JPH03126125A - Printer control system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To use a printer of any device type in a network by selecting and connecting a corresponding printer by a switching means in accordance with the printer select command sent from a work station before print data. CONSTITUTION:A printer connection switching means 3 is provided between a server 2 and printers 4a to 4n, and each of work stations 1a to 1n sends the printer select command to the server 2 before sending print data. The server 2 returns the completion report to work stations 1a to 1n after switching the switching means 3 to select corresponding one of printers 4a to 4n, and work stations 1a to 1n send print data after receiving this report. Thus, output data different in code system from all work stations 1a to 1n different in classification on the network are correctly printed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a printer control type, and in particular to a printer control type, which can be used as a remote printer (described later) in a network such as a personal computer (personal computer) network.
This paper relates to a printer control method in a network including printers (with different code systems).

Conventionally, in a network including multiple workstations, there are two methods: connecting a printer (called a "local printer") to each workstation, and adding a server and connecting a printer (called a "remote printer") to the server.
A method of connecting and sharing devices (called

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

The former of the above-mentioned conventional techniques, that is, a method in which a printer is connected to each of a plurality of workstations making up a network, has a problem in that as the scale of the network increases, the overall amount of materials increases significantly. In addition, in the latter of the above conventional techniques, that is, a method in which a remote printer is connected to a server and shared, when the workstations that make up the network output data with different code systems, it is difficult to output the data correctly from the remote printer. The problem is that it can't be done.

The latter problem arises because conventional servers are typically configured to allow only one printer to be connected. This problem can be solved by incorporating the required number of servers into the network, but this creates another problem in that the amount of resources increases.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its purpose is to solve the above-mentioned problems in the conventional technology and to connect multiple printers of different types to the same server, thereby improving network connectivity. An object of the present invention is to provide a printer control method that correctly prints output data of different code systems from all (different types of) workstations.

Note that the different code systems from different types of workstations include character code systems such as JIS code and shift JIS code among the code systems of data sent, and printer control codes that differ depending on each manufacturer. System is included.

[Means for Solving the Problems j] The above-mentioned object of the present invention is to solve the problem in a network including a plurality of workstations, a server, and a plurality of printers of different models connected to the server. A printer connection switching means is provided between the workstations, and each workstation performs
After sending a printer select command to the server, and the server switching the switching means to the corresponding printer,
This is achieved by a printer control method characterized in that a completion notification is sent back to the workstation, and after receiving the notification, the workstation sends out print data.

[Function J] In the printer control system according to the present invention, a switching means described as a control box is provided in the following embodiments, and the switching is performed according to a printer select command sent from a workstation prior to sending out print data. A corresponding printer is selectively connected by means. This makes it possible to use any type of printer (code system) within the network.

【Example〕

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail based on the N-plane.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an overview of a network system that is an embodiment of the present invention.
, 1 b, ... are workstations, 2 is a server, 3 is a control box, 4 a, 4 b.

..., 4n indicates a printer The feature of the single network system is that the printer, which was conventionally connected directly to the server, is now connected via the control box 3. In addition, printer 4 a, 4
b, . . . , 4n are characterized in that, in principle, they are of different types.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the internal configuration of the control box 3 described above. The control box 3 exchanges signals with the server in the same manner as with conventional server printers, and in 1717 with the printer, a printer select code is output from the workstation in advance before outputting print data. (ID number) to exchange signals suitable for the selected printer.

The control box 3 is composed of a judgment/control section 3a and a switching section 3b.The judgment/control section 3a analyzes data etc. sent from the workstation,
As will be described later, when this is a printer select command, an instruction to switch the switching unit 3b is output in accordance with this command. The switching unit 3b uses specifications of signal lines such as cables connecting each device, such as data according to Centronics specifications, 5TOROBE signal, BUS
The connector bin receiver corresponding to each manufacturer's printer has a plurality of ports assigned to the connector bin position 16 corresponding to the ACK signal. In addition to the printer selection command sent via the section 3a, the printer has a function of hardware-based switching of the ports.

The operation of this embodiment configured as described above will be explained below.

Figure m1 is an operation flow diagram between the workstation, server, and control box to explain the operation of this embodiment.The feature of this operation is that each workstation always outputs data at n; By executing a printer select command, the server and control box are notified that printing is to be executed.

That is, a workstation that needs to print data sends a predetermined printer number corresponding to the printer model before sending the print data (step 11), and the server that receives this sends the printer number. In order to check whether the printer corresponding to the specified printer number is usable, the control box is instructed to perform a status check (step 21).
The control unit checks the status of the corresponding printer by, for example, referring to a table showing the status of each blink, and sends the result to the server (step 31).

If the received investigation result indicates unusable (NG), the server sends a reply to the sender workstation to that effect (step 22). In this case, the process ends. Furthermore, if the investigation result received by the server indicates that it can be used (OK), the server performs the above-mentioned process of establishing a virtual line between the workstation, server control box, and specific printer (step 23). , inform the control box of this line number. By registering this number (step 32), the control box prints data sent from now on through the line with this number.

In other words, the printer select command that each workstation always executes before outputting data establishes a virtual circuit between the workstation, server control box, and a specific printer, and any subsequent data sent is sent to another printer select command. Output is sent to the specified printer via that established line until the command is executed. Note that if printer l is selected by default, execution of the printer select command can be omitted in many cases.

In addition, you can manage each printer number and output virtual line.
This is performed between the server program and the control program of the control box.

The above embodiment is shown as an example of the present invention,
It goes without saying that the present invention should not be limited to this.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, in a network including a plurality of workstations, a server, and a plurality of printers of different models connected to the server, printer connection switching is performed between the server and the printer. means is provided, each workstation sends a printer select command to the server before sending the print data, and the server, after switching the switching means to the corresponding printer, returns a completion notification to the workstation, 11; By making the workstation I send out the print data after receiving it,
This has the remarkable effect of realizing a printer control method that correctly prints output data of different code systems from all different types of workstations on the network.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an operation flow diagram between a workstation, a server, and a control box to explain the operation of an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an overview of a network system that is an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. The figure shows the internal configuration of the control box, which is the main part. +a, lb,...: workstation, 2: server, 3: control box, 3a: judgment/control unit,
3b: Switching section, 4a, 4b, -, 4n: Pre-as shown in Fig. 3.

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) In a network including multiple workstations, a server, and multiple printers of different models connected to the server, a printer connection switching means is provided between the server and the printer, and each workstation Prior to sending, a printer select command is sent to the server, and after switching the switching means to the corresponding printer, the server sends a completion notification back to the workstation, and after receiving this, the workstation transfers the print data. A printer control method characterized by sending out.