JPH064240A - Printer device control system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To output print data to a specified substitute printer device when a printer device is abnormal. CONSTITUTION:A print queue registration part 1 sends a request to register a print queue indicating the output destination printer device of print data to a doubled registration part 2. The doubled registration part 2 registers the number of the output destination printer device 8 and the number of the substitute printer device 9 in a print queue state control table 4. A print queue control part 5 outputs the print data, received by a print data reception part 3, through a print data output part 7. If the printer device 8 becomes abnormal and unusable during its output operation, the print queue control part 5 refers to the print queue state control part table 4 through the doubled control part 6 and switches the output destination to the substitute printer device 9.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printer device control system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, a printer control system is required to output to a printer at high speed and accurately.

In the conventional printer device control system, when the printer device is abnormal, the process is performed by waiting until the printer is in the normal state and restarting the output of the print data when the printer is in the normal state.

[0004]

The conventional printer control method has a drawback in that when the printer is abnormal, print data cannot be output unless the printer is restored to a normal state.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a printer device control system for outputting print data to an alternative printer device when the printer device is abnormal.

[0006]

A printer device control system according to the present invention is a printer device control system in an information processing system for managing a plurality of printer devices and outputting print data. A print queue registration unit for making a print queue registration request, and a print queue status management table having a queue number and a printer number in response to the print queue registration request and an alternative printer number of the printer device indicated by the printer number. A duplication registration unit, a print data reception unit that receives a print data output request, a first output instruction of print data to the printer device that receives the output request, and the queue when the printer device is abnormal. Print queue status management via number A print queue management unit that outputs a second output instruction to the alternative printer device indicated by the alternative printer number obtained from the table, and indicated by the printer number in the first output instruction and the second output instruction. A print data output unit for outputting the print data to a printer device is provided.

[0007]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The details of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

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

As shown in FIG. 1, in this embodiment, in order to output print data to an alternative printer device when the printer device is abnormal, a print queue registration unit 1, a duplication registration unit 2, a print data reception unit 3, The print queue status management table 4, the print queue management unit 5, the duplication management unit 6, the print data output unit 7, the printer device 8, and the alternative printer device 9 are used.

FIG. 2 is a structural diagram of the print queue status management table.

As shown in FIG. 2, the print queue status management table includes a print queue number 10 indicating a print queue number, a printer number 11 indicating a printer apparatus number corresponding to the print queue, and a normal or abnormal status of the printer apparatus. Duplicated printer number 1 indicating the number of the alternative printer device when the printer device set in printer status 12 and printer number 11 indicating
4, a print data buffer start pointer 15 indicating the start position of the print data buffer, and a print data length 16 indicating the overall length of the print data.

Next, a description will be given of an embodiment of the present invention, which is provided with the alternative printer device 9 and when the printer device 8 becomes abnormal while outputting print data to the printer device 8 with the print queue number 0.

When the system is activated, the print queue registration unit 1 is given control. Print queue registration section 1
Then, in order to register the print queue with the alternative printer device designated, control is passed to the duplex registration unit 2.

In the duplicate registration unit 2, 0 is set in the print queue number 10 of the print queue status management table 4, the number of the printer device 8 is set in the printer number 11, and the number of the alternative printer device 9 is set in the duplicate printer number 14. To set.

When a print data output request is issued, control is passed to the print data receiving unit 3. The print data acceptance unit 3 passes 0 as the print queue number for the print data, the start position of the print data buffer, and the entire length of the print data to the print queue management unit 5.

In the print queue management unit 5, the print queue number 0, the start position of the print data buffer and the total length of the print data are passed to the duplication management unit 6.

The duplication management unit 6 searches the print queue status management table 4 to find that the print queue number is 0.
Since the alternative printer device is assigned to this printer device, the start position of the print data buffer is set in the print data buffer start pointer 15, the total length of the print data is set in the print data length 16, and the print queue management unit 5 Return to.

The print queue management section 5 divides the print data into a predetermined size and sends it to the print data output section 7 together with the number of the printer device 8.

The print data output section 7 outputs print data to the printer device 8.

When an abnormality occurs during output to the printer device 8, the print data output unit 7 notifies the print queue management unit 5 that the abnormality has occurred in the printer device 8.

The print queue management unit 5 notifies the duplication management unit 6 that an error has occurred at the print queue number 0, and requests a search to see if there is an alternative printer.

The duplication management unit 6 refers to the print queue status management table 4 and finds that the alternative printer for the printer device 8 with the print queue number 0 is the alternative printer device 9, and the device number of the alternative printer device 9 is shown. The start position of the print data buffer and the entire length of the print buffer are passed to the print queue management unit 5.

The print queue management unit 5 again divides the print data into a certain size from the beginning, and passes the data together with the number of the alternative printer device 9 to the print data output unit 7.

As described above, switching to the alternative printer device is performed when the printer device is abnormal.

[0025]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the printer device control method of the present invention, even if the printer device is abnormal, the print data can be output to the alternative printer device. This has the effect of reducing time loss due to time and recovery.

[Brief description of drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a structural diagram showing an example of a print queue status management table.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Print Queue Registration Unit 2 Duplication Registration Unit 3 Print Data Reception Unit 4 Print Queue Status Management Table 5 Print Queue Management Unit 6 Duplication Management Unit 7 Print Data Output Unit 8 Printer Device 9 Alternative Printer Device

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a printer device control method in an information processing system for managing a plurality of printer devices and outputting print data, a print queue registration unit for requesting registration of a print queue indicating a printer device to which print data is output, A duplex registration unit that receives a print queue registration request and registers it in a print queue status management table that includes a queue number, a printer number, and an alternative printer number of the printer device indicated by the printer number, and a print that receives a print data output request. A data reception unit outputs a first output instruction of print data to the printer device that has received the output request, and is obtained from the print queue state management table via the queue number when the printer device is abnormal. Indicated by the alternative printer number A print queue management unit that outputs a second output instruction to the alternative printer device, and an output of the print data to the printer device indicated by the printer number in the first output instruction and the second output instruction. A printer apparatus control method comprising a print data output unit for performing.