JPH05120279A - External character pattern control method for spool system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide the method which has characteristic external character pattern files, user by user, and automatically switches and uses them at the timing of external character generation as to a method which outputs external characters through the spool system. CONSTITUTION:This external pattern control method consists of an input device 1 for inputting external character patterns and commands, an external character pattern files 2 by users which input external character patterns characteristic to the users from the input device 1 and store them at predetermined positions given specific names, a user job 3 which sends an output request, an output queue 4 stored with the output request, an interface 5 which has a function for selecting the corresponding external character file, an output driver 6 which controls an output device 7, and the output device 7.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method of managing external character patterns in output via a spool system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of a conventional external character pattern file and a spool system. As shown in the figure, an external character pattern and an input device 1 for inputting commands and an external character pattern are shown. The file 2 includes a plurality of user jobs 3, an output queue 4, an output driver 6, and an output device 7.

External character pattern file 2 and user job 3
User-specific or system-unique external character pattern when executing
Preload Usually, for this purpose, it is necessary to input from the input device 1 by a key operation such as a command. Conventionally, a character pattern unique to a user or a system is registered each time depending on the timing of generation of an external character.

The output request issued by the user job 3 is output by the output driver 6 that manages the apparatus. At this time, the output driver 6 performs any of the following processes. (1) All external character codes that will be included in the output data
This is a method to let the terminal detect the character and input the necessary external character pattern. (Terminal detection type timing method) (2) A method of inputting all external character patterns used by a job before starting the job. (Preload method)

In either case, since manual intervention by the user is required, an external character system having a character pattern for each user is currently used in the system via the spool system. Absent.

[0006]

However, at the present time,
In many spool systems that are used, the main focus is that many people share and use output devices, and output execution control is a problem of the spool system and not a problem that the operator is aware of. Since it is set to, there are the following problems.

In the conventional spool system, one external character pattern file is shared by a plurality of users, and the external character pattern file is shared.
Since the characters are registered and used, the character pattern unique to the user cannot be input at the timing when the external character is generated.

Normally, the user of the spool system can control the order in which jobs are submitted, but cannot control the order in which the jobs are printed on the apparatus. Therefore, the external character pattern file cannot be preloaded according to the job by a command or the like.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and eliminates the above-mentioned problems and has a unique character pattern file for each user even if it goes through a spool system. Provided is a method of managing an external character pattern in a spool system which is automatically switched and used in accordance with the timing of external character generation.

[0010]

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides an external character pattern file 2 for each user as shown in FIG. 1, and further provides an output data queue and output data address in the output queue. The user information is also stored together, and the interface 5 of the output driver is provided with a function of selecting the external character pattern file according to the user information.

[0011]

According to the present invention, it is possible to have a unique external character pattern file for each user, and when the user job data is output, the external character pattern file is automatically switched based on the user information. The system is easy to use for both users and operation.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a configuration example of a system for implementing the present invention. External character pattern and command input device 1, external character pattern file 2, user job 3,
Output queue 4, interface 5, output driver 6,
It is composed of the output device 7.

The user inputs a unique external character pattern file from the input device 1 in advance, stores it in a predetermined position with a specific name. This allows the interface 5 to find the character pattern file for each user.

The output queue 4 has an output request as shown in FIG.
The user information and the output data address are stored as shown in FIG. Output information requested from a plurality of user jobs is stored in the output queue. The interface 5 receives information from the output queue 4 and selects and sets a corresponding file from the external character pattern file 2, and passes it to the output driver 6 together with the output data address. Figure 2 shows the interface flow.
Indicates a chart. It will be described below with reference to FIG.

A request is fetched from the output queue (step ST1). Retrieve user information (step ST
2) Judge whether it is the same as the previous time (step ST
3) If it is the same as the previous time, the process proceeds to step ST6. If it is not the same user, the external character in use is reset (step ST4), and the external character file corresponding to the user information is taken out and set (step ST5). After that, the output data is passed to the output driver (step ST6). If there is a further request (step ST7), the process is repeated from step ST1.

As described above, the necessary information is dynamically (automatically switched) input to the output driver 6 through the interface 5. The output driver 6 outputs a corresponding pattern to the output device 7 based on the information.

[0017]

As described above in detail, the following effects can be expected by using the spool system using the present invention. (1) It becomes possible to construct a system having a user-defined character pattern file for each user. (2) This system allows the user to arbitrarily construct a font file, eliminating the need to consider maintaining and managing fonts as a system, and saving the time and effort required for pattern management. Operation becomes easy.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an external character pattern file and a spool system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of an interface section according to the present invention.
It is

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing output queue information.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of a conventional external character pattern file and a spool system.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Input Device 2 External Character Pattern File 3 User Job 4 Output Queue 5 Interface 6 Output Driver 7 Output Device

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a method of managing an external character pattern output by a plurality of users via a spool system, an external character pattern file is created for each user in advance, and user information is stored when a job is executed. The output data address is also written and stored in the output queue, and at the interface between the queue and the output driver, the corresponding external character pattern file is selected from the external character pattern file by this user information. A method of managing an external character pattern in a spool system, which comprises selecting and converting output data into a print pattern and outputting the print pattern.