JPH02260057A - Data output method for data processing system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To attain the smooth output of data by checking whether plural output devices can perform the output operations or not based on the priority and selecting an output enable output device having the highest priority for transmission of data. CONSTITUTION:When an operator gives a data printing instruction via a keyboard 1, a printer check/selection means 7 reads the printer priority ranks out of a memory 2. Based on this order of priority ranks, it is checked whether the printers of a printer group 6 are capable of output operations or not for selection of an output enable printer having the highest priority. Then a printer name display means 8 displays the selected printer name at a screen display part 4, and a print executing means 9 makes the selected printer carry out a printing operation. As a result, the operator is not required to perform such troublesome jobs including the selection of each output device. Then a data output operation is carried out with high efficiency.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Application Field] The present invention is applicable to data processing apparatuses such as office computers, personal computers, data retrieval apparatuses, two graphic creation apparatuses, and a plurality of laser printers.

The present invention relates to a data output method for a data processing system connected to an output device such as a line printer or a thermal transfer printer.

[Conventional technology] Conventionally, for various data processing devices such as those mentioned above.

In a data processing system that connects multiple output devices such as printers and plotters, when outputting data, the operator selects the desired output device from among the multiple output devices and instructs the output. The device was outputting data.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, with such conventional data output methods,
If the output device selected by the operator cannot be used because it is out of paper or in use by another data processing device, the data processing device will either stop data output processing or stop using it even if you issue an output command to that output device. Since processing is interrupted until it becomes possible, data output may be delayed.

When data output is stopped, the operator has to search for a usable output device from among the plurality of output devices, which takes time and effort.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to enable smooth data output in a data processing system in which a plurality of output devices are connected to a data processing device.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve the above object, in a data processing system in which a plurality of output devices are connected to a data processing device, when the data processing device outputs data, the plurality of output devices are assigned priority levels set in advance. The system checks whether or not output is possible according to the selected output device, selects the highest priority output device that can output data, and sends the data to that output device.

[For production]

In the data output method in the data processing system according to the present invention, when an operator gives an instruction to output data, it is possible to output from among a plurality of output devices by checking whether or not the output device can output according to a preset priority order. automatically selects the one with the highest priority and sends the data to it for output.

〔Example〕

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

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a data processing system implementing the present invention.

This data processing system includes a keyboard 1. Memory 2.
A printer group 6 consisting of n printers is connected as an output device to a data processing device 5 consisting of a data processing section 31 and a screen display section 4.

Note that this data processing section 3 is realized by a microcomputer.

The keyboard 1 includes character keys, function instruction keys, etc. (not shown), and is used for data input by an operator.

It is responsible for inputting instructions related to various types of data processing, inputting printer priority settings, inputting instructions for printing data, etc.

The memory 2 stores data input from the keyboard 1, data processed by a data processing section 3 (to be described later), priority order of printers, etc., and reads these out according to commands from the data processing section 3.

The data processing unit 3 controls the entire data processing system, performs various processes for processing data input from the keyboard 1 and data read from the memory 2, and checks whether output is possible according to the priority order of the printer. processing, processing to select the highest priority printer among available printers, processing to display the selected printer name on the screen display section 4 (described later), processing to send data to the selected printer for printing, etc. Let's do it.

The screen display unit 4 displays various operation information for the operator, data after input or processing, the name of the printer selected when a print instruction is given, and the like.

The printer group 6 includes n printers 1 to n, and the printer selected by the data processing unit 3 executes printing when printing data.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the above-mentioned data processing section 3 related to printer selection during data printing.

When the operator issues an instruction to print data from the keyboard 1, the printer check/selection means 7 reads out the priority order of printers stored in the memory 2, and checks whether each printer in the printer group 6 can output according to that order. The printer that can output and has the highest priority is selected.

Then, the printer name display means 8 displays the selected printer name on the screen display section 4, and the print execution means 9 causes the selected printer to print the data.

Next, data printing processing by this data processing system will be explained with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

When an operator instructs you to print data.

First, the printer with the first priority is selected from n printers, and it is checked whether it is capable of outputting.

If this printer is unable to print, it is checked whether the printer with the second priority is able to output.

In this way, j@next printer is checked, and if there is a printer that can output, the printer name is displayed and the data is printed.

When the printing of the data is finished, a message indicating the end of printing is displayed and the data printing process is ended.

Note that if this invention is implemented in a data processing system in which multiple printers are connected to multiple data processing devices, data sent from the multiple data processing devices can be distributed and output to each available output device. Therefore, it is possible to increase the utilization efficiency of a plurality of output devices and output data efficiently.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, the data output method in the data processing system according to the present invention automatically selects an output device capable of outputting data from among a plurality of output devices when outputting data. Data can be output efficiently without the complicated work of selecting an output device each time.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a flow diagram of data output processing by the data processing system shown in FIG. 2, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the data processing system implementing the present invention. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration for the data processing section 3 to select a printer when printing data. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1...Keyboard 2...Memory 3...Data processing section 4...Screen display section 5...Data processing device 6...Printer group 7...Printer check/selection means 8... Printer name display means 9...Print execution means Fig. 1 112! ! 1 Figure 3

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a data processing system in which a plurality of output devices are connected to a data processing device, when the data processing device outputs data, the plurality of output devices are arranged according to a preset priority order. 1. A data output method in a data processing system, comprising checking whether or not output is possible, selecting an output device with the highest priority and sending data to the output device.