JP2013175080A - Printer, terminal device and printing system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the problem that since the amount of information to be output when the printer version of a printer driver of a terminal device is different from the firm version of a print language processing part of a printer is small, it is not easy for a user to determine whether to continue printing in a conventional printing system.SOLUTION: A printing system 1 determines the presence/absence of the interchangeability of a first firm version as the current version of a printer 10 and a second printer version as the current version of a printer driver 23a of a terminal device 20, and when the determination result indicates the absence of interchangeability, transmits information indicating that first print data are not printed and information of a third printer version having interchangeability with the first firm version to the outside. Thus, it is possible for a user to immediately know to which version the printer version of the printer driver 23a should be updated, and it is easy for the user to determine whether to continue printing.

Description

  The present invention relates to a printing apparatus and a printing system for connecting a terminal device.

  Usually, a printing system has a terminal device having a printer driver that generates first print data in response to a print command, and a print language processing unit that expands the first print data and generates second print data. And a printing apparatus. Versions are assigned to the printer driver and the print language processing unit, and there are combinations in which a normal print result cannot be obtained due to the compatibility of both versions.

  In order to solve this problem, conventionally, for example, as described in Patent Document 1 below, when the versions are not the same, the information to that effect is notified, and whether to print even if the versions are different. Some users can select by operation.

  Then, the printer version, which is the version of the printer driver, is updated by correcting a defect between the application and the printer driver, such as correction of a defect in the user interface or correction by a special application. Furthermore, the printer version and the firmware version are frequently updated due to correction of a defect that is not related to the compatibility between the printer version and the firmware version that is the firmware version of the print language processing unit. Therefore, in order to know the printer version compatible with the firmware version, the user has checked and selected the firmware version history for the printer version.

JP-A-11-212742

  However, the conventional printing system has the following problems (1) and (2).

  (1) It is not easy to determine whether or not to continue printing based on only information that the printer version and the firmware version are different.

  (2) Since the user cannot determine whether or not to continue printing, when printing is continued, an incompatible abnormal print result is printed on the recording medium, and the recording medium is wasted.

  A printing apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention is configured by firmware of a specific firmware version, and develops first print data generated by using a printer driver of a predetermined printer version to perform second printing. A print language processing unit for outputting data, a storage unit for storing a first compatibility list indicating the first printer version compatible with the first firmware version, and the first print data. Based on the second printer version of the printer driver that generated the first print data, and a second compatibility indicating a past second firmware version compatible with the second printer version. And a third compatibility list is updated by updating the first compatibility list based on the first compatibility list and the second compatibility list. A compatibility list update processing unit for generating a data base, and determining whether or not the first firmware version and the second printer version are compatible based on the second printer version and the third compatibility list. A determination unit that outputs a determination result of compatibility, a printing unit that inputs the second print data and prints the second print data if the determination result is compatible, and the first 1 print data is received and output to the print language processing unit, and if the determination result is incompatible, information indicating that the first print data is not printed, information on the first firmware version, And a communication interface for transmitting information on the third printer version that is compatible with the first firmware version to the outside.

A terminal device according to a second aspect of the invention includes a first printer version that generates print data and a print language processing unit that expands the first print data generated from the print data and outputs the second print data. A storage unit for storing a first compatibility list indicating compatibility with the past first firmware version in the firmware to be configured; and the first printer version and the first compatibility list in response to a print command. Is inserted into the print data to generate and output the first print data, the first print data is input and transmitted to the outside, and printing is not possible when printing is impossible Information, the current second firmware version of the firmware of the print language processing unit, and a third preset that is compatible with the second firmware version. A communication interface for receiving and outputting data version information, a display unit for displaying the output information of the third printer versions, characterized by comprising a.
A printing system according to a third aspect of the invention includes the printing device and the terminal device.

  According to the printing device, the terminal device, and the printing system of the present invention, there are the following effects (a) to (c).

  (A) The printing apparatus determines compatibility between the first firmware version and the second printer version, and if the determination result is incompatible, the third printer version compatible with the first firmware version The information of is output. As a result, the user can immediately know the information of the third printer version compatible with the first firmware version.

  (B) If there is no compatibility between the first firmware version and the second printer version, the terminal device displays information on the third printer version compatible with the first firmware version. Thereby, the user can easily determine whether or not to continue printing.

  (C) The printing system determines compatibility between the first firmware version and the second printer version, and does not print the first print data if the determination result is incompatible. Thereby, it is possible to eliminate waste of the recording medium due to printing an incompatible abnormal printing result on the recording medium.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a printing system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the compatibility list 13a in FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the compatibility list 24a in FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of updating the compatibility list in the compatibility list update processing unit 14 in FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a display example of the display unit 26 in FIG. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a printing system 1A of a comparative example. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an output example of print data of the printing unit 16 in FIG. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation of the terminal device 20A in FIG. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the operation of the printing apparatus 10A in FIG. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of the terminal device 20 in FIG. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the operation of the printing apparatus 10 in FIG. FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a printing system 1B according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the compatible command table 24b in FIG. FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing the operation of the terminal device 20B in FIG. FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the reprint process according to the second embodiment.

  Modes for carrying out the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments when read in light of the accompanying drawings. However, the drawings are only for explanation and do not limit the scope of the present invention.

(Configuration of Example 1)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a printing system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

  The printing system 1 includes a printing device 10 and a terminal device 20 connected to the printing device 10 via a communication network 18.

  The printing apparatus 10 according to the first embodiment is an apparatus that prints print data on a recording medium such as paper, and includes an internal bus 11. A print language processing unit 12, a storage unit 13, a compatibility list update processing unit 14, a determination unit 15, a printing unit 16, and a communication interface (hereinafter referred to as “communication I / F”) 17 are connected to the internal bus 11. Yes.

  The print language processing unit 12 includes a firmware of a specific firmware version, and has a function of developing the first print data generated using a printer driver of a predetermined printer version and outputting the second print data. doing. The storage unit 13 has a storage area configured by a storage element such as a RAM (Read Access Memory). In this storage area, the first print data received by the communication I / F 17 is temporarily stored, and a proven software program installed in the firmware of the print language processing unit 12 and the compatibility list 13a are stored. Yes. The compatibility list 13a is a table that stores printer versions that are compatible with firmware versions that have been installed in the print language processing unit 12 and have a track record. The compatibility list 13a stores information on the first firmware version that is the current firmware version and the first printer version that is compatible with the first firmware version. The storage area of the storage unit 13 storing the compatibility list 13a is a nonvolatile storage area whose contents are not erased even when the power is turned off.

  The compatibility list update processing unit 14 includes a second printer version that is a printer version of the printer driver 23a that has generated the first print data, and a first firmware version that is compatible with the second printer version. The second compatibility list 24a indicating the second firmware version is extracted based on the first print data. Further, the compatibility list update processing unit 14 has a function of updating the first compatibility list 13a and generating the third compatibility list 13b based on the first compatibility list 13a and the second compatibility list 24a. Yes.

  The determination unit 15 determines whether or not the first firmware version and the second printer version are compatible based on the second printer version and the third compatibility list 13b, and displays the determination result regarding compatibility. It has a function to output. The printing unit 16 has a function of printing the input second print data when the determination result of the determination unit 15 is compatible.

  The communication I / F 17 receives the first print data, outputs it to the print language processing unit 12, and information indicating that the first print data is not printed if the determination result of the determination unit 15 is incompatible. , And a function of outputting information on the first firmware version and information on a third printer version compatible with the first firmware version.

  Here, the print language processing unit 12, the compatibility list update processing unit 14, the determination unit 15, the printing unit 16, and the communication I / F 17 are executed under program control by a central processing unit (CPU), or hardware by individual circuits. It is composed of logic.

  The communication network 18 is configured by, for example, a USB (Universal Serial Bus), a local area network (LAN), or the like.

  The terminal device 20 is, for example, a client / personal computer, and is a device that receives print commands, generates first print data, and outputs the first print data to the print device 10, and includes an internal bus 21. have. A processing unit 22, a print processing unit 23, a storage unit 24, a communication I / F 25, and a display unit 26 are connected to the internal bus 21.

  The processing unit 22 includes an application 22 a that edits data and the like. The application 22 a edits a print command and outputs a drawing command to the print processing unit 23. Further, the processing unit 22 inserts the second printer version and the second compatibility list 24a into the print data received from the print processing unit 23, for example, in the header portion of the print data, and the first print data is inserted. It has a function to generate and output. The print processing unit 23 stores a printer driver 23a of the second printer version. The printer driver 23 a generates print data in accordance with a drawing command from the processing unit 22 and outputs the print data to the processing unit 22.

  The storage unit 24 is configured by a storage element such as a RAM, and stores a second compatibility list 24a and a program of a printer driver 23a that has been installed. The second compatibility list 24a stores information indicating a second printer version that is the current printer version and a second firmware version that is a firmware version compatible with the second printer version. Yes. The storage area of the storage unit 24 holding the second compatibility list 24a is a nonvolatile storage area whose contents are not erased even when the power is turned off.

  The communication I / F 25 inputs the first print data and transmits it to the outside, and information indicating that the first print data is not printed when printing is impossible, the first firmware version, and the first firmware version 3 has a function of receiving information about a compatible third printer version and outputting the information to the display unit 26. The display unit 26 displays information indicating that the first print data input from the communication I / F 25 is not printed, the first firmware version, and the third printer version compatible with the first firmware version. It has a function to display information.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the compatibility list 13a in FIG.
FIG. 2 shows printer versions that are compatible with firmware versions that have been written to the print language processing unit 12 of the printing apparatus 10. The firmware version stored in the bottom column of the compatibility list 13a in FIG. 2 corresponds to the first firmware version, and the printer version compatible with the first firmware version corresponds to the first printer version. . The first firmware version is V2.6, and the first printer version is V2.1. In each level except the lowest level in FIG. 2, printer versions that are compatible with past firmware versions written in the past are stored.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the compatibility list 24a in FIG.
In FIG. 3, a printer version with a track record installed in the printer driver 23a of the terminal device 10 and a firmware version compatible with each printer version are stored in each stage. For example, the printer version stored at the bottom corresponds to the second printer version that is the latest printer version, and the firmware version compatible with the second printer version corresponds to the second firmware version. To do. It is shown in FIG. 3 that the first printer version is V3.0 and the second firmware version compatible with this second printer version V3.0 is V2.7. . In each of the levels except for the lowest level in FIG. 3, firmware versions that are compatible with previously installed printer versions are stored.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of updating the compatibility list in the compatibility list update processing unit 14.
In FIG. 4, when comparing the first compatibility list 13a and the second compatibility list 24a, the lower two levels of the first compatibility list 13a and the upper two levels of the second compatibility list 24a are common. The upper two levels of the first compatibility list 13a are different from the lower two levels of the second compatibility list 24a. 1 is based on the first compatibility list 13a and the second compatibility list 24a, and the second compatibility list 24a is not included in the first compatibility list 13a. The lower two levels of the compatibility list 24a are added to the first compatibility list 13a to generate the third compatibility list 13b.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a display example of the display unit 26 in FIG.
FIG. 5 shows a display example when it is determined that the second printer version is not compatible with the first firmware version V2.6. Referring to FIG. 2, the printer version compatible with the first firmware version V2.6 is V2.0 or V2.1. On the other hand, referring to FIG. 3, since the second printer version is V3.0, the first firmware version and the second printer version are not compatible. In the display example of FIG. 5, the firmware version is V2.6, and the printer version compatible with the firmware version V2.6 is displayed as V2.0 or V2.1. The display example of FIG. 5 shows an example in which the display unit 26 is configured by a touch panel, for example, and “Cancel” and “Continue” pop-ups are displayed.

(Comparative example)
FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a printing system 1A of a comparative example. Elements common to those in FIG. 1 illustrating the first embodiment are denoted by common reference numerals.

  The printing system 1A of the comparative example has a printing device 10A and a terminal device 20A having different configurations from the printing device 10 and the terminal device 20 of the first embodiment, and these are connected by the communication network 18 similar to the first embodiment. Yes.

  The printing apparatus 10A has the same internal bus 11 as in the first embodiment. The internal bus 11 is connected to the same print language processing unit 12 and printing unit 16 as in the first embodiment, the storage unit 13A and communication I / F 17A having different functions from the first embodiment, and the operation display unit 19. Yes. The storage unit 13A is configured by a storage element such as a RAM, temporarily stores print data received by the communication I / F 17A, and is a firmware version that is processed by the currently operating print language processing unit 12. 1 firmware version and a first printer version compatible with the first firmware version. The printing unit 16 has a function of printing the print data expanded in the print language processing unit 12. The communication I / F 17A has a function of receiving print data and outputting it to the print language processing unit 12. The operation display unit 19 has a function of changing the registered firmware version stored in the storage unit 13A by a user input operation and displaying an error when the printing apparatus 10A does not support print data. .

  The terminal device 20A receives a print command, generates print data different from that in the first embodiment, and outputs the print data to the printing device 10A. The terminal device 20A has the same internal bus 21 as that in the first embodiment. ing. The internal bus 21 is connected to a print processing unit 23 similar to that in the first embodiment, and a processing unit 22A, a storage unit 24A, and a communication I / F 25A that have different functions from the first embodiment.

  The processing unit 22A receives the print command, outputs the drawing command to the print processing unit 23A, receives the print data from the print processing unit 23A, and at the same time receives the individual authentication number (hereinafter referred to as “driver ID”) of the printer driver 23a that generated the print data. And the printer version is obtained from the storage unit 24A, print data is generated, and the print data is output to the communication I / F 25A. The communication I / F 25A has a function of outputting the print data, driver ID, and printer version information input from the processing unit 22A to the outside.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an output example of the print data of the printing unit 16 in FIG.
In the printing system 1A of the comparative example of FIG. 6, the printer version of the printer driver 23a of the terminal device 20A is V1.0, which is different from the printer version V2.1 registered in the storage unit 13A of the printing device 10A. An example in which information indicating that there is a possibility of not printing is printed is shown in FIG.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation of the terminal device 20A in FIG.
In the terminal device 20A of FIG. 6, when the process is started, the process proceeds to step S1. In step S1, when a print command is generated, the processing unit 22A outputs a drawing command to the print processing unit 23, and proceeds to step S2. In step S2, the print processing unit 23 generates print data by the printer driver 23a, outputs the print data to the processing unit 22A, and proceeds to step S3. In step S3, the processing unit 22A generates the print data by inserting the driver ID and the printer version of the printer driver 23a into the print data received from the print processing unit 23, outputs the print data to the communication I / F 25A, and proceeds to step S4. . In step S4, the communication I / F 25A transmits print data to the outside, and ends the process.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the operation of the printing apparatus 10A in FIG.
In the printing apparatus 10A of FIG. 6, when the process is started, the process proceeds to step S11. In step S11, when the communication I / F 17A receives print data via the communication network 18, the communication I / F 17A temporarily stores the print data in the storage unit 13A, and proceeds to step S12. In step S12, the print language processing unit 12 obtains and analyzes the driver ID and printer version of the printer driver 23a from the print data, and proceeds to step S13. In step S13, referring to the storage unit 23A, it is confirmed from the driver ID whether the received printing data is supported by the printing apparatus 10A. If not supported (NO), the process proceeds to step S14, and support is provided. If yes (YES), the process proceeds to step S15. If the printing apparatus 10A is not supported in step S14, an error is displayed on the operation display unit 19 without printing out, and the process is terminated.

  In step S15, the acquired printer version (the version of the printer driver 23a used when creating the print data) is compared with the registered version stored in advance in the storage unit 13A. If both versions have different numbers, the process proceeds to step S16. If both versions are equal, the process proceeds to step S17. If the versions are different in step S16, for example, an output example as shown in FIG. 7 is printed out as notification information to the user, and the process ends. If the versions are equal in step S17, the printing unit 16 prints out the print data and ends the process.

In the printing system 1A of the comparative example described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 9, when the print data received by the printing apparatus 10A does not support, an error is displayed on the operation display unit 19, and the print data that is supported is displayed. When the created printer version is different from the registered version of the printing apparatus 10A, the version information as shown in FIG. 7 is printed and output. However, the error display of the printing system 1A of the comparative example and only the version information shown in FIG. 7 cannot easily determine whether the user should continue or stop printing. In particular, since neither an error display nor version information is output to the terminal device 20A, the user of the terminal device 20A cannot determine whether or not to continue printing. Furthermore, in the printing system 1A of the comparative example, many operations are required to investigate which component version should be changed in order to continue printing.
The problem of the comparative example is solved by the first embodiment of the present invention.

(Operation of Example 1)
FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of the terminal device 20 in FIG.

  When the process is started in the terminal device 20 of FIG. 1, the process proceeds to step S21. In step S21, in the processing unit 22, the application 22a edits the print command to generate a drawing command, outputs the drawing command to the print processing unit 23, and proceeds to step S22. In step S22, the print processing unit 23 specifies the second printer version of the printer driver 23a according to the drawing command. The printer driver 23a generates print data using the designated second printer version and outputs the print data to the processing unit 22, and the process proceeds to step S23.

  In step S23, the processing unit 22 receives the print data from the print processing unit 23, acquires the second printer version, and the compatibility list 24a stored in the storage unit 24, and proceeds to step S24. In step S24, the processing unit 22 generates the first print data by inserting the acquired second printer version and the compatibility list 24a into the header of the print data, and transmits the first print data to the communication I / O. Output to F25, and proceed to step S25. In step S25, the communication I / F 25 transmits the first print data to the printing apparatus 10 via the communication network 18, and ends the process.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the operation of the printing apparatus 10 in FIG.
In the printing apparatus 10 of FIG. 1, when the process is started, the process proceeds to step S31. In step S31, the printing apparatus 10 temporarily stores the first print data received via the communication I / F 17 in the storage unit 13, and proceeds to step S32. In step S <b> 32, the compatibility list update processing unit 14 acquires the second compatibility list 24 a from the header of the first print data stored in the storage unit 13, and the first compatibility list held in the storage unit 13. The list 13a is updated, for example, the third compatibility list 13b as shown in FIG. 4 is generated, and the process proceeds to step S33.

  In step S33, the determination unit 15 determines the second printer version and the first firmware version based on the second printer version of the printer driver 13a extracted from the header of the first print data and the third compatibility list 13b. And the process proceeds to step S34.

  In step S34, version verification is performed. The version verification is performed based on whether or not the second printer version is included in a printer version group compatible with the first firmware version. For example, in FIG. 4, assuming that the second printer version is V3.0 and the first firmware version is V2.6, the printer version compatible with the first firmware version V2.6 is the third version. From the compatibility list 13b, the printer version is V2.0 or V2.1. In this case, the second printer version V3.0 is not included in the printer version groups V2.0 and V2.1 that are compatible with the first firmware version.

  If the second printer version is included in the printer version group compatible with the first firmware version in S34 (YES), the process proceeds to step S35, and the second printer version is changed to the first firmware version. If it is not included in the printer version group compatible with the version (NO), the process proceeds to step S37. For example, in FIG. 4, assuming that the second printer version is V2.0 and the first firmware version is V2.6, the printer version compatible with the first firmware version V2.6 is the third version. From the compatibility list 13b, the printer version is V2.0 or V2.1. In this case, the second printer version V2.0 is included in the printer version groups V2.0 and V2.1 that are compatible with the first firmware version.

  In step S35, the print language processing unit 12 expands the first print data to generate second print data, outputs the second print data to the printing unit 16, and proceeds to step S36. In step S <b> 36, the printing unit 16 prints the second print data and ends the processing of the printing apparatus 10.

  In step S37, the communication I / F 17 is compatible with, for example, information indicating that printing is not performed, the first firmware version V2.6, and the first firmware version V2.6 as shown in the display example of FIG. Information about a third printer version V2.0 or V2.1 is output, and the processing of the printing apparatus 10 is terminated.

  For example, the user of the terminal device 20 determines that the second printer version of the printer driver 23a that has generated the first print data from the display on the display unit 26 shown in FIG. It is possible to know that the first print data has been canceled due to incompatibility with the firmware version, and that the third printer version is compatible with the first firmware version.

(Effect of Example 1)
According to the first embodiment, there are the following effects (a) to (d).

  (A) The determination unit 15 of the printing apparatus 10 determines whether or not the second printer version is included in the printer version group corresponding to the first firmware version. As a result, it is possible to determine whether or not the second printer version and the first firmware version are compatible without any user intervention.

  (B) The compatibility list update processing unit 14 of the printing apparatus 10 updates the compatibility list 13a based on the compatibility list 24a extracted from the first print data and generates the compatibility list 13b. Thereby, the user of the printing apparatus 10 can know a printer version that is compatible with a firmware version that has no record.

  (C) The printing apparatus 10 notifies the terminal device 20 of the third printer version compatible with the first firmware version of the print language processing unit 12 when the version verification result is incompatible. Yes. Thus, by viewing the printer version displayed on the display unit 26 of the terminal device 20, the printer version to be updated by the printer driver 12a can be known.

  (D) The printing system 1 executes printing only when the second printer version is compatible with the first firmware version. As a result, if the second printer version and the first firmware version are not compatible, useless printing results are not output.

(Configuration of Example 2)
FIG. 12 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a printing system 1B according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Elements common to those in FIG. 1 illustrating the first embodiment are denoted by common reference numerals.

  The printing system 1B according to the second embodiment includes a printing apparatus 10 similar to that of the first embodiment and a terminal apparatus 20B having a configuration different from that of the first embodiment, and these are connected via a communication network 18 similar to that of the first embodiment. Has been.

  The terminal device 20B is a device that receives the print command, the application 22a edits the drawing command to generate first print data, and outputs the first print data to the printing device 10. Have. A processing unit 22, a print processing unit 23, a communication I / F 25, and a display unit 26, which are the same as those in the first embodiment, and a storage unit 24B having a function different from that of the first embodiment are added to the internal bus 21. A drawing command storage unit 27, a reprint command processing unit 28, and a print command switching unit 29 are connected.

  The storage unit 24B stores a compatible list 24a similar to that in the first embodiment and a newly added compatible command table 24b. The compatible command table 24b stores compatible commands corresponding to combinations of firmware versions of the printing language processing unit 12 of the printing apparatus 10 and drawing commands.

  The drawing command storage unit 27 has a function of storing, in the storage unit 24B, a drawing command that is received by the application 22a and received by the application 22a and output to the print processing unit 23. When receiving the incompatible notification from the printing apparatus 10, the reprint processing unit 28 has a function of reading a drawing command stored in the storage unit 24B and executing reprinting. When a drawing command is input from the reprint processing unit 28, the print command switching unit 29 refers to the compatible command table 24b stored in the storage unit 24B, and compares the first firmware version of the printing apparatus 10 and the drawing command. It has a function of returning compatible commands compatible with the combination to the print processing unit 23. Other configurations of the terminal device 20B are the same as those of the terminal device 20 of the first embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the compatible command table 24b in FIG.
In FIG. 13, for example, the compatible command corresponding to the combination of the firmware version V1.5 and the rendering command bitmap is Tagged Image File Format (TIFF), and the compatible command TIFF is, for example, the printer version V1.0 in FIG. Corresponding to In the case of the combination of the firmware version V1.5 and the drawing command character code, the corresponding compatible command is JIS90, and the compatible command JIS90 corresponds to, for example, the printer version V1.1 of FIG. In the case of the combination of the firmware version V2.6 and the drawing command bitmap, the compatible command is the Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG), and the compatible command JPEG corresponds to, for example, the printer version V2.0 in FIG. In the case of a combination of the firmware version V2.6 and the drawing command character code, the compatible command is JIS2004, and the compatible command JIS2004 corresponds to the printer version V2.1 of FIG.

  Further, in the case of the combination of the firmware version V1.5 and the drawing command line drawing, the compatible command is a plurality of point commands, and the plurality of point commands correspond to, for example, the printer version V1.2. In the case of the combination of the firmware version V2.6 and the drawing command line drawing, the compatible command is a line command, and the compatible command of the line command corresponds to, for example, the printer version V2.2.

(Operation of Example 2)
FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing the operation of the terminal device 20B in FIG. 12. Elements common to the elements in FIG. 10 showing the operation of the terminal device 20 of the first embodiment are denoted by common reference numerals.

  In the processing of the terminal device 20B in the second embodiment shown in FIG. 14, step S41 is newly added between the processing in step S21 in FIG. 10 showing the processing in the first embodiment and the processing in step S22. .

  In the terminal device 20B of FIG. 12, when the process is started, the process proceeds to step S21. In step S21, in the processing unit 22, the application 22a edits the print command to generate a drawing command, outputs the drawing command to the print processing unit 23, and proceeds to step S41. In step S41, the drawing command storage unit 23 stores the drawing command in the storage unit 24B, and proceeds to step S22.

  Thereafter, the same processing of steps S22 to S25 as in the first embodiment is performed, and the processing of the terminal device 20B based on the print command is ended.

  Similar to the first embodiment, the printing apparatus 10 performs the operation shown in the flowchart of FIG. 11, and based on the second printer version extracted from the first print data and the updated compatibility list 13 b, Is determined to belong to a printer version group compatible with one firmware version.

  If the second printer version does not belong to the printer version group compatible with the first firmware version (NO in step S34 in FIG. 11), the printing apparatus 10 cannot print to the terminal device 20B, and the first firmware Information on the version and the third firmware version compatible with the first firmware version is transmitted (step S37 in FIG. 11).

  In the second embodiment, when the terminal device 20B receives the notification of incompatibility, the terminal device 20B starts the reprinting process, so that the display as shown in FIG. 5 is not displayed on the display unit 26 in FIG.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the reprint process according to the second embodiment.
In FIG. 12, when the process of the terminal device 20B is started, the process proceeds to step S51. In step S51, when the communication I / F 25 receives a notification of incompatibility from the printing apparatus 10, the process proceeds to step S52. In step S52, the reprint processing unit 28 starts reprint processing, acquires the first firmware version attached to the notification of incompatibility, and proceeds to step S53. In step S53, the reprint processing unit 28 reads out and acquires the drawing command stored by the drawing command storage unit 27 from the storage unit 28B, and proceeds to step S54.

  In step S54, the reprint processing unit 28 outputs the first firmware version information and the drawing command information to the print command switching unit 29, and the process proceeds to step S55. In step S55, the print command switching unit 29 refers to the compatible command table 24b in the storage unit 24B, and outputs a compatible command corresponding to the combination of the first firmware version and the rendering command given from the reprint processing unit 28. The data is acquired and output to the print processing unit 23, and the process proceeds to step S56.

  In step S56, the print processing unit 23 changes the printer version of the printer driver 23a from the second printer version to a compatible command, generates print data, outputs the print data to the processing unit 22, and proceeds to step S57. In step S57, the processing unit 22 acquires the print data, the compatibility command, and the compatibility list 24a, and proceeds to step S58. In step S58, the processing unit 22 generates the third print data by inserting the compatibility command and the compatibility list 24a into the print data, and proceeds to step S59. In step S59, the communication I / F 25 transmits the third print data to the printing apparatus 10 and ends the reprint process of the terminal apparatus 20B.

  The printing apparatus 10 receives the third print data and performs the same processing as in the first embodiment. Since the third print data is generated by a compatible command that is compatible with the first firmware version, the determination unit 15 of the printing apparatus 10 determines that there is compatibility, and the printing unit 16 of the printing apparatus 10 The fourth print data developed from the third print data is printed, and the processing of the printing apparatus 10 is terminated.

(Effect of Example 2)
According to the second embodiment, in addition to the same effects as those of the first embodiment, there are the following effects.

  When the terminal device 20B receives the notification of incompatibility, the reprint processing unit 28 refers to the compatible command table 24b and acquires a compatible command corresponding to the combination of the first firmware version and the rendering command. ing. As a result, if the second printer version of the printer driver 23a and the first firmware version of the print language processing unit 12 are not compatible, the compatible command compatible with the first firmware version of the print language processing unit 12 By generating the third print data using, an appropriate print result can be obtained without user intervention.

(Modification)
The present invention is not limited to the first and second embodiments, and various usage forms and modifications are possible. For example, the following forms (1) to (6) are available as usage forms and modifications.

  (1) In the printing systems 1 and 1B of the first and second embodiments, the printing apparatus 10 and the terminal apparatuses 20 and 20B are both described as one, but the number of the printing apparatus 10 and the terminal apparatuses 20 and 20B is one. It is not limited. The printing systems 1 and 1B may be constructed by interconnecting a plurality of printing apparatuses 10 and a plurality of terminal apparatuses 20 and 20B via a communication network 18. In this case, the terminal devices 20 and 20B select a printer version that is expected to be compatible with the firmware version of the print language processing unit 12 of the printing device 10 or 10B that desires to execute printing, and perform the first printing. Output data.

  (2) In the terminal devices 20 and 20B according to the first and second embodiments, the processing unit 22 generates the first print data by inserting the information of the second printer version and the compatibility list 24a into the header of the print data. However, the insertion position is not limited to the header. The information of the second printer version and compatibility list 24a may be inserted into the print data to generate the first print data.

  (3) In the first and second embodiments, the controlled device controlled by the terminal devices 20 and 20B is the printing device 10, but the controlled device is not limited to the printing device 10, and includes, for example, a copying machine, a facsimile machine, A device such as a multifunction machine may be used.

  (4) In the first embodiment, the update method between the firmware version and the printer version is not mentioned. However, the communication network 18 that interconnects the printing apparatuses 10 and 20B is the Internet or the like, and the firmware version or The printer version may be updated.

  (5) In the display example of the display unit 26 according to the first embodiment, only the third printer version compatible with the first firmware version is displayed. However, the printers stored in the compatibility list 24a of the terminal device 20 are displayed. The version may also be displayed. Then, the user of the terminal device 20 can immediately know whether the third printer version is stored in the compatibility list 24a of the terminal device 20.

  (6) In the second embodiment, the compatible command 24a and the compatible command table 24b stored in the storage unit 24B are described as independent. However, the compatible command 24a and the compatible command table 24b may be linked. That is, in the re-printing process, when the compatible command table 24b does not have a compatible command corresponding to the combination of the first firmware version and the drawing command and is updated to the printer version displayed on the display unit 26, the update is performed. The compatible command 24a and the compatible command table 24b may be updated at the same time according to the printer version.

1, 1A, 1B Printing system 10, 10A Printing device 11, 21 Internal bus 12 Print language processing unit 13, 13A Storage unit 13a Compatibility list 14 Compatibility list update processing unit 15 Determination unit 16 Printing unit 17, 17A Communication I / F
18 Communication network 20, 20A, 20B Terminal device 22, 22A Processing unit 22a Application 23, 23A Print processing unit 23a Printer driver 24, 24A, 24B Storage unit 24a Compatible list 24b Compatible command table 25, 25A Communication I / F
26 Display unit 27 Drawing command storage unit 28 Reprint processing unit 29 Print command switching unit

Claims (8)

A print language processing unit that develops first print data generated using a printer driver of a predetermined printer version using firmware of a specific firmware version and outputs second print data;
A storage unit for storing a first compatibility list indicating the first printer version compatible with the first firmware version;
Based on the first print data, the second printer version of the printer driver that generated the first print data and the second firmware of the past that was compatible with the second printer version A compatibility list that extracts a second compatibility list indicating a version and updates the first compatibility list based on the first compatibility list and the second compatibility list to generate a third compatibility list An update processing unit;
Based on the second printer version and the third compatibility list, it is determined whether or not the first firmware version and the second printer version are compatible, and a determination result of compatibility is output. A determination unit;
If the determination result is compatible, a printing unit that inputs the second print data and prints the second print data;
The first print data is received and output to the print language processing unit, and if the determination result is incompatible, information indicating that the first print data is not printed, the first firmware version A communication interface for transmitting information and information of the third printer version compatible with the first firmware version to the outside;
A printing apparatus comprising: A first printer version that generates print data, and a first past version in firmware that constitutes a print language processing unit that expands the first print data generated from the print data and outputs the second print data. A storage unit for storing a first compatibility list indicating compatibility with the firmware version;
A processing unit that receives a print command, inserts the first printer version and the first compatibility list into the print data, generates the first print data, and outputs the first print data;
The first print data is input and transmitted to the outside, and information indicating that printing is not possible when printing is impossible, the current second firmware version of the firmware of the print language processing unit, and the second A communication interface for receiving and outputting the information of the third printer version compatible with the firmware version of
A display unit for displaying the output information of the third printer version;
A terminal device comprising: The terminal device according to claim 2 further includes:
A drawing command storage unit that receives the printing command and stores the drawing command;
A reprint processing unit that receives a notification of incompatibility and outputs a reprint command;
A print command switching unit that switches the first printer version to a compatible command corresponding to a combination of the drawing command and the second firmware version;
The terminal unit generates the third print data to be input to the communication interface based on the compatible command instead of the first printer version. The compatible command for generating the third print data is:
JPEG or TIFF,
The terminal device according to claim 3. The compatible command for generating the third print data is:
Be a line command or a point command,
The terminal device according to claim 3. The drawing command is:
The instruction includes a character code,
The terminal device according to claim 3. A printing apparatus that receives the first print data, expands the first print data, and prints the second print data;
A terminal device that generates the first print data using a printer driver and transmits the first print data to the printing device;
A printing system comprising:
The printing apparatus includes:
A print language processing unit configured by firmware of a specific firmware version and expanding the first print data generated using a printer driver of a predetermined printer version and outputting the second print data;
A storage unit for storing a first compatibility list indicating the first printer version compatible with the first firmware version;
Based on the first print data, the second printer version of the printer driver that generated the first print data and the second firmware of the past that was compatible with the second printer version A compatibility list that extracts a second compatibility list indicating a version and updates the first compatibility list based on the first compatibility list and the second compatibility list to generate a third compatibility list An update processing unit;
Based on the second printer version and the third compatibility list, it is determined whether or not the first firmware version and the second printer version are compatible, and a determination result of compatibility is output. A determination unit;
If the determination result is compatible, a printing unit that inputs the second print data and prints the second print data;
If the determination result is incompatible, information indicating that the first print data is not printed, information about the first firmware version, and information about the third printer version compatible with the first firmware version A communication interface for outputting,
The terminal device
A storage unit for storing a second compatibility list indicating compatibility between the second printer version for generating print data and the second firmware version;
A processing unit that receives a print command, generates the first print data by inserting the second printer version and the second compatibility list into the print data, and outputs the first print data;
The first print data is input and transmitted to the printing apparatus, and when printing is impossible, information indicating that printing is not performed, information on the first firmware version, and information on the third printer version is received. An output communication interface;
A display unit for displaying the output information of the third printer version;
A printing system comprising: The printing system according to claim 7.
The terminal device further includes:
A drawing command storage unit that receives the printing command and stores the drawing command;
A reprint processing unit that receives a notification of incompatibility and outputs a reprint command;
A print command switching unit that switches the second printer version to a compatible command corresponding to a combination of the first firmware version and the drawing command;
The printing system is characterized in that the processing unit generates third print data to be input to the communication interface based on the compatible command instead of the second printer version.

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