JPH05303475A - Printer output control device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a printer output control device capable of distributing the output destination of a printing output request outputted from a job to each printing device in accordance with the sort of paper. CONSTITUTION:Individual information such as the name of a printing device group and the attribute of paper for each individual printing device is stored in an information storing means 7, and at the time of receiving a printing output request from a job, the paper information of an attribute relating to the sort of paper to be outputted is added to contents storing means 4101 to 4106 storing the output contents by a paper attribute adding means 6 and a printing device to which the contents of the printing output request are to be outputted out of plural printer devices 31 to 33 is determined by a printing device selecting means 8 based upon the individual information stored in the means 7 and the paper information added by the means 6. Consequently handling time for replacing paper in the printing device due to printing outputs for various kinds of papers can be reduced and the using efficiency of simultaneous printing devices can be improved.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printer output control device for efficiently performing output processing when outputting to a printer device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, in a computer usage environment in which a plurality of users share a small number of printer devices, printer output requests for jobs submitted by a plurality of users to the printer devices may occur simultaneously. .. The printer device can only process one printer output request at a time. Therefore, a plurality of printer output requests that occur at the same time for the printer device need to be managed so as to be sequentially processed by the printer device.

Conventionally, a printer output control device as shown in FIG. 4 has been realized in response to such a need. FIG. 4 shows, for example, Mitsubishi office computer MELCOM8.
0DPS10 Job management manual (Document number UM-SR0
0-34A <1911>), page 168, showing a conventional printer output control device disclosed in FIG. 5.8. In the figure, 31 to 32 are actual printer devices. 4001 to 4003, 4004 to 4005, 400
6-4009, 4010, 4011-4012, 401
Reference numerals 3-4015 denote content holding means for holding the content of each printer output request issued from the job by designating the printer device name. Reference numerals 21 to 26 are shown as symbolic device names in FIG. 4, and management means for managing the queue of the content holding means of each printer output request corresponding to the logical name given to each printer device. Is. 51-5
2 is shown as an output symbiont process in FIG. 4, and the contents held by the contents holding means of the printer output request output to the names of the printer devices 31 to 32 are
It is a printer output request processing means to be processed by each printer device 31 to 32 corresponding to the name. Printer device 3
1 to 32 have the logical names of the printer devices 31 to 32, which are the symbolic device names in the above example, and one printer device is allowed to have a plurality of names.

Next, the operation of the conventional printer output controller shown in FIG. 4 will be described. In the processing by the computer, the job issues a printer output request by designating the logical name of each printer device 31 to 32, which is the symbolic device name in FIG. For each printer output request issued from the job, the requested content is held in the printer output request content holding means 4001 to 4015, and the content holding means 4001 to 4015 form a queue for each printer device name designated by the job. An entry is made in the managing means 21 to 26 for managing.

Content holding means 4001 to 4015 for holding the content of the print output request entered in the management means 21 to 26 for managing the queue for each printer device name,
The contents are processed by the actual printer devices 31 to 32 by the printer output request processing means 51 to 52. The printer output request processing means 51 to 52 are provided for each printer device 31.
Corresponds to ~ 32. Printer output request processing means 51
52 to 52 sequentially process the content holding units 4001 to 4015 of the individual printer output requests, which are queued with the names assigned to the corresponding printing devices 31 to 32.

[0006]

In the conventional printer output control device as described above, in the processing by the computer, the job specifies the printer device name and causes the printer device to process the printer output request. However, the type of paper on which the data to be processed by the printer is desired to be output differs depending on the content of the job that issued the printer output request.

Therefore, the contents holding means for holding the contents of the printer output request for different types of paper are arranged in the queue of each printer device name. as a result,
It often happens that the paper needs to be replaced every time the content of each printer output request is processed by the printer, and the user is often troublesome to replace the paper to be set in the printer. was there. At the same time, while the user is changing the paper of the printer device, the process of the printer device is completely interrupted, so that there is a problem in that the utilization efficiency of the printer device is extremely disadvantageous. It was

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and reduces the non-use time of the printer device due to the paper exchange of the printer device, and the troublesome paper exchange of the printer device. It is an object of the present invention to obtain a printer output control device that can reduce

[0009]

A printer output control device according to the present invention holds individual information of an attribute individually given to each printer device of a printer device group consisting of one or more printer devices. Information holding means of the printer device group, by holding the paper information by means of the means, by adding the paper information of the attribute related to the paper type by the paper attribute adding means when the printer output request from the job, and by specifying the printer device group name by the job. The printer device selecting means outputs the contents of the printer output request based on the individual information of each printer device held in the printer and the paper information added in the printer output request contents holding device by the paper attribute adding device. The above-mentioned printer device is determined.

[0010]

In the printer output control device according to the present invention, the user holds one or more information holding means for holding the definition contents of the printer device group, that is, the individual information individually given to each printer device of the printer device group. It holds individual information such as the name of a printer device group in which an arbitrary printer device is defined as a group, and the attributes related to the type of paper held by each printer device in the printer device group. Further, when a job outputs a printer output request by designating a printer group together with the paper information regarding the type of paper, the paper attribute adding means adds the paper information regarding the paper to be output in the content holding means for holding the output content. .. Then, the printer device selection means determines the content of each printer output request based on the individual information of each printer device held in the information holding means and the paper information added to the content holding means by the paper attribute adding means. Automatically select the printer device to be processed.

[0011]

【Example】

Example 1. Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a printer output control device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 31-33
Is an actual printer device. Reference numerals 51 to 53 are printer output request processing means corresponding to the printer devices 31 to 33. Reference numerals 21 to 23 are management means for managing the queues of printer output requests provided for each name of the printer devices 31 to 33. 4101, 4102-4104, 41
Reference numerals 05 to 4106 are content holding means for holding the content of each printer output request, which is added with attribute information regarding the type of paper output from the job. Reference numeral 6 denotes a paper attribute adding unit that adds an attribute relating to the type of paper designated by the job to the printer output request content holding units 4101 to 4106. Reference numeral 7 denotes an information holding unit that holds the definition content related to the printer device group, that is, the individual information individually given to each of the printer devices 31 to 33 of the printer device group. Reference numeral 8 denotes individual information of each printer device 31 to 33 of the printer device group held by the information holding means 7 and an attribute relating to the type of paper added by the paper attribute adding means 6 in the printer output request information holding means 7. The printer device selecting means selects each of the printer devices 31 to 33 based on the sheet information of.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing definition items of information holding means for holding information of definition contents regarding a printer device group in the printer output control device of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a printer device selecting means in the printer output control device of FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining the algorithm of FIG. In FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, 7 is information holding means, 71 and 72.
Is a first definition item and a second definition item in the information holding means 7, and 41 to 48 are steps showing processing in each operation process.

Next, the first embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG.
Regarding the operation of the printer output control device which is the embodiment of
This will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. In this invention,
A printer device group is a unit representing a set of one or more arbitrary printer devices, and a job can issue a printer output request to such a printer device group.

Now, in the processing by the computer, the user needs to first define the printer device group.
That is, the definition of the items such as the first definition item 71 and the second definition item 72 of the information holding means 7 shown in FIG. 2 is performed, and the information holding means 7 holds the information of the definition contents. .. Items required to define a certain symbolic device name group are as shown in FIG. PRTG1, which is the name of the printer device group, is
It defines a name representing a printer device group consisting of printer devices defined below. The printer devices PRT11 to PRT13 are printer device groups PR.
It is the name of each printer device constituting the TG1. The paper type names TYP11 to TYP13 are printer devices P.
Basically, each of RT11 to PRT13 basically defines the type name of the paper set. The default printer device name DFP13 defines the printer device to which the printer output request is output when there is no printer device in the printer device group PRTG1 that basically sets the type of paper that the job added at the time of the printer output request. To do. Default printer device DF
P13 may be the same as one defined in the printer devices PRT11 to PRT13. PR
TG1 to DFP13 are defined as one printer device group, and other arbitrary printer device groups are defined in the same manner. Then, after defining the definition of the printer device group and the information of the individual paper attributes relating to the printer devices constituting the printer device group and holding these information in the information holding means 7, the printer output control device according to the present invention Will be effective.

When a printer output request is issued from a job, the name of the printer device group is designated by the job, and at the same time, the type of paper for which the content of the printer output request is desired to be output is designated. Paper attribute adding means 6 shown in FIG.
When a printer output request is made, the content holding means 4101 to 4106 which holds the contents of the printer output request obtains from the job the sheet information of the attribute relating to the type of the sheet to be output and adds it. Then, the control is transferred to the printer device selecting means 8.

Printer device selection means 8 to which control is passed
Is information by the information holding unit 7 that holds information on the definition contents of the printer device group previously defined by the user,
According to the algorithm shown in FIG. 3, the content of the printer output request is determined by the above-mentioned sheet attribute adding means 6 and the sheet information of the attribute relating to the type of sheet added to the content holding means 4101 to 4106 of the request content of the printer output request. The printer device 31 to 33 of the output destination to be processed is selected. Here, the PO shown in FIG. 3 is the printer device selected by the printer device selection means 8 as the one to process the contents of the printer output request.

First, it is checked whether or not the name that specifies the printer output request by the job is the printer device group (steps 41 to 42). Here, the name of the printer device group designated by the job is PRTO. Then, it is checked whether or not it is defined as the printer device group name PRTO in the printer device group information holding means 7. As a result of the check, if the printer device group name matching the PRTO is defined in the information holding means 7, the process proceeds to step 43. On the contrary, as a result of the examination, when the printer device group name matching the PRTO is not defined in the information holding means 7, the process proceeds to step 44.

If the printer device group name PRTO does not match any of the printer device group names defined in the printer device group information holding means 7, the printer output request from the job specifies the printer device group. It has not been issued. At this time, the printer device PO selected by the printer device selection means 8 is PR.
If it is TO (step 44), the printer device selecting means 8 holds the content of this printer output request so that the content of this printer output request is processed by the printer device name PO (= PRTO). 4101-41
06 in the queue of PO (step 4)
8). Then, the control ends.

If the name PRTO of the printer device group designated by the job matches the name of the printer device group in the printer device group information holding means 7, this printer output request specifies the printer device group PRTO. It is assumed that it has been designated and issued. next,
Content holding means 4 for holding the content of this printer output request
Here, the paper information of the attribute related to the paper type added in 101 to 4106 is TYPO here (step 4
3), the printer device 3 based on this paper information TYPO
Select 1-33. That is, it is checked by the information holding means 7 which holds the information of the definition contents of the printer device group whether the printer device for which the paper information TYPO is set is in the printer device group PRTO (step 45). As a result of the check, if the printer device that sets the paper information TYPO is defined, the process proceeds to step 46. On the contrary,
If the printer device for setting the paper information TYPO is not defined, the process proceeds to step 47.

Assuming that a printer device in which the paper information TYPO is set is defined, this printer device is designated as PRT1. That is, assuming that the printer device PO selected by the printer device selecting means 8 is PRT1 (step 46), the printer device selecting means 8 is processed so that the content of this printer output request is processed by the printer device name PO (= PRT1). Enters the contents holding means 4101 to 4106 holding the contents of this printer output request into the queue of the PO (step 48). Then, the control ends.

When the printer device which sets the paper information TYPO is not defined, the information holding means 7 which holds the information of the definition contents of the printer device group.
Thus, the default printer device name PRT2, which is the printer device name PO defined as the default printer device of the printer device group PRTO, is obtained (step 47). Then, it is assumed that the printer device PO selected by the printer device selecting means 8 is PRT2, and the printer device selecting means 8 outputs this printer output so that the content of this printer output request is processed by the printer device name PO (= PRT2). Content holding means 4101-4 holding the content of the request
106 is entered in the PO queue (step 4)
8). Then, the control ends.

Content holding means 4101 to 4106 for holding the content of the printer output request entered in the queue of each printer device name PO by the printer device selecting means 8
In the same manner as the above-mentioned conventional apparatus, each printer apparatus sequentially performs processing in accordance with the contents of the printer output processing step according to the printer output request.

[0023]

As described above, according to the printer output control device of the present invention, the individual information of the attribute individually given to each printer device of the printer device group composed of one or more printer devices is provided. Information of the printer device group is held by the information holding means, and when the printer output request from the job is made, the paper information of the attribute relating to the paper type is added by the paper attribute adding means, and the printer device group name is designated by the job. Based on the individual information of each printer device held in the holding device and the paper information added to the printer output request contents holding device by the paper attribute adding device, the printer device selecting device outputs the contents of the printer output request. Since the printer device of the output destination is decided, one printer device can do it. Will be able to concentrate one type of printer output request for requesting the output to the paper,
Therefore, it is possible to reduce the number of times of paper replacement on the printer device side, free the user from the trouble of the manual work, and further reduce the interruption time of the processing of the printer device due to the paper replacement in the printer device. Therefore, there is an excellent effect that the utilization efficiency of the printer device can be further improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a printer output control device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing definition items of an information holding unit that holds information of definition contents regarding a printer device group in the printer output control device of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining an algorithm of a printer device selection unit in the printer output control device of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram showing a conventional printer output control device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 6 Paper Attribute Adding Means 7 Information Holding Means 8 Printer Device Selecting Means 21 to 26 Management Means 31 to 33 Printer Devices 41 to 48 Steps 51 to 53 Printer Output Request Processing Means 71 First Definition Item 72 Second Definition Item 4001 4015 content holding means 4101-4106 content holding means

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An information holding unit that defines one or more printer devices as a group, and holds these information by individually assigning attributes to each printer device that constitutes the printer device group, and a printer from a job. A content holding unit that holds the information about paper in the contents of the output request, and a paper attribute that adds an attribute related to the type of paper to be output to the content holding unit of the printer output request when the job requests the printer output. The addition means, the individual information of each printer device held in the information holding means of the definition contents of the printer device group, and the type of paper added in the contents holding means of the printer output request by the paper attribute adding means Printer device selecting means for selecting the printer device of the output destination based on the paper information of the attribute. Printer output control apparatus according to claim.