JPH10143340A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To resume print processing, which has been temporally suspended, in a print environment before suspension after interruption print processing is finished even when the print processing is temporally suspended by an interruption print request of another host during the time when the print processing of print data from one host is performed. SOLUTION: When an interruption print request comes form another host during print processing of print data from one host on a network, the current print setting conditions, an operation mode and information that shows each print environment of cache data are saved in a disk drive (external storage device), information that shows print environment from a host that makes an interruption print request is read with that state, after the print processing of print data from the host is carried out according to the information, the information showing the print environment which is saved in the disk drive is called out and the print processing, which has been temporally suspended, is resumed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a printer used on a network.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, printers having an interface unit that is connected to a network and communicates with a host (a terminal device such as a personal computer) on the network have been marketed. When such a printer is shared by a plurality of hosts, each host often requests the printer to perform interrupt printing.

On the printer side, when an interrupt print request is issued from another host during print processing (normal print processing) using print data from a certain host, the print processing currently being performed is temporarily suspended. Then, the print process (interrupt print process) based on the print data from the other host is started, and after the print process is completed, the temporarily interrupted print process is resumed.

[0004]

However, when the interrupt printing process is performed as described above, the temporarily interrupted printing process after the completion of the interrupt printing process is performed in a different printing environment (print setting conditions, operation Mode, cache data, etc.). Also, when the other host issues an interrupted print request, if the printing of the print data from the certain host is not completed, the printing process using the print data from the other host is performed until the host is released. There are also adverse effects such as the inability to shift to.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and has been made in the case where an interrupt print request is issued from another host during print processing using print data from one host and the print processing is temporarily interrupted. However, it is an object of the present invention to allow a temporarily interrupted print process after an interrupt print process to be resumed in a print environment before the interrupt. It is still another object of the present invention to be able to smoothly start an interrupt printing process even when an interrupt printing request is issued from another host while print data is being read from a certain host.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a printer used on a network in which external storage means such as a hard disk device and a printing process using print data from a certain host on the network are performed. And a means for saving information indicating the current print setting conditions, operation mode, print environment and other print environments such as cache data to an external storage device when an interrupt print request is issued from another host.

Further, when an interrupt print request is received from another host while reading print data from a certain host on the network, all the print data from the certain host is read into an external storage device, and the current print data is read. It is preferable to provide a unit for saving information indicating the printing environment in the external storage device.

According to the printer of the present invention, the current print setting conditions, operation mode, cache data, etc., when an interrupt print request is received from another host during print processing by print data from one host on the network. Saves the information indicating the printing environment of the external storage device to the external storage device.
After temporarily suspending the print processing based on the print data from the certain host and terminating the print processing based on the print data from the other host, the temporarily suspended print processing is resumed in the print environment before the suspension. be able to.

Further, when an interrupt print request is received from another host while reading print data from a certain host on the network, all the print data from the certain host is read into an external storage device and the current print data is read. If information indicating the environment is saved to an external storage device,
Even when an interrupt print request is issued from another host while the print data is being read from one host, the interrupt print processing can be started smoothly.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a connection example of a laser printer embodying the present invention and a plurality of hosts via a network. The laser printer 20
A plurality of hosts 22A, 22 via a network 21;
B, 22C,..., 22X are connected.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the laser printer 20 of FIG. 3, which comprises a printer controller 1, an engine 2, a panel device 3, and a disk device 4. The printer controller 1 includes a CPU 6, a program ROM 7,
Font ROM 8, RAM 9, NVRAM 10, IC card 11, engine interface (hereinafter "interface" is abbreviated as "I / F") 12, panel I / F
13, each of the disk I / F 14 and the host I / F 15
F.

The CPU 6 is a central processing unit that controls the entire printer controller 1 in accordance with a program in the program ROM 7, a mode instruction from the panel device 3, and a command from the host. The program ROM 7 is a read-only memory that stores a control program for the printer controller 1, and the font ROM 8 is a read-only memory that stores outline fonts and the like.

A RAM 9 is a work memory for the CPU 6,
An input buffer for storing input data, a page buffer for storing page data, a cache memory for storing (caching) an outline font image developed (cache data), and storing bitmap data And a random access memory used for a font file for storing downloaded fonts.

The NVRAM 10 is a non-volatile memory for storing the contents of mode instructions from the panel device 3 and the like. The IC card 11 is a detachable memory card used for supplying font data and programs from the outside. It is.

The engine I / F 12 is an interface for communicating commands, statuses and print data with the engine 2 which actually performs printing on paper, and a panel I / F 12.
The / F13 is an interface for communicating commands and status with the panel device 3 for notifying the user of the current printer status and giving a mode instruction. The disk I / F 14 is an interface for communicating with the disk device 4.

The host I / F 15 is connected to a plurality of hosts 22A, 22B, 2 via the network 21 shown in FIG.
.., 22X are network interfaces capable of bidirectional communication with each other. The disk device 4 is an external storage device (external storage means) for storing various data such as font data, programs, and print data, and is a floppy disk device (FDD), a hard disk device (HDD), or the like.

Here, the printer controller 1
When an interrupt print request is received from another host during print processing by print data from a host on the network 21, information indicating the print environment such as current print setting conditions, operation mode, and cache data is stored in the disk device 4. It functions as a means for evacuating to Alternatively, when an interrupt print request is received from another host while reading print data from one host on the network 21, all print data from the certain host is read into the disk device 4, and the current print environment is changed. It also functions as a means for saving the indicated information to the disk device 4.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show the C of this laser printer.
It is a flow chart which shows an example of processing corresponding to claim 1 by PU6. This routine is called and started by a main routine (not shown). First, in step 1, it is checked whether or not there is an interrupt print request from any host, and if there is no interrupt print request, the process directly returns to the main routine.

If there is an interrupt print request, it is checked in step 2 whether or not print processing (print processing of a plurality of print work tasks) by print data from another host is in progress. If print processing is being performed, only the print processing of the current print work task is performed to the end in step 3 and then it is checked in step 4 whether the print processing of all print work tasks has been completed.

When the printing process of all the printing work tasks is completed, the process directly proceeds to step 10 in FIG. 2. If there is any unprocessed printing work task, a predetermined flag A is set in step 5. After setting to “1”, the current print setting conditions and operation mode stored in the NVRAM 10 are called out in steps 6 and 7, respectively, and are saved in the disk device 4.

Next, in step 8, the unprocessed print data stored in the input buffer of the RAM 9 is read out and saved in the disk device 4.
The cache data stored in the cache memory No. 9 is read out and copied (evacuated) to the disk device 4, and the print setting conditions and the operation mode from the host to which the interrupt print request is made are set to N in steps 10 and 11 in FIG.
Read into VRAM10.

Further, in step 12, the print data from the host to which the interrupt print request has been made is read into the input buffer of the RAM 9, and in step 13, the print setting conditions,
The print processing based on the print data is performed according to the operation mode. That is, in accordance with the print setting conditions and the operation mode, the print data is developed in a bit map form on the bit map memory of the RAM 9 and sent to the engine 2 as video data to be printed on paper.

When the printing process is completed, step 14
To check whether the flag A is set to "1". If the flag A is not set to "1", the process returns to the main routine. If the flag A is set to "1", the process proceeds to steps 15 and 16. The print setting condition and the operation mode saved in the device 4 are called, respectively, and the NVRA
It is stored again in M10 (restored).

Next, in step 17, the cache data copied to the disk device 4 is read and overwritten in the cache memory of the RAM 9, and in step 18 the unprocessed print data saved in the disk device 4 is read and written in the input buffer again. (Return), the print processing (the print processing of the remaining print task), which was temporarily interrupted in Step 19, is resumed and performed to the end. Then, in Step 20, the flag A is reset to "0", Return to routine.

As described above, when an interrupt print request is issued from another host during print processing by print data from one host on the network 21, information indicating the current print environment is stored in the disk device (external storage device). 4, the print processing based on the print data from the certain host is temporarily suspended, the print processing based on the print data from the other host is terminated first, and then the temporarily interrupted print processing is performed before the interruption. Can be resumed in the printing environment of
There is no need to be affected by the interrupt printing process at all.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show the C of this laser printer.
It is a flowchart which shows an example of the process corresponding to claim 2 by PU6. This routine is also called and started by the main routine, and first checks in step 21 whether or not there is an interrupt print request from any host, and if there is no interrupt print request, returns to the main routine as it is.

If there is an interrupt print request, it is checked in step 22 whether or not print data is being read (received) from another host. If the data is not being read, the print data that has already been read (the print data stored in the input buffer of the RAM 9) is saved (read) in the disk device 4 if the data is not being read (step 23).

Next, in step 24, the remaining print data from the host is directly read into the hard disk drive 4, and in steps 25 and 26, the current print setting conditions and operation modes stored in the NVRAM 10 are called, and At step 27
The cache data stored in the cache memory 9 is read and copied to the disk device 4 (evacuated).

Subsequently, in steps 28 and 29 of FIG. 6, the print setting conditions and the operation mode from the host to which the interrupt print is requested are read into the NVRAM 10, respectively.
Print data from the host of the interrupt print request destination
The data is read into the input buffer of M9, and in step 31, a print process is performed using the print data according to the print setting conditions and the operation mode.

When the printing process is completed, step 3
Print setting conditions saved in the disk device 4 in 2 and 33,
Each of the operation modes is called and restored (restored) in the NVRAM 10, the cache data copied to the disk device 4 is read out in step 34 and overwritten on the cache memory in the RAM 9, and the remaining process saved in the disk device 4 in step 35. Is read and written (transferred) to the input buffer, and step 36
Then, the temporarily interrupted print processing is resumed and performed to the end, and the process returns to the main routine.

As described above, when an interrupt print request is issued from another host while reading print data from a certain host on the network, all print data from the certain host is read into the external storage device, The information indicating the printing environment is saved in the disk device 4, so that in addition to the above-mentioned effects, an interrupted printing request is issued from another host while reading the printing data (particularly a large amount of printing data) from the certain host. Even in this case, the interrupt printing process can be started smoothly.

While the embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a laser printer has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this, and can be applied to other printers such as an LED printer and a liquid crystal shutter printer. In addition, the present invention
The present invention can be applied to other devices such as a facsimile machine, a scanner, a digital copier, and a multifunction peripheral.

[0033]

As described above, according to the present invention, even when an interrupt print request is issued from another host during print processing by print data from one host and the print processing is temporarily interrupted. In addition, it is possible to resume the temporarily interrupted print processing after the interruption print processing in the print environment before the interruption.

Further, according to the present invention, even when an interrupt print request is issued from another host while print data is being read from one host, the interrupt print processing can be started smoothly.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing an example of processing corresponding to claim 1 by a CPU 6 of FIG.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a subsequent process.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a connection example of a laser printer embodying the present invention and a plurality of hosts via a network.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the laser printer 20 of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of processing corresponding to claim 2 by the CPU 6 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a subsequent process.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1: Printer controller 2: Engine 3: Panel device 4: Disk device 6: Central processing unit (CPU) 7: Program ROM 8: Font ROM 9: RAM 10: NVRAM 11: IC card 12: Engine I / F 13: Panel I / F 14: Disk I / F 15: Host I / F 20: Laser printer 21: Network 22A, 22B, 22C,..., 22X: Host

Claims (2)

[Claims] In a printer used on a network, an external storage means such as a hard disk device and an interrupt printing request from another host during print processing by print data from one host on the network are provided. Means for saving information indicating a printing environment, such as current print setting conditions, operation modes, and cache data, in the external storage device. 2. The printer according to claim 1, wherein an interrupt print request is received from another host while reading print data from one host on the network.
A printer, further comprising means for reading all print data from the certain host into the external storage device and saving information indicating a current printing environment in the external storage device.