JPH0561621A - Parallel printing system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve a printing speed in a system provided with plural printing devices. CONSTITUTION:A printing data forming device 1 transfers printing data to a printing data input part 21 and transfers the number of prints to a printing destination determining part 22. The printed data are transferred to the determining part 22 through the input part 21. The determining part 22 divides the printed data into plural divided printing data based upon the number of prints obtained from the device 1, adds printing destination information indicating a printing device to be executed to each divided printing data and transfers the divided printing data with the information to a printing data output part 23. When the number of prints is '1' e.g. the determining part 22 divides the printed data into four parts, adds the printing destination information indicating respective printer devices 41, 44 to respective divided printing data and transfers the data to the output part 23. The output part 23 transmits the transferred divided printing data to respective printing devices 41 to 44 by means of a time division multiplex system in accordance with the printing destination information added to respective data.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a parallel printing system capable of improving printing speed in a system having a plurality of printing devices.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a system in which a computer system and a plurality of printing devices are connected via a network has been put into practical use.

By the way, when printing is performed by such a system, conventionally, one set of print data and print destination information indicating a printing device of the print destination are sent from the computer system to the network, and the print destination is set. The printing device indicated by the information prints one set of printing data from the beginning to the end.

[0004]

As described above, in the related art, although there are a plurality of printing devices, only the printing device indicated by the print destination information prints the print data from the beginning to the end. Therefore, there is a problem that it is difficult to increase the printing speed.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a parallel printing method capable of improving the printing speed in a system having a plurality of printing devices.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a system having a plurality of printing devices,
Print data input means for inputting print data, print destination determining means for dividing the print data input by the print data input means into a plurality of divided print data, and determining a print destination of each divided print data, and the print destination. Print data output means for transmitting the divided print data corresponding to the printing device of the printing destination determined by the determining means in a time division multiplex system.

[0007]

The print data input by the print data input means is divided into a plurality of divided print data by the print destination determining means, and the print destination of each divided print data is further determined. The divided print data for which the print destination has been determined is transmitted by the print data output means to the printing device of the print destination in a time division multiplex manner and printed.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention, in which a print data creating apparatus 1, a computer system 2 and 4 are shown.
It is composed of printing devices 41 to 44, and a network 3 connecting the computer system 2 and the printing devices 41 to 44.

The computer system 2 has a print data input section 21.
And a print destination determination unit 22 and a print data output unit 23.

In the present embodiment, the printers 41, 42,
The printing speeds of 43 and 44 are "1", "2",
It is "1" and "2". That is, the printing devices 42, 4
4 has a printing speed twice that of the printing devices 41 and 43. Further, the printers 41, 42, 43 and 44 have individual addresses A1, A2, A3 and A4 respectively, the printers 41 and 43 having the same printing speed have the group broadcast address G1, and the printers 42 and 44 have the same address. The group broadcast address G2 is given.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing a processing example of the print data input section 21, FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing a processing example of the print destination determining section 22, and FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing a processing example of the print data output section 23. The operation of this embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings.

When the print data creating apparatus 1 creates print data and prints it, the print data is sent to the print data input section 21 and the number of copies is sent to the print destination determining section 22. In the present embodiment, the number of print copies that can be specified is 1 to 4.

As shown in FIG. 2, the print data input unit 21 inputs the print data from the print data creating apparatus 1 and sends it to the print destination determination unit 22 (step S21).

The print destination determining unit 22 is a print data input unit 21.
When the print data is added from the print data creation apparatus 1 and the number of print copies is added from the print data creation apparatus 1, first, as shown in FIG. 3, it is determined whether or not the number of print copies from the print data creation apparatus 1 is one. Step S31).

When it is determined that the number of print copies is one, the print destination determination unit 22 outputs print data to the printing devices 41 to 41.
It is divided into four divided print data in proportion to the print speed of 44. That is, since the printing speeds of the printing devices 41, 42, 43, 44 are "1", "2", "1", and "2", respectively, the print destination determination unit 22 outputs the print data to 1/6, 2 / 6,
It is divided into 1/6 and 2/6 (step S34). For example, if the print data is 6n pages, the print destination determination unit 2
2 divides the print data into the first n pages, the next 2n pages, the next n pages, and the last 2n pages.

Next, the print destination determining unit 22 uses the individual address A of the printer 41 for the divided print data for the first n pages.
1, a printing device 42 for the next 2n pages of divided print data
The individual address A2 of the printing device 43 is added to the divided print data of the next n pages, and the individual address A4 of the printing device 44 is added to the divided print data of the last 2n pages. To (step S35).

The print data output unit 23 is a print destination determination unit 22.
When print data is sent from, as shown in Figure 4,
It is determined whether the added address is a broadcast address (step S41). In this case, since the added address is an individual address, the determination result of step S41 is NO, and the print data output unit 23
Performs the process of step S42.

In step S42, the print data output unit 23 sends the divided print data for the first n pages to the printer 41 based on the added address, and outputs the next 2n.
The divided print data for the page is addressed to the printer 42, the divided print data for the next n pages is addressed to the printer 43, and the divided print data for the last 2n pages is addressed to the printer 44 by a predetermined amount. Send by multiplex method.

As a result, the printer 41 prints the divided print data for the first n pages, the printer 42 prints the divided print data for the next 2n pages, and the printer 43 prints the divided print data for the next n pages. The printer 44 uses the last 2n
Prints divided print data for each page. Further, since the data amount of the divided print data printed by each of the printing devices 41 to 44 is an amount proportional to the printing speed of each of the printing devices 41 to 44, each of the printing devices 41 to 44 must finish printing at the same time. become. That is, the time required for printing is minimized.

Since the printing speed of the printers 41 to 44 is generally slower than the transmission speed of the network 3, as described above, the divided print data is sent to the printers 41 to 44 by the time division multiplexing method. By transmitting, printing is performed in parallel by each of the printing devices 41 to 44, and the printing speed can be improved, that is, the time until the printing is completed can be shortened.

Next, the operation when the number of print copies from the print data creating apparatus 1 is 2 will be described.

The number of print copies from the print data creation device 1 is 2
In case of a copy, since step S32 of FIG. 3 is YES,
The print destination determination unit 22 performs the process of step S36.

In step S36, the print destination determining unit 2
Reference numeral 2 divides the print data from the print data input unit 21 into two divided print data in proportion to the printing speed of the printing devices 41 and 42. Here, since the printing speeds of the printing devices 41 and 42 are "1" and "2", respectively, the printing destination determination unit 22
Divides the print data into two divided print data of 1/3 in the first half and 2/3 in the second half.

After that, the print destination determining unit 22 determines 1/3 of the first half.
Group broadcast address G1 for the divided print data of 2 and group broadcast address G2 for the divided print data of 2/3 of the latter half.
Is added and sent to the print data output unit 23 (step S3
7).

The print data output unit 23 is a print destination determination unit 22.
When print data is sent from, as shown in Figure 4,
It is determined whether the added address is a broadcast address (step S41). In this case, the determination result of step S41 is NO, and the print data output unit 2
3 performs the process of step S42.

In step S42, the print data output unit 23 sends the first half of the divided print data to the group broadcast address G1 and the second half of the divided print data to the group broadcast address G2. A fixed amount is time-division multiplexed, that is, a predetermined amount is alternately transmitted.

As a result, the printers 41 and 43 having the group broadcast address G1 divide the first half of the divided print data into the printer 4 having the group broadcast address G2.
2 and 44 print the second half of the divided print data.
Therefore, the printing devices 41 to 44 print two copies of print data.

Next, the operation when the number of print copies from the print data creating apparatus 1 is 3 will be described.

The number of print copies from the print data creation device 1 is 3
In the case of a copy, the determination result of step S33 in FIG. 3 is YES, so the print destination determination unit 22 performs the process of step S38.

In step S38, the print destination determination unit 22 sends the print data from the print data input unit 21 to the first half and the second half.
Divide into two divided print data.

After that, the print destination determining unit 22 assigns the individual address A1 of the printer 41 to the divided print data in the first half and the individual address A3 of the printer 43 to the divided print data in the latter half.
The group broadcast address G2 given to the printers 42 and 44 is added to the print data before division and sent to the print data output unit 23 (step S39). Here, the print data before division is assigned to the printing devices 41 and 43 having a slow printing speed and the print data before division is assigned to the printing devices 42 and 44 having a high printing speed. This is to finish the printing of .about.44 at the same time.

The print data output unit 23 is a print destination determination unit 22.
When print data is sent from, as shown in Figure 4,
It is determined whether the added address is a broadcast address (step S41). In this case, the determination result of step S41 is NO, and the print data output unit 2
3 performs the process of step S42.

In step S42, the print data output unit 23 sends the divided print data in the first half to the printer 41, the divided print data in the latter half to the printer 43, and the print data before the division to the group broadcast address G2. A predetermined amount is transmitted to each destination in a time division multiplex system.

As a result, the printer 41 prints the first half of the divided print data, and the printer 43 prints the second half of the divided print data.
The printers 42 and 44 print the print data before division.
Therefore, the printing devices 41 to 44 print three copies of print data.

Next, the operation when the number of print copies from the print data creating apparatus 1 is 4 will be described.

The number of print copies from the print data creation device 1 is 4
In the case of a copy, as shown in FIG. 3, since the determination result of step S33 is NO, the print destination determining unit 22 determines that the print destination determining unit 22 has step S4
Processing of 0 will be performed. In step S40, the print destination determination unit 22 adds the broadcast address to the print data and sends it to the print data output unit 23.

The print data output unit 23 is the print destination determination unit 22.
When print data is sent from, as shown in Figure 4,
It is determined whether the added address is a broadcast address (step S41). In this case, since the determination result of step S41 is YES, the print data output unit 23 adds the broadcast address to the print data and sends it to the network 3.

As a result, the printing devices 41 to 44 print the print data, respectively. Therefore, the printing devices 41 to 44
As a result, four sets of print data are printed.

[0040]

As described above, according to the present invention, in a system provided with a plurality of printing devices, print data is divided into a plurality of divided print data and sent to each printing device in a time division multiplex system. Therefore, there is an effect that the printing speed can be improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a processing example of a print data input unit.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a processing example of a print destination determination unit.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a processing example of a print data output unit.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Print data creation device 2 ... Computer system 21 ... Print data input part 22 ... Print destination determination part 23 ... Print data output part 3 ... Network 41-44 ... Printing device

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. In a system having a plurality of printing devices, print data input means for inputting print data, print data input by the print data input means is divided into a plurality of divided print data, and each divided print is performed. A print destination determining unit for determining a print destination of the data; and a print data output unit for transmitting the divided print data corresponding to the printing device of the print destination determined by the print destination determining unit in a time division multiplex system. And parallel printing method. 2. The parallel printing method according to claim 1, wherein the printing destination determining unit divides the printing data into a plurality of divided printing data based on a printing speed of a printing device as a printing destination. 3. The parallel printing method according to claim 1, wherein the print destination determining unit determines the number of divisions of the print data based on the number of print copies and also determines the print destination of the divided print data.