JPH04170629A - Printing system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent the generation of a printing starting error due to a difference in a paper size by automatically selecting a printer capable of supplying the paper of optimum size corresponding to a requested paper size. CONSTITUTION:When an output is instructed through a keyboard 27 in a host computer 1, a printer management table 24d is checked to search an unused printer and a command meaning a print request is transmitted to the searched printer (not shown) through a communication control program 24a. Whether paper size information set up in response message outputted from the printer is the required paper size or not is decided, and when the decided result is OK, an output control program 24b registers an output job name, paper size and a printer ID in an output job control table 24c. Consequently, a trouble causing the selection of a printer disabled from feeding the paper of required paper size due to operator's ambiguous printer selection can be prevented.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a printing system in which one or more host computers and a plurality of printers process print information while communicating wirelessly.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, in this type of printing system, when an operator has a job to output, the operator determines which paper size the job requires, and then recognizes which paper size is set to fit the wireless printer. , you must specify a printer and perform output processing.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] Therefore, the operator is required to perform jobs that require pressure, such as A4H.
If this is the case, check which printer has A4H paper set before issuing an output instruction, or if the printer is specified without checking in advance, if the printer is of a different size. If paper is set, the printer will notify you of a paper size mismatch error, making it impossible to start the printing process quickly.

This invention was made in order to solve the above problems, and the system automatically selects a printer that can feed paper of the optimum size according to the requested paper size. To provide a printing system that can efficiently operate a group of printers in the system while preventing print startup errors caused by mismatches.

[Means for Solving the Problems 1] The printing system according to the present invention compares the paper information responded from each printer in response to a request from each host computer with the paper information requested by each host computer. A selection means is provided for automatically selecting an arbitrary printer that can feed paper of a desired size.

[Operation] In the present invention, the selection means compares the paper information responded from each printer with the requested paper information in response to the information wirelessly transmitted to each printer, and selects the optimal size of paper. Automatically select any printer that can feed paper,
Start printing process.

[Embodiment] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the environmental configuration of a printing system according to embodiments of the present invention. Reference numerals 1 and 2-1 to 2-N are host computers, and wireless communication printers (wireless printers) are connected to each other. ) It is configured to perform wireless communication with a group of printers such as 5-1 to 5-N via communication devices 3 and 4, and perform print information processing. In particular, (a) is 1
A printing system is shown in which one host computer 1 is configured with a plurality of wireless printers 5-1 to 5-N, and (b) shows a case where a plurality of host computers 2-1
~2-N is a plurality of wireless printers 5-1 to 5-N
This shows a case where the printing system is configured by

In the printing system according to the present invention, the selection means (in this embodiment, the CPU 22 (see FIG. 2)) selects each of the printers based on the information wirelessly transmitted to each of the printers 5-1 to 5-N. The paper information responded from 5-1 to 5-N is compared with the requested paper information, an arbitrary printer capable of feeding paper of the optimum size is automatically selected, and printing processing is started.

FIG. 2 is a circuit block diagram illustrating the configuration of the host computer 1 shown in FIG. 1, in which 22 is a CPU, R
Each device connected to the system bus is comprehensively controlled based on the control program stored in the OM 23.

24 is a RAM, and a communication control program 24a.

Output control program 24b, output job control table 2
4c, and a printer management table 24d.

The communication control device 25 connects each wireless printer 5-1 to 5-5.
-N, and is controlled by the communication control program 24a. A magnetic disk device 28 temporarily stores output jobs arranged in a predetermined output format. The CRT display 26 displays error status and the like, and the keyboard 27 is used by the operator to input commands such as output instructions.

FIG. 3 is a circuit block diagram illustrating the configuration of the wireless printer shown in FIG. 1, and shows, for example, the case of wireless printer 5-1.

In the figure, 32 is a CPU, which comprehensively controls each device connected to the system bus based on a control program stored in a ROM 33.

34 is a RAM, which stores a communication control program 34a, a data analysis development program 34b, and a print control program 34.
It has c.

35 is a communication control device, each host computer 1.2-
This is a device that controls transmission and reception with 1 to 2-N, and is controlled by the communication control program 34a. Note that 36 is an output section, 37 is an output expansion memory, and 38 is an input section.

FIG. 4 shows the output job control table 24 shown in FIG.
It is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of c.
It consists of a printer ID.

FIG. 5 shows the printer management table 24d shown in FIG.
This is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the printer D, printer status, and the like.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the data structure of a message sent from the host computer shown in FIG. 1, including printer ID, command, and host ID.

Device consisting of data etc. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the data structure of a response message from the printer shown in FIG. (including size information), etc.

The data processing operation of the host computer will be described below with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the data processing procedure of the host computer related to the printing system according to the present invention. Note that (1) to (11) indicate each step.

When the operator issues an output instruction from the keyboard 27 (
1), the command (check the printer management table 24d (see Figure 5), search for printers in the FREE (unused) state, create the data formation message shown in Figure 6, and send the command via the communication control program 24a. 2),
It is determined whether a response has been obtained from the printer within a certain period of time, and if it is NO, NotRead is entered in the printer status of the printer management table 24d.
y and returns a print request command to the next printer ID.

On the other hand, if the determination in step (3) is YES, it is determined whether printing is possible.4) If YES (affirmative response), the paper size information set in the additional information of the response message is determined to be the desired paper size. Judge and OK
If so, the output control program 24b performs a process of registering the output job name, paper size, and printer ID in the output job control table 24c (see FIG. 4) (5).

On the other hand, in the case of NO in steps (3) and (4), the process proceeds to step (10) and predetermined error handling is executed.

Next, it is determined whether there is still ratio data to be sent 6). If No, the end process of sending a print end command to the printer is executed 11). If YES, the transfer of print data is started 7). It is determined whether the next block is requested from the response status (8). If YES, the process returns to step (6); if NO, it is determined that there is an error and a predetermined error handling process is executed (
9).

Next, the printer management table 24d (see Figure 5) is checked to find a printer in the FREE (unused) state, a data formation message shown in Figure 6 is created, and the message is sent to the printer via the communication control program 24a. Send. At this time, a command meaning a print request is set in the command field.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of a data processing procedure of the printer according to the printing system of the present invention.

Note that (11 to (12)) indicate each step.

1) Waiting for command reception from the host computer.
, determines whether the printer ID of the message matches its own ID. If they match, check the request command section of the message (2), and if it is an invalid command, issue an error response (3) and return to step (1).

On the other hand, if it is determined in step (2) that a print data transmission command is received, it is determined whether an error (jam, out of paper, etc.) has occurred in the printer (4);
If YES, it is an error response 5) and returns to step (1).

On the other hand, if the determination in step (4) is NO, the data is analyzed, image developed, and transferred to the output section 6), a next block request response is made (7), and the process returns to step (1).

On the other hand, if it is determined in step (2) that the request command is a print request command, it is determined whether printing can be accepted (81), and if no, a negative response is returned (9), and step (1) is performed. If the answer is YES, send an affirmative response to the host computer with a message in the format shown in Figure 7 (the additional information in the message at this time is set to the paper size currently set in the printer). 10), return to step (1).

On the other hand, if it is determined in step (2) that the request command is the end of the print data, the paper is ejected (11).
, respond to the host computer for termination 12), and return to step (1).

Note that in the above embodiment, if a matching printer is not found as a result of sending a print request to all printers registered in the printer management table 24d,
Although the case where the configuration is configured to perform retries many times has been described, an operator call may also be used.

Also, the printer with the desired print speed happens to be B
In the USY state, that is, when it is being used by another host computer, the output job is spooled to the host computer's magnetic disk device 28 or the printer's magnetic disk device 28, etc., and the printer status changes to FREE. If the structure is configured so that printing is performed at the time of printing, it is expected that the printing processing efficiency of the second layer will be improved.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, the present invention feeds paper of a desired size by comparing the paper information responded from each printer in response to a request from each host computer with the paper information requested by each host computer. Since a selection means for automatically selecting any possible printer is provided, it is possible to prevent a situation in which a printer that cannot feed the desired paper size is selected due to ambiguous printer selection by the operator of each host computer.

Therefore, there are fewer paper feeding errors in the system environment (
This brings about effects such as significantly improving print processing efficiency.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the environmental configuration of a printing system showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a circuit block diagram illustrating the configuration of the host computer shown in FIG. 1, and FIG.
The figure is a circuit block diagram explaining the configuration of the wireless printer shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the output job control table shown in FIG. 2, and FIG.
A schematic diagram showing the configuration of the printer management table shown in the figure.
6 is a schematic diagram showing the data structure of the message sent from the host computer shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the data structure of the response message from the printer shown in FIG. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the data processing procedure of the host computer according to the printing system according to the invention, and FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the data processing procedure of the printer according to the printing system according to the invention. In the figure, 1.2-1 to 2-N are host computers, 5-
1 to 5-N are printers. Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 6

Claims (1)

[Claims] In a printing system in which one or more host computers and a group of printers process print information while communicating wirelessly, the paper information that is responded from each printer in response to a request from each host computer and the paper information that is requested from each host computer are processed. 1. A printing system comprising: a selection unit that automatically selects an arbitrary printer capable of feeding a desired size of paper by comparing the paper information with the paper information of the printer.