JPH096705A - Printer system with multichannel switching function - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To prevent channel selection unsuitable for a current priority level with the slight difference of print request generation timing and to improve the operational efficiency of a host. CONSTITUTION: This system is provided with a priority level storage part 24 on which the priority levels of respective hosts from 10-1 to 10-n are registered, and a selection enable storage part 25, on which selection enable periods are registered, and corresponding to print requests from the hosts from 10-1 to 10-n generated within the selection enable periods, a channel selection switching part 22 performs the selection switching of channel ports from 21-1 to 21-n so that the usage right of a printer part 23 can be applied to the host having the highest priority level. At the same time, a control part 26 successively changes and controls the priority levels and selection enable periods in the priority level storage part 24 and selection enable storage part 25 based on the information such as the number of hosts, the number of jobs charged for the hosts and the amount of data to be printed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printer device having a multi-channel switching function, which is connected to a plurality of central processing units and can be used as one output terminal device shared by these central processing units (hereinafter referred to as a host). .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, in a print system including a peripheral device such as a host and a printer, there has been a demand for speeding up of processing capacity with a rapid increase in processing data. As a countermeasure, there are many cases where a distributed processing system using multiple hosts is constructed. In the conventional distributed processing system of this kind, it was general that a plurality of printers were prepared for each host at the beginning, but nowadays, due to economical reasons, installation problems, and ease of system management, etc. From consideration of 1
One printer is in the process of being shared by multiple hosts.

FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram showing an example of a conventional printer device of this type. A plurality of hosts 10-1 to 10-1.
10-n, channel ports 21-1 to 21-n provided for each of the hosts 10-1 to 10-n, and channel ports 21-1 to 2
A channel selection switching unit 22 that selectively switches any one of 1-n as an effective channel, and a printing unit 23 that prints print data sent from the corresponding hosts 10-1 to 10-n through the effective channel. And is configured.

In this printing apparatus 20a, each host 1
The corresponding channel ports 21-1 to 21-n are automatically determined from the print request signals of 0-1 to 10-n and the switching is performed. If the print requests of the hosts 10-1 and 10-2 conflict with each other, according to the preset print priority level of each host, the host with the higher priority level among the conflicts is set at a certain timing. It is determined that the right to use the print unit 23 is given, and the Busy status is returned to the host having a low priority level. In such a device, as the number of connected hosts increases, the printing unit 2
Although there will be more competition for the usage rights of item 3,
Even in such a situation, similar to the above method, the channel port 21-1 having the highest priority level among the competing ones at one timing according to the preset print priority level.
There was no change in giving the right to use the print section 23 by switching to ~ 21-n.

Thus, for example, three hosts 10-1
-10-3 are connected to each host 10-1-10-3
The relationship between the print time of the JOB and the print priority is as shown in Table 1 below, and each host 10-1 to 10-1
From 0-3, when the print request is generated at the timing shown in FIG. 6, the printing operation of the printer device 20a is as follows.

[0006] That is, under the above conditions, the host 10-1 and the host 10
-2 causes a print request contention relationship at point A in FIG. 6, and the channel selection switching unit 22 assigns the right to use the printing unit 23 to the host 10-1 in accordance with the preset priority order of Table 1. In order to give it, the Ready status is returned [(a) in the figure], while the Busy status with no usage right is returned to the host 10-2 [(b) in the figure].

Further, in the case of this example, a print request is issued from the host 10-3 immediately after the host 10-1 and the host 10-2, but at one timing (point A) as described above. This host 10
For -3, the Busy status is naturally returned [(c) in the figure]. As a result, after point A, the print data from the host 10-1 is output from the channel selection switching unit 22 and the print data is printed by the printing unit 23 over a time period of 10 minutes [see FIG. )].

After that, the print priority level is the highest,
The host 10-3, which has the shortest time for printing 1 JOB, of only 30 seconds, continues to output print requests at a certain interval until a large amount of print data of the host 10-1 is finished. In this example, since the host 10-1 is in use for 10 minutes, the Busy status is continuously returned to the print request from the host 10-3 for 10 minutes until the host 10-1 finishes printing. That operation continues. After 10 minutes have passed, the printing of the host 10-1 is completed, and R is returned to the print request issued by the host 10-3.
After the ready status is returned and the print unit 23 is ready for use, the host 10-3 finishes printing its own print data in 30 seconds.

Thus, the print priority level is set to 1
In the conventional apparatus that determines by the point, the host 10-3 having the highest print priority level may be deprived of the usage right by the host 10-1 having a higher priority than that due to a slight difference in the print request generation timing. It has high efficiency, and while waiting for the printing to finish, processing efficiency was unavoidable.

As a concrete example of this type of conventional apparatus for switching and operating a plurality of hosts, there is known a printer apparatus with a multi-channel switching function described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 59-108143. Also in the apparatus described in this publication, the channel port is automatically determined from the print request signal of each host and the port is switched, and if the print requests of a plurality of hosts conflict with each other, at a certain timing, According to the preset print priority level, the host having the highest priority level among the conflicts is given the usage right, and the Busy status is returned to the other hosts.

[0011]

As described above, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 59-59
In a conventional printer device with a multi-channel switching function, such as the device described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 108143, when print requests from multiple hosts conflict,
In general, these competing relationships are determined at a certain timing according to a preset priority, and the printer use right is given to the host having the highest priority among the competing ones. For this reason, the usage right is handed to a host with a low priority even if it is slightly deviated from the above determination timing, and a long print wait is caused by the large amount of print data of the host with a low priority who passed the usage right. There was a problem that the operational efficiency of the host was not always good, such as being forced.

According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent a channel selection that does not match the current setting priority level due to a slight difference in the timing of print request generation, and always perform a channel selection that accurately reflects the current setting priority level. Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a printer device with a multi-channel switching function that can improve the operation efficiency of a host.

[0013]

According to the present invention, one or a plurality of central processing units are connected via respective corresponding channel ports, and one of print requests from the central processing units is accepted and printed. In a printer device with a multi-channel switching function that operates, a priority level holding unit (priority level storage unit 24 in FIG. 1) that holds a print priority level, which is a priority order when receiving the print request, for each central processing unit. And a selection enable holding unit that holds a selection enable time, which is a period during which the print requests from the central processing unit are contended when the print requests from the central processing unit contend (the selection enable storage unit 25).
And the print priority level of the central processing unit that has made a print output request within the selection enable period, and selects the channel port corresponding to the central processing unit with the highest priority among them as the effective channel. Means (same as the channel selection switching section 22) and printing means for printing the print data sent from the corresponding central processing unit through the effective channel (same as the same).
And a printing unit 23).

Preferably, in the present invention, at least the number of connected central processing units, the type of job and the print data amount relating to the print request for each central processing unit are recognized, and the recognized information is stored. It is further characterized by further comprising selection condition control means (same as the control section 26) for variably controlling the print priority level in the priority level holding means and the selection enable time in the selection enable holding means.

[0015]

According to the present invention, the competition relation of print requests from each host is not judged at one timing, but all the print requests generated within a certain competition selection range are judged. It was done like this. Specifically, the print priority level for each host is stored in the priority level holding means, while the selection enable time corresponding to the contention selection range is registered in the selection enable holding means. With respect to each print request generated within the period, the effective channel selection switching control is performed according to the print priority level held by the priority level holding means.

By this control, for example, after a print request for host information having a certain print priority level and requiring an extremely long print time, a host having a higher print priority level and requiring an extremely short print time is required. Even when a print request for information is generated, if the time difference between these print request generation timings is within the contention selection range period, after printing the data from the host with a high print priority level in a short period of time,
It is possible to cope with the control of outputting data from a host having a low priority over a long period of time, and it is possible to improve the utilization efficiency of the host by eliminating unnecessary waiting time of the host having a high priority.

In addition, according to the present invention, at least the combination of data held by the selection enable holding means and the priority level holding means is at least the number of connected hosts and JOB.
The number of connected hosts can be changed by grasping each type of information and the amount of printing, and changing it based on the results.
It is possible to establish a print environment that is always appropriate for the type of job and print volume, which allows the connected host to be used efficiently and effectively.

[0018]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing an embodiment of a printer device with a multi-channel switching function according to the present invention.

The printer device 20 with the multi-channel switching function includes a plurality of hosts 10-1 to 10-n, and channel ports 21-1 to 21-1 to 21-2 provided for the hosts 10-1 to 10-n, respectively.
21-n, based on a print request from each of the hosts 10-1 to 10-n, a channel selection switching unit for switching to enable only one designated channel among the channel ports 21-1 to 21-n. 22, a print unit 2 for printing print data supplied through the effective channel
3. Priority level storage unit 2 that holds the print priority level
4. Select enable storage unit 25 and print unit 23 that hold the select enable time of the channel ports 21-1 to 21-n (the conflict determination period when print requests from the hosts 10-1 to 10-n compete) The print priority level in the priority level storage unit 24 and the selection enable time in the selection enable storage unit 25 are set to optimum values based on the print information from the printer, the type of job (JOB), and the number of hosts from the channel selection switching unit 22. The control unit 26 for controlling is provided.

Next, the general operation of the print request acceptance process in the printer device 20 will be described with reference to the flow charts shown in FIGS.

First, the control operation of the channel selection switching unit 22 of the printer device 20 will be described with reference to FIG. In the standby state, the channel selection switching unit 22 monitors whether or not a print request has been issued (step 201). When a print request has been issued (YES in step 210), the print request source host 1
The information of 0 is held (step 202). At the same time, the channel selection switching unit 22 searches the selection enable storage unit 25 and sets the selection enable time held therein (step 203). Next, the channel selection switching unit 22 determines whether the selection enable time has elapsed (step 204). If it is determined that the time has not passed (step 204)
No) continues to monitor whether there is another print request, and if there is a print request here (step 205).
YES), the host information of the print request source is held (step 206). After that, the processing returns to step 204 and thereafter, and the same print request receiving processing as described above is continued until it is confirmed that the selection enable time has elapsed.

When it is determined that the selection enable time has elapsed during the above processing (step 204YE
S), and then the channel selection switching unit 22 moves to the search of the priority level storage unit 24 (step 207), and the print request source hosts 10-1 to 10-1 ...
The host with the highest priority among 10-n is determined (step 208).

Next, the channel selection switching unit 22 sends a Read status to the decided host and sends a Busy status to the other hosts (step 209). Subsequently, the channel selection switching unit 22
The channel port 21 corresponding to the host 10 having the highest priority is selected, and the channel port 21 is controlled to switch to a state in which print request data can be fetched from the host 10 connected thereto (step 210). Then, the print data relating to the print request is read from the corresponding host 10 through the channel port 21 and transferred to the printer unit 23 (step 21).
1). After that, the printer unit 23 sequentially prints the print data transferred from the host 10.

In the printing operation described above, the printer device 20 is controlled by the control unit 26 based on information such as the number of hosts, the amount of print data for each host, the print interval, and the type of job collected during the operation. , And controls to appropriately change the priority level and the selection enable time. An example of the information change control in the control unit 26,
This will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. In addition,
In this example, each host 10-1 to 10-n within a certain period
The above-mentioned control parameters (priority level and selection enable time) are changed on the basis of the history of the printing operation of the above.

First, at the start of this control, the control unit 2
6 sets the monitoring period corresponding to the update interval of each parameter (step 301). Next, the control unit 26
Whether or not the set period has elapsed is monitored, and while the set period has not elapsed (step 302), it is sequentially monitored whether or not there is a print request or whether the print unit 23 is activated (steps 303 and 305). . When there is a print request (step 303YE)
In S), the host information of the print request source is collected from the channel selection switching unit 22 (step 304), and when the print operation is performed (YES in step 305).
Print information such as the amount of print data and the type of job from the operated print unit 23.
The data is collected in association with 10-n (step 306).

If it is determined that the monitoring period has elapsed during the above processing (YES in step 302), the control unit 26 continues to control the number of hosts, print data for each host, and jobs collected during the monitoring period. Each value of the priority level and the selection enable period is updated based on the information such as the type (step 307), and these are registered in the priority level storage unit 24 and the selection enable rating unit 25 (step 308).

As described above, according to the present invention, the hosts 10-1 to 10-1 ...
Instead of judging the competition of the print requests of 10-n at a timing of one point, a judgment is made by setting a certain competition selection range, and at the same time, the hosts 10-1 to 10 are connected through the channel ports 21-1 to 21-n. -n status is monitored and host 10-1
Since the priority level and the selection enable time, which are the selection switching criteria for the hosts 10-1 to 10-n, are manipulated according to the state of the 10 to 10-n, the hosts 10-1 to 10-n can be efficiently used. It can be used effectively.

The variable control of the priority level and the selection enable time in the present invention is not limited to the processing shown in FIG. 3, but various control methods reflecting information other than print information and job type. Can be considered. For example, in the flowchart shown in FIG. 3, the control parameters are operated by referring to the past print results for each host, but the data amount for each print request generated during the selection enable period should be reflected in the parameter operation. You can

In addition to this, for example, when one of a plurality of connected hosts fails and cannot print, the priority of the failed host is manipulated to It is also possible to give priority to the host's right to select. In this case, the channel selection switching unit 22 recognizes the information of the host that cannot be printed due to the failure from the access count of each host 10 and notifies the control unit 26 of the priority level based on the notified host information. The priority level of the host that cannot print due to the failure in the storage unit 24 is reset to the lowest priority level. After that,
The channel selection switching unit 22 may be operated based on the reset data of the priority level storage unit 24.

Next, as a specific example of the control operation of the printer device 20 of this embodiment, three channel ports 21-1 to 21-2 are provided.
In a configuration in which the hosts 10-1 to 10-3 are connected to 1-3, respectively, the time taken for the connected hosts 10-1 to 10-3 to print 1 JOB as shown in Table 1 above and the print JOB An example of the channel switching control for the print requests of the hosts 10-1 to 10-3 in the case of having the priority determined from the type will be described with reference to the timing chart shown in FIG.

As shown in the figure, in this example, the print request timing of each of the hosts 10-1 to 10-3 is the contention selection range W held in the selection enable storage unit 25.
Concentrate within the period. In this case, the channel selection switching unit 22 selects from among the hosts 10-1 to 10-3 that have made a print request within the time of the contention selection range W, the priority order (table 1), the Ready status is returned to the print request from the host 10-3 in order to permit the print request from the host 10-3 having the highest priority level, while the other hosts 10-1 and 10-3. -2 returns Busy status.

Next, the channel selection switching unit 22 switches the channel port 21-3 so that the print data from the host 10-3 can be sent to the printing unit 23. After that, the printing unit 23 receives the print data a sent through the channel port 21-3 switched as the effective channel by the channel selection switching unit 22 and prints it. During printing, the channel selection switching unit 22 returns a busy status in response to print requests from other hosts 10-1 and 10-2, but in this example, the host 10-3 has only the amount of data that can be completed in 30 seconds. However, since the printing is finished 30 seconds after the printing is started, the printing unit 23 becomes ready for use by the other hosts 10-1 and 10-2 after an extremely short waiting time.

In the conventional device, as shown in FIGS.
Since the host competition was judged at the timing of 1 point,
The print request signal of the host 10-1 having a low priority level output at a slightly delayed timing has been accepted.
Here, if the accepted host 10-1 performs a large amount of print operation that requires a long time, the host 10-3 having a high priority level is the host 1 even though it is slightly delayed.
Had to wait a long time for 0-1 to print.

With respect to this point, in the present invention, the competition selection range W is widened so that the priority level output at a timing later than the print request signals of the host 10-1 and the host 10-2 having a low priority level is high. The print request signal from the host 10-3 can be reliably received.
Then, after printing a small amount of data possessed by the host 10-3 within a short period of time, the process can smoothly proceed to printing of a large amount of data requested by the host 10-1.

[0035]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, a host which has issued a print request within the selection enable period by determining the selection enable period and determining the competition between print requests from each host. In addition to giving the right to use the printer to the host with the highest priority level among the above, based on the information such as the number of connected hosts, the type of print job or the amount of print data for each host, each information of the above priority level and selection enable period Since the control that sequentially changes is used together, a suitable print environment that always matches the current state of the system is obtained, the usage right is given to the host with a lower priority level, and the host with a higher priority level waits for a long time. It is possible to efficiently and effectively use the connected host while suppressing the occurrence of

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing an embodiment of a printer device with a multi-channel switching function according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a control operation of a channel selection switching unit of the printer device with a multi-channel switching function according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the control unit of the printer device with a multi-channel switching function according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a timing chart of each signal related to channel selection switching control of the printer device with a multi-channel switching function according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram showing an example of a conventional printer device with a multi-channel switching function.

FIG. 6 is a timing chart of each signal related to channel selection switching control of a conventional printer device having a multi-channel switching function.

[Explanation of symbols]

10-1 to 10-n central processing unit, 20 printer device with multi-channel switching function, 21-1 to 21-n 1 channel port, 22 channel selection switching unit, 23 printing unit, 24 priority level storage unit, 25 selection enable storage Section, 26 control section

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A multi-channel switching function for connecting one or a plurality of central processing units through corresponding channel ports and accepting one of print requests from the central processing units to perform a printing operation. In the printer device, a priority level holding unit that holds a print priority level, which is a priority order when receiving the print request, for each central processing unit, and a conflicting period when the print requests from the central processing unit conflict with each other. The selection enable holding means for holding the selection enable time is compared with the print priority level of the central processing unit that has made a print output request within the selection enabling period, and corresponds to the central processing unit with the highest priority among them. Channel selection switching means for selecting a channel port to be used as an effective channel, Serial multichannel switching function printer apparatus characterized by comprising a printing means for printing the print data sent from the corresponding central processing unit via the effective channel. 2. At least the number of connected central processing units, the type of job and the print data amount relating to a print request for each central processing unit are recognized, and the priority level is held based on the recognized information. 2. The printer device with multi-channel switching function according to claim 1, further comprising selection condition control means for variably controlling the print priority level in the means and the selection enable time in the selection enable holding means.