described above.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the data output unit 43.
The data output unit 43 includes an input / output interface unit 431 that communicates with the printer apparatuses 21 and 22 and the print inspection apparatus 3 via the control line 7, a processing unit 432 that controls transmission of image data to the serial bus 61, A route complex 433 serving as a communication interface that connects the internal bus of the data output unit 43 and the serial bus 61 is provided.

  The processing unit 432 is a computer having a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory) in which a program is written, a RAM (Random Access Memory) for temporary storage of data, and the like. Instruction information generating means 4321 for generating information for issuing various operation instructions to the print inspection apparatus 3, inspection necessity determination means 4322 for determining whether or not to perform a print inspection by the print inspection apparatus 3, and an image conversion unit A transmission destination instruction unit 4323 for instructing the transmission destination of the image data output from 42 to the switch 5; and an image data transmission unit 4324 for transmitting the image data to the switch 5.

  Here, each means included in the processing unit 432 is a function realizing means realized by a computer including a CPU by a program, for example. The computer program can be stored in any computer-readable storage medium.

  In the configuration of the printer system 1 described above, when image data is transmitted via the switch 5, information indicating whether the image data is transmitted to any one of the printer devices 21 and 22 is printed. The information transmission means to be transmitted to the device 3 includes, for example, an instruction information generation means 4321 and an input / output interface unit 431.

The printer system 1 described above operates as follows.
When the user turns on the power of the RIP device 4, the tandem printing device 2, and the print inspection device 3, first, the RIP device 4 receives a print request from, for example, a host computer. This print request includes print data to be printed by the printer device 21 or 22 and output destination information for designating the printer device that is the output destination of the print data. The RIP device 4 includes the image conversion unit 42. After the print data is converted into bitmap image data as necessary, the converted image data and output destination information are sent to the data output unit 43.

  The data output unit 43 to which the image data and the output destination information are input writes the operation instruction of the multicast function in the operation control register of the control memory 511 of the switch 5 and also includes one printer device and print inspection specified by the output destination information. The transmission destination information having the apparatus 3 as the transmission destination of the image data is written in a predetermined storage area (transmission destination storage area) in the control memory 511. Subsequently, the data output unit 43 writes the image data to a predetermined area (data input area) in the control memory 511 of the switch 5. The data writing to the control memory 511 is performed using the above-described configuration write request packet or the like.

  On the other hand, the switch 5 recognizes that the transmission of the multicast function is instructed by the operation instruction written in the operation control register of the control memory 511, and uses the transmission destination information written in the transmission destination storage area of the control memory 511. The image data written in the data input area of the control memory 511 is simultaneously transmitted to the specified printer device and print inspection device 3.

  As a result, the RIP device 4 can transmit image data to the printer device 21 or 22 via the switch 5 having a multicast function, and simultaneously transmit the same image data to the print inspection device 3. Therefore, the RIP device 4 can continuously transmit the image data to the printer device 21 or 22 without considering the time for transmitting the image data to the print inspection device 3. As a result, the printer devices 21 and 22 can continue printing without waiting while image data is transmitted to the print inspection device 3, and a decrease in print processing capability of the entire printer system 1 can be avoided.

Next, the operation procedure of the RIP device 4 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.
First, when the user turns on the power of the RIP device 4, the tandem printing device 2, and the print inspection device 3 (S101), the data receiving unit 41 of the RIP device 4 has received a print request from a host computer or the like. Is determined (S102), and if not received (S102, No), it waits for reception.

  When the data receiving unit 41 receives the print request (S102, Yes), it is determined whether the output destination specified by the output destination information included in the print request is the printer device 21 or 22 (S103). If neither of the devices 21 and 22 (S103, No), an error is notified to the user by, for example, a display device (not shown) provided in the RIP device 4 (S104), and the process ends. To do.

  On the other hand, when it is the printer device 21 or 22 (S103, Yes), the image conversion unit 42 determines whether the print data included in the print request is bitmap image data (S105), and the bitmap image. If it is data (S105, Yes), the process proceeds to the next step S106. If it is not bitmap image data (S105, No), the print data is converted into a bitmap image (S107), and then step S106. Move on to processing.

  Next, the inspection necessity determination unit 4322 of the data output unit 43 determines whether or not to perform the print inspection by the print inspection device 3 based on, for example, an instruction input by the user using an input device (not shown) of the RIP device 4. Is determined (S106).

  When the print inspection is performed (S106, Yes), the transmission destination instruction unit 4323 writes the operation instruction of the multicast function in the operation control register of the control memory 511 of the switch 5 (S108), and the transmission destination of the image data. Then, the destination information indicating the one printer device and the print inspection device 3 specified by the output destination information included in the print request is written in the destination storage area in the control memory 511 (S109). Here, the operation control register and the transmission destination storage area are both provided in the configuration memory space of the control memory 511, and the operation instruction is written in the operation control register and the transmission destination information in the transmission destination storage area. Can be written, for example, by transmitting a configuration write request packet to the switch 5 via the root complex 433.

  Subsequently, the image data transmission unit 4324 writes the image data to a predetermined area (data input area) in the control memory 511 of the switch 5 (S110). The image data can be written to the data input area using, for example, a memory write request packet including the image data in the payload portion. When the size of the image data is large, the image data can be divided into a predetermined byte length and sequentially transmitted as a memory write request packet.

  Further, the instruction information generating unit 4321 sends information indicating which of the printer devices 21 or 22 the currently transmitted image data is transmitted to via the input / output interface unit 431 and the control line 7. Is transmitted to the print inspection apparatus 3 (S111), and the process is terminated. Accordingly, the print inspection apparatus 3 can determine which of the printer apparatuses 21 and 22 should use the currently received image data for the print inspection.

On the other hand, when it is determined in step S106 that the print inspection is not performed (S106, No), the image data transmission unit 4324 transmits only one printer device specified by the output destination information included in the print request. First, image data is transmitted (S112), and the process is terminated. The transmission of the image data may be performed by a message request packet including, for example, a payload portion including image data and a header portion including transmission destination information having only one printer device as a transmission destination. it can. Similarly to the above, when the size of the image data is large, the image data can be divided into a predetermined byte length and sequentially transmitted as a message request packet.
Note that after the operation procedure is finished, the process may return to step S102 to receive the print request again.

Next, the operation procedure of the switch 5 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.
First, when a data packet is transmitted in step S111 or S112 of FIG. 3, the switch 5 determines whether or not a multicast function operation instruction is written in the operation control register of the control memory 511 (S201). When the operation instruction of the multicast function is written (S201, Yes), the transmission destination information written in the transmission destination storage area of the control memory 511 is read to identify the transmission destination (S202), and the control memory A data packet is generated from the image data written in the data input area 511, and simultaneously transmitted to the transmission destination specified in step S202 (S203), and the process ends.

  On the other hand, when the operation instruction of the multicast function is not written in the operation control register (S201, No), the transmission destination of the data packet is specified from the header portion of the received data packet (S204), and the received data packet Is transmitted to the specified transmission destination (S205), and the process is terminated.

  As described above, the printer system 1 according to this embodiment includes the switch 5 having a function of simultaneously transmitting image data to a plurality of apparatuses among the printer apparatuses 21 and 22 and the print inspection apparatus 3. As a result, the data output unit 43 of the RIP device 4 can transmit image data to the printer device 21 or 22 and simultaneously transmit the same image data to the print inspection device 3. It is possible to solve the problem that the image data is not transmitted to the printer device until the transmission of the image data to the inspection device 3 is completed.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Printer system, 2, 92 ... Tandem type printing device, 21, 22, 921, 922 ... Printer device, 3, 93 ... Print inspection device, 4, 91 ... RIP device, 41: Data receiving unit, 42: Image converting unit, 43: Data output unit, 431: Input / output interface unit, 432, 51: Processing unit, 4321: Instruction information generating means , 4322... Examination necessity determination means, 4323... Transmission destination instruction means, 4324... Image data transmission means, 433... Route complex, 5. ~ 64 ... serial bus, 7 ... control line.

JP 2010-52158 A JP 2001-96862 A JP 2007-62076 A

Claims (5)

A tandem printing apparatus that performs printing with a plurality of printer apparatuses;
A print inspection device that inspects the quality of an image printed by the printer device based on image data input to each printer device;
An image data distribution device for instructing a switch on a transmission destination of image data to be printed and transmitting information indicating a printer which is the transmission destination of the image data to the print inspection device;
The switch connected between the image data distribution device and each of the printer devices and the print inspection device;
Have
The switch is a printer system that transmits image data to any one of the printer apparatuses instructed by the image data distribution apparatus and the print inspection apparatus. The printer system according to claim 1,
The image data distribution apparatus is a printer system having image conversion means for converting input print data into bitmap image data. A tandem printing apparatus that performs printing by a plurality of printer apparatuses, a print inspection apparatus that inspects the quality of an image printed by the printer apparatus based on image data input to each printer apparatus, and an image to be printed An image data distribution device for instructing a switch as a data transmission destination and transmitting information indicating a printer as a transmission destination of the image data to the print inspection device, the image data distribution device, the printer devices, and the printing The image data distribution device in a printer system having the switch connected to an inspection device,
A transmission destination instruction means for instructing the switch to send any one of the printer device and the print inspection device as the transmission destination of the image data;
Image data transmitting means for transmitting the image data to the switch;
Information transmitting means for transmitting information indicating a printer apparatus to which the image data is transmitted to the print inspection apparatus;
An image data distribution apparatus. A tandem printing apparatus that performs printing with a plurality of printer apparatuses;
Based on the image data input to each of the printer devices, a print inspection device that inspects the quality of the image printed by the printer device, and a switch that indicates the transmission destination of the image data to be printed, and the image data An image data distribution device that transmits information indicating a printer that is a transmission destination to the print inspection device, and the switch connected between the image data distribution device, each of the printer devices, and the print inspection device. A method for transmitting image data in a printer system comprising:
Instructing the switch as any one of the printer device and the print inspection device as a transmission destination of the image data;
Transmitting the image data to the switch;
The switch transmits the image data received from the image data distribution device to any one of the printer devices according to the instruction of the transmission destination in the instructing step, and to the print inspection device. And the process of transmitting at the same time,
Transmitting the information indicating the printer device to which the image data is transmitted, instructed by the instructing step, to the print inspection device;
A method for transmitting image data. A computer of the image data distribution device according to claim 3,
As a transmission destination of image data, transmission destination instruction means for instructing any one of the printer device and the print inspection device to the switch;
Image data transmitting means for transmitting the image data to the switch;
Information transmitting means for transmitting information indicating a printer apparatus to which the image data is transmitted to the print inspection apparatus;
Program to function as.

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