JP4143469B2 - Printing apparatus, printing processing method, program, and storage medium - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a printing apparatus, a printing processing method, a program, and a storage medium that can communicate with an external apparatus via a network.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In recent years, Web service technology used on the Internet has attracted much attention. Web service is a technology for loosely combining various services distributed on a network. By using the Web service technology, it becomes possible for the program to dynamically select an appropriate service without human intervention, and the Web service technology is a technology for automatically performing a target process. Expected from the field. Data exchanged in this Web service is described in XML (eXtensible Markup Language), and the data described in XML is transmitted and received on the network using SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol). This SOAP is specified to use HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol) and SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) in the lower layer, and can be easily used on the Internet, like Web browsing and e-mail. Is possible.
[0003]
By applying this Web service technology to the printing technology, various merits that have not been obtained can be obtained. For example, if a web service is installed in a printer, print job submission and device management using SOAP as a print service can be performed. In addition, the user can flexibly customize access to the print service. For example, since the connection method to the print service is described in WSDL (Web Service Description Language), only items necessary for the user are prepared by preparing a program that interprets the WSDL and converts it according to certain rules. It is possible to provide a UI (user interface) extracted from Further, job information that can be specified at the time of submitting a print job can be described in WSDL. For example, whether or not double-sided printing is possible can be known in advance by referring to WSDL.
[0004]
As described above, since various advantages can be obtained by applying the Web service technology to the printer, it is expected that the development of the printer to which the Web service technology is applied will be further promoted in the future.
[0005]
Printing in a printer to which the Web service technology is applied is performed by the following procedure, for example.
[0006]
First, the client describes a print request command in XML and transmits it to the printer. When the printer receives the print request command, the printer responds to the client with a URL or a port number for receiving the print data (or as a destination when transmitting the print data). Thereafter, the client transmits print data to the designated URL or port number, and the printer performs printing (for example, Patent Document 1).
[0007]
The data reception URL has, for example, a format of “http://192.168.0.1/print/job1”. In this case, it means that 80, which is the default of the http scheme, is used as the port number. To do. Therefore, the client first connects to the printer port 80, and transmits print data using the HTTP POST method. In response to the next print request, the printer responds by changing the URL of the previous job, for example, by changing the URL to “http://192.168.0.1/print/job2,” and the like. By confirming this URL, each job can be uniquely identified even when a plurality of jobs are submitted simultaneously.
[0008]
[Patent Document 1]
JP 2002-333958 A
[0009]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In the above-described procedure, the print request and the print data are transmitted to the printer through separate connections, and the printer receives a URL for receiving data in response to the print request. For this reason, it is necessary to consider a situation in which transmission of print data is not started due to a network failure or a client program failure. In this case, the printer is configured to invalidate the print request as a time-out and reject the subsequent print data transmission from the client if the transmission of the print data from the client does not start for a certain period of time after the response to the print request. There is a need. However, in order to realize such a configuration, it is necessary to associate and hold the data reception URL and the time until timeout for each job, which complicates the management and associated processing. For all jobs, the print data is received using the port with port number 80. Therefore, even for a job that has already timed out and has been invalidated, a connection is established once, and the URL for the received data is After confirming the above, it is necessary to perform a redundant process of returning an error. This further generates unnecessary traffic on the network.
[0010]
An object of the present invention is to provide a printing apparatus, a printing processing method, a program, and a storage medium capable of performing management for receiving print data for each print request or restricting reception of print data with simple processing.
[0011]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a printing apparatus capable of communicating with an external apparatus via a network, the print request receiving means for receiving a print request transmitted from the external apparatus, and the received print Port for receiving print data corresponding to the requestDifferent ports each time a print request is received from the external deviceIn response to the received print request, response means for transmitting response data including the generated port information to the external device, and from the external device according to the response data Print data receiving means for receiving transmitted print data at the generated portDetermining means for determining whether or not reception of print data is started at a port indicated by information included in the transmitted response data within a predetermined time from transmission of the response data by the response means; As a result of determination by the above, if it is determined that the reception of print data has not been started at the port indicated by the information included in the transmitted response data within a predetermined time from the transmission of the response data by the response means, Control means for closing a port indicated by information included in the transmitted response data among a plurality of ports generated by the port generation means, which has not started receiving print data within the predetermined time; WithIt is characterized by that.
[0018]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0019]
FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing a configuration of a printing system including a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0020]
In the printing system, as shown in FIG. 1, a printing apparatus 101 and a plurality of host computers 102 and 103 are connected to each other via a network 104 such as a LAN (Local Area Network). The printing apparatus 101 includes, for example, a laser beam printer that receives print jobs from the host computers 102 and 103 and performs printing, and includes various extensions such as a finisher that performs stapling and sorting functions, and a duplex apparatus that implements a duplex printing function. It is possible to wear the device.
[0021]
Next, the configuration of the printing apparatus 101 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the printing apparatus 101 in FIG. Here, a laser beam printer will be described as an example of the printing apparatus 101.
[0022]
As shown in FIG. 2, the printing apparatus 101 includes a CPU 12 that comprehensively controls access to various devices connected to the system bus 15 based on a control program stored in a program ROM of the ROM 13. Here, a ROM 13, a RAM 19, a printing unit interface 16, a network interface unit 18, a disk controller (DKC) 20, a nonvolatile memory 24, and an operation panel 201 are connected to the system bus 15 as various devices.
[0023]
The ROM 13 includes a program ROM for storing a control program executable by the CPU 12 and font data (including outline font data) used when generating output information to be output to the printer engine 17 via the printing unit interface 16. ) And the like, and a data ROM that stores information used on the host computers 102 and 103.
[0024]
The RAM 19 mainly functions as a main memory, work area, and the like of the CPU 12, and the memory capacity can be expanded by an optional RAM connected to an expansion port (not shown). The RAM 19 is used as an output information expansion area, an environment data storage area, and the like.
[0025]
The printing unit interface 16 is an interface for exchanging information with the printer engine 17, and the CPU 12 outputs an image signal as output information to the printer engine 17 via the printing unit interface 16. The network interface unit 18 is connected to the network 104, and the CPU 12 performs communication processing for communicating with the host computers 102 and 103 on the network 104 via the network interface unit 18.
[0026]
A disk controller (DKC) 20 controls access to the external storage device 14 connected as an option. The external storage device 14 includes at least one external memory such as a hard disk (HD) and an IC card, and stores font data, an emulation program, form data, and the like, and temporarily spools and spools a print job. This is used as a job storage area for controlling external jobs. The nonvolatile memory 24 is for storing printer mode setting information from the operation panel 201 for each user and each group. The operation panel 201 has a display panel, hard keys, and software keys, and various information is input by the user operating these keys. In addition, set information, device status information, and the like are displayed on the display panel of the operation panel 201.
[0027]
Further, when various expansion devices such as the above-described finisher and double-sided device are attached to the printing apparatus 101 as an option, their operations are controlled by the CPU 12.
[0028]
Next, a software program configuration in the printing apparatus 101 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a software program configuration in the printing apparatus 101 of FIG.
[0029]
In the printing apparatus 101, the CPU 12 executes a control program stored in the program ROM of the ROM 13, thereby causing the printer control unit 301, the image print control unit 302, the XML parser 303, the SOAP control unit 304, and the HTTP server control unit. A TCP / IP protocol control unit 306 and a network communication driver 307 are configured.
[0030]
The printer control unit 301 is a module that controls the printing unit interface 16 and performs operations such as image data transmission and discharge position control to the printer engine 17. The image print control unit 302 converts the received print data into a printable data format, and performs various print-related controls such as the number of print copies and double-sided printing control. The network communication driver 307 controls the network interface unit 18 and controls data transmission / reception with the network 104.
[0031]
  The TCP / IP protocol control unit 306 includes a module that controls TCP / IP, and performs data transmission / reception control according to TCP / IP using the network communication driver 307. The HTTP server control unit 305 is a module that controls the entire HTTP, analyzes the HTTP request packet received from the host computer, performs appropriate processing, and sends the data to the SOAP control unit 304 and the image print control unit.302And an HTTP response packet is returned to the host computer according to an instruction from the upper application. The SOAP control unit 304 is a module that controls SOAP, analyzes data in the XML format received from the host computer using the XML parser 303, calls an appropriate module of the image print control unit 302 based on the analysis, and Data to be returned to the host computer is converted into XML format data and returned to the host computer via the HTTP server control unit 305. The XML parser 303 is a module that receives data in XML format and outputs the analysis result.
[0032]
Next, a case where the host computers 102 and 103 on the network 104 perform printing using the printing apparatus 101 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 is a diagram showing an example of packet data called CreateJob transmitted from the host computers 102 and 103 on the network 104 in FIG. 1 to the printing apparatus 101 using SOAP over HTTP. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing CreateJob in FIG. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of response packet data for a packet. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an operation procedure of the printing apparatus 101 when the host computers 102 and 103 in FIG. 1 perform printing using the printing apparatus 101. FIG. FIG. 8 shows an example of a print data transfer packet transmitted from the host computers 102 and 103 by the HTTP POST method. FIG. 8 shows an example of an HTTP response packet transmitted from the printing apparatus 101 to the host computers 102 and 103 in FIG. FIG. 9 and FIG. 9 show the host computer from the printing apparatus 101 of FIG. 02,103 is a diagram showing an example of an error response packet is sent to.
[0033]
When the host computers 102 and 103 on the network 104 perform printing using the printing apparatus 101, packet data called CreateJob is transmitted from the host computers 102 and 103 to the printing apparatus 101 using SOAP on HTTP. The This CreateJob packet is a command for instructing the printing apparatus 101 to start a job (printing), and is described in the XML format. In the CreateJob packet, as shown in FIG. 4, information such as a request source user name (<requesting-user-name> tag), an instruction regarding job processing (<job-instruction> tag), and the like are described. The <job-instruction> tag includes a <copies> tag that sets the number of copies to print, a <sides> tag that sets double-sided printing, a <finishing> tag that sets printing finishing, and the like. The job is processed based on the value set in the tag. Furthermore, the <job-instruction> tag can optionally include a <notification-instruction> tag. The <notification-instruction> tag describes notification information related to the job. In the example of FIG. 4, a <notification-recipient> tag for setting a notification destination and an <event> tag for setting a notification condition are described as notification information. The printing apparatus 101 performs event transmission processing based on the values set in these tags.
[0034]
When the printing apparatus 101 receives the CreateJob packet from the host computers 102 and 103, it returns a CreateJob response packet to the host computer 102 and 103. As shown in FIG. 5, the CreateJob response packet data is described in the XML format and transmitted using SOAP on HTTP, as with the CreateJob packet data. The CreateJob response packet includes the result code (<result-code> tag) for the CreateJob command, the generated job identifier (<job-id> tag), and the print port URI (<data-sink -uri> tag) and other information. Here, in the example shown in FIG. 5, the URL “http://192.168.0.1:10000/bmlinks/print?job=1” is shown as the print port. In the URL, “10000” indicated by reference numeral 501 corresponds to the port number, and “job = 1” indicated by reference numeral 502 corresponds to the job identifier assigned to the job by the printing apparatus 101.
[0035]
Next, the operation of the printing apparatus 101 when the host computers 102 and 103 on the network 104 perform printing using the printing apparatus 101 will be specifically described with reference to FIG. The operation shown in FIG. 6 is controlled by the CPU 12 executing a control program in the ROM 13.
[0036]
When the printing apparatus 101 receives, for example, a CreateJob packet as shown in FIG. 4 transmitted from a host computer (one of the host computers 102 and 103 in FIG. 1) on the network 104, the printing apparatus 101 determines in step S601. The XML data described in CreateJob is analyzed, and in subsequent step S602, it is determined whether or not there is an error in the data based on the analysis result. If there is no error, the printing apparatus 101 generates a print port for receiving print data in step S603. Here, the currently available port number is used instead of fixing 80 as the port number. The CreateJob response packet shown in FIG. 5 is an example in which “10000” (indicated by reference numeral 501) is used as the port number. In the present embodiment, each time a print request is received, “10001”, “ The port number can be changed, such as “10002”. Similarly, the job identifier 502 is changed to 1, 2,... For each print request.
[0037]
Next, in step S604, the printing apparatus 101 generates XML data as a response to the CreateJob packet. At this time, the URL of the port generated for receiving the print data is set as the value of the <data-sink-uri> tag. For example, a URL as shown in FIG. 5 is embedded in XML data. In step S605, the printing apparatus 101 transmits the CreateJob response data generated in step S604 to the host computer using SOAP.
[0038]
When receiving the CreateJob response data, the host computer transmits print data to the URL specified by the <data-sink-uri> tag using the HTTP POST method. The print data transfer packet by the HTTP POST method has a configuration as shown in FIG. 7, for example. As shown in FIG. 7, since the path portion of the value of the <data-sink-uri> tag of the CreateJob response generated in step S604 is directly specified as the destination of the POST method, the printing apparatus 101 uniquely identifies the job. Can be identified.
[0039]
After transmitting the CreateJob response, the printing apparatus 101 starts a timer for a predetermined time, for example, 30 seconds, in step S606. This timer is provided corresponding to the port generated in step S603. Subsequently, in step S607, the printing apparatus 101 receives print data from the host computer at the designated print port (port number “10000” in the example of FIG. 5) before the 30-second timer times out. It is determined whether or not is started. If reception of print data is started at the designated print port before the timer expires, all data is received and printed by the printer engine 17 while performing appropriate processing. When reception of the print data ends normally, in step S608, the printing apparatus 101 transmits, for example, an HTTP response packet as shown in FIG. 8 to the host computer, deletes (closes) the print port, and ends the printing operation. .
[0040]
  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S607 that reception of print data from the host computer has not started before the 30 second timer has timed out, that is, before the start of reception of print data, If the time-out has occurred, the printing apparatus 101 determines in step S609 that the above step is performed.SThe print port generated in 603 is closed. Here, when the host computer transmits the print data, a SYN (sequence number synchronization, meaning connection request) packet at the TCP level is transmitted from the host computer. For a SYN packet transmitted after being closed, an RST (reset) packet is returned from the printing apparatus 101 to the host computer, the connection between the host computer and the printing apparatus 101 cannot be established, and the print data Cannot be sent.
[0041]
In step S606, a timer for a predetermined time, for example, 30 seconds is started. However, in step S606, the time measurement start time is stored in association with the port generated in step S603, and in step S607. It may be determined whether a predetermined time has elapsed from the measurement start time.
[0042]
If it is determined in step S602 that there is an error, the printing apparatus 101 generates error response data as shown in FIG. 9, for example, in step S610. In step S605, the printing apparatus 101 transmits an error response to the host computer. When the host computer receives the error response, the host computer ends the process without transmitting print data.
[0043]
In the present embodiment, an example has been described in which the print port number is changed from “10000” to “10001”, “10002”..., But it is not always necessary to sequentially increase the port number from “10000”. When printing is completed, the printing apparatus 101 closes the port, so that the port with the same number can be used after a predetermined time has elapsed.
[0044]
As described above, in this embodiment, the print port is dynamically changed for each print request, and the timeout time is managed in units of ports, thereby managing the reception of print data for each print request with a simple process. be able to. Further, by closing the port that has timed out, it becomes possible to reject all subsequent connection requests, and it is possible to prevent unnecessary network traffic from occurring.
[0045]
An object of the present invention is to supply a storage medium (or recording medium) in which a program code of software that realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments is recorded to a system or apparatus, and the computer (or CPU) of the system or apparatus Needless to say, this can also be achieved by reading and executing the program code stored in the storage medium. In this case, the program code itself read from the storage medium realizes the functions of the above-described embodiment, and the storage medium storing the program code constitutes the present invention. Further, by executing the program code read by the computer, not only the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized, but also an operating system (OS) running on the computer based on the instruction of the program code However, it is needless to say that some or all of the actual processing is performed and the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized by the processing.
[0046]
Further, after the program code read from the storage medium is written in a memory provided in a function expansion card inserted into the computer or a function expansion unit connected to the computer, the function expansion is performed based on the instruction of the program code. It goes without saying that the CPU or the like provided in the card or the function expansion unit performs part or all of the actual processing and the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized by the processing.
[0047]
【The invention's effect】
  As described above, according to the present invention, a different port is generated every time a print request from an external device is received,If the reception of print data does not start within a predetermined time at a certain port, the ports that have not started receiving print data within the predetermined time are closed among the generated ports. That is, since the port corresponding to the other print request is maintained and the port for which the reception of the print data has not started within the predetermined time is closed, the print data after the predetermined time elapses with respect to the closed port. Can be rejected without receiving it, which can reduce unnecessary processing.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating a configuration of a printing system including a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the printing apparatus 101 in FIG.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a software program configuration in the printing apparatus 101 of FIG.
4 is a diagram illustrating an example of packet data called CreateJob transmitted from the host computers 102 and 103 on the network 104 in FIG. 1 to the printing apparatus 101 using SOAP over HTTP. FIG.
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of response packet data for the CreateJob packet in FIG. 4;
6 is a flowchart illustrating an operation procedure of the printing apparatus 101 when the host computers 102 and 103 in FIG. 1 perform printing using the printing apparatus 101. FIG.
7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a print data transfer packet transmitted from the host computers 102 and 103 in FIG. 1 by the HTTP POST method. FIG.
8 is a diagram illustrating an example of an HTTP response packet transmitted from the printing apparatus 101 in FIG. 1 to the host computers 102 and 103. FIG.
9 is a diagram illustrating an example of an error response packet transmitted from the printing apparatus 101 in FIG. 1 to the host computers 102 and 103. FIG.
[Explanation of symbols]
12 CPU
13 ROM
16 Printing section interface
17 Printer Engine
18 Network interface
101 Printing device
102,103 Host computer
104 network
301 Printer control unit
302 Image printing control unit
303 XML parser
304 SOAP control unit
305 HTTP server controller
306 TCP / IP protocol controller
307 Network communication driver

Claims (6)

A printing device capable of communicating with an external device via a network,
Print request receiving means for receiving a print request transmitted from the external device;
Port generation means for generating a different port each time a print request is received from the external device as a port for receiving print data corresponding to the received print request ;
Response means for transmitting response data including the generated port information to the external device as a response to the received print request;
Print data receiving means for receiving print data transmitted from the external device according to the response data at the generated port ;
Determination means for determining whether or not reception of print data is started at a port indicated by information included in the transmitted response data within a predetermined time from transmission of response data by the response means;
When it is determined as a result of the determination by the determination means that reception of print data is not started at a port indicated by information included in the transmitted response data within a predetermined time from transmission of response data by the response means In addition, among the plurality of ports generated by the port generation means, the port indicated by the information included in the transmitted response data, and the port for which reception of print data has not been started within the predetermined time is closed. Control means;
Printing apparatus comprising: a. Start with the transmission of the response data includes a timer for measuring a predetermined time, before Symbol decisions means it uses the timer, according to claim 1 Symbol placement of the printing apparatus and performs the determination . The printing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the timer measures each of a plurality of ports generated as one of the ports for receiving the print data of the received print request. A print processing method for printing a print job transmitted from an external device via a network using a printing device,
A print request receiving step of receiving a print request transmitted from the external device;
A port generation step of generating a different port each time a print request is received from the external device as a port for receiving print data corresponding to the received print request ;
A response step of transmitting response data including the generated port information to the external device as a response to the received print request;
A print data receiving step of receiving, at the generated port, print data transmitted according to the response data from the external device ;
A determination step of determining whether or not reception of print data is started at a port indicated by information included in the transmitted response data within a predetermined time from transmission of the response data in the response step;
As a result of determination in the determination step, when it is determined that reception of print data has not started at a port indicated by information included in the transmitted response data within a predetermined time from transmission of response data in the response step In addition, among the plurality of ports generated in the port generation step, the port indicated by the information included in the transmitted response data, and the port for which reception of print data has not started within the predetermined time is closed. A control process,
Print processing method characterized in that it comprises a. A program executed on a printing apparatus that prints a print job transmitted from an external apparatus via a network,
A print request receiving module for receiving a print request transmitted from the external device;
As a port for receiving the print data corresponding to the received print request, and the port generation module for generating different port each time a print request is received from said external device,
A response module for transmitting response data including the generated port information to the external device as a response to the received print request;
A print data receiving module that receives print data transmitted from the external device according to the response data at the generated port ;
A determination module for determining whether or not reception of print data is started at a port indicated by information included in the transmitted response data within a predetermined time from transmission of response data by the response module;
As a result of determination by the determination module, when it is determined that reception of print data has not started at a port indicated by information included in the transmitted response data within a predetermined time from transmission of response data by the response module In addition, among the plurality of ports generated by the port generation module, the port indicated by the information included in the transmitted response data, and the port for which reception of print data has not started within the predetermined time is closed. A control module;
The program characterized by having . 6. A storage medium storing the program according to claim 5 in a computer-readable manner.

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