JPH0570173B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a document printing device in a multi-user document file system in which the printing device is shared by multiple users.

BACKGROUND ART This type of multi-user document file system includes a storage device for storing documents such as an optical disk device or a magnetic disk device, a retrieval device for searching documents stored in this storage device, and a printing device for printing documents. There is a system in which a plurality of workstations for devices and man-machine interfaces are connected in a star shape to a center device (file controller).

In such a system, when printing a document, the workstation accesses the search device via the center device, specifies a keyword or disk number and document number range, and searches for a group of documents that meet the conditions. , select the document to be printed from the document group. Next, the workstation executes a procedure for occupying one printing device with respect to the center device. If this printing device is successfully occupied, the actual printing procedure using this printing device is started. This printing device is occupied by one workstation and cannot be used by other workstations until document printing is finished and occupation is released. If this printing device is occupied by another workstation, printing must be postponed until the occupation is removed.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention As described above, when attempting to print a document at a certain workstation, if the printing device to be used is occupied by another workstation, printing will be disabled until the printing device is occupied by another workstation. You have to wait for the execution of
If the number of printing devices in the system is small, the number of workstations is large, and the print processing frequency is high,
Occurs quite often.

If such a printing device is occupied and printing cannot be performed, you will have to wait until the printing device is no longer occupied, or the printing process will be interrupted and printing will be executed again after the printing device is no longer occupied. . However, in the former case, if the amount of documents to be printed (number of documents, number of pages) is large and the printing device is occupied for a long time, the user will be absent from work for a long time. On the other hand, in the latter case, it is possible to carry out other tasks after the printing process is interrupted, but it is necessary to search and select documents again when printing the next time, and there is no guarantee that the printing device will be available at that time. do not have.

As described above, in the past, the waiting or interruption of printing processing caused by competition for occupancy of a printing device (or due to paper shortages, etc.) has been a major cause of deteriorating business efficiency in the system.

As a way to solve this problem, one of the printing devices
It is conceivable that the time occupied by each session is short, such as one page or one document. According to this, the number of timings at which each workstation can issue a print instruction increases, so the time spent waiting for the printing device to be released is reduced. However, even when there is no contention for the occupation of a printing device, occupation and release occur frequently, resulting in an increase in print processing time due to the overhead, and documents ordered from multiple workstations are processed one document at a time. Alternatively, the printing device outputs mixed pages on a page-by-page basis, which necessitates a sorting operation.This cannot be said to be a practical solution.

Alternatively, the printing device is equipped with a large-capacity buffer memory, and when the transfer of document information to the buffer memory in response to a print instruction from one workstation is completed, the printing device is released from occupation, allowing it to be occupied by another workstation. can also be considered. However, the amount of documents that can be printed in a single print process can be quite large, and printing instructions can be issued continuously from many workstations, so the buffer memory must have a fairly large capacity to be effective. This cannot be expected, and a significant increase in the cost of the printing device cannot be avoided, making it unrealistic.

In a multi-user document file system, the present invention eliminates the deterioration of business efficiency due to competition for monopolization of printing devices, without causing an increase in print processing time, trouble after printing, or a significant increase in printing device costs as described above. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a document printing device for preventing such problems.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a first storage means for storing a document to be printed, a printer for printing the document, a printing page range, a number of copies to be printed, and a printer to be used. The second storage means includes a second storage means that stores print reservation data for specifying a printer for each document, and a reservation print execution control means that controls execution of print processing based on the print reservation data. The printing of all documents stored in the printer is executed in the order in which the print reservation data was registered, and the print reservation data of documents whose printing is normally completed is deleted.

Effect With the above configuration, when you try to print a document at a workstation, the printing device is occupied by another workstation, so
Alternatively, if it is not possible to print immediately due to paper shortage or malfunction, the print reservation data can be registered in the print reservation file and another job can be performed, and when the job is finished or at an appropriate time, the printer If it is available, the reserved document can be printed simply by inputting a reserved print instruction (without searching for, selecting, or specifying a printing device again) the reserved document.

Embodiment An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a multi-user document file system according to an embodiment of the present invention. This system includes n workstations 101,
This configuration has one document storage storage device 102, m printing devices 103, and search devices 104 connected to a file controller 105 as a center device.

The workstation 101 has the configuration described below, and has a channel W1 of the file controller 105.
~Connected to Wn.

The storage device 102 is an optical disk device or a hard disk device that accesses a disk (optical disk or magnetic disk) on which document information composed of image information and code information is recorded, and reads the document information. Connected to channels 01-01.

The printing device 103 is a file controller 105
It prints document information transferred from the storage device 102 via the file controller 10.
5 channels P1 to Pm.

The search device 104 is capable of searching for disk numbers and document numbers based on keyword conditions, and keywords and the like based on disk numbers and document numbers.
5 channel R1.

The file controller 105 is a center device that transfers data between connected terminal devices and manages queues of commands and responses.

FIG. 2 is a functional configuration diagram of the workstation 101. 201 is a control unit that controls the entire device, 202 is a display with a keyboard for man-machine interface, 203 is a floppy disk device, and 204 is a communication unit that controls communication with the file controller 105 or other terminal devices. This is the control section. 205 is a print processing unit that performs print processing; 206 is a print reservation registration unit that performs print reservation data registration processing; and 207 is a print reservation registration unit that controls the print processing unit 205 according to print reservation data to print a reserved document. This is a reserved print execution control unit that executes processing. Reference numeral 208 denotes an other processing unit that executes other processing (document search, selection, editing, etc.). The print reservation file is stored on a floppy disk in the floppy disk device 203.

FIG. 3 shows an example of the hardware configuration of the workstation 101. 301 is a central processing unit;
302 is a memory for storing programs, data, etc.; 303 is a communication interface circuit;
04 is an interface circuit of the display 202, and 305 is an interface circuit of the floppy disk device 203. Each functional unit in FIG. 2 is realized by hardware such as a central processing unit 301 and a memory 302, and programs.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the document management system of this system. As shown in this figure, one document is composed of one or more pages, and one document or a plurality of documents are registered on one disk (optical disk or magnetic disk). Furthermore, a search group is composed of one or more disks. A disk, document, and page each have a disk number, document number, and page number, and a search keyword is assigned to the document, and documents are searched within one search group based on this keyword.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of data registered in the search device 104. The search device 104 includes a file A for searching combinations of disk numbers and document numbers based on keywords, and a file A for searching for combinations of disk numbers and document numbers based on keywords and keywords assigned to documents and the number of pages in the document based on combinations of disk numbers and document numbers. , and file B for searching other auxiliary information.

Regarding this system configured as above,
The procedure and operation of document printing will be described below with reference to the schematic flowchart of document printing shown in FIG.

In step 601, the user accesses the search device 104 from the workstation 101 (WSi) via the file controller 105, and
Specify a keyword or specify a range of disk numbers and document numbers, and obtain disk numbers and document numbers of documents that meet the conditions. In the next step 602, the user selects one or more documents to be printed from the searched document group by operating the workstation WSi. Everything up to this point is exactly the same as the conventional one, and related processing is executed by the cooperation of the control unit 201 and other processing units 208. The document number of the selected document is naturally stored (stored in memory 302 in FIG. 3).

In step 603, the user operates the keyboard of the workstation WSi to
Specify the printing device 103 to be used. Then, if the selected document is to be printed immediately, a print instruction is input. Furthermore, if the specified printing device 103 is occupied by another workstation and cannot immediately execute the printing process, or if other work needs to be prioritized, a print reservation instruction is input.

First, a case where a print reservation instruction is input will be described. In this case, the printing reservation registration process in step 604 is performed, the printing job is completed, and other jobs can be performed. The print reservation registration processing unit 206 in the workstation WSi creates print reservation data,
The floppy disk device 2 is controlled through the control unit 201.
03 and register this print reservation data in the print reservation file on the floppy disk.
After completing this registration, the workstation WSi
becomes available for other work.

FIG. 7 shows an example of the data format of the print reservation file. As shown in the figure, each record of this file, that is, one piece of print reservation data, includes the search group number (or search group name) of the document to be printed, the disk number, the print page range, the number of print copies, and the connection of the printing device 103 to be used. the channel number of the file controller 105 that is being
Consists of other auxiliary information. A plurality of records of such print reservation data can be registered in the print reservation file.

Referring again to FIG. 6, the case where a print instruction is input in step 603 will be described. in this case,
Workstation WSi executes normal printing processing within the dashed line in FIG. This process is performed by the control unit 2
01, the print processing unit 208 communicates with the communication control unit 2.
It is executed while communicating with the outside via 04.
The communication procedure between each device in this printing process is explained in the 8th section.
As shown in the figure.

First, in step 605, the workstation WSi issues a command to declare the start of exclusive use of the channel to which the specified printing device 103 (ipm) is connected.
Issue ALOC/ON (ipm). When the file controller 105 receives this command, if the designated printing device ipm is not occupied at that time, it returns a normal response ACK to the workstation WSi that issued the command. Now the specified printing device ipm
is occupied by this workstation WSi and cannot be accessed from other workstations 101. If the printing device ipm is occupied, the file controller 105 returns a negative response.

The workstation WSi checks the response from the file controller 105, and if the response is negative, the process branches from step 606 to step 610, but if the response is normal, the process advances to step 607 to execute printing.

In step 607, first, from the workstation WSi, issue the disk usage declaration command MOUNT/ON with the disk number of one document to be printed.
(disk number) to file controller 105
It is issued to the storage device 102 via. When a normal response ACK is returned from the corresponding storage device 102, reading from the target disk becomes possible. Document management information read command from workstation WSi
READ/DOC (document number) is issued. In contrast, when the document management information of the designated document number is received from the storage device 102 along with the normal response ACK,
The workstation WSi obtains the information necessary to reproduce the document from the document management information, and based on that, issues commands to read and transfer the image information of the document.
Issue GET/DAT. Upon receiving this command, the storage device 102 reads image information for one page of the designated document, and this image information is transferred to the designated printing device 102 (ipm) via the file controller 105. When this transfer is completed, a normal response is received from this memory device 102.
An ACK is returned to the workstation WSi.

In response to this successful response, the workstation WSi
Print command PUT/SP to printing device ipm
is issued, the transferred image information is printed by the printing device IPM, and when this printing is completed normally, a normal response ACK is returned.

When printing multiple copies of the same page, the print command is issued again after confirming a normal response. This is repeated a number of times equal to the required number of copies.

When printing multiple pages within the same document, use the GET/DAT command and
The PUT/SP command is issued repeatedly, printing each page in sequence.

When printing multiple documents on the same disk,
Commands from READ/DOC (document number) to PUT/ST are issued repeatedly for the required number of documents, and each document is printed.

When the printing of the document on one disk is finished in this way, the media exit command is executed.
MOUNT/OFF is issued from the workstation WSi.

If it is necessary to print a document on another disk, the same printing process is executed after issuing the media use declaration command MOUNT/ON (disk number) for that disk.

Once all required documents have been printed, the step
609, the workstation WSi sends the channel end of use declaration command ALOC/OFF (ipm).
will be issued. In response, when a normal response ACK is returned from the file controller 105 (the printing device ipm is no longer occupied and its channel is released), control is returned from the print processing unit 208 to the control unit 201 in the workstation WSi. ,
Other tasks become possible.

Up to this point, the printing process has been executed normally, but if the printing device IPM runs out of paper, the following operation will occur. In the workstation WSi, the control unit 201 monitors the status of the printing device ipm during printing processing (step
608). When an abnormality or paper out occurs in the printing device ipm, a message is displayed on the display 202 by the control unit 201.

In response to this message, the user can instruct from the keyboard to retry or interrupt the printing process. If an interrupt instruction is entered, workstation WSi prints the same printing device as in step 609.
The ipm is released, and the process returns to step 603, where it becomes possible to select a printing device, issue a print instruction, or issue a print reservation instruction. When a retry instruction is input, the printing process is restarted from the state where the error occurred.

On the other hand, the specified printing device ipm is occupied by another workstation and a negative response to the ALOC/ON (ipm) command is sent to file controller 1.
05, in step 610,
Workstation WSi displays a message on display 202. The user can input an instruction to retry or interrupt the occupation of the printing device IPM. If a retry instruction is input, the workstation WSi issues the command again, but if an abort instruction is input, the process returns to step 603, and the user can select a printing device and issue print instructions or print reservation instructions. Become.

Next, the operation when printing is performed according to the print reservation data registered in the print reservation file will be explained. FIG. 9 is a flowchart of the operation.

The user first sets the floppy disk containing the print reservation file in the floppy disk device 203 of the workstation WSi, and inputs a reservation print instruction from the keyboard.

Then, in step 901, the workstation WSi reads all print reservation data registered in the print reservation file into the internal memory 302. Explaining the configuration of FIG. 2, this print reservation data is read under the control of the control unit 201.

When the reading of this print reservation data is completed, in step 902, the workstation WSi starts exclusive use of the channel to which the printing device 103 (ipm) specified by the print reservation data is connected, starting from the first document. declaration command
Issue ALOC/ON (ipm). When the file controller 105 receives this command, if the designated printing device ipm is not occupied by another workstation at that time, it returns a normal response ACK to the workstation WSi that issued the command. The designated printing device ipm is now occupied by this workstation WSi and cannot be accessed from other workstations 101. If printing device ipm is occupied by another workstation, file controller 105 returns a negative response.

The workstation WSi checks the response from the file controller 105, and if the response is negative, it stops processing the document and continues from step 903.
Return to 902 and select the next document (if processing has progressed to the last document, the remaining document with the earliest registration order)
If there is a normal response, the process advances to step 904 to print the document.

In step 904, first, the workstation WSi issues a disk usage declaration command MOUNT/ON (disk number) corresponding to the disk number of the document to the storage device 102 via the file controller 105. When a normal response ACK is returned from the corresponding storage device 102, reading from the target disk becomes possible. From the workstation WSi, execute the document management information read command READ/
A DOC (document number) will be issued. On the contrary,
When the document management information of the specified document number is received from the storage device 102 along with a normal response ACK, the workstation WSi obtains the information necessary for reproducing the document from the document management information, and based on that, issues a read/transfer command for the image information of the document. Issue GET/DAT. Storage device 102 that received this command
The image information for one page of the specified document is read out, and this image information is sent to the specified printing device 102 via the file controller 105.
(ipm). Once this transfer is complete,
A normal response ACK is returned from the storage device 102 to the workstation WSi.

In response to this successful response, the workstation WSi
print command to the printing device ipm
PUT/SP is issued, the transferred image information is printed by the printing device ipm, and when this printing is completed normally, a normal response ACK is returned.

When printing multiple copies of the same page, the print command is issued again after confirming a normal response. This is repeated a number of times equal to the required number of copies.

When printing multiple pages within the same document, use the GET/DAT command and
The PUT/SP command is issued repeatedly, printing each page in sequence.

When you finish printing one document normally in this way, or when printing is stopped due to the printing device IPM running out of paper, etc., the workstation WSi
A media termination command MOUNT/OFF is issued, and then in step 905 a channel use termination declaration command ALOC/OFF (ipm) is issued.

In response, if a normal response ACK is returned from the file controller 105 (the printing device IPM is no longer occupied and its channel is released), if printing of the document has been completed normally, the process proceeds to step 907.
Then, in the workstation WSi, the print reservation data of the document is deleted from the internal memory 302 and the print reservation file, and if there are remaining documents, the process returns from step 908 to step 902 and the next document (processing up to the last document is completed). If the process advances, processing of the remaining document with the lowest registration order is started.
If printing of the document is canceled, the step
907 is skipped.

In this way, when all the documents reserved for printing are successfully printed and all the print reservation data is deleted, the reserved printing operation is completed and the workstation WSi can perform other operations.

Note that the processes in steps 902, 904, and 905 are executed by the print processing unit 205 via the communication control unit 204 under the control of the reserved print execution control unit 207, and the process in step 907 is executed by the print reservation execution control unit 201. The execution control unit 207 executes.

As is clear from the above description, according to this embodiment, if the selected printing device is occupied by another user, if the selected printing device is malfunctioning or runs out of paper, printing operations can be interrupted. If you need to perform a priority task, you can make a print reservation so that you can perform another task without having to search and select documents again.
Since necessary documents can be automatically printed according to print reservation data, it is expected that business efficiency will be improved.

In this embodiment, a replaceable floppy disk is used as the storage medium for the print reservation file, but it is also possible to store the print reservation file in a non-replaceable storage medium. However, if you store the print reservation file on a replaceable storage medium, you can perform print reservations and reservation printing on separate workstations, which has the advantage of being able to respond flexibly to the usage status of the workstation. .

In this embodiment, in the reservation printing process,
Each time one document is printed normally, the print reservation data for that document is deleted from the print reservation file, but the document may be deleted when all documents have been processed. However, if this embodiment is used, if the scheduled print job is interrupted, the print data of the document that has been printed up to that point will have been deleted from the print reservation file, so in the subsequent scheduled print job, the print data of the document that was previously printed will be deleted. This eliminates the need to print the same document again.

In this embodiment, during reserved printing, the occupation or use of a printing device or disk is declared and canceled for each document. However, as in normal printing operations, when printing multiple documents consecutively using the same printing device or consecutively printing multiple documents on the same disk, the multiple documents Occupancy or use of a printing device or disk may be declared at the start of processing the first document in the document, and released after the last document is processed.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, scheduled printing was executed continuously until printing of all scheduled documents was completed normally (although it is naturally possible to interrupt the printing by the user's instruction). Each document reserved and registered in a file may be sequentially processed in the order of registration, and after the last document is processed, the reserved printing process may be terminated even if some documents that have not been printed normally remain.

Effects of the Invention As is clear from the above description, the present invention executes printing based on print reservation data created for each document and in accordance with the registration order, and prints documents that have been successfully printed. By deleting the print reservation data, even if the print process cannot be executed immediately for some reason, the printer can automatically print at the desired time according to the print reservation data. This can prevent a decline in business efficiency due to competition for occupancy. Furthermore, since the print reservation data of only documents that have been successfully printed is deleted, during subsequent print processing, it is possible to select only those documents that could not be printed due to printer conflicts, malfunctions, etc., and print them again. This has an excellent effect in that it is possible to reliably finish printing all the documents reserved for printing.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a multi-user document file system according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a functional configuration diagram of a workstation, FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the workstation, and FIG. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the document management system, FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of registered data of the search device, FIG. 6 is a flowchart of document printing and print reservation, and FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of the data format of the print reservation file.
FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of the communication procedure when printing a document, and FIG. 9 is a flowchart of reserved printing. 101...Workstation, 102...Storage device, 103...Printing device, 104...Searching device, 10
5...File controller, 201...Control unit, 2
02... Display, 203... Floppy disk device, 204... Communication control section, 205... Print processing section, 206... Print reservation registration section, 207... Reservation print execution control section.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A first storage means for storing documents to be printed, a printer for printing the document, and a second storage means for storing print reservation data for each document, which specifies the print page range, the number of copies to be printed, and the printer to be used. and a reserved print execution control means for controlling the execution of print processing based on the print reservation data, the print reservation execution control means controls the printing of all documents stored in the second storage means when the print reservation data is registered. 1. A document printing device characterized in that printing reservation data of a document whose printing is normally completed is erased.