JPH05265676A - Printing monitoring device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a printing monitoring device capable of monitoring printing status on a display device in a sending side-computer or the like by transferring bit image data obtained at the time of printing to the display device in the sending side-computer or the like and displaying the transferred data on the display device. CONSTITUTION:A printing command requested by a user is transferred to a printer 6 and developed to practical bit image data. The developed bit image data are printed out by the printer 6, simultaneously transferred to the display device 7 and displayed on a window of the display device 7 as a contracted image.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a print monitor,
More specifically, it relates to a print monitor for confirming on-screen bit image data that is actually being printed.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, when a printing device such as a printer receives a print command, the printer itself unilaterally interprets the command, develops it into a bit image, and prints it. In addition, in order for printing to succeed, both the print command and the settings of the printer itself must be correct, and the printing that is expected to be incorrect is not performed.

In addition, when the printer is connected to the computer that sends the print command in a one-to-many relationship, the setting of the printer may be changed by the previous user.

[0004]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional printing apparatus, there is no method for confirming by the sending computer whether or not the printing is actually performed correctly. There was no choice but to go out near the printing device and visually check the printing condition.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and transfers the bit image data at the time of printing to a display device such as a sending side computer to display the bit image data, thereby displaying the sending side computer or the like. An object of the present invention is to provide a print monitor device capable of monitoring the print state on the display device.

[0006]

In order to achieve this object, the print monitor device of the present invention is constructed as follows.

Display means 11 capable of displaying at least one window, printing means 12, first control means 13 for transferring the print command to the printing means 12, and the actual printing of the print command by the printing means 12 Second control means 14 for developing image data and second control means 1
The third control means 15 for causing the printing means 12 to print the bit image data expanded at 4, and the bit image data printed by the third control means 15 is transferred to the display means 11 before and after the printing. Fourth control means 16
And a fifth control means 17 for reducing and displaying the bit image data transferred by the fourth control means 16 in the window of the display means 11.

[0008]

In the print monitor apparatus of the present invention having the above-mentioned structure, the first control means 13 transfers the print command desired by the user to the print means 12 in response to the print execution command from the user, and the second control means. At 14, the print command is expanded into actual bit image data. The expanded bit image data is printed by the printing means 12 by the third control means 15, at the same time transferred to the display means 11 by the fourth control means 16, and further displayed by the fifth control means 17. It is reduced and displayed in the window of 11.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a document input device embodying the print monitor device of the present invention.

The document input device according to the present embodiment includes a central processing unit (CPU) 1, a ROM 2 in which a bootstrap program is stored, a RAM 3, a readable / writable non-volatile external storage device 4, a key input device 5, and a microprocessor. Control unit 6 composed of, RAM, ROM, etc.
A printing device 6 having a and a display device 7 are provided.

The external storage device 4 comprises a control program area 4A in which a document input control program is stored and a document storage area 4B in which a document file is stored.

In addition to the control program area 3A and the document storage area 3B corresponding to the external storage device 4, the RAM 3 includes a display RAM for editing image information to be output to the display device 7.
The storage area of the control program area 4A of the external storage device 4 is written in the control program area 3A when the power is turned on.

The key input device 5 includes an input key 5A, a cursor key 5B, a scroll key 5C, a print key 5D, an end key 5E, a read key 5F, a delete key 5G and the like.

The input key 5A is a key for inputting characters to a document, the cursor key 5B is a key for moving a cursor (displaying the current input position) displayed on the document display screen of the display device 7, and the scroll key 5C is Keys for scrolling the display on the document display screen of the display device 7 up and down by a certain width,
The print key 5D is a key for printing a document on the document display screen,
The end key 5E is a key for storing the input document and designating the end of the document input program, and the read key 5F is for reading the document in the document storage area 4B in the external storage into the document storage area 3B in the RAM and reading the contents of the document. The key displayed on the document display screen of the display device 7 and the delete key 5G are keys for deleting characters on the cursor.

The operation of this embodiment constructed as described above will be described with reference to the flow charts shown in FIGS.

When the power is turned on, the contents stored in the control program area 4A are written into the control program area 3A along with the bootstrap program stored in the ROM 2, and the input screen data stored in the control program area 3A is displayed on the display RAM. The data is expanded into screen display data in the area 3C and displayed on the screen of the display device 7. When creating a new document, the document is created while inputting data with the input key 5A. This display screen is shown in FIG.
As shown in. When updating the document stored in the document storage area 4B, the read key is pressed to read the document in the document storage area 4B in the external storage into the document storage area 3B in the RAM and display the contents of the document on the display device 7 Is displayed on the screen and the update is performed with the input key 5A, the delete key 5G and the like.

When a document in the document storage area 3B is added / updated, the document in the document storage area 4B is also updated / added.

Now, it is assumed that the print key 5D is pressed on the screen (FIG. 5) in the middle of document input.

When the print key is pressed, it is detected whether the printer 6 is busy (step 11). If the printer 6 is in the busy state, the detection is continued until the busy state is released.

If the printer is not busy, a window for print monitor is displayed on the display device 7 (step S12). This print monitor display screen is as shown in FIG. 6, for example. When the print monitor screen is displayed, the ID of the system currently used to input the document is transferred to the printer (step S13).

Subsequent to step S13, it is detected whether or not there is a print command which has not been transferred to the printing device 6 among the print commands constituting the input document (step S1).
4). If it is determined in step S14 that there is a remaining print command, the print command is transferred to the printer 6 (step S15). If it is determined in step S14 that there are no print commands remaining, it is detected whether the printer 6 is busy (step S16). If the printing device 6 is not in the busy state, it is considered that all printing is finished, and the process is finished.

Following step S15 or when it is determined in step S16 that the printer 6 is busy, the print image data transferred from the printer 6 and not yet displayed in the print monitor window. It is detected whether there is any (step S17). If there is no print image data, the process returns to step S14. If it is determined in step S17 that there is print image data, the print image data transferred from the printing device 6 is displayed as it is on the print monitor display screen (step S18). After displaying the image data, the process returns to step S14 again.

On the other hand, the printer 6 detects whether or not there is a print command sent to the printer 6 (step S21). If it is determined in step S21 that there is a print command, it is checked whether the sent command is the system ID (step S22). When the command is the system ID, the system ID is temporarily stored (step S23). Following step S23, or when it is determined in step S22 that the print command is not the system ID, the printing device 6 is set to the busy state (step S24). Further, following step 24, the print command is expanded into bitmap data to be actually printed (step S25), and the bitmap data is further reduced to the monitoring print image data displayed in step S18 (step S2).
6) is transferred to the monitoring system having the system ID stored in step S23 (step S2)
7). Further, the bitmap data expanded in step S25 is actually printed by the printing device 6 (step S25).
28).

After printing, the process returns to step S21. If it is determined that there is no print command sent in step S21, the busy state of the printer is released (step S29), and the process ends.

Step S1 of the above-described embodiment of the present invention
In FIG. 8, the print data transferred to the printer is displayed as it is, but the print data may be further reduced and displayed on the print monitor.

[0027]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, the control means for reducing and displaying the bitmap data printed by the printing device on the printing monitor such as the window is provided. You can check without moving to the vicinity of the printing device. Further, if a printing error is noticed on the screen, the printing is immediately stopped, so that useless paper can be saved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the main body used for explaining the operation of the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of the printing apparatus used for explaining the operation of the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a document input screen according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a monitor screen display according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 6 Display device 7 Printing device

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Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A display means capable of displaying at least one window, a printing means, a first control means for transferring a print command to the printing means, and the print command converted by the printing means into actual bit image data. A second control means for developing, a third control means for causing the printing means to print the bit image data developed by the second control means, and a bit image data printed by the third control means. Fourth control means for transferring to the display means before and after printing, and fifth display for reducing the bit image data transferred by the fourth control means in the window of the display means.
A print monitor characterized by comprising: