JPH02157927A - Network system for printing - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To process a printing request from the document preparing device of a high priority order before the other request when the printing requests are simultaneously given from the plural document preparing devices by setting the priority order of printing to the document preparing device. CONSTITUTION:Document preparing devices 1A-1C are equipped with an identification number storing part 48, which stores a set identification number, a function to designate the priority order to the identification number of the device itself and further, a means to transmit the identification number and priority order to a printer 2. On the other hand, the printer 2 is equipped with a priority order storing part 58 to store relation between the identification numbers of all the document preparing devices 1A-1C, which are connected to the printer 2, and the correspondent identification numbers. Thus, when there is the printing request, printing can be executed according to the priority order.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a method for printing document data created by a document creation device such as a Japanese word processor, and particularly when the printing device is a high-performance, high-performance printer such as a laser printer. The present invention relates to a printing method for a printing network system in which a plurality of document creation devices share one printing device using an inexpensive page printer.

[Conventional technology]

The conventional document printing method for document production devices whose purpose is to edit and proofread documents, create final documents, and print them is to use one thermal transfer device for each document production device. A common method is to connect a printing device such as a dot printer or a wire dot printer. On the other hand, if the printing device is a high-performance, expensive device such as a laser printer capable of high-speed, high-definition printing.

- A network system method using a document production device is generally adopted, since the printing time is limited to a numerical value.

In a network system as described above.

If multiple document creation devices attempt to print to multiple printing devices, set an identification number for each document creation device and printing device to clarify the relationship between each printing light. However, it is common to ensure that printing is performed in an orderly manner.

An example of a system related to this type of system is Japanese Utility Model Application No. 61-70237. In the above example, consideration is given to the printing order when there are a plurality of printing apparatuses.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

In the prior art described above, consideration has been given to enabling printing to any printing device specified by the operator when there are multiple printing devices, but when there are many document creation devices, In some cases, when there are print requests from multiple document creation devices at the same time, no consideration has been given to the priorities of the document creation devices, such as which request should be printed first.

In view of the above-mentioned conventional drawbacks, the present invention provides a printing network system in which a large number of document creation devices can be connected to one printing device. An object of the present invention is to provide a printing network system that can set priorities and preferentially execute print requests from document creation devices desired by an operator.

[Means to solve the problem]

The above purpose is to provide a means for setting a different identification number for each document production device, and further to provide a means for setting a priority order for each identification number, and to store the relationship between the identification number and the priority order in advance on the printing device side. By making it possible to let things go.

When there are print requests from a plurality of document creation devices at the same time, this is achieved by the printing devices executing printing according to the priority order that has already been stored.

[Effect]

The document creation device has an identification number storage unit that stores the set identification number, and also has a function that can specify a priority order for its own identification number, and further transmits the identification number and priority order to the printing device. It has means for transmitting.

On the other hand, the printing device has a priority storage unit that stores the identification numbers of all the document creation devices connected to the printing device and their corresponding priorities, so that when a printing request is received, , printing can be executed in priority order.

Additionally, when a printing device is printing, it is possible to send the identification number of the document creation device currently printing to all other document creation devices, and all document creation devices The number can be displayed, which also has the effect that the operator can easily recognize the source of the print request.

5. If a document creation device sets an identification number that is the same as that of another device, by receiving list data indicating the relationship between identification numbers and priorities from the printing device, it is easy to set the unique identification number to the document creation device. It is possible to reset the number.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the general configuration of a plurality of document creation devices and one printing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. In Figure 2, IA, IB, and IC are document creation devices such as Japanese word processors and personal computers;
3 is a printing device for printing a document created by the document creation device, and 3 is the document creation device 1 and printing device r! This is a signal cable for connecting 12.

The document creation device IA includes a main body 11 that performs processing for document creation such as kana-kanji conversion, a keyboard 12 for inputting characters, and a display device 1 that is a display section.
It consists of an external storage device 14 for storing documents created in 3 and 5 on a floppy disk or the like. The operator creates the desired document using the document creation device while checking it on the display device 13, registers it on a floppy disk as encoded data when saving it, and prints the image using the printing device 2 when printing. Print as a document. The printing device 2 includes a printing control bag @21 and a printer 22 which is a printing machine. The print control device 21 performs processing to develop coded data sent from the document creation device 1 into a print image, and controls the printer 2.
2 control etc. The signal cable 3 serially connects a plurality of document creation devices LA, IB, and IC and the printing device 2 through serial communication, and is made up of at least one pair of signal lines.

In Figure 2, one of the three document creation devices is IB.

Although the internal configuration of the IC is omitted, it has the same configuration as the IA,
Each device is connected by the signal cable 3, and any document creation device can ultimately send data to a printing device via another document creation device.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the internal structure of the main body 11 shown in FIG. 2. FIG. Inside the main body 11, there is a CPU 41 consisting of a program storage type computer unit, and a non-volatile memory ROM.
A main memory 43 consisting of a random access memory (RAM) for storing programs for executing functions as a word processor and data of the document creation device created, and a CPU 41. A CRT display circuit 47 creates a screen display pattern according to instructions from the CPU 41 and sends video signals to the display 13, and a flexible disk control circuit (FDC) 45 controls the floppy disk drive, which is the external storage device 14, according to instructions from the CPU 41. It consists of a key controller 44 that controls the keyboard 12 and sends input signals from the keyboard to the CPU 41, a communication control section 46 that sends and receives data to and from the print control device 2 and other document creation devices, and the like.

Here, the WP identification number storage unit 48 stores the W P i set for each document production device (WP) by the operator.
This is a storage unit for storing ia-specific numbers. When the document creation device sends print data to the printing device,
An identification number is also sent to the printing device along with the print data so that the printing device can identify the document creation device that requested printing. Furthermore, each document creation device is able to determine the priority of the printing order with respect to the wpia-specific number.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing details of the printing control device 21 in the printing device 2 shown in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG.

The overall control of the printing control device 21 is executed by a CPU 52 consisting of a program storage type computer unit. CPU
52 is a program ROM consisting of a non-volatile memory ROM.
It operates according to the contents of 53. A signal cable 3 connected to the document creation device 1 shown in FIG. 2 is input to a communication control section 51 within the print control device. The communication control unit 51 is
It has a function of converting data input in a bit-by-bit serial format from the signal cable 3 into 8-bit or 16-bit parallel data, which is a processing unit of the CPU 52. The print data from the document creation device that has been converted into parallel data by the communication control unit 51 is temporarily stored in a buffer memory 54 consisting of a RAM. The CPU 52 reads a character pattern for printing corresponding to the content of the coded document data in the buffer memory 54 from the character generator CG 55, and develops it bit by bit in the form of a print image in a bitmap memory area 56 made of RAM. .

By repeating the above operation for all the characters on one page to be printed, bit data for one page is created in the bitmap memory 56, and then the CPU 5
2 sequentially sends the data in the bitmap memory to the printer 22 via the printer control section 57, so that the printer 22 finally prints the document data. Note that the printer control unit 57 is connected to the printer 22.
In addition to controlling the transmission and reception of data to and from the printer, it also controls the driving of the printer.

Further, the WP priority table storage unit 58 is a storage unit that stores the identification numbers of all document production devices connected to the printing device and the priorities assigned to each identification number in the form of a table. be. With this data,
When there are print requests from multiple document creation devices, it is possible to compare the priorities of the respective identification numbers and print the print data in order starting from the document creation device with the higher priority.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the specific configuration of the wp priority storage unit shown in FIG. 4. A table as shown in FIG. Indicates the maximum number of document creation devices that can be connected. C is the priority order of the document creation devices, and the WP identification number of each document creation device is set according to the priority order. The figure shows that four document creation devices are currently connected, and the identification number of the document creation device with the highest priority is 0004. Note that the table data shown in FIG. 5 stored in the printing device can be sent to each document creation device by communication, and the document creation device side checks and changes the priority order. The priority order can be updated by sending it to the printing device again.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the WP identification number setting process in each document creation device. Before setting the WP identification number, the document creation device reads already stored data from the priority order table storage unit 58 of the printing device shown in FIG. 4 in process 61. As shown in FIG. 5, the priority order table data stores the identification numbers of each document production device (WP) already registered for the priority order, so as shown in process 62, You can check the identification numbers already used by other WPs. Change the identification number used by other WPs,
If you want to use that number anew, use another W in process 64.
Change P's number. Process 65.
In 6G, a new identification number that is not used in other WPs is set, and the identification number storage unit 4 of the document creation device shown in FIG.
It becomes possible to register to 8. Note that when the document creation device issues a print request to the printing device, the printing device identifies which document creation device is the source of the print request by transmitting this identification number before sending the print data. becomes possible.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing priority setting processing when each document creation device performs printing. First, as shown in process 71, the document creation device reads already registered priority data from the priority table storage unit 58 of the printing device shown in FIG. 4, and as shown in FIG. The priority order is set by assigning the identification number of the document production device to the priority number, so as shown in process 72, the newly set document production device write the identification number of The priority table changed on the document creation device side in processes 73 and 74 is sent again to the printing device side and stored in the priority table storage unit 58 of the printing device as new priority data. From this point on, the printing device It becomes possible to store the identification numbers of document creation devices that are always connected and the priorities corresponding to the respective identification numbers in the latest state.

FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing the flow of print processing on the printing device side in the present invention. In process 81, the printing device first sets a priority counter C to 0. Next, add 1 to the counter value, and if the counter value does not exceed L, which is the maximum number of connected document creation devices shown in Figure 5, the document creation device with the priority corresponding to the counter value is , sends confirmation data as to whether there is a print request.

If there is no print request, the priority counter is incremented by 1 in step 82, and the print request is confirmed to the document creation device with the next lowest priority. Here, if there is no print request from each document creation device, the above process is repeated according to the priority order.

Confirmation of the print request is made to each document creation device in turn.

If there are no print requests from all document creation devices, proceed to process 8.
3 becomes C)L, and the process returns to step 81, where confirmation of the print request is repeated again starting from the document creation device with the highest priority.

If there is a print request in process 85, the identification number of the document creation device that executes printing is sent to all document creation devices other than the one making the print request in step 86.

This data allows other document production devices to inform the operator which document production device currently has exclusive use of the printing device. Hereinafter, in process 87, the print data is received from the print request document creation device (WP), and the printing is executed.When the printing is completed in process 88, the WP that made the print request is notified that the printing has been completed. Inform.

By repeatedly performing the above process, the printing device can perform printing in an orderly manner according to the priority order set in advance by the document creation devices even when multiple document creation devices request printing at the same time. .

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, in a system in which a plurality of document creation devices are connected to one printing device, printing priority can be set for the document creation devices. This has the advantage of being able to process a print request from a document creation device with a high priority prior to other requests.

Additionally, since it is possible for a printing device that is currently printing to send the identification number of the document creation device that is currently printing, even to a document creation device that has a lower priority, all document creation devices can Another advantage is that it is easy to know which document creation device is in control.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing the flow of print processing on the printing device side according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the general configuration of the document creation device and the printing device. 3 is a block diagram showing the detailed configuration inside the main body of the document creation device in FIG. 2, FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the detailed configuration inside the print control device shown in FIG. 2, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the specific configuration of the WP priority storage section, FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the process of setting the WPI number in the document creation device, and FIG. 7 is the process of setting the print priority in the document creation device. It is a flowchart which shows. IA~IC...Document creation device, 2...Printing device, 3
... signal cable, 21 ... printing control device, 48.
...WP Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 4

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a printing network system in which one printing device and a plurality of document creation devices are connected to the printing device, means for setting different identification numbers to each of the plurality of document creation devices; means for setting a priority order for the identification number of the printing device, and while the printing device is printing, the identification number of the document creation device controlling the printing device is displayed also to the document creation device other than the printing instruction. and when print requests are issued simultaneously from a plurality of document creation devices, it is possible to perform printing according to a predetermined priority order of the identification numbers. A network system for printing.