JPH09109503A - Printing control device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To carry out either of a discrete printout and a batch printout depending upon a printing content information to efficiently perform a printing operation. SOLUTION: When a printing content information including a classification identifier, which specifies a printout system information, sheet information and printing contents, and printing contents is inputted from an input unit 1, a printout system judging unit 2 stores the printing content information in a memory unit 4 when the printout system information is indicative of a batch printing system, and supplies the printing content information to a sheet judging unit 5, when the printout system information is indicative of a discrete printing system, to cause printing on a sheet in a printing unit 6 after the sheet is indicated. When a batch printout demand together with the classification identifier is inputted from the input unit 1, a batch printout demand processing unit 3 reads out a printing content information corresponding to the classification identifier from the memory unit 4 to feed a batch printout to the printing unit 6 through the sheet judging unit 5.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a print control apparatus, and more particularly, to whether to print out the input print content each time, or whether to print out a plurality of print contents and then batch print them out. The present invention relates to a print control device that controls switching in response to a request.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventional print output methods include an individual print output method in which the requested print paper is replaced and printed out in accordance with input print content information (including paper information). In order to save time such as paper replacement time and printed matter rearrangement time, there is a batch print output method in which a plurality of print content information is stored and then the printed matter is collectively output for each same paper size. (For example, JP-A-3
-28,817).

Dedicated print control devices have been used for these two output systems.

[0004]

In the above-mentioned conventional print control apparatus, the dedicated print control apparatus is used for each of the individual print output method and the batch print output method. Therefore, the print control apparatus of the individual print output method is used. However, the batch print output cannot be performed, and the print control apparatus of the batch print output system cannot perform the individual print output, so that the printing operation cannot be efficiently performed.

An object of the present invention is to provide a print control device capable of performing either individual print output or batch print output according to the request according to the print content information and performing a more efficient operation of the print work. To provide.

[0006]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a print control apparatus including print output method information indicating batch print output target prints or individual print output target prints, paper information indicating a paper size and a paper direction, and printing. Input means for inputting print content information consisting of a type identifier indicating the type of content and content such as text to be printed or a batch print output request instruction, storage means for storing the print content information, and supply of the print content information According to the print output method information, when it is determined that it is an individual print output target print material, it is output as it is, and when it is determined that it is a batch print output target print material, a print output method determination means for storing it in the storage means, and the output target type identifier In response to the supply of the batch print output request instruction containing the print content information corresponding to the supplied type identifier, the print content information is read out and output. Bulk print output request processing means, and paper determination means for determining a paper to be used based on the paper information in accordance with the supply of print content information from the print output method determination means or the batch print output request processing means and performing a paper instruction. It is configured to include.

A print control apparatus according to a second aspect of the present invention is the print control apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein the batch print output request processing means receives a batch print output request instruction that does not include a type identifier of an output target. Is to sort the print content information stored in the storage means using the first sort key as paper information and the second sort key as the type identifier, and output all print content information stored in the storage means in the sort order. Is characterized by.

[0008]

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a print control apparatus of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the print control apparatus according to the present embodiment uses an input unit 1 for inputting print content information and a batch print output request command, and the print output based on the print content information as individual print output. Or a batch print output, a print output method determining unit 2, a paper determining unit 5 that determines the paper to be used for this printing from the print content information, and a storage that stores the print content information for performing the batch print output. A batch printing output request processing unit 3 for reading print content information corresponding to the request from the storage unit 4 in response to the supply of the batch printing output command;
The print unit 6 prints out the input print content.

As the print content information, print output method information indicating whether the batch print output target print material or the individual print output target print material (for example, 1 for the batch print output target print material, 0 for the individual print output target print material, hereinafter described in this example. Information, such as paper information used for this printing (paper size and vertical / horizontal distinction, etc.), type identifier indicating the type of print content (for example, sales slip, order slip, etc.) and text to be printed, etc. I'm out.

FIG. 2 exemplifies the storage contents of the storage unit 4 in which the print contents information of n batch print outputs is stored.

As shown in FIG. 2, the storage content of the storage unit 4 for storing the print content information for batch printing output is the number 21 indicating the storage order and the paper information 22 in the print content information corresponding to the number 21. And a type identifier 23 for identifying the print content type are stored. Illustration of the corresponding text to be printed is omitted.

The sheet information 22 is, for example, A4 size,
The B5 size is shown in the vertical and horizontal directions, and the type identifier 23 shows six types A to F. For example, B5
Printed products using horizontal size paper are A and C in the example.
It is shown that there are two types.

Next, the operation of the print control apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

First, the case where the print content information of the individual print output target print material is input will be described.

When the print content information is input from the input unit 1, the print output method determination unit 2 determines that the print output method information in the print content information is 1 for the batch print output target print material, and 0 for the individual print output target print material. to decide.

When the print output method determination unit 2 determines that the print output method information in the print content information is 0 and it is an individual print output target print product, the input print content information is determined by the paper determination unit 5.
To send to.

The paper judgment unit 5 judges the size and direction of use of the paper used for this printing based on the paper information in the supplied print contents information, and supplies the paper instruction to the printing unit 6 together with the contents to be printed. .

The printing unit 6 switches to the designated paper and immediately prints and outputs it.

Next, the case where the print content information of the batch print output target print material is input will be described.

When the print content information is input from the input unit 1, the print output method determination unit 2 determines that the print output method information in the print content information is 1 for the batch print output target print material, and 0 for the individual print output target print material. to decide.

When the print output method determination unit 2 determines that the print output method information in the print content information is 1 and it is a batch print output target print product, it outputs the input print content information to the storage unit 4.

As shown in FIG. 2, the storage section 4 stores the print content information of the batch print output target print material supplied from the print output method determination section 2 in the order of supply, paper information 22, type identifier 23, and printing. The contents (not shown) such as sentences are stored.

When the print content information of the individual print output target print is input, it is immediately printed out, but when the print content information of the batch print output target print is input, a batch print output request described later is made. Until then, each time, it is stored in the storage unit 4 in the supply order as described above, and the operation is terminated.

Next, the case of batch print output will be described.

First, the batch print output request instruction and the type identifier 23 for specifying the print content type of the target print requesting the batch print output are input from the input unit 1.

In response to the supply of the type identifier 23 and the batch print output request instruction, the batch print output request processing unit 3 designates the type identifier 23 designated in the order of the number 21 from the storage unit 4.
The paper information 22 and the text content to be printed are read out and supplied to the paper judgment unit 5.

The paper determination unit 5 determines the size and direction of use of the paper used for this printing based on the paper information in the supplied print content information and supplies the paper instruction to the printing unit 6 together with the content to be printed. .

The printing unit 6 switches to the designated sheet, prints, and outputs in sequence.

For example, the designated type identifier 23 is A
, The number 21 is 1 as shown in FIG.
, 4, 8, and (n−3) are sequentially read out, supplied to the paper determination unit 5, and then supplied to the printing unit 6.
These are not only the same type of printed matter, but also the same information about the paper to be used, so it is not necessary to switch the paper during printing in the printing unit 6, and the batch printing output can reduce the paper switching time, and Since the printed materials of the same type are collectively output, the arrangement time of the printed materials can be reduced.

As described above, the print control apparatus according to the present embodiment can determine whether the batch print output method or the individual print output method is based on the print content information, and can perform the print output according to the request. Therefore, there is an effect that the printing operation can be performed more efficiently than ever before.

In the above description, in the case of batch print output,
The case where the batch print output request instruction and the type identifier 23 for specifying the print content type of the target print requesting the batch print output are input from the input unit 1 has been described, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

If only the batch print output request instruction is input from the input section 1 without inputting the type identifier 23,
The print content information stored in the storage unit 4 by the batch print output request processing unit 3 is the first sort key as the paper information, and the second sort key is the second
It is also possible to sort by using the sort key of as the type identifier and to print all the print contents stored in the storage unit 4 in this sort order.

By doing so, the number of times of switching sheets can be greatly reduced.

[0036]

As described above, the print control apparatus of the present invention can determine whether the batch print output method or the individual print output method is based on the print content information, and perform the print output according to the request. Therefore, there is an effect that the printing work can be performed more efficiently than ever before.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a print control apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a storage unit 4 in the print control apparatus according to the present embodiment.
FIG. 6 is a data storage diagram of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 input section 2 print output method determination section 3 batch print output request processing section 4 storage section 5 paper determination section 6 printing section 21 number 22 paper information 23 type identifier

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A print output method information indicating a batch print output target print object or an individual print output target print material, paper information indicating a paper size and a paper direction, a type identifier indicating a print content type, a text to be printed, and the like. Input means for inputting print content information consisting of content and batch print output request instruction, storage means for storing print content information, and individual print output target print material by the print output method information in response to supply of the print content information If it is determined that the print output method is to be output as it is, and if it is determined to be the batch print output target printed matter, the print output method determination means to store in the storage means and the batch print output request instruction including the type identifier of the output target Batch print output request processing means for reading out and outputting print content information corresponding to the supplied type identifier from storage means, and the print output method A print control device, comprising: a determination unit or a sheet determination unit that determines a sheet to be used based on the sheet information and issues a sheet instruction in response to supply of print content information from the batch print output request processing unit. 2. The batch print output request processing means, when receiving the batch print output request instruction not including the type identifier of the output target, prints the print content information stored in the storage means with the first sort key as a sheet. 2. The print control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information is sorted using the second sort key as a type identifier and all print content information stored in the storage means is output in the sort order.