JPH10293663A - Oa equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an OA equipment that is free from a print waiting state in a print system where plural OA equipments having print parts are connected to each other via a network. SOLUTION: When the power saving notification of another OA equipment is received from a network (S2), an instruction is given to a state information management part to write a NET-ID (S3). If a print part and a printer control part are kept in power saving state respectively (S4) with no print request nor print transfer request (S1) nor the power saving notification of another OA equipment (S2), the NET-ID is sent to the network work (S5). If the print request or the print transfer request is received (S1) and both print part and printer control part are not kept in a printing state respectively (S6), the NET-ID is printed (S7). If the print part and the printer control part are kept in a printing state (S6), the information can read the information on another OA equipment out of the state information management part (S8) and also the relevant OA equipment is kept in a power saving state (S9) respectively, a print transfer request is sent to the NET-ID.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to OA equipment, and more particularly to OA equipment connected to a network.
The present invention relates to a printing distributed autonomous control system for device A.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When data from a host computer is transmitted to an OA device via a network and is to be printed by a printing device of the OA device, data from another host computer may already be printed. The printing time is very long, or the printing request of the general user is delayed because of the priority by the privileged user.
When there are print requests from a plurality of users, there is a case where a longer printing wait occurs. On the other hand, it is also true that there are printing machines (printers) that are used very little.

[0003]

Looking at the status of the printers connected to the network, the host computer and the printers are not connected on a one-to-one basis, but some printers can communicate with other printers. This means that each printer can notify another printer of its current state, for example, a print wait.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-described circumstances, and when a print request is received from a host computer, if another print request has already been processed, another print request that has been processed on a network is received. The purpose of the present invention is to provide an OA device capable of solving the problem of waiting for printing by autonomously transferring a print request to another OA device on the network according to the status information of the OA device. Things.

[0005]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a status information management unit for storing an operation status of another OA device,
When a print request from the second host computer is received during processing of a print request from the first host computer, a power saving state in which the print request from the second host computer is stored in the state information management unit. The printer is characterized by the fact that it is possible to realize a printing system that has a short waiting time for printing and a good support system for errors and failures of the device. is there.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a status information management unit for storing an operation status of another OA device, wherein a print request from the second host computer is processed during processing of the print request from the first host computer. Receiving the print request from the second host computer, the print request is transferred to another idle OA device stored in the state information management unit, and the print waiting time This makes it possible to realize a printing system that is short and has a good support system for equipment errors and failures.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a status information management unit for storing an operation status of another OA device, wherein a print request from the second host computer is processed during processing of the print request from the first host computer. Receiving the print request from the second host computer, and transferring the print request to another OA device that is not in a print request rejection state stored in the state information management unit, This makes it possible to realize a printing system with a good support system for equipment errors and failures.

[0008]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 shows an OA to which the present invention is applied.
FIG. 1A is a configuration diagram illustrating an embodiment of a device.
FIG. 1B is a configuration diagram of a printing system, FIG. 1B is a configuration diagram of each OA device, in which 1 is a host computer, 2 is a network, 3, 4 and 5 are OA devices, and 6 is a network interface unit. , 7 a printer controller, 8 a printing unit, 9 a status information management unit, and 10 a storage unit.

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an information structure flowing on the network 2 shown in FIG.
(4) shows an information structure pattern between the OA device and the OA device, and (5) shows an information structure pattern between the host computer and the OA device.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 1 will be described below.

The network interface unit 6 has a NET-ID that is uniquely identifiable to the network 2, can communicate with other devices connected on the network 2, and transmits status information from the printer controller unit 7. At the same time, information on the network 2 is transmitted to the state information management unit 9, and print data is transmitted to the printer controller unit 7. If there is already a print request, the status of the other OA device is extracted from the status information management unit 9 and the print request is transferred to the relevant OA device according to the algorithm.

The printer controller unit 7 converts the print data input from the network interface unit 6 into an image signal, sends the image signal to the printing unit 8, and transmits the current state to the network interface unit 6.

The printing section 8 transfers an image signal input from the printer controller section 7 to a sheet.

The status information management unit 9 writes the status information sent from the network interface unit 6 to the storage unit 10 as status information possessed by other OA devices on the network, and sends the status information from the storage unit 10 according to the request of the network interface unit 6. The status information of the OA device can be read out and sent back to the network interface unit 6.

The storage unit 10 holds and stores state information sent from the state information management unit 9 and can store a plurality of OA device state information.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining an embodiment of the OA equipment according to the present invention.

The first aspect of the present invention will be described below with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

It is not a print request or a print transfer request from the network 2 (S1), but another O from the network 2.
If it is a notification of power saving of the device A (S2), the status information management unit 9 is instructed to write a NET-ID (S3). In S2, the notification is not a notification of power saving of another OA device from the network 2. The state of the printing unit 8 and the printer controller unit 7 is checked (S4). If the state is the "power saving" state, the fact that the state is the "power saving" state is sent to the network 2 (S4).
5).

If it is a print request or a print transfer request from the network 2 (S1), it is checked whether or not the printing unit 8 and the printer controller unit 7 are printing (S6). (S7), and in S6, it is possible to read information of another OA device during printing and from the status information management unit 9 (S8), and if the OA device is in the power saving state (S9). ), And sends a “print transfer request” to the NET-ID. S
In step 9, if the OA device is not in the power saving state,
8, the information of another OA device is read.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, a communication with another OA apparatus is performed by using an algorithm as shown in FIG. 3, an optimum print request transfer destination is selected, and a "print transfer request" is issued. By using this algorithm,
The print request can be autonomously and cooperatively processed.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart for explaining another embodiment of the OA equipment according to the present invention.

The second aspect of the present invention will be described below with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

If it is not a print request or a print transfer request from the network 2 (S11), but is a notification of idle of another OA device from the network 2 (S12), it instructs the state information management unit 9 to write a NET-ID. (S1
3) In S12, another OA from the network 2
If it is not the notification of the device idle, the status of the printing unit 8 and the printer controller unit 7 is checked (S14). If the status is "idle", the status of "idle" is sent to the network 2 (S15).

If it is a print request or a print transfer request from the network 2 (S11), it is checked whether the printing unit 8 and the printer controller unit 7 are printing (S16). Printing is performed according to the request (S17), and in S16, information on another OA device can be read from the status information management unit 9 during printing (S18), and if the OA device is in the idle state (S19). ), And sends a “print transfer request” to the NET-ID. In S19, if the OA device is not in the idle state, the process returns to S18, and the other OA device information is read.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, a communication with another OA device is performed by using an algorithm as shown in FIG. 4, an optimum print request transfer destination is selected, and a "print transfer request" is issued. By using this algorithm,
The print request can be autonomously and cooperatively processed.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart for explaining another embodiment of the OA equipment according to the present invention.

The third aspect of the present invention will be described below with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

If it is not a print request or a print transfer request from the network 2 (S21), but is a power saving notification from another OA device from the network 2 (S22), the NET-ID is written in the state information management unit 9. Instruct (S23),
In S22, if it is not a notification of rejection of a print request from another OA device from the network 2, the statuses of the printing unit 8 and the printer controller unit 7 are checked (S24). A request rejection state is sent (S25).

If it is a print request or a print transfer request from the network 2 (S21), it is checked whether the printing unit 8 and the printer controller unit 7 are printing (S26). (S27), and in S26, information on another OA device can be read from the status information management unit 9 while printing is being performed (S28), and if the OA device is in the power saving state (S29). ), And sends a “print transfer request” to the NET-ID. In S29, if the OA device is not in the print request rejection state, the process returns to S28, and information on another OA device is read.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, a communication with another OA apparatus is performed by using an algorithm as shown in FIG. 5, an optimum print request transfer destination is selected, and a "print transfer request" is issued. By using this algorithm,
The print request can be autonomously and cooperatively processed.

[0031]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a status information management unit for storing the operation status of another OA device, and during processing of a print request from the first host computer, the status information management unit receives the status information from the second host computer. When the print request is received, the print request from the second host computer is transferred to another power-saving OA device stored in the status information management unit. Can be selected and printed autonomously.Also, since the printing is always distributed, the printing wait time is short, and the printing destination is autonomously selected, so that printing with a good support system for equipment errors and failures is possible. The system can be realized.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a status information management unit for storing an operation status of another OA device, wherein a print request from the second host computer is processed during processing of the print request from the first host computer. When receiving the OA device in the “idle” state, the OA device in the “idle” state is transferred autonomously to the other OA device in the idle state stored in the state information management unit when receiving the print request from the second host computer. It is possible to select and print, and since the printing is always distributed, the printing waiting time is short, and since the printing destination is selected autonomously, a printing system with a good support system for equipment errors and failures is realized. be able to.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a status information management unit for storing an operation status of another OA device, wherein a print request from the second host computer is processed during processing of the print request from the first host computer. When the print request is received, the print request from the second host computer is transferred to another OA device that is not in the print request rejection state stored in the state information management unit, and thus the “print request rejection” state is set. Since the OA device is not selected autonomously, a printing system with a good support system for errors and failures can be realized.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram for explaining an embodiment of an OA device to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an information structure flowing on the network shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment of an OA device according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining another embodiment of the OA device according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining another embodiment of the OA device according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1: Host computer, 2: Network, 3, 4,
5 OA equipment, 6 network interface unit, 7
... Printer controller, 8 ... Printer, 9 ... Status information manager, 10 ... Storage

Claims (3)

[Claims] A status information management unit for storing an operation status of another OA device, wherein when a print request is received from a second host computer during processing of a print request from the first host computer, OA equipment for transferring a print request from the second host computer to another OA equipment in a power saving state stored in the state information management unit. A status information management unit for storing an operation status of another OA device, wherein when a print request is received from a second host computer during processing of the print request from the first host computer, OA wherein a print request from the second host computer is transferred to another idle OA device stored in the status information management unit.
machine. And a status information management unit for storing an operation status of another OA device, wherein when a print request is received from a second host computer during processing of a print request from the first host computer, An OA device for transferring a print request from the second host computer to another OA device that is not in a print request rejection state stored in the status information management unit.