JPH07160448A - Printing system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To control data transfer by utilizing a print data transfer processing system by judging the attribute of received data, switching the transfer destination of the data to an extended device or printer engine, and transferring the data. CONSTITUTION:An input/output interface 12 is connected to a host computer and transmits and receives print data, and an input/output interface 13 is connected to a printing part main body 5 and sends the print data out. Further, an input/output interface 14 is connected to an extension interface unit for function extension and inputs and outputs user file data. A read-only memory ROM 15 is made to store a microinstruction group required to inform a CPU 11 of a control procedure in order when the CPU 11 supplies control signals to respective parts. A RAM 16 gas an area for storing the operation states of the respective devices and also stores the input print data. And, the attribute of data recorded in the header of input data is judged and if it is so judged that the data are print data, a printing process is performed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printing system in which a printer which communicates with a plurality of host computers and outputs received print data and an expansion device which executes desired functional processing can be expanded-connected.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a computer system composed of a plurality of host computers connected by a LAN or the like,
Printer server, application program server,
When a file server, a mail server, a communication server, a database server, etc. are shared by each host computer, it is common to use a plurality of dedicated host computers to realize each function.

[0003]

That is, in the method according to the prior art described above, since the processing capacity of the CPU and the capacity of the storage device are limited, a plurality of host computers dedicated to the server are required, and the occupied space and cost are reduced. But there was the problem of having to bear a heavy burden.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above problems, and controls the transfer of data of an expansion device via a communication system for communicating print data, so that the functional processing of the expansion device is inexpensive. It is also an object of the present invention to provide a printing system that can be performed in a small space.

[0005]

A printing system according to the present invention connects a printer engine, a receiving means for receiving data through communication with a plurality of host computers, and an expansion device for executing predetermined functional processing. Interface unit, and a transfer unit that determines the attribute of the data received by the receiving unit and switches the transfer destination of the data to the expansion device or the printer engine to transfer the data.

[0006]

According to the present invention, the attribute of the data received by the receiving means is judged, and the transfer means switches the transfer destination of the data to the expansion device or the printer engine to transfer the data. The transfer can be controlled by using the print data transfer processing system.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment in which a file server function is expanded in a printing apparatus will be described below as an embodiment according to the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the arrangement of a printing system showing an embodiment of the present invention. The printing system according to the present embodiment includes a host computer 1 and a host computer 2 for sending out a print data group, various other data groups, and various command data groups, and an input / output switching device 3 having three input / output ports. It is composed of a control device 4, a printing unit main body (printer engine) 5, an expansion interface unit 6, and an external storage device 7 as an example of an expansion device.

In this case, the external storage device 7 is a readable / writable storage device such as a hard disk or a magneto-optical disk.

When the host computer 1 or the host computer 2 sends a print data group, other various data, and various command data groups to the input / output switching device 3, the input / output switching device 3 detects the input. Only the output port is enabled and the input data is transferred to the control device 4. Then, the control device 4 detects the attribute of this data group, and if it is print data, sends it to the printing unit main body 5 to execute printing.

If the data group is calling information / user file data for calling / storing from the external storage device 7, the external storage device 7 is accessed via the expansion interface unit 6.

In the printing system configured as described above, the input / output switching device 3 determines the attribute of the data received, and the control device 4 transfers the data to the external storage device 7 or the printing unit main body 5 as an expansion device. Since the data is transferred by switching to, the data transfer to the expansion device can be controlled using the print data transfer processing system.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control device 4 of FIG. In the figure, reference numeral 11 is a central processing unit (CPU) in the form of a microprocessor, which is constructed in the form of a sequential circuit having, for example, a clock pulse generating circuit, a delay circuit, a gate circuit, and other logic circuits.

Reference numeral 12 is an input / output interface for connecting to a host computer to send / receive print data, and 13 is an input / output interface for connecting to the printing unit main body 5 of FIG. 1 to send print data. is there. Reference numeral 14 denotes an input / output interface for connecting to the extension interface unit 6 for function extension of FIG. 1 and inputting / outputting user file data. A read-only memory (ROM) 15 stores microinstruction groups necessary for sequentially informing the CPU of the control procedure when the CPU 11 supplies control signals to the respective units. 16 is a readable / writable random access memory (RAM),
It has an area for storing the operation state of each apparatus and a storage area for storing input print data. When the power is turned on, the contents of the RAM 16 are all "0". A bus line 17 is used for electrically connecting the CPU 11, the interfaces 1, 2, and 3, the ROM 15, and the RAM 16 to transfer a memory address and data.

Next, the operation example of the present invention shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 will be described with reference to the flow chart shown in FIG. 3, which is a flow chart showing the control process of the control device when various data are received.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing an example of a data processing procedure in the printing system according to the present invention. Note that (1) to (3) indicate each step.

When data is sent from the host computer after the power of the system is turned on, the interface (IF) of the control device 4 is passed through the input / output switching device 3.
1) 12 is input, and the control is performed under the control of the CPU 11 according to the flowchart shown in FIG.

First, in step (1), the attribute of the data recorded in the header portion of the input data is judged, and if it is judged that it is print data, step (2)
Then, the process proceeds to and the continuous data is received and the printing process is performed.

On the other hand, when it is determined in step (1) that the input data is data for accessing the external storage device 7, the process proceeds to step (3) and the file management program in the external storage device 7 is controlled. Is passed to store the received data and call the specified file.

In the above embodiment, the case where the data input from a plurality of host computers is performed via the input / output switching device 3 has been described, but the embodiment in the case where the data is input via the local area network is also applicable. Can be applied.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the embodiment of the file server to which the read / write external storage device such as the hard disk or the magneto-optical disk is connected as the external storage device 7 has been described. It can also be applied to the case where an external storage device of only memory is connected to implement an application server, database server, or the like.

Further, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the embodiment in which one external storage device unit is connected to the expansion interface unit has been described, but it is also applicable to the case where a plurality of function expansion units are connected. For example, a communication server or a mail server can be realized by connecting an external storage device unit and an external line connection communication unit equipped with communication protocol conversion means.

Further, in addition to the above-mentioned external storage device unit and communication unit for external line connection, a scanner unit, a video projector unit, a sound unit, etc. are connected to the expansion interface unit to provide a center machine for a video conference system or an educational system. The present invention can be applied to the embodiment used as.

According to the present embodiment, in each workgroup computing, an interface for function expansion is provided so that almost one printer is required for control by the high-speed CPU and the above-mentioned various server functions. The space and cost required for connecting a conventional expansion device can be greatly reduced by providing the.

[0025]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Since the transfer means switches the transfer destination of the data to the expansion device or the printer engine to transfer the data by judging the attribute of the data received by the reception means, the print data transfer processing system is used for the data transfer to the expansion device. Can be controlled.

Therefore, the function processing of the expansion device is inexpensive,
In addition, it has the effect of being space-saving.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a printing system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a control device shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of a data processing procedure in the printing system according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 host computer 2 host computer 3 input / output switching device 4 control device 5 printing unit main body 6 function expansion interface unit 7 external storage device

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A printer engine, and receiving means for receiving data by communication with a plurality of host computers,
An interface unit for connecting an expansion device that executes a predetermined functional process, and an attribute of the data received by the receiving unit are determined to switch the transfer destination of the data to the expansion device or the printer engine to transfer the data. A printing system having a transfer unit for transferring.