JPS6260026A - Spool processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To output print data independently however many printers are installed actually in a system by providing an output processor which reads the print data out of an external storage device and outputs it to the printers. CONSTITUTION:The print data is sent to a printer output control part 11 and a busy monitoring part 12 checks whether a printer 16 is in printing operation or not. When the printer 16 is in printing operation, the print data is sent to a spool processing part 17 and each output request unit is given a file name for spooling printer output images and outputted to a file on a disk device 19. When an application processing part 10 which is in printing operation on the printer 16 generates a macroinstruction CLOSE and when the printer 16 becomes free, that is reported to an output processing part 20. At this time, the processing part 20 reads the print data out of a device 19 according to spool file information controlled by a spool queue control part 18 and sends it to the control part 11, which prints it out on the printer 16.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention is a spool processing device, particularly a relatively small-sized computer system, in which print data from processing entities that each operate independently is transferred to two printers, for example, one printer. The present invention relates to a spool processing device that is capable of organizing and outputting data for each processing entity.

[Conventional technology and problems]

Even in relatively small-sized computer systems, a so-called multitasking configuration has provided a function that allows a plurality of data processing entities to operate independently. When each processing entity prints out data processing results to a printer, if there are as many printers as there are processing entities,
There is no problem because a printer can be assigned to each processing entity and the processing results can be printed. However, 1.Normally, there are only one or two printers in a system.

In this case, if each processing entity makes a print request to the printer independently, the print data output by each processing entity will be mixed and output separately, for example, for each line of printing.

Therefore, in the past, each processing entity had to perform exclusive control regarding printer output at the user level, posing a problem of a heavy processing or operational burden.

[Means for solving problems]

The present invention aims to solve the above-mentioned problems and provides a spool processing device that allows each processing entity to output as if it were occupying each printer, regardless of how many printers are installed in the system.

Therefore, in the spool processing device of the present invention, the printer output control unit provided in the operating system manages the printer while it is in use, and the processing main body, which is another application processing unit, already manages the printer output control unit provided in the operating system.

When printing is in progress and the printer is busy, the print data from the application processing unit related to a later output request is temporarily spooled in an external storage device such as a magnetic disk device, and the actual print data is When the printer becomes vacant, means is provided for reading the print data spooled in the external storage device in the order of output requests and outputting it to the printer.

[Effect]

According to the present invention, print data is output to the actual printer depending on the busy state of the printer.

Since the process of spooling to an external storage device is automatically performed, each application processing unit does not have to be aware of the actual usage status of the printer (2. , print data can be output.

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of an embodiment of the present invention.

In the figure, reference numeral 10 indicates an application processing unit that makes independent print output requests, 11 indicates a printer output control unit that controls print output requests to the printer, 12 indicates a busy monitoring unit that monitors the busy state of the printer, and 13 indicates a busy state of the printer. an output switching unit that switches the output destination of the print data depending on the state; 14 is a spool output unit that sends the print data to the spool processing unit;
15 is a print output unit that outputs print data to the printer;
6 is a printer; 17 is a spool processing unit that spools print data to an external storage device; 18 is a spool queue management unit that manages print data management information using a queue for each output request from each application processing unit 10; and 19 is a spool target. A disk device 20 represents an output processing section that reads spooled print data from the disk device 19 when the printer 16 becomes vacant and requests the printer output control section 11 to output it.

When each application processing section 10 outputs a series of print data, it notifies the request for 5 outputs using a so-called 0PEN command, as in the past. When the output of a series of print data is completed, the CLO3E command is used to notify the end. In the case of the present invention.

When the 0PEN command is issued, a certain virtual printer PRN i is assigned, regardless of the number of printers 16 actually installed in the system. From now on, each application processing unit 10 uses ct as if the virtual printer PRNi were an actual printer.

Print data can be output until the O3E command is issued.

The print data is sent to the printer output control section 11, and the busy monitoring section 12 checks whether the printer 16 is printing. When not printing.

The print data is sent to the print output request 5 via the output switching unit 13.
The print output section 15 outputs the data to the printer 16. When the printer 16 is printing print data from another application processing section 10, the print data is sent to the spool output section 14 via the output switching section 13 and from the spool output section 14 to the spool processing section. Print data is sent to 17.

The spool processing unit 17 assigns a file name for spooling the printer output image to each output request, and outputs the print data to a file on the disk device 19. The spool queue management unit 18 manages the spool file as a queue.

The application processing unit 10 was printing on the printer 16.

When the CLOSE macro is issued and the printer 16 becomes vacant, the output processing section 20 is notified of its availability.

At this time, the output processing section 20 outputs the spool queue management section 1.
According to the spool file information managed by the printer 16
Print output to .

FIG. 2 shows that three application processing units 10, first to third, are connected to virtual printers PRNI, PRN2. PRN3
2 shows an example of a processing operation for outputting print data.

In the entries for virtual printers PRN1 to PRN3 in FIG.

The period from the white circle to the black circle indicates the period from when the 0PEN command is received until when the CLO3E command is received. In the case of a real printer PRN, the period from the white circle to the black circle indicates the period from oPEN to CLO5E of the spool file.

Initially, the first application processing unit lo uses the virtual printer PRN.
1, the printer 16 is empty, so
The print data is directly printed on the printer 16. At this time, the second application processing section 1o.

When print data is output to virtual printer PRN2.

Since the printer 16 is busy, the print data is.

It is output to a spool file (file name F21).

The file names are registered in the spool (SP) queue area in the order in which the 0PEN commands are received.

The print data stored in the spool file (file name F21) is transferred to the output processing unit 20 when the output by the virtual printer PRNI is finished and the printer 16 becomes vacant.
It is printed out via the real printer PRN assigned to . At this time, when there is an output request to the virtual printer PRN3 in response to a request from the third application processing unit 10, spooling to the spool file (file name F31) is similarly performed. Hereinafter, similarly as shown in FIG.

Print data output processing is performed.

In the above embodiment, the case where there is only one actual printer was explained, but even when there are two or more printers, printing control using spooling can be performed by similarly associating the virtual printer and the real printer. is possible.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the present invention, no matter how many printers are actually installed in the system.

Each application processing section can output print data independently, simplifying exclusive control processing in the application processing section, and eliminating the need to wait for other application processing sections to finish printing. After spooling, you can immediately move on to the next process.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 10 is an application processing section, 11 is a printer output control section,
12 is a busy monitoring section, and 13 is an output switching section. I4 represents a spool output section, 15 a print output section, 16 a printer, 17 a spool processing section, 18 a spool queue management section, 19 a disk device r, and 20 an output processing section. Patent applicant: Patent attorney representing Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
Mori 1) Hiroshi (3 others)

Claims (1)

[Claims] In a data processing system including a printer (16) and in which a plurality of application processing units (10) each independently output print data to the printer (16), the busy state of the printer (16) is A busy monitoring unit (12) that monitors, an output switching unit (13) that switches the output destination of print data depending on the busy state of the printer (16), and the printer (16) when requested by a certain application processing unit. When print data is being printed, the spool processing unit (17), which performs processing to spool print data from other application processing units related to subsequent requests to an external storage device, and the printer (16) are in an idle state. A spool processing device comprising: an output processing unit (20) that reads print data from the external storage device according to the spooled order when the print data is spooled, and outputs the read data to the printer (16).