JP2004348376A - Print system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve a problem that speedy correspondence to an error or an alarm is sometimes difficult, because a status monitor of a printer which is conventionally used by a user for regular printing, displays when an error occurs, only single error which affect most seriously for continuation of printing on the printer even though a plurality of errors occur, and overall status of the printer cannot be grasped by this method. <P>SOLUTION: The print system is ameliorated so that overall status of a printer can be grasped in a single sweep by carrying out multiple display of the statuses such as errors, warning, etc. of the printer simultaneously. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a printing system for monitoring a printing status of a printing apparatus having a recording head.
[0002]
[Prior art]
When print data is transmitted from the host computer to the printing device, a status monitor that displays the status of the printing device on a display connected to the host computer starts, and monitors the status of the printing device.
With regard to self-diagnosis and failure cause estimation and analysis for abnormalities and failures, there is a technique of displaying two-dimensionally and in detail from the highest priority.
<For example, see Patent Document 1>
[Patent Document 1]
Hei 09-03092 (Page 3, Figures 1, 4, 7)
However, the status monitor of the printing device used by the conventional user during normal printing displays only one error that has the greatest effect on the continuation of printing of the printing device when an error occurs and even if there are multiple errors. I was
<For example, see Patent Document 2>
[Patent Document 2]
JP-A-09-251356 (page 8, FIG. 11)
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, the above method cannot grasp the state of the printing apparatus in general, and sometimes it is difficult to quickly respond to an error or an alarm.
[0004]
In view of the above, the present invention is designed to simultaneously display a plurality of states of the printing apparatus such as errors and warnings, so that the general state of the printing apparatus can be grasped at a time.
[0005]
The object of the first invention according to the present application is to
The purpose of the present invention is to display a plurality of items of the received printer status and notify the user of all the conditions occurring in the printing apparatus.
[0006]
The object of the second invention according to the present application is:
The purpose of the present invention is to update the state of the printing apparatus every time the state changes and to display the latest state.
[0007]
The purpose of the third invention according to the present application is:
It is an object of the present invention to display the images in the order in which the operation of the printing apparatus has a high degree of influence, thereby facilitating the user to respond.
[0008]
The fourth object of the present invention is to
When an error occurs in the printing apparatus, the operation status of the printing apparatus is not displayed.
[0009]
The fifth object of the present invention is to
This is to return printer status information based on printer status information acquisition request means from the host computer.
[0010]
The purpose of the sixth invention according to the present application is:
The printer status information acquisition request unit requests all printer status information.
[0011]
The seventh object of the present invention is to
The printer status information acquisition requesting means is provided before the host computer transmits print data to the printing apparatus, and when necessary, notifies the status promptly.
[0012]
Means and action for solving the problem
In order to achieve the above object, a first invention according to the present application provides:
The received printer status is displayed in a plurality of items, and the user is notified of all the statuses occurring in the printing apparatus. The user can quickly respond to the notification.
[0013]
The second invention according to the present application is:
The printing apparatus is updated every time the state of the printing apparatus changes, and has an effect of displaying the latest state.
[0014]
The third invention according to the present application is:
There is an effect of displaying the operation of the printing apparatus in an order having a high degree of influence, thereby facilitating a response by the user.
[0015]
The fourth invention according to the present application is:
When an error occurs in the printing apparatus, the operation status of the printing apparatus is not displayed, and an effect that the notification can be more easily performed.
[0016]
The fifth invention according to the present application is:
The printer status information is returned based on a printer status information acquisition request unit from the host computer.
[0017]
The sixth invention according to the present application is:
The printer status information acquisition requesting means requests all the printer status information, and has an effect that the user can grasp the general state.
[0018]
The seventh invention according to the present application is:
The printer status information acquisition requesting means is performed before the host computer transmits print data to the printing apparatus, and has an effect of appropriately grasping the state when necessary.
[0019]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
[0020]
First Embodiment FIG. 1 is a diagram best showing the features of the present invention. In FIG. 1, a host computer 101 having a display 103 is connected to a printer 102 via an interface.
[0021]
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the host computer 101.
The host computer 101 and the printer 102 are connected by a cable via a communication interface 207 capable of bidirectional communication, such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) or a parallel interface.
[0022]
Print data and commands are transmitted from the host computer to the printer, and printer status information indicating the status of the printer is transmitted from the printer to the host computer.
[0023]
In a RAM (main memory) 201 of the host computer, a printer driver 208 and a status monitor 209 for monitoring the status of the printer are loaded from a hard disk or the like (not shown).
[0024]
A display 103 connected to a host computer (host PC) 101 displays the status of the printer according to the present embodiment.
[0025]
Also, the present embodiment will be described as an embodiment using a general-purpose OS (Operating System) operating on the host PC 101. Therefore, unless specifically required, the operation and operation of the general-purpose operating system are not specified.
[0026]
FIG. 4 shows a display screen displayed on the display 103 of the host computer. The status information display unit 402 in the status monitor 401 displays the status of the printer. The status information display unit 402 displays a plurality of items when a plurality of errors and warnings occur simultaneously in the printer.
[0027]
FIG. 3 shows an operation flow of the present embodiment.
[0028]
The printer determines whether or not the state has changed during operation (s301). If the status has changed (s301-Yes), the printer status information is updated (s302).
[0029]
Next, the printer status information is transmitted to the host PC (s303). The above processing is repeated while the printer is operating.
[0030]
The host PC 101 receives the printer status information from the printer (s305).
It is determined whether or not the printer status information has been normally obtained from the printer (s306). If the printer status information has been normally received (s306-Yes), the printer status information is analyzed (s307).
[0031]
The method of analyzing the printer status information will be described later. Next, the analysis result is notified to the user on a screen as shown in FIG. 4 (s308).
[0032]
The display method of the status information will also be described later.
[0033]
Next, it is determined whether or not the acquisition of the printer status information is to be terminated (s309). If it is determined that the acquisition is to be terminated (s309-Yes), the process is terminated. If it is determined that the acquisition of the printer status information is not to be terminated (s309- No), the process is repeated again.
[0034]
FIG. 6 shows the printer status information.
The printer status information 601 transmitted from the printer to the host computer stores error information 602, warning information 603, printing operation information 604, and the like.
[0035]
Since each of the error information 602 and the warning information 603 can store a plurality of pieces of information, for example, even when a plurality of errors occur simultaneously, a plurality of pieces of information can be held.
[0036]
FIG. 5 shows an operation flow relating to printer status information analysis.
[0037]
The printer status display data storage unit 520 stores data to be displayed on the printer status information display unit in FIG.
[0038]
First, the printer status information is obtained from the printer (s501), and the data storage unit is cleared because there is a possibility that the previously displayed data may remain in the printer status display data storage unit 520 (s502).
[0039]
Next, it is determined whether there is error information in the printer status information acquired in s501 (s503). If there is error information (s503-Yes), the number of error information is calculated (s504). At this time, the number of error information is set to Er.
[0040]
Next, it is determined whether or not Er is 0 (s505). If it is not 0 (s505-No), error information is written to the printer status display data storage unit (s506).
[0041]
Then, the value of the number Er of error information is decremented (s507), and the processing of s505 to s507 is repeated until the value of Er becomes zero.
[0042]
Next, it is determined whether there is warning information (s508). If there is warning information (s508-Yes), the number of warning information is calculated (s509). At this time, the number of warning information is defined as Wa.
[0043]
Next, it is determined whether Wa is 0 (s510). If Wa is not 0, warning information is written to the printer status display data storage unit (s511).
[0044]
Then, the value of the number Wa of the warning information is decremented (s512), and the processing of s510 to s512 is repeated until the value of Wa becomes zero.
[0045]
Next, it is determined whether or not there is error information (s513). If there is error information (s513-Yes), it is not necessary to display the printing status on the status information display unit of FIG. The printing operation information is not set in the storage unit 520, and the process ends.
[0046]
If there is no error information (s513-No), the printing operation start information is set in the printer status display data (s514).
[0047]
FIG. 7 shows an operation flow of the printer status display.
[0048]
First, display data is acquired from the printer status display data storage unit 720 set in FIG. 5 (s701).
[0049]
Next, the printer status display data previously obtained from the data storage unit 721 is read out and compared with the data obtained this time (s702). If the status has been changed (s702-Yes), the data is stored in the display data storage unit 720. It is determined whether there is error information (s703). If there is an error (s703-Yes), the number of error information is counted (s704), and the value is set to Er.
[0050]
Next, the value of the error information number Er is determined (s705). If the value is not 0 (s705-No), the error information is displayed on the status display unit 402 shown in FIG. 4 (s706). Thereafter, the number Er of error information is decremented (s707), and the processing from s705 to s707 is repeated until the number Er of error information becomes zero.
[0051]
Then, it is determined whether warning information is present in the display data storage unit 720 (s708). If there is a warning (s708-Yes), the number of warning information is counted (s709), and the value is set to Wa. .
[0052]
Next, the value of the warning information number Wa is determined (s710). If the value is not 0 (s710-No), the warning information is displayed on the status display unit 402 shown in FIG. 4 (s711). Thereafter, the number Wa of warning information is decremented (s712), and the processing from s710 to s712 is repeated until the number Wa of warning information becomes zero.
[0053]
Thereafter, it is determined again whether or not there is error information (s713). If there is an error (s713-Yes), the printing status is not displayed on the status information display section of FIG. 4, and if there is no error (s713-No). ), Information for displaying the printing status is set in the printer status display data (s714).
[0054]
Since it is necessary to hold the latest printer status, the data in the current printer status display data storage unit 720 is copied to the previous printer status display data storage unit 721 (s715), and the process ends.
[0055]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the first invention of the present application, even if a plurality of errors and warnings occur simultaneously in the printing apparatus, it is possible to appropriately display and notify the user.
[0056]
Further, according to the second aspect of the present application, the latest state can be appropriately displayed every time the state of the printing apparatus changes.
[0057]
Further, according to the third aspect of the present application, by analyzing all the printer status information, it is possible to acquire all the states occurring in the printing apparatus.
[0058]
Further, according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to sequentially display information necessary for a user to perform a printing operation normally.
[0059]
According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, when an error occurs in the printing apparatus, the printing apparatus does not operate, so that the printing operation status of the printing apparatus is not displayed and the display content is simplified. Can be.
[0060]
Further, according to the sixth aspect of the present invention, when a plurality of errors and warnings are generated, it is possible to preferentially display, among the error information, those having an effect on normal operation of printing. .
[0061]
Further, according to the seventh aspect of the invention, the host computer can request the printing device for a method of acquiring printer status information.
[0062]
Further, according to the eighth aspect of the present application, the host computer can request the printer for all printer status information that can be returned by the printer to the host computer.
[0063]
Further, according to the ninth aspect of the present invention, the host computer can request the printer for printer status information required by the host computer.
[0064]
According to the tenth aspect of the present invention, the host computer can request the printer for printer status information when the host computer needs the printer status information.
[0065]
According to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, the trigger of the host computer requesting the printer status information from the printing device is that the host computer transmits the status information before transmitting the print job to the printing device. .
[0066]
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a connection diagram between a host computer and a printer.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a host computer and a printer.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a host computer and a printer.
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a screen displayed on a monitor connected to a host computer.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a method of analyzing printer status information.
FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating printer status information.
FIG. 7 is a flowchart for displaying printer status display information.
[Explanation of symbols]
101 Host computer 102 Printer 103 Display device 201 RAM
202 ROM
203 CPU
204 Display device 205 Mouse 206 Keyboard 207 Interface unit 208 Printer 310 Printer status information 401 Status monitor screen 402 Status information display unit 520 Printer status information display data 601 Printer status information 602 Error information unit in printer status information 603 Warning in printer status information Information section 604 Printer status information print operation information section 720 Printer status information display data 721 Previous printer status information display data

Claims (7)

In a printing system in which a host computer and a printing device are connected via an interface,
Printer status information returning means for generating printer status information including a plurality of states of the printing apparatus and transmitting the printer status information to the host computer;
Printer status information receiving means for receiving the printer status information;
A printer status display unit for displaying a plurality of items of the received printer status by the printer status information receiving unit. The printer status information includes:
The printing system according to claim 1, wherein the printing system is updated each time the state of the printing apparatus changes. The printer status display means,
Error information notifying that the printing device cannot continue operation,
Warning information notifying that operation can be continued but requires attention,
The printing system according to claim 1, wherein the printing status is displayed in the order of the operation status of the printing device. 4. The printing system according to claim 3, wherein when an error occurs in the printing apparatus, the operation status of the printing apparatus is not displayed. The printer status information returning means is:
Based on the printer status information acquisition request means from the host computer,
The printing system according to claim 1, wherein the printer status information is returned. The printer status information acquisition request unit includes:
6. The printing system according to claim 1, wherein all of the printer status information is requested. 7. The printing system according to claim 1, wherein the printer status information acquisition request unit is performed before the host computer transmits print data to a printing apparatus.

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