JPH11175290A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To preserve print data and to easily instruct printing again because of necessity to sent the print data again in the case of re-printing since the print data are immediately erased after the end of ordinary printing processing. SOLUTION: An image expanding processing part 72 expands the print data into bit map data and prints them out of a print-out mechanism part 8. An image data storage part 74 stores the bit map data to which printing processing is performed. When re-printing is instructed from a Web client device 4 connected through a network to a Web browse, a Web serve processing part 9 reads the bit map data stored in the image data storage part 74 and prints them out of the print-out mechanism part 8 again.

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 Web server function connected to a Web client device via a network.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Since print data sent from a host computer to a printer has been deleted immediately after normal printing processing has been completed, it is necessary to send data relating to printing from the host computer again when reprinting. Was. On the other hand, for example, as in a network printer disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-221227, a file server and a print server are provided, and the file server stores a certain amount of data relating to a job transferred to the print server, and prints the data. The server enables reprinting based on the data relating to the job, eliminating the need to send the data relating to printing from the host computer again at the time of reprinting.

[0003]

However, in the network printer described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-221227, it is necessary to perform a reprint process specific to the device, and the user needs to learn the specific operation. there were.

[0004] The present invention has been made to solve such a disadvantage, and a general operation from a Web client apparatus enables reprint processing without retransmitting print data, thereby eliminating a load on the apparatus. It is another object of the present invention to further improve user operability.

[0005]

A printer device according to the present invention is a printer device having a Web server function connected to a Web client device via a network, and expands received print data into bitmap data. The stored bitmap data is printed out, and when a reprint instruction is received from a Web client device by a Web browser, the stored bitmap data is reprinted and connected via a network when reprinting is performed. It is not necessary to retransmit print data from a device that has been reconfigured, thereby reducing the load on the device and enabling reprinting in a short time.

Further, when the number of print copies is specified together with the reprint instruction from the Web client device, the designated number of copies is reprinted, so that the number of print copies can be easily specified from the Web client device.

Further, when a reprint instruction is received from the Web client apparatus and a post-processing instruction such as sorting and stapling is received, the specified post-processing is performed when the bitmap data is reprinted and output. To specify post-processing.

Another printer is connected to a facsimile machine via a telephone line, is connected to a Web client via a network, stores received print data into bitmap data, and stores the print data. When the bitmap data is printed out and the facsimile transmission instruction of the bitmap data is received from the Web client device by specifying the transmission destination by the Web browser, the bitmap data is converted into image data for facsimile transmission, and the specified transmission destination is specified. Send by facsimile.

[0009]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A printer device according to the present invention has a Web server function connected to a plurality of Web client devices via a network, stores bitmap data once subjected to print processing, and allows a user of the Web client device to store the bitmap data. Requesting reprinting from the browser, and when the Web client device sends the reprinting instruction via the network, the stored bitmap data is reprinted and output, thereby necessitating data retransmission at the time of reprinting. Is eliminated, and the reprint processing time is shortened. Here, the Web client device is a Web (World Wide
(Web) A device such as a computer device having a client function. A Web client device and a device having a Web server function communicate with each other using a protocol called HTTP.

The printer device includes, for example, a host interface (hereinafter, referred to as “host I / F”) and a network interface (hereinafter, referred to as “network I / F”).
That. ), Printer processing unit, print output mechanism unit, and Web
A server processing unit. The host I / F exchanges data with the host device. The network I / F communicates with a Web client device via a network. The printer processing unit expands the print data received via the host I / F or the network I / F into bitmap data, and prints out from the print output mechanism. The printer processing unit includes a data storage unit, and stores bitmap data in the data storage unit.

[0011] The Web server processing unit creates a job-unit list of the stored bitmap data so that a Web client device connected via a network can display the job-unit list of the bitmap data using a Web browser. I do. The Web server processing unit is
b. When the user of the client device specifies the bitmap data from the Web browser and instructs reprinting, and the Web client device sends the reprint instruction via the network, the bitmap data stored in the data storage unit is printed. Reprint and output from the output mechanism. Thus, W
Since the user of the web client device can give a reprint instruction from the Web browser, there is no need to perform a special operation unique to the device to give the reprint instruction, and the operability is good. Also, when the Web client device sends a reprint instruction via the network, the bitmap data stored in the data storage unit is reprinted and output from the print output mechanism unit. There is no need to retransmit print data from the Web client device, and reprint processing can be performed quickly and reliably.

It is preferable that the user of the Web client device can issue a reprint instruction from the Web browser, and also can specify post-processing such as sorting and stapling and specify the number of print copies.

Further, the printer device is connected to a telephone line,
The bitmap data stored in the data storage unit may be converted into facsimile data and transmitted by facsimile according to an instruction from the Web client device.

[0014]

FIG. 1 shows a printer 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. As shown in FIG.
For example, a parallel interface (hereinafter "parallel I /
F) 51), and connects to the host device 2 via the network 3 and the Web client devices 41a to 41a to 4
n.

The printer device 1 has, for example, a parallel I / F
51, serial interface (hereinafter referred to as "serial I /
F ". ) 52, host I / F 53, network I / F 6, printer processing unit 7, print output mechanism unit 8, and W
It has an web server processing unit 9.

The parallel I / F 51 is an interface for receiving print data and the like from the host device 2. The serial I / F 52 is an interface that receives print data and the like from a host device (in the figure, the host device 2 is connected to the parallel I / F 51 and not connected to the serial I / F 52), like the parallel I / F 51. It is. The host I / F 53 is a parallel I / F 51 or a serial I / F 5
Communication with the host device 2 is performed via the communication device 2. The network I / F 6 communicates with the Web client devices 4a to 4n via the network 3.

The printer processing section 7 includes a command analysis processing section 71, an image development processing section 72, an image memory 73, and an image data storage section 74. The command analysis processing unit 71 analyzes print data received via the host I / F 53 or the network I / F 6. The image development processing unit 72 develops print data received via the host I / F 53 or the network I / F 6 into bitmap data based on the analysis result of the command analysis processing unit, and stores it in the image memory 73. The print output processing unit 8 performs print output using the bitmap data thus obtained. The image data storage section 74 is a section for storing the bitmap data, and has an image data compression / decompression processing section 75. The image data compression / decompression processing unit 75 stores the bitmap data in the image data storage unit 7.
4, the bitmap data is compressed, and the bitmap data stored in the image data storage unit 74 is expanded using the bitmap data stored in the image data storage unit 74. Image data storage unit 74
The bitmap data stored in the printer is managed collectively for a plurality of pages in print job units. Here, when print data is received via the network I / F 6, the network job is regarded as one job and the host I / F
When print data is received via 53, one job is set as a delimiter until data is not transmitted for a certain period of time or a command indicating the end of the job is received.

The Web server processing unit 9 has a file device 91 such as a hard disk drive. Web
The server processing unit 9 creates a job unit list of the bitmap data stored in the image data storage unit 74 and stores the list in the file device 91. The Web server processing unit 9 determines whether the Web client devices 4 a to 4 n connected via the network 3 are based on the list stored in the file device 91.
A job list of bitmap data can be displayed by using an web browser. The Web server processing unit 9 allows the users of the Web client devices 4a to 4n to
When the web client devices 4a to 4n send the reprint instruction via the network 3, the bitmap data stored in the data storage unit 74 is printed out. Reprinting is output from the mechanism unit 8.

The operation of the printer 1 having the above configuration will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

The host I / F 53 or the network I / F from the host device 2 or the Web client devices 4a to 4n
When the print data is received via F6 (Step S
1) The image development processing section 72 develops the received print data into bitmap data (step S2), and prints out from the print output mechanism section 8 (step S3). The image data storage unit 74 compresses and stores the bitmap data that has been printed out, and manages the bitmap data collectively for a plurality of pages in print job units (step S4).

The Web server processing unit 9 creates a job unit list of the bitmap data stored in the image data storage unit 74, stores the list in the file device 91, and connects to the Web client devices 4a to 4n connected via the network 3.
Displays a list of bitmap data on a job-by-job basis using a Web browser so that reprinting can be instructed (step S5). As described above, since the user of the Web client devices 4a to 4n can issue a reprint instruction from the Web browser, there is no need to perform a special operation unique to the device to issue the reprint instruction. Is good.

The Web server processing unit 9 allows any one of the Web client devices 4a to 4n to designate a bitmap data from a Web browser and instruct a reprint.
When the Web client devices 4a to 4n send a reprint instruction via the network 3 (step S6), bitmap data is read from the data storage unit 74 (step S7). Further, when the number of print copies is specified together with the reprint instruction, the Web server processing unit 9 sets the specified number of print copies as the number of reprint copies (step S).
8, S10), if there is no designation of the number of copies, 1 is set as the number of copies to be reprinted (steps S8, S9). As described above, the user of the Web client devices 4a to 4n can specify the number of copies to be reprinted on the Web browser, so that it is not necessary to repeatedly specify a plurality of copies when reprinting is necessary.

Further, the Web server processing section 9 checks whether or not the post-processing is specified together with the reprint instruction. If the post-processing is specified, the specified post-processing is set (steps S11 and S12). Thus, the user of the Web client devices 4a to 4n can specify whether to perform post-processing such as stapling and sorting on the Web browser, and can easily process the printed matter thereafter.

After that, the Web server processing section 9 sends the bitmap data read from the image data storage section 74 to the print output mechanism section 8 and performs a reprinting process (step S1).
3). Thus, the Web client devices 4a to 4n
Sends a reprint instruction via the network 3,
Since the bitmap data stored in the data storage unit 74 is reprinted and output from the print output mechanism unit 8, the host device 2 or the Web client devices 4 a to 4 b.
There is no need to retransmit the print data from 4n, and the reprint process can be performed quickly and reliably.

Here, the bitmap data stored in the image data storage 74 is stored in the Web client device 4a.
4n is erased when a user instructs deletion on the Web browser. When the image data storage unit 74 is full, data is erased in order from the oldest bitmap data or the bitmap data that has passed the longest time since the last access.

Next, as another embodiment, the printer 1
However, a case will be described in which a facsimile processing unit 10, a facsimile image output processing unit 11, and a facsimile transmission image processing unit 12 are provided as shown in FIG.

The facsimile processing unit 10 has, for example, a line control unit 101, a facsimile communication control unit 102, and a facsimile management control processing unit 103, and controls facsimile transmission and reception via a telephone line (not shown). The facsimile image output processing unit 11 prints out the received facsimile image from the print output mechanism unit 8. When any one of the Web client devices 4a to 4n designates bitmap data and a transmission destination on a Web browser and issues a facsimile transmission instruction, the facsimile transmission image processing unit 13 converts the designated bitmap data into facsimile data. Convert to image data for transmission. Thereby, it is possible to instruct to perform facsimile transmission instead of specifying reprint processing. Here, the printer device 1 may include an image reading unit (not shown) so as to be able to read an image.

In the above embodiment, the host device 2 is connected to the printer device 1 via the parallel I / F 51. However, the host device 2 may be connected to the printer device 1 via the serial I / F 52.

[0029]

According to the present invention, as described above, received print data is developed into bitmap data and stored.
When the stored bitmap data is printed out and a reprint instruction is received from the Web client device, the stored bitmap data is reprinted and output. Therefore, when reprinting is performed, print data is transmitted from a device connected via a network. This eliminates the need for retransmission and reduces the load on the host device and the like, and enables reprinting in a short time.

Further, since a reprint instruction is issued from the Web client apparatus, it is not necessary to perform a special operation peculiar to the apparatus in order to issue the reprint instruction, and the operability is good.

Further, since the printed bitmap data is stored in the printer device, even if the print data has been erased by the host device or the like, it can be reprinted accurately.

Further, since the print instruction is issued by the Web browser, there is no need to provide a special device or the like on the Web client device side, and the connection can be easily performed.

Further, when the number of print copies is specified together with the reprint instruction from the Web client device, the designated number of copies is reprinted, so that the number of print copies can be easily specified from the Web client device, and the operability is good.

Further, when a post-processing instruction such as sorting and stapling is received from the Web client apparatus together with a reprint instruction, the specified post-processing is performed when the bitmap data is reprinted and output. Can specify post-processing.

Also, the printer is connected to a facsimile machine via a telephone line, is connected to a Web client machine via a network, converts received print data into bitmap data, stores the print data, and prints out the stored bitmap data. Then, when a facsimile transmission instruction of bitmap data is received from the Web client apparatus by specifying a transmission destination, the bitmap data is converted into image data for facsimile transmission and facsimile-transmitted to the specified destination. Therefore, there is no need to send print data again, and facsimile transmission can be performed accurately and quickly with a simple operation.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the printer device.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a printer having a facsimile processing unit.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 printer device 2 host device 3 network 4 Web client device 7 printer processing unit 71 command analysis processing unit 72 image expansion processing unit 74 image data storage unit 75 image data compression / decompression unit 8 print output mechanism unit 9 Web server processing unit 91 file device 10 facsimile processing unit 12 facsimile transmission image processing unit

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A printer device having a Web server function connected to a device having a Web client function (hereinafter, referred to as a “Web client device”) via a network, and expanding received print data into bitmap data. A printer device for printing out and storing the stored bitmap data, and reprinting and outputting the stored bitmap data upon receiving a reprint instruction from a Web client device through a Web browser. 2. The printer according to claim 1, wherein when the number of print copies is specified together with the reprint instruction from the Web client device, the designated number of copies is reprinted. 3. The printer according to claim 1, wherein when the Web client apparatus receives a reprint instruction and a post-processing instruction such as sorting and stapling, the specified post-processing is performed when the bitmap data is reprinted and output. apparatus. 4. A printer device connected to a facsimile device via a telephone line, and another device having a Web client function (hereinafter, "Web client device").
That. ) And a web server function for connecting via a network, expands the received print data into bitmap data and stores the bitmap data, prints out the stored bitmap data, and sends a transmission destination from a web client device using a web browser. A printer device, which receives a facsimile transmission instruction of bitmap data by designating, converts the bitmap data into image data for facsimile transmission, and performs facsimile transmission to a designated destination.