JPH05345461A - Printing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make it possible to output information on operating condition in response to request from an external device and easily grasp the operating condition of a printing device. CONSTITUTION:A control code requesting sending of device information such as operating condition of a printing device is sent from a host computer 1 through a wireless transmitter-receiver 2 by means of wireless communication. In the printing device 31, the control code received at a transmitter-receiver section 31 is converted into a data of wired communication type, thereafter, fetched by a CPU 33a through an interface 32. On the other hand, in a RAM 33c, device information such as function and operating condition of the printing device 3 is stored in real time. When the control code requesting sending of the device information is received, the device information stored in the RAM 33c is read out and outputted to the interface 32, so that the device information is sent to the host computer 1.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printing apparatus which receives print data from an external device and executes printing.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is a printing apparatus which receives print data from an external device such as a host computer by wireless communication and prints based on this data. Since this type of printing device does not require a data communication cable, it is often installed separately from the host computer. And
When print data is sent from the host computer to the printing apparatus by wireless communication and printing is performed, it is necessary to know in advance whether the printing apparatus is in operation. Furthermore,
In order to perform printing suitable for the purpose, it is necessary to know in advance the function and operating state of the printing device to be used.

[0003]

However, in the printing apparatus according to the above-mentioned prior art, there is no other way to confirm the operating state of the printing apparatus than to check the display apparatus or the like of the printing apparatus. For this reason, when data is sent by wireless communication to a printing device located far away from the host computer for printing, the user operating the host computer determines the function and operating status of the printing device to be used. Could not be grasped on the spot.

Therefore, in order to perform printing suitable for the purpose, the user has to go to the printing apparatus he / she wants to use and grasp the function and operating state of the printing apparatus. In particular, in a system that transmits print data wirelessly, the host computer and the printing apparatus are often far from each other, and the work of checking the operating state of the printing apparatus is troublesome.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and makes it possible to output information such as the operating state in response to a request from an external device, and easily grasp the operating state of the printing apparatus. An object of the present invention is to provide a printing device that can perform printing.

[0006]

A printer according to the present invention for achieving the above object has the following configuration. That is, in a printing device that receives print data from an external device and executes printing, communication means for transmitting and receiving data to and from the external device and printing device information such as the function and operating state of the printing device are displayed. It is provided with storage means for monitoring and storing these, and transmission means for transmitting the printing device information to the external device via the communication means in response to a request from the external device.

[0007]

With the above-described structure, the function, operating state and other printing device information of the printing device at that time are transmitted to the host computer via the communication means in response to a request from an external device such as the host computer. As a result, it is possible to confirm the information such as the function and operating state of the printing apparatus installed in a place far away from the host computer while the host computer is being operated.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the functional arrangement of a printing apparatus system including the printing apparatus according to this embodiment. In this printing apparatus system, print data from the host computer 1 and control commands for the printing apparatus 3 are sent to the printing apparatus 3 by wireless communication via the wireless transmission / reception apparatus 2.
The printing device 3 receives these data and executes the printing process.

In this printing apparatus system, the wireless transmission / reception apparatus 2 has the following configuration. Reference numeral 21 denotes an interface, which sends and receives data to and from the host computer 1.
A transmission / reception unit 22 converts data from a wired communication format to a wireless communication format and transmits the data to the printing apparatus 3. Further, the transmission / reception unit 22 converts the data received from the printing device 3 by wireless communication from the wireless communication format to the wired communication format and outputs the data to the interface unit 21.

The printing device 3 has the following structure.
Reference numeral 31 is a transmission / reception unit that receives data from the host computer 1 transmitted from the wireless transmission / reception device 2, converts this data from a wireless communication format to a wired communication format, and outputs the data to the interface 32. In addition, the transmitter / receiver 31
Has a function of converting the transmission data, which is input from the interface 32, to the host computer 1 from the wired communication format to the wireless communication format and transmits the data to the wireless communication apparatus 2. Reference numeral 32 is an interface between the transmission / reception unit 31 and the data bus 35. A control unit 33 controls the entire printing apparatus. The control unit 33 includes CPUs 33a, R
The OM 33b and the RAM 33c are provided. The ROM 33b stores a control program for the process shown in the flowchart described later, and is executed under the control of the CPU 33a. An output unit 34 executes printing on a recording medium based on the received print data. Each of the components in the printing apparatus 3 described above is connected to the data bus 35 so that data can be exchanged with each other.

Further, the control unit 33 has a function of storing in real time the printing apparatus information including the function of the printing apparatus 3 itself, the operating state and other information to be transmitted to the host computer 1 in the RAM 33c. RAM
The printing device information stored in 33c is transmitted to the wireless transmission / reception device 2 when the printing device 3 receives the information providing request signal from the host computer 1. RAM
The printing device information stored in 33c is as follows.

-Name and identification number of printing device-Presence / absence of color function-Presence / absence of double-sided printing function-Available paper size-Available RAM size-Information on whether or not it is currently operating-Other (printing device-specific In the printing system of this embodiment, there is one host computer 1, one wireless transmission / reception device 2, and one printing device 3.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart of data transfer in this printing system when the host computer 1 obtains the printing device information of the printing device 3.

Printing device 3 in host computer 1
When a predetermined operation for confirming the operating state of is executed, the processing according to this flowchart is executed. First,
In step S1, the host computer 1 generates a control code that means a request to provide printing device information, and sends it to the wireless transmission / reception device 2 (interface 21). In step S2, when the interface 21 of the wireless transmission / reception device 2 receives this transmission data (control code),
The transmission / reception unit 22 converts this transmission data from the wired communication format to the wireless communication format. Then, the control code is transferred from the transmission / reception unit 22 to the printing device 3.

Next, in step S3, the printer 3
CPU 33a reads the data (control code) received by the transmitter / receiver 31 via the interface 32,
Interpret the received control code. As a result, if the received control code is a request for printing device information, data representing the state of the printing device 3 (printing device information) is sent to the transmitting / receiving unit 31 via the interface 32. The transmission / reception unit 31 converts this data from the wired communication format to the wireless communication format and transmits it to the wireless transmission / reception device 2. Then, in step S4, the transmission / reception unit 22 converts the received data from the wireless communication format to the wired communication format, and transfers the data of the printing apparatus information of the printing apparatus 3 to the host computer 1 via the interface 21. As described above, the host computer 1 receives the printing device information data representing the state from the printing device 3 and ends this processing.

Next, the output procedure (step S3) of the printing apparatus information data in the printing apparatus 3 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. In step S11, it is checked whether data is received from the host computer 1, and if data is received, the process proceeds to step S12.
In step S12, it is determined whether or not the received data is a control code (information provision request code) requesting transmission of printing device information data indicating the function and operating state of the printing device. If it is not the information provision request code, the process proceeds to step S15 to perform other processing. If the code is the information provision request code, the process proceeds to step S13. Step S1
In 3, the data representing the state of the printing device (described above) stored in the RAM 33c in real time is read out, and these data are output to the interface 32 in step S14, and this processing is ended.

As described above, in the printing apparatus 3 and the printing system having the same according to the present embodiment, the function, operating status, etc. of the printing apparatus 3 far away can be easily operated while the host computer 1 is being operated. Therefore, it is not necessary to know the function and operating state of the printing apparatus 3 to be used, and the operability is improved.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, an example in which each of the host computer 1, the wireless transmission / reception device 2 and the printing device 3 is provided has been described, but the present invention can be applied even if each of them is plural. .. At that time, even if a large number of printers 3 having different functions are prepared, it is possible to easily confirm the function of the printer 3 to be used.
It is also possible to select the printing device 3 to be used depending on the function and operating state.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the printing apparatus which performs the data communication by wireless communication has been described, but the invention can be applied to the printing apparatus which performs the data communication by wire and the same effect can be obtained.

The present invention may be applied to a system including a plurality of devices or an apparatus including a single device. Further, it goes without saying that the present invention can be applied to the case where it is achieved by supplying a program to a system or an apparatus.

[0022]

As described above, according to the printing apparatus of the present invention, it becomes possible to output information such as the operating status in response to a request from an external device, and the operating status of the printing apparatus can be easily achieved. Can be grasped, which has the effect of improving operability.

[0023]

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a printing apparatus system according to this embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a data transfer procedure regarding device information of a printing device system.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a procedure of outputting printing apparatus information in the printing apparatus of this embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Host Computer 2 Wireless Transmitter / Receiver 21 Interface 22 Transmitter / Receiver 3 Printer Main Unit 31 Transmitter / Receiver 32 Interface 33 Controller 34 Outputter 35 Data Bus

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁵ Identification code Internal reference number FI Technical display location G06F 15/16 400 D 9190-5L 15/20 596 Z 7343-5L H04M 11/00 303 8627-5K

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A printing apparatus that receives print data from an external device and executes printing, and a communication unit that sends and receives data to and from the external device, and prints the function and operating state of the printing apparatus. A storage unit that monitors the device information and stores the information, and a transmission unit that transmits the printing device information to the external device via the communication unit in response to a request from the external device. And printing device. 2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication unit wirelessly transmits and receives data to and from the external device.