JPH09240074A - Controller for printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a controller for a printer wherein the controller for the printer connected to a printer in which printing data are controlled in a file unit, can surely identify the file. SOLUTION: When a file is forwarded to a printer so that the file is printed with a controller for printer, the file can be forwarded by annexing another file name different from a file name for the controlling for printer. The printer can have a same file name for two or more files. In such the case, the controller for printer comes to be incapable of identifying the file. Herein, the controller for printer forwards the file by a file name to which an identification character is annexed. Since an identification character which is preliminarily not used for an identification character for another file is selected as the identifying character, the file can be surely identified by using the identification character.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printer control device, and more particularly to a printer control device provided with a storage means for temporarily storing input print data.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, local area networks (LA
The number of systems that connect multiple workstations to N) is increasing. Some of these systems have a form in which a printer is connected to the LAN in addition to the workstation. The printer supports the file transfer protocol (FTP) used between workstations, and the printer can be instructed to print by the same procedure as the file transfer between workstations.
In printers and workstations, files have file names.

Here, in the workstation, when a file having the same file name as an already existing file name is transferred, the previous file is erased and the transferred file is stored. Therefore, all files have different file names (hereinafter, the file names are represented as unique). On the other hand, the printer can store a plurality of files having the same file name, and the file names of the files stored in the printer are not necessarily unique. That is, the file name is always unique on the workstation, but the printer can store a file with a non-unique file name.

Therefore, when a file name is specified from the workstation to the printer and the print status is confirmed, if a plurality of files having the same file name are stored in the printer, the file stored in the printer is stored. There was a problem that could not be identified.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In consideration of the above facts, an object of the present invention is to provide a printer device which can surely identify a file stored in a printer.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 is connected to a printer device via a network, and an original file name is designated to issue a print instruction. In a printer control device that receives and transfers print data corresponding to the original file name to the printer device as a print file, an identification character that selects a different identification character for each print file when transferring the print file to the printer device. Selection means, and network control means for transferring the print file to the printer device by using a transfer file name generated by combining the original file name and the selected identification character in the print file. Is characterized by.

According to the first aspect of the invention, the printer control device receives the print instruction by obtaining the original file name (hereinafter, simply referred to as a file name), and the print file (print data) corresponding to the file name. Read out. The identification character selection means selects a different identification character for each print file. The network control means creates a transfer file name by combining the selected identification character and the file name, and transfers the print file to the printer device using the transfer file name. Since the identification characters are selected so that there is no duplication between the print files, even in a printer device that can store a plurality of files having the same file name, the identification characters can be used to reliably identify the files by the file names.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the identification character storage means for storing all the usable identification characters in advance, the identification characters stored in the identification character storage means, and the used identification characters are collated. However, the present invention is characterized by having an identification character selection / readout unit that selects and reads out an unused identification character.

According to the invention of claim 2, the number of characters of the identification characters and the types of usable characters are predetermined, and all the usable identification characters are stored in the identification character storage means. The identification character selection / reading means collates all currently used identification characters with the identification character storage means.
Identification characters that do not match all of the used identification characters are determined as unused identification characters, and unused identification characters are read from the identification character storage means.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, a candidate for an identification character is created, it is determined whether the candidate does not match all the used identification characters, and if the candidate does not match all the identification characters, the candidate is selected. It is characterized by having an identification character creating means for making an unused identification character.

According to the invention of claim 3, the identification character creating means creates one identification character candidate when obtaining an unused identification character. This candidate is the order of the character code,
It is created in a predetermined order. Determine if the candidate does not match all the identifying characters used. If it is determined that they do not match all, the created candidate is set as an unused identification character.
If any match is found, it is determined that the candidate has already been used, a new identification character candidate is created, and it is again judged whether or not they match. When it is difficult to store all the usable identification characters, such as when the number of identification characters is large, it is possible to easily obtain an unused identification character.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the network control is performed when the transfer of the print file to the printer device is incomplete or when an instruction to stop printing the transferred print file is given. The means is characterized by instructing the printer device to delete the print file using the transfer file name.

According to the invention of claim 4, the print file can be identified by the identification character added to the transfer file name. Therefore, even when the erroneous identification of the print file is a problem such as when the print file stored in the printer device is deleted, the desired print file can be surely deleted, and the erroneous identification can be prevented.

[0014]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION As shown in FIG. 1, a client host 1 is connected to a print server 3 via a LAN 2.

The client host 1 comprises an interface program 11 for accepting general applications and user requests, a database 12, a printer control program 13, and a communication control program 14.

The interface program 11 is connected to the printer control program 13 and receives print requests from general applications and users. Although an example of the interface 11 will be described later with reference to FIG. 2, the interface program 11 requests the control program 13 for printing when a file name to be printed (hereinafter referred to as a print file name) is designated. The control program 13 is the interface program 11
Creates various information (hereinafter referred to as entries) related to the print file based on the print request sent from
It is stored in the database 12 described later.

The database 12 is connected to the printer control program 13 and stores the entries created by the control program 13. The database 12 has a structure shown in FIG. 3 described later.

The identification character table 15 is connected to the printer control program 13, and the printer control program 13 stores identification character candidates. The identification character table 15 is used when an identification character is selected.

The communication control program 14 is connected to the printer control program 13 and transfers a print file using FTP to the LAN 2. The print files corresponding to the entries registered in the database 12 are sequentially transferred to the print server 3.

The print server 3 is a communication control program 3
1, a queue 32, a spool 33, and a data output unit 34.

The communication control program 31 is connected to the LAN 2, reads the file transferred from the client host 1, and transmits the print status in response to the request from the client host 1.

The queue 32 is connected to the communication control program 31 and stores management information such as the name of the transferred file in the order of the transferred time. Further, the stored information is transmitted to the client host 1 in response to the request from the client host 1. The aforementioned communication control program 14 reads the processing status of the print file from the queue 32, and updates the entry stored in the database 12 so as to match the read processing status.

The spool 33 is connected to the communication control program 31 and temporarily stores the contents of the transferred print file.

The data output section 34 is connected to the queue 32, the spool 33, and the printer engine 4. The management information such as the file name stored in the queue 32 is read in the order of the transferred time. That is, the queue 32 is a first-in first-out (FIFO) type queue, and printing is executed in the order of transfer. The data output unit 34 reads the file corresponding to the print file name read from the queue 32 from the spool 33 and outputs it to the printer engine 4. Also, the printer engine 4
The processing status of the file is acquired, the management information of the file on the queue 32 is updated, and the queue 32 represents the actual processing status.

The printer engine 4 prints from the data output from the data output unit 34.

FIG. 2 shows the interface program 11.
It is an example of the interface concerning. The user starts the interface with the print control program 13 with the pcp command and requests printing with the put command. pu
The t command specifies the print file by the first parameter by the file name on the client host 1.

The list command displays a list of print file names requested to be transferred by the put command together with the status of each print file. In the example of FIG. 2, the statuses of five print files are displayed. The bye command ends the interface with the printer control program 13.

FIG. 3 shows the structure of the database 12. The database 12 is roughly divided into three areas. The first area is an area called Sending in FIG. 3, and stores an entry corresponding to the print file currently being transferred to the print server 3. The second area is an area called Pending, which stores an entry corresponding to a print file that has not been printed but has been transferred to the print server 3. The third area is an area called Term and stores an entry corresponding to a print file for which printing has been completed. The contents of the database 12 are updated when the communication control program 14 reads the actual print file processing status from the queue 32. For example, the entry stored in Sending is Pend when the transfer of the print file corresponding to the entry is completed.
The entry that was moved to ing and stored in Pending will be printed when the print file corresponding to the entry is completed.
Moved to Term.

Each entry consists of Prev, user name, print file name, identification character, transmission time, status, and Next. Prev indicates whether the entry is stored before Prev, and Prev is the first entry in each area.
Null. The user name is the user name of the user who issued the print instruction. Although details of the identification character will be described later, the identification character is a character added to the print file name to identify the file in the print server 3. The transmission time is the time when the printing is instructed.

The status is Sending, Pending, Comp
There are lete, Abort, and Cancel. Complete indicates the completion of printing, Abort indicates abnormal termination of printing, and Cancel indicates that the printing has been canceled by the user's instruction.

Next indicates whether an entry is stored next to Next, and Ne is set in the last entry of each area.
The queue 32 of the print server 3 in which xt is Null can register a plurality of print files having the same file name. On the other hand, the client host 1 identifies the file using the file name. Therefore, when there are a plurality of print files with the same name in the queue 32, the client host 1 cannot identify the print files with the same name. In order to avoid such a situation, the client host 1 creates a transfer file name that combines the print file name and the identification character when transferring the print file, and transfers the print file to the print server 3 with the transfer file name. To do. Different identification characters are selected for each file, and the print server 3
All transfer file names transferred to will have different names (unique names). Since the print file name is changed by the client host 1, it is possible to avoid duplication of the file name without changing the function of the print server 3.

FIG. 4 shows an example of the transfer file name. The head has a host ID for identifying the client host, which is an 8-character ID determined for each client host. The ID (identification character) is described after the host ID.
The number of characters and the type of characters to be used are determined in advance as the identification characters, and in the present embodiment, one uppercase alphabet (AZ) is used. After the identification character, the print file name is described. The print file name can use any number of characters. Therefore, in this embodiment, the character located at the 9th character from the beginning of the transfer file name is the identification character.

Next, the operation of the embodiment of the present invention will be described. When the interface program 11 of the client host 1 receives a print instruction from a user or a general application, the interface program 11 sends information such as the instructed print file name to the printer control program 13.

The printer control program 13 starts the processing shown in the flowchart of FIG. 5 in order to create a transfer file name.

In step 100, all the usable identification characters are stored in the identification character table 15 as candidates.
In the present embodiment, since the uppercase alphabet of 26 characters A to Z is used as the identification character, the identification character table 15
Stores 26 identification character candidates.

At step 102, one transfer file name registered in the queue 32 is read out via the LAN 2. When all transfer file names have already been read from the queue 32, one transfer file name registered in the entry of the database 12 is read. The reason why the file name is read from the entry of the database 12 is to avoid duplication of the identification character of the print file which is not yet registered in the queue 32 and is therefore not registered in the queue 32.

At step 104, the identification character which is the ninth character from the beginning of the transfer file name read at step 102 is extracted.

In step 106, the identification character table 1
From 5, the identification characters extracted in step 104 are deleted. Therefore, the already used identification characters are excluded from the candidates.

In step 108, it is judged whether or not there is a transfer file name that has not been read yet. Cue 3
If all the transfer file names have been read from 2 and all the transfer file names have been read from the entries of the database 12, it is determined that all the transfer file names have been read, and the process proceeds to step 110. If not all have been read, the process returns to step 102 and the next transfer file name is read.

At the time when the processing moves to step 110,
The identification characters that have already been used have been deleted from the identification character candidates. Only unused identification character candidates are left in the identification character table 15. In step 110, it is determined whether there are any unused identification character candidates. If no candidate remains, the determination is negative and the process proceeds to step 114. If one or more candidates remain, the determination is affirmative and the process proceeds to step 112.

In step 112, the identification character is selected from the identification character candidates remaining in the identification character table 15, and the process proceeds to step 116. In the present embodiment, one alphabetic character is selected from the earliest alphabetical order among the identification character candidates.

In step 114, the database 12
One entry is selected from the entries stored in the term, the identification character is extracted from the entry, the entry is deleted, and the process proceeds to step 116. This is because the entry stored in Term has already been printed,
This is because it is not necessary to store it. Compensate for the lack of identifying characters by removing unnecessary entries and using the identifying characters of the deleted entries. Also, the database 12
If the print file corresponding to the entry deleted from the queue 32 remains in the queue 32, the communication control program 1
4 is used to request the queue 32 to delete the print file.

In step 116, the identification character selected (extracted) in step 112 or step 114 is
This is the identification character of the print file to be transferred this time. Also, information such as user name and transmission time is obtained.

At step 118, an entry is created using the various information obtained at step 116 and stored in an area called Sending of the database 12.

The printer control program 13 reads the entry stored in Sending from the database 12, adds the identification character and the host ID to the print file name stored in the entry, and creates a transfer file name as shown in FIG. To do. A transfer file name is given to the print file, and the communication control program 14 is requested to transfer the print file to the print server 3.

The communication control program 14 receives a request for transfer of the print file, reads the print file corresponding to the print file name, and transfers the print file to the print server 3 using the transfer file name.

Therefore, the selected (extracted) identification character is
It is unique in the print server 3 and the database 12. Even if the same print file name as the previously specified print file name is specified, the print character stored in the print server 3 can be reliably identified by using the identification character. The client host 1 can confirm the status after transfer of the print file and interrupt the printing by using the transfer file name having the identification character. Further, since the transfer file name is created by the client host 1, it is not necessary to change the function of the print server 3.

In this embodiment, the file name on the client host 1 is used as the print file name, and the transfer file name is created by combining the print file name with the identification character. However, an arbitrary character string specified separately is used as the print file name. It is also possible to use it instead of the name and synthesize an arbitrary character string and the identification character to form the transfer file name.

Although one uppercase alphabet is used as the identification character in the present embodiment, other characters such as lowercase alphabets, numbers and symbols may be used, or two or more identification characters may be used.

In the present embodiment, all the identification characters are prepared in advance as candidates, and the used identification characters are deleted from the candidates to select the unused identification characters. However, all the used identification characters are selected. If the candidates are stored in a table, candidates for identification characters are created in a predetermined order, and the candidates do not match all the identification characters stored in the table for the first time, the candidates are identified as unused identification characters. It is also possible to select. When the number of identification characters is large and it is difficult to secure a memory for storing all identification character candidates, an unused identification character can be easily selected. For example, when the identification character is a five-digit number, "0000
Candidates are created in the order of 0, “00001”, “00002” ...

When a failure occurs during the transfer of the print file and the print file is transferred in an incomplete form, it is confirmed whether the print file is stored in the queue 32, and if it is stored. By transmitting a delete command from the client host 1 to the print server 3, incomplete storage and printing of print files can be suppressed.

[0052]

As described above, the printer control device according to the present invention adds the identification character to the file name,
This has an excellent effect that a file can be surely identified even in a printing apparatus capable of storing a plurality of files having the same file name.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a printer control device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of an interface according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a structure of a database according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a relationship between a print file name and a transfer file name according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing processing of creating a transfer file name according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Client Host (Printer Control Device) 2 LAN (Network) 3 Print Server (Printing Device) 13 Printer Control Program (Identification Character Selection Means, Identification Character Selection Read Means, Identification Character Creation Means) 14 Communication Control Program (Network Control Means) 15 Identification Character Table (Identification Character Storage Means)

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A printer connected to a printer device via a network, accepting a print instruction by designating an original file name, and transferring print data corresponding to the original file name to the printer device as a print file. In the control device, when the print file is transferred to the printer device, an identification character selection unit that selects a different identification character for each print file, and the print file is combined with the original file name and the selected identification character. And a network control unit that transfers the print file to the printer device by using a transfer file name generated by the printer control device. 2. An identification character storage means for storing all usable identification characters in advance, an identification character stored in the identification character storage means and a used identification character are collated, and an unused identification character is used. 2. The printer control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: identification character selection and reading means for selecting and reading. 3. A candidate for an identification character is created, it is determined whether the candidate does not match all the used identification characters, and when the candidate does not match all the identification characters, the candidate is set as an unused identification character. 2. The printer control device according to claim 1, further comprising identification character creating means. 4. The network control means sets the transfer file name when the transfer of the print file to the printer device is incomplete or when an instruction to stop printing the transferred print file is given. 4. The printer control device according to claim 1, wherein the printer control device is used to instruct the printer device to delete the print file.