JPH11134141A - Printing system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a printing system which can automatically end the printing if the printing is impossible during the printing despite the use of a printer that has no function to transfer the data to the outside. SOLUTION: This system includes a control means 30 which manages en block the printers 21 to 23 and a printing memory 40 which is used in common to these printers. If a printer 21 that is alternatively selected as a print means to the print data DP for the subject of printing generated by the data processors 11 to 15 is set in an unprintable state before the data DP are totally printed, the relevant data DP are all transferred to another printer 22 from the memory 40 to be printed again or partly transferred to the printer 22 to make the printer 21 carry on its printing.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a network type or stand-alone type print system comprising a plurality of printers and a data processing device using them as printing means.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, an OA network has fewer printers than a computer, and a plurality of computers share a printer. In a large-scale network or a network for an application with a high printing frequency, two or more printers of the same type or different types are provided. In some cases, a so-called multifunction device capable of copying and facsimile communication is used as a printer.

[0003] As for the selection of a printer, a form in which a printer is fixedly assigned to each computer, a form in which a user designates a printer to be used for each print job,
And a mode in which each printer is automatically used for each print job in accordance with the usage status (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-241179).
No.).

Conventionally, a large-capacity storage device capable of storing the entire data to be printed relating to a print job being processed in each of a plurality of printers, and means for performing data communication with another printer on a network are provided. A method has been proposed in which, when a failure occurs, data to be printed is transferred to another printer and processing is performed on behalf of the printer (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-34634). According to this, it is not necessary for the user to perform the print instruction operation again, and it is possible to avoid the stagnation of the work of waiting for the end of the process without noticing the failure.

[0005]

However, the conventional proxy processing method has a problem that when a general-purpose printer is used, a print instruction operation must be performed again when a failure occurs. Further, in order to adapt to a print job of many pages, it is necessary to provide a memory having a sufficient capacity in each printer. This not only increases the cost of individual printers, but also lowers the normal memory utilization efficiency of the entire network. In addition, as the number of printers increases, there is a problem that resources for control and storage become redundant and economic efficiency is impaired.

An object of the present invention is to automatically complete printing even when a printer having no function of transferring data to the outside is used when printing becomes impossible during printing.

[0007]

A control means for collectively managing a plurality of printers and a print memory for centrally storing print target data generated irregularly are provided.
When an unprintable state occurs, the whole or only the unfinished portion of the print target data relating to the unfinished print job is transferred from the print memory to the printable printer.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printing system in which two or more printers are connected as print output means to one or more data processing devices, and a control means for collectively managing a plurality of the printers; A printer having a common printing memory for the plurality of printers, and a printer which is selectively selected as a printing unit for the print target data generated by the data processing device, before finishing printing the entire print target data. When the printing becomes impossible, the entire data to be printed is transferred from the printing memory to another printer, and printing is performed again.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printing system in which, when an alternately selected printer becomes incapable of printing before the entire printing of the print target data is completed, the printer for printing is sent to another printer. It is configured to transfer a portion of the data to be printed that is not properly printed from the memory and continue printing.

In the present specification, the generation of print target data means preparing image data or text data in various formats as data to be printed.

[0011]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a printing system 1 according to the present invention. The print system 1 includes an OA that connects a plurality of computers 11 to 15 so that they can communicate with each other.
It is a part of the network and includes three printers 21, 22, 23 as print output means. In the print system 1 of the present embodiment, a plurality of printers 21
To 23 are collectively managed, and a memory 40 having a predetermined capacity for temporarily storing print data DP to be printed. Memory 40
Is a resource common to all the printers 21 to 23, and is controlled by the print server 30. This memory 4
0, use each of the printers 21 to 23 in advance.
May be assigned semi-fixedly, or an empty area may be assigned each time a print job is generated.

When a print job occurs in each of the computers 11 to 15, the print data DP is sent to the print server 30 and temporarily stored in the memory 40. Here, the print data DP is accompanied by a printer identification code. That is, in the present embodiment, any one of the printers 21 to 23 is registered in advance as a print output unit (normally used printer) that is used on a daily basis for each of the computers 11 to 15.

The print data DP stored in the memory 40
Is transferred by the print server 30 to a normally used printer (the printer 21 in the figure) registered with the computer (the computer 11 in the figure) that has output it. The printer 21 that has received the print data DP starts printing. When the printing of the predetermined number of sheets is completed normally, the end of the printing is notified to the print server 30. The print server 30 has a memory 40
Out of the data stored in the print data DP after printing is completed.

As described above, one printer is usually used for one print job. On the contrary,
When printing becomes impossible due to a failure or the like during printing, an alternative printer is selected by the print server 30, and the print data DP is printed by the alternative printer. The print data DP is transferred from the memory 40 to the alternative printer.

Here, there are two types of printing by the alternative printer. In the first embodiment, the entire print data DP relating to one print job is transferred to an alternative printer, and printing is restarted from the beginning. In the second mode, a portion of the print data DP that is not properly printed is transferred, and the print is completed by taking over the portion from the middle. For example, if a failure occurs in the middle of the second page in the print job of the third page, only the first page is properly printed, so that the print data DP of the second page and the third page is output. Printed on alternate printer. The first embodiment has the following advantages. Even in the case of a print job of a plurality of pages, the printed recording paper is collected in one printer, so that the recovery of the recording paper is simple and error is less likely to occur. Even when the fonts are different between the printers, a uniform print result of the fonts can be obtained. Similarly, the paper quality and printing style of the recording paper are unified. On the other hand, the second embodiment has the advantage that the time required for printing is short and the recording paper can be saved.

Hereinafter, the operation of the printing system 1 will be described in more detail with reference to a flowchart. FIG. 2 is a flowchart of the operation of the computers 11 to 15.

In each of the computers 11 to 15, as described above, the registration of the normally used printer is performed before the generation of the print job. When a user instructs printing (printing) of an image or text that is being created or stored by an application program, for example, and a print job is generated, the computers 11 to 15 instruct the print server 30 to send a normally used printer. Notify (#
11), the print data DP is transmitted (# 12). After that, the notification from the print server 30 is monitored (# 1).
3 to # 15). When the print end is notified, the processing for the current print job ends.

When a printer change is notified before the printing is completed, the fact is displayed on a monitor screen (# 1).
3, # 16). When notified that the printer is in a print-disabled state with no substitute printer, the fact is displayed on the monitor screen (# 14, # 17). With such a display,
The user can know that the printing is being performed by the alternative printer or that the printing has been interrupted, and can take appropriate measures.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the operation of the printers 21 to 23. Upon receiving the print data DP (# 21),
Printing is started (# 22). When the printing is completed normally (# 24), the fact is notified to the print server 30 (# 25). On the other hand, when a failure occurs (#
23), the failure is notified to the print server 30 (# 26), and a message notifying the alternative printer is displayed using the display on the operation panel (# 2).
7). With this display, the user can know the alternative printer even when the display on the computer cannot be seen, for example, when waiting for the end of printing at the place where the printer is installed.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of the operation of the print server 30. The storage area (the address in the memory 40) of the transmitted print data DP is selected based on the notification of the normal use printer from the computers 11 to 15 (# 31, # 32). The print data DP is received, stored in the memory 40, and transferred to the corresponding printer (# 3
3 to # 35). Upon receiving the print end notification from the printer, the print data DP is deleted and the process is terminated (# 37,
# 38).

When a failure notification is received (# 36),
It is checked whether there is a printer that can be replaced (# 39).
If there is no printer that can be replaced, the computer is notified that printing is impossible (# 40). If there is a printer that can be replaced, the print output means of the print job is changed from the normally used printer to another printer (alternate printer) (# 41), and the substitute printer is notified to the print requesting computer and the failed printer. (# 42). Then, the print data DP is transferred to the alternative printer. At this time, if the entire print data DP is to be transferred, the substitute printer starts printing again from the first page.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a failure notification subroutine in a case where the substitute printer takes over printing from the middle. Upon detecting a failure, each of the printers 21 to 23 transmits a failure occurrence signal to the print server 30 and also transmits the number of printed sheets at the time of occurrence of the failure (# 261, # 262).

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a print data re-transmission subroutine when the substitute printer takes over printing from the middle. Based on the notification from the printers 21 to 23, the number of printed sheets at the time of occurrence of a failure is recognized (# 431), and the portion of the print data DP that has not been properly printed is transferred from the memory 40 to the alternative printer (# 432). ).

In the above description, an example in which the printer is changed when a failure occurs has been described. However, when a trouble such as paper out (paper empty) or jam occurs, the print job can be changed by switching the printer. Stagnation can be avoided. In that case, each printer 2
By registering the sizes of the recording papers stored in 1 to 23 in the print server 30, it is possible to automatically select an alternative printer.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a trouble processing subroutine executed by the print server 30. When, for example, a paper empty is notified from the printers 21 to 23, by referring to the paper size data for each printer stored in the memory 40, for example, the presence or absence of a printer having a recording paper of a size suitable for the print job is determined. Is checked (# 61). If there is no corresponding printer, the fact is notified to the print requesting computer (# 67). If there is a corresponding printer, it is checked whether it is in use (# 62). If not in use, the incomplete portion of the print data DP is extracted and transferred to an alternative printer (# 63, # 64). Notify the printer in which the paper empty occurred to stop the processing (# 6)
5). Then, the data indicating the alternative printer is notified to the computer requesting the print and the printer in which the paper empty has occurred (# 66). The computer and the printer that have received the notification each perform a predetermined display.

In the above embodiment, the computer 1
The number of printers 1 to 15 is arbitrary, and the number of printers 21 to 23 may be two or more. The printers 21 to 23 may be the same type or different types. A digital copier or a multifunction peripheral may be used as a printer.

[0027]

According to the first or second aspect of the present invention,
Even when a printer having no function of transferring data to the outside is used, printing can be automatically completed when printing becomes impossible during printing.

In addition, according to the first aspect of the present invention, when printing a plurality of pages, it is possible to obtain a print result in which sheets, fonts, and styles are unified, and collection of printed recording paper is simplified. Further, according to the second aspect of the present invention, the required time can be reduced and waste of paper can be reduced as compared with the case where printing is redone.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a print system 1 according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of an operation of a computer.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of an operation of the printer.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of an operation of the print server.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a failure notification subroutine when a substitute printer takes over printing from the middle.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a print data retransmission subroutine when an alternative printer takes over printing from the middle.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a trouble processing subroutine executed by the print server.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 print system 11 to 15 computer (data processing device) 21 to 23 printer 30 print server (control means) 40 memory (print memory) DP print data (print target data)

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A printing system in which two or more printers are connected to one or more data processing devices as print output means, wherein said control means manages a plurality of said printers collectively; A memory for printing, wherein a printer which is selected as a printing means for printing data to be printed generated by the data processing apparatus becomes unable to print before finishing printing the entire data to be printed. A print system configured to transfer the entirety of the print target data from the print memory to another printer and perform printing again. 2. A print system in which two or more printers are connected as print output means to one or more data processing devices, wherein said control means manages a plurality of said printers collectively, and A memory for printing, wherein a printer which is selected as a printing means for printing data to be printed generated by the data processing apparatus becomes unable to print before finishing printing the entire data to be printed. A print system configured to transfer a portion of the data to be printed that is not properly printed from the print memory to another printer and continue printing.