JPH05262341A - Label printing system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable response to urgent changes of data by providing a plurality of data base utilization side computers, each of which retains a starting program with respect to a label printing data input/output program of a data base management side computer, in a network consisting of a plurality of computers. CONSTITUTION:A data base for label printing is constructed, and a plurality of data base utilization side computers 6 are provided with respect, a to data management side computer 4 retaining a system program 2, which performs check at the time of access to a data base from other computers, and a label printing data input/output program 3. Each of the data base utilization side computers 6 is made to retain a starting program 5 for the label printing data input/output program 3. The data management side computer receives access demands, assigns orderly the priority number of data write to the access demands and, according to this order, checks the data number. Thus, arbitrary rewriting of data can be prevented.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a label printing system for printing a label on which a product name, a manufacturing number, a manufacturing date and the like attached to an industrial product are printed.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A label printing system stores characters to be printed on a label attached to, for example, an industrial product, such as a product name, a serial number, and a manufacturing date in a floppy disk or the like by a personal computer, and the contents thereof. Is a system for printing labels on labels such as inscriptions using a dot printer.

Conventionally, such a label printing system is generally operated in a stand-alone form, and has the same system on the design side and the manufacturing side, that is, hardware and software, and the design side inputs character data to be printed on the label, A file name based on a convention is given to character data, and a database is constructed using the file name. For data files, data numbers are given to the data in the order of input and stored in the database.

FIG. 10 shows a conventional example of a label printing system. As shown in the figure, conventionally, on the design side, every time the contents of the database on the disk are updated, a part or all of the database is copied to the floppy disk,
It will be sent to the manufacturing factory along with the cover sheet and data list. Further, the data file name and the data number for the label used are stored and managed in the production management database for each manufactured device.

At the manufacturing factory side, data is copied from the floppy disk sent from the design side to a database as a part of the same system as the design side, and based on, for example, the data file name and data number designated by the production control information. The data will be printed on the label and attached to the manufactured device.

[0006]

As shown in FIG. 10, the conventional label printing system is operated in a stand-alone format.
Whenever the system program including the output program is improved or whenever the data file is updated, it is necessary to update the program and data file for all systems on the design side and factory side. However, there was a problem in that it took a huge amount of work. In addition, even when the data change is urgent, since the data is sent and received by the floppy, there is a problem that the data change is hindered in the factory which is far away.

On the other hand, on the design side, recently, a design environment for holding one personal computer or workstation for one person is being constructed. Under such circumstances, there is a problem that a label printing system that can be operated as a network must be constructed.

An object of the present invention is to provide a network-type label printing system which can easily cope with an urgent change in label print data and a program improvement by centrally managing a database.

[0009]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the principle of the present invention. In the present invention, the label printing system is configured as a network including a plurality of computers.

In FIG. 1, the database management computer 4 is called, for example, a server machine, and a label print data database 1 is constructed on this computer system. In addition, when this computer has accessed the database 1 from another computer in the network, for example, the access request order, such as the access request number to the file storing the data, It holds a system program 2 having a check function for checking and a label print data input / output program 3.

The database user side computer 6 is called, for example, a client machine, and holds a start-up program 5 for the label print data input / output program 3 held in the database manager side computer 4, for example, a server machine. , There are generally multiple units.

[0012]

In the present invention, the label printing system is constructed as a network. In this case, the problem is protection of the database. For example, when a user accesses the database and rewrites the data created by another user, the data number of the print data is linked to the data of the production control system as described above, and the data is rewritten. This will put the wrong label on the product and adversely affect field maintenance.

In the present invention, for example, in FIG. 1, a plurality of database utilization side computers 6, for example client machines, access specific data stored in the label print database 1 in the database management side computer 4 for updating the data. Then, the data writing priority numbers are given to the database user side computers 6 that have accessed according to the order of the access requests, and the data from these user side computers 6 are stored in the data writing priority number order, for example, in the data file. By checking the data number given to the data, the data is written in the database so that the data is not rewritten without permission.

As described above, according to the present invention, the label printing system is constructed in the form of a network in such a manner that the database constructed in the database management computer is shared by a plurality of utilization computers.

[0015]

FIG. 2 is a schematic explanatory view of a label printing system of the present invention. In the figure, a plurality of computer systems each including a display and a printer are
For example, a label printing system is configured in a format in which a local area network (LAN) is configured and one database connected to this network is shared. Each computer system outputs data to the database in order to store the label print data created independently in the database, and reads the label print data stored in the database as needed.

FIG. 3 is a configuration block diagram of an embodiment of the label printing system of the present invention. In the figure, a network 10 as a label printing system is composed of a server machine 11 as a computer system for managing a database, and a plurality of clients 12a, 12b, ... A database 13 is constructed on the server machine 11, and work files 14a and 14 for temporarily updating the data files in the database 13 for each client and performing operations such as data update.
b, ... Are provided.

FIG. 4 shows an example of the stored contents of the disk in the server machine and the client machine. In the figure (a), the disk on the server side stores the system program including the file access check system for checking the access to the file due to the data update, addition or correction from the client side in FIG. Further, the database is constructed by a data file in which each label print data is stored.

FIG. 1B shows the contents of the disk on the client machine side. A system call program including a startup program for the label print data input / output program held in the server machine and the data files in the database are temporarily copied to this disk to update the data. There is a temporary work file for performing data and a temporary data number management file for managing the data numbers assigned to each data in order to centrally manage the data in the database. ..

FIG. 5 shows an example of the data structure in the database. In the figure, each data file has a name of the data file, a maximum saved data number indicating the maximum value of the data numbers saved in the data file, each data number and the corresponding data. It is stored.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a processing embodiment in the label printing system. In the figure, when a label printing system activation command is input from the client machine on the network in step (S) 20, S21
In the connection process between the client machine and the server machine,
A message requesting input of the file name of the file to be accessed on the database is returned from the server machine to the client machine side at 22 and the file name is inputted from the client machine at S23.

At the server machine side, it is checked at S24 whether or not there is an access request to the file from another client machine, and at S25 a data write priority number is assigned to the file. In the case of the first request,
This priority number is 001. If the file has already been requested to be accessed by another client machine, the write priority number is incremented and assigned as the priority number. Then, the file to be accessed in S26 is copied to the work file on the client machine.

On the client side, in S27, the system operation is performed by updating, adding, and updating the data on the work file.
Or make corrections. At this time, the data number assigned in the data file on the database before copying is assigned as the content of the temporary data number management file in FIG. When the operation on the work file is completed, the client machine requests the server machine side to write the file in S28.

The server machine accepts this write request in S29, and checks the write priority number in S30. When writing the data from the client machine side to the database on the server machine, for example, for the client machine given 001 as the priority number, there is no problem in the following S31.
However, for requests from client machines with write priority numbers 002 and above, the data write status from the client machine with the previous priority number is checked, and the request is made when writing is not completed. The performed writing is suspended, and the processing from S31 is performed after the writing is completed.

In S31, the contents of the work file on the client machine side and the master file, that is, the file on the database are compared. For example, when the same data file is accessed from two client machines and the maximum saved data number in that file is 100, as shown in FIG.
Consider a case where 10 data are added and the second client machine adds 20 data. As described above, from the temporary data number management file of each client machine, the maximum saved data number of that data file is 10
Since it is found to be 0, for example, the first client machine has 101 to 11 as the data number of the data to be added.
0, the second client machine requests 101 to 120 to write data, but when the server machine has the second write priority from the second client machine, the second client machine It is necessary to rewrite the data number of the data from the machine side to 111 to 130 and store it. Further, for example, in the case of updating the data, the same number as the data number in the master file of the database is attached to the write data from the client machine side.

Therefore, the server machine side writes the data difference in S32. That is, when writing data with a data number smaller than the maximum saved data number on the master file side, compare the contents with the data with the same data number and write only the updated part to the master file, that is, the database, and With respect to the data added to, the data number is checked as described above, the data number is changed if necessary, and the data is written in the database. Then, in S33, the client machine is notified of the correct data number attached to the master file, that is, the data on the database, and S
An end command is input to the server machine from the client machine side at 34, and a connection disconnection process between the server machine and the client machine is performed at S35. As a result, all necessary processing is completed, and the operator on the client machine side recognizes the official data number and can input the data file name and data number to the production management system in the factory, for example.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of the overall operation system of the label printing system. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of the function of the design department side in this flowchart, and FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of the function of the manufacturing department side. The outline of the overall operation method of the label printing system will be described with reference to these drawings.

When the processing is started in FIG. 7, the base material of the label is first selected, and the reading of the label printing system is performed by the system reading function of. Then, it is determined whether the data file is created or modified. In the case of creation, the data file is initialized by the data file initialization function, and the data is input by the data creation / saving function. Not creating a data file,
For example, in the case of correction, the contents are corrected by the data file search / correction function of, and after the contents are confirmed in both data file creation and file correction, the data creation / saving function of And a cover page is created by the cover page creation function of
Their contents are saved in the database.

In the manufacturing section, the label reading system on the server machine is read by the system reading function of, and the data is read from the cover page file saved by the design section by the cover page confirmation function. Data is read by the system read function and the total file initialization function of

[0029]

[Outer 1]

A label is marked by the data output function and the data output schedule function of the external 2

[0031]

[Outside 2]

Printing is performed, and after the inspection, a sticking operation is performed. And outside 3 and outside 4

[0033]

[Outside 3]

[0034]

[Outside 4]

After the label printing according to the above, the total list output function of outside 5 and the latest manufacturing of outside 6

[0036]

[Outside 5]

[0037]

[Outside 6]

Output label management is performed by the number / unit list output function, and an aggregate list and a unit list are created.

[0039]

As described above, according to the present invention, a database can be centrally managed, and maintenance such as program updating can be performed quickly and easily. In addition, since the data floppy transfer is not required and the data can be printed at the same time as saving the data, it is possible to quickly respond to an urgent data change and reduce the number of defective labels. Further, in this system, the computer on the database side, that is, the client machine side, only needs to have a work file area and a program storage area for system startup. For example, the hardware at the manufacturing factory side is used for other purposes than the label printing system. It can also be used for, and the utilization efficiency of the system is improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a principle block diagram of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an outline of a label printing system of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration of an embodiment of a label printing system.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of stored contents of a disk in a server machine and a client machine.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a data structure in a database.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a processing example in the label printing system.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of the overall operation method of the label printing system.

8 is a diagram illustrating functions on the design department side in the flowchart of FIG. 7. FIG.

9 is a diagram illustrating functions on the manufacturing department side in the flowchart of FIG. 7.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a configuration of a conventional example of a label printing system.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 label print database 2 system program 3 label print data input / output program 4 database management computer 5 startup program 6 database user computer 11 server machine 12a, 12b client machine 13 database 14a, 14b work file

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A network comprising a plurality of computers, a database (1) of label print data is constructed, and a system program (2) and a label print data having a check function when accessing the database from another computer. A database management computer (4) holding the input / output program (3) and a startup program (5) for the label print data input / output program (3) held in the management computer (4) A label printing system comprising at least one database user computer (6). 2. In order to access the label print data in the database (1), a file in which the print data is stored is copied to a disk of the database user computer (6), and the user computer 2. The label printing system according to claim 1, wherein (6) uses the file on the disk as a work file and updates, adds or corrects the label print data on the work file. 3. In response to a data update request access to the label print data in the database (1), the data is sent to the database user computer (6) that has made the access according to the order of access requests to the data. 2. The label printing system according to claim 1, wherein write priority numbers are given, and the data from the user computer (6) is written in the database (1) in the order of the data write priority numbers.