JPH11305969A - Printing system, printing method and storage medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a printing system, printing method and storage medium with which trouble caused by the lack of a recording agent such as toner can be eliminated. SOLUTION: When the remaining toner at a designated printer connected to a network is sufficient at the time of sending print data from a host computer connected to the same network to that designated printer (S105, YES), the print data are printed by that printer, but when the toner is not sufficient, the printer with the next high priority is selected (S107 and S108) and the remaining toner is checked (S109). When it is sufficient (S110, YES), the print data are sent to that printer and printed (S112).

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printing system in which a host computer, a scanner, a printer, and the like are connected via a network, and in particular, attempts to print on a designated printer. It is about.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an attempt has been made to print from a host computer to a designated printer. However, if the print quality is degraded due to a small amount of toner, the toner cartridge of the designated printer must be replaced or another printer nearby. Was reset from the host and printing was performed.

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned prior art, when the print quality of the printed out or displayed on the panel of the printer, a warning of "toner low" is issued and the toner cartridge is replaced. However, when the number of copies to be printed is large, the warning is not noticed even if the toner becomes “Low” on the way, and the printing result often indicates that the printing quality is not satisfactory.

The present invention has been made under such circumstances, and has as its object to provide a printing system, a printing method, and a storage medium that can eliminate inconvenience due to a shortage of a recording agent such as toner. It is assumed that.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, a printing system includes the following (1) to (6).
The printing method is configured as in (7) and the storage medium is configured as in (8).

(1) A printing system in which a host computer and / or a scanner and a plurality of printing apparatuses are connected via a network, wherein the host computer and / or the scanner checks the remaining amount of the recording agent in the printing apparatus. Determining means for determining whether the remaining amount of the recording material is sufficient for the number of prints, and determining the remaining amount of the recording material of the designated printing device among the plurality of printing devices by the determining means;
When it is determined that the printing is sufficient, the printing is performed by the designated printing device, and when it is determined that the printing is not sufficient, the printing device other than the specified printing device out of the plurality of printing devices is determined by the determining unit, A control unit for causing the printing device to print when it is determined that there is a printing device.

(2) A printing system in which a host computer and / or scanner and a plurality of printing apparatuses are connected via a network, wherein the host computer and / or scanner checks the remaining amount of the recording agent in the printing apparatus. Determining means for determining whether the remaining amount of the recording material is sufficient for the number of prints, and determining the remaining amount of the recording material of the designated printing device among the plurality of printing devices by the determining means;
If it is determined that the printing is sufficient, the printing is performed by the designated printing device, and if it is determined that the printing is not sufficient, the printing is performed by a printing device having a sufficient amount of the recording agent other than the designated printing device among the plurality of printing devices. And a control unit for executing, according to a preset priority, whether to print in the recording agent saving mode with the designated printing device or to store print data in a storage unit connected to the network.

(3) In the printing system according to (1), when the control unit determines a printing device other than the designated printing device, the control unit follows a priority order set in advance.
A printing system for determining each printing device.

(4) The printing system according to (2) or (3), wherein the priority order can be arbitrarily set from the host computer and / or the scanner.

(5) In the printing system according to (2), the control unit displays an operation to be performed before the required operation is performed according to the priority order, and the user executes the displayed operation. A printing system that allows you to choose whether or not.

(6) In the printing system according to (3), the control unit displays the printing apparatus before printing with the printing apparatus determined according to the priority order, and the printing apparatus on which the user is displayed. A printing system that allows you to choose whether to print with.

(7) A printing method in a printing system in which a host computer and / or a scanner and a plurality of printing devices are connected via a network, wherein a designated printing device among the plurality of printing devices includes A first step of determining whether there is a sufficient amount of recording material remaining, and a second step of printing by the designated printing device when it is determined in this first step that there is a sufficient amount of recording material. And when it is determined in the first step that there is not sufficient remaining amount of the recording agent, a sufficient amount of the remaining amount of the recording agent for the number of print copies is given to a printing device other than the designated printing device among the plurality of printing devices. A printing method comprising: a third step of determining whether there is a print job; and a fourth step of printing by the printing apparatus when it is determined that there is a sufficient amount of recording agent remaining in the third step.

(8) A storage medium storing a program for realizing the printing method described in (7).

[0014]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to an embodiment of a printing system. The present invention is not limited to the printing system, and can be similarly implemented in the form of a printing method, and in the form of a storage medium such as a CD-ROM in which a program for realizing the printing method is stored.

Further, in the embodiment, an electrophotographic printer and a copying machine are used as the printing apparatus. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be implemented by using an appropriate printing apparatus such as an ink jet printer. it can.

[0016]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a "printing system" according to a first embodiment. In FIG. 1, 1 is a host computer, 2 is a hard disk (hereinafter referred to as HD), 3 is a color scanner, 4 is a white / black scanner, 5 is an A4-compatible white / black printer, and 6 is an A3-compatible white / black printer.
A black printer, 7 is an A3 double-sided white / black printer, 8 is a digital copier, and 9 is an A4 color printer. And these host computers and various peripheral devices
Connected via a common network line 10,
The print data is transferred from the host computer 1 or the scanners 3 and 4 and printed out from printers 5 to 9.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the first embodiment. A program for realizing this operation is stored in the host computer 1 or the driver of the scanners 3 and 4.

In FIG. 2, when printing is started in S101, a printer is designated in S102, and when the number of copies is input in S103, the remaining amount of toner (recording agent) of the designated printer is checked in S104. It is determined whether or not the toner is sufficient. If it is determined that the toner is sufficient, the process proceeds to S106, and the process proceeds to S102.
Printing is performed by the printer specified in step S107, but if it is determined that the toner is not sufficient, the flow shifts to step S107 to select a higher priority mode from among three operation modes registered in advance. In S107, the three operation modes are specified in the order of higher priority, and the process proceeds to S108 first. In S108, among the printers registered in order of priority, the printer having the next highest priority after the printer specified in S102 is selected, the remaining toner amount of the selected printer is checked in S109, and the number of print copies is set in S110. On the other hand, it is determined whether or not the remaining amount of toner is sufficient. If it is determined that the amount is sufficient, the process proceeds to S112 and printing is performed. If it is determined in S110 that the remaining amount of toner is not sufficient, the process proceeds to S111, and it is determined whether the printer designated in S108 is the printer with the lowest priority. If not, the process proceeds to S108. The printer having the next highest priority is designated. If it is determined in S111 that the printer has the lowest priority, the process proceeds to S113.
Printing is performed in the toner-saving mode by the printer with the highest priority specified in S102. Alternatively, if printing in the toner-saving mode is not preferable, the process proceeds to S114, and print data is stored in the HD2 or the HD of the designated printer. S
Since the user can freely change the priority mode of 〜 in 107, for example, と may be replaced.
As described above, according to the present embodiment, the user can arbitrarily set the priority of the printing apparatus connected to the network and the priority of the operation mode from the host computer or the scanner unit. When the recording agent of the designated printing device is checked and the recording agent is determined to be insufficient, the operation mode and the printing device set by the user are automatically selected, so that the user notices that the printing quality is poor after the printing is completed. Such troubles can be eliminated.

(Embodiment 2) FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of Embodiment 2 and the same parts (S-No.) As those of Embodiment 1 (FIG. 2) are assigned the same numbers. The configuration of the hardware is the same as that of the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is different from FIG. 2 in two points. One is that if it is determined in S110 that the remaining amount of toner of the printer selected in S108 is sufficient, the process proceeds to S201 and S202, and proceeds to S201. Is displayed on the host computer or the scanner operation unit, respectively, as to whether the specified printer can be printed with the specified pudding in S202. Second, if it is determined in S111 that the printer has the lowest priority, the process proceeds to S203. In S203 and S204, toner saving is performed between the highest priority printer and the highest priority printer designated in S102. The printing may be performed in the mode or may be displayed on the host computer or the scanner operation unit. In step S202, if the user selects printing, the process proceeds to step S112, and printing is performed. If the user does not select printing, the process proceeds to step S111, and the printer is determined to have the lowest priority. If the user selects printing in the toner saving mode in S204, the process proceeds to S204.
The process proceeds to step S203, and printing is performed in the toner-saving mode. If the user does not select printing in the toner-saving mode, the process proceeds to step S203.
114 to HD2 or the HD of the designated printer
The print data is stored in. Here, in S108 in FIGS. 2 and 3, the designated printers can be selected in descending order of priority, but the priority of the printer can be freely set by the user from the host computer or the scanner unit.

As described above, according to this embodiment,
At the time of printing, by displaying the printing device and allowing the user to select the printing device, processing according to the user's intention can be performed.

(Embodiment 3) FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of Embodiment 3 and is an example in which S107 of FIG. 3 is reversed.

(Embodiment 4) FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the embodiment 4. The difference from FIG. 4 is that step S107 is reversed, and steps S301, S302, S3
03 has just been added. If the user has not selected the printing in the toner-saving mode in S204 of FIG. 5, the process proceeds to S301 and S302. In S301, the HD of the high-priority printer is designated.
D is displayed on the host computer or the scanner unit operation unit, and if the user selects to store in the HD in S302, the process proceeds to S114, and H
If “store in D” is not selected, the process proceeds to S108. Further, in step S111, the printers having the lowest priority are checked. If it is determined that the toner is not sufficient, the process proceeds to step S303, in which the host computer replaces the toner of the designated printer with the highest priority. Alternatively, it is displayed on the operation unit of the scanner unit. Also, S202
If the user does not select to print with the designated printer displayed in S201, the process proceeds to S111, and determines whether or not the printer has the lowest priority. If not, the process proceeds to S108. Next, the print with the highest priority is selected.

Here, S107 and S108 in FIG.
The user can freely set the operation mode and the printer priority in the host computer or the scanner unit operation unit.

[0025]

As described above, according to the present invention,
A printing system, a printing method, and a storage medium that can eliminate inconvenience due to a shortage of a recording agent such as a toner can be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the first embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the second embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an operation of a third embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the fourth embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Host computer 2 Hard disk 3, 4 Scanner 5-7, 9 Printer 8 Copier 10 Network line

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A printing system in which a host computer and / or a scanner and a plurality of printing devices are connected via a network, wherein the host computer and / or the scanner checks the remaining amount of the recording agent in the printing device. Determining means for determining whether the remaining amount of the recording material is sufficient for the number of copies, and determining the remaining amount of the recording material of the designated printing device among the plurality of printing devices by the determining means, and determining that the remaining amount is sufficient. In this case, print with the designated printing device,
Control means for causing the determination means to determine a printing device other than the designated printing device out of the plurality of printing devices when it is determined that the printing device is not sufficient, and printing by the printing device when it is determined to be sufficient. A printing system. 2. A printing system in which a host computer and / or a scanner and a plurality of printing apparatuses are connected via a network, wherein the host computer and / or the scanner checks the remaining amount of the recording agent in the printing apparatus. Determining means for determining whether the remaining amount of the recording material is sufficient for the number of copies, and determining the remaining amount of the recording material of the designated printing device among the plurality of printing devices by the determining means, and determining that the remaining amount is sufficient. In this case, print with the designated printing device,
If it is determined that it is not sufficient, whether to print with a printing device having a sufficient amount of recording agent other than the designated printing device of the plurality of printing devices, or to print in the recording agent saving mode with the designated printing device, And a control unit for executing whether to store the print data in the storage unit connected to the network in accordance with a preset priority order. 3. The printing system according to claim 1, wherein
The printing system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit, when determining a printing device other than the designated printing device, determines each printing device according to a preset priority. 4. The printing system according to claim 2, wherein the priority order can be arbitrarily set from the host computer and / or the scanner. 5. The printing system according to claim 2, wherein
The control means displays an operation to be executed before executing a required operation in accordance with the priority order, and enables a user to select whether to execute the displayed operation. system. 6. The printing system according to claim 3, wherein
The control unit displays the printing device before printing on the printing device determined according to the priority order, and allows the user to select whether to print on the displayed printing device. And printing system. 7. A printing method in a printing system in which a host computer and / or a scanner and a plurality of printing apparatuses are connected via a network, wherein a designated printing apparatus among the plurality of printing apparatuses includes A first step of determining whether there is a sufficient amount of recording agent remaining, and a second step of causing the designated printing apparatus to print when it is determined in this first step that there is a sufficient amount of recording agent remaining. If it is determined in the first step that there is not enough remaining recording material, the printing device other than the designated printing device out of the plurality of printing devices may have a sufficient remaining amount of printing material for the number of copies. A third step of determining whether or not there is a recording medium, and a fourth step of causing the printing apparatus to print when it is determined that there is a sufficient amount of recording material remaining in the third step. Printing method. 8. A storage medium storing a program for realizing the printing method according to claim 7.