JPH0916357A - Printing apparatus and control method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] A shared printer occupies a specific paper supply port. [Structure] From the keyword setting panel 9, a keyword is set for the used paper feed port. The keyword detection unit 6 compares the set keyword with the host name received together with the print data, and if they match, supplies paper from the paper feed port in which the keyword is set to perform printing.
Cancel the keyword. If they do not match, an error is generated and a response to that effect is sent. By doing so, when it is desired to print on a special medium, it is possible to prevent the medium set in the paper feed port from being used by another print request.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printing apparatus such as a shared printer including a printer server, which is connected to a network, and a control method thereof.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, with the spread of computer networks, printers have been widely used in which a plurality of computers share one or a plurality of printers.

This utilization form is further convenient by the function of selecting a paper feed port of a printer which is also connected to the network from a computer connected to the network. A plurality of users of the printer use different paper sizes and papers (such as OHP paper and colored paper). Cassette paper feeding for frequently used paper, manual feeding for printing several sheets temporarily,
It is also possible to use them properly.

[0004]

However, temporary paper feeding by manual paper feeding may cause inconvenience in a printer connected to a network.

A special paper (O
Another user may print using HP paper, colored paper, etc.). In such a case, the printer must be refused in advance so that other people will not use it.

The present invention has been made in view of the above conventional example, and a printing apparatus and a printing apparatus capable of preventing a user who wants to print on a specific sheet from being used by another user by mistake. The purpose is to provide a control method.

[0007]

Means for Solving the Problems and

In order to achieve the above object, the printing apparatus of the present invention has the following structure. That is, a printing apparatus that executes printing according to print requests from a plurality of request sources,
A supply unit that supplies the print medium from each supply port, a setting unit that sets the first identification information for the supply port, and a second unit that specifies the request source of the print request together with the print request.
Of the first identification information and the second identification information are compared with the input means for inputting the identification information of
And an output unit that supplies a print medium from the supply port in which the identification information is set and outputs the print medium.

Further, the control method of the printing apparatus of the present invention has the following configuration. That is, a method of controlling a printing apparatus that prints on a print medium supplied from a supply port, including a setting step of setting first identification information for the supply port of the print medium, and a second step indicating a print request source. And the step of comparing the first identification information and the second identification information, if the first identification information and the second identification information are in agreement, the first identification information is supplied from the supply port in which the first identification information is set. The print medium, the second
And an output step of printing according to a print request corresponding to the identification information of.

[0009]

[Embodiment 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a form of use of a first embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, 5 is a printer according to the present embodiment, 1 to 3 are host computers using the printer 5, and 4 is a network system for connecting the printer 5 and the host computers 1 to 3. The network system 4 is for a plurality of host computers 1 to 3 to share the printer 5. The network system 4 has a function of transmitting and receiving data between each host computer and the printer 5 on a one-to-one basis, and arbitrating so that the host computers do not compete with each other for the printer 5. Further, the printer 5 can identify the host computer that is transmitting and receiving data through the network system 4. The host computer is identified by the printer 5 by a name (represented by a character string) that is uniquely identified on the network system 4. The network system 4 is realized by a known technique including an interface for connecting the respective host computers 1 to 3 and the printer 5, and detailed description in this embodiment will be omitted.

Next, details of this embodiment will be described.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the electrical data flow of the printer 5. In FIG. 2, 6 is a keyword detector, 7 is a printer controller, 8 is a printer engine, and 9 is a keyword setting panel. The printer 5 is a page printer having a cassette paper feed tray and a manual paper feed tray (not shown). Normally, paper is fed from a cassette, and the manual paper feed is selected on the printer body side so that the paper set therein can be fed from the manual paper feed tray. When the user wants to occupy the manual sheet feeding, the printer 5 switches to the manual sheet feeding in the printer engine 8, and the keyword setting panel 9
In, set a keyword for using manual paper feeding. In this embodiment, since the host name is used as the keyword, the host name that occupies the manual paper feed is set here. The mechanical (physical) switching of the paper feed port is realized by a known technique in the printer engine 8. In the printer engine 8, which paper feed port is currently selected is always known by the signal line 18.

The signal line 10 is a serial line connecting the keyword detecting section and the network system 4. Information flowing through the serial line 10 includes a host name 11, print data 12, and status 13. The print data 12 is data including a printer control code represented by a page description signal, etc., and is converted into image data 15 by the printer controller 7 and output from the printer engine 8.

Whether the keyword detection unit 6 delivers the print data 12 to the printer controller 7 according to the keyword obtained from the keyword setting panel 9 through the set keyword 20 and the state of the selected paper feed port 18 from the host name 10 and the printer engine 8. Control The printer engine 8 returns an engine status and an error occurrence to the printer controller 7 as an engine status 17.

The printer controller 7 combines the engine status, the error generated inside the controller, and the status of the printer controller, and returns it to the keyword detection unit 6 as the controller status 16. The keyword detection unit 6 combines the controller status and an error inside the keyword detection unit due to a mismatch of the keywords and the like, and outputs the status 13 as a status 13 to the network system 4.
To return. The keyword detection unit 6 sends a keyword reset command 19 to the keyword setting panel when the printing corresponding to the keyword is completed. The end of the installed character corresponding to the keyword is included in the print data, and the printer controller notifies the keyword detection unit of the completion of printing as the controller status.

Next, the keyword comparison procedure of the keyword detection unit will be described in detail with reference to the flowchart of FIG. FIG.
3 is a flow chart showing the process for one printing from one host computer in the keyword detecting section 6. First, step S102 in FIG.
At, the name of the host that has transmitted the print data from the network system 4 is obtained as a keyword. Next, in step S104, the keyword set in the manual paper feed port is read from the keyword setting panel 9, and compared with the host name in step S106.
When the host name and the paper feed port setting keyword match, the process proceeds to step S108, the print data is transferred to the printer controller 7, and printing is performed. Similarly, when there is no sheet feed port setting keyword in step S109, that is, when no user intends to occupy the sheet feed port, step S10 is similarly performed.
In step 8, print processing is performed. After passing the print data to the printer controller 7 in step S108, the process proceeds to step S112 after the printing is completed, and the sheet feed port setting keyword is canceled.

On the other hand, if the paper feed port setting keyword does not match the host name in step S106, the process proceeds to step S110. In step S110, an error indicating that the printer is reserved is returned to the host computer via the network system 4. Note that statuses such as errors are returned to the host computer as needed during processing other than the processing 110, as necessary.
The means is based on a known technique, and the details will be omitted.

As described above, according to this embodiment,
It is possible to prevent other users from accidentally printing the paper for a specific user installed in the manual paper feed, and it is possible to efficiently use the printer connected to the network. .

Although the host name identified on the network is used as the keyword for identifying the user in this embodiment, it is also effective to use other information as the keyword. For example, in a network system based on a multi-user operator reading system, a keyword based on a combination of a user name and a host name may be used instead of the host name.

Further, in the present embodiment, the user is identified by the keyword only for the manual feed tray, but it is also possible to set the keywords for the other sheet feed trays and identify them. Needless to say, it is included.

Further, in the present embodiment, the comparison and identification of the keywords are performed in a block separate from the printer controller, but this is included in the function of the printer controller, and the keywords may be included in the print control code. It is possible.

[0022]

Second Embodiment FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a usage pattern of the second embodiment.

Reference numeral 200 in FIG. 4 is a printer to which this embodiment is applied, and the usage pattern of the second embodiment is the same as the usage pattern of the first embodiment shown in FIG. The data transmission / reception on the network system 4 is exactly the same as that of the embodiment. Therefore, detailed description is omitted.

Next, details of this embodiment will be described.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an electrical data flow of the printer 200. Since the function of each block in FIG. 5 is partly the same as that of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the same parts as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and omitted, and The part unique to the embodiment will be described.

In FIG. 5, the printer controller 26 of the printer 200 returns, as the controller status 21, a print end every time one sheet is printed. Keyword detection unit 6
Since the part that passes the data received from the network system 4 to the printer controller 26 is the same as that in the first embodiment, the description thereof will be omitted. The keyword setting panel holds the set keyword and the number of set sheets for the manual feed port. The keyword detection unit 6 compares the keyword set in the manual paper feed port with the host name and sends the print data 14 to the printer controller. The number of printed sheets is checked from the controller status returned by the printer controller 26, and the number of sheets and the set number of sheets are set. The reset command 23 is sent to the keyword setting panel 25 by comparing with the number of sheets set in the keyword setting panel obtained in 23.

Next, the processing of the portion where the printer controller 26 returns the status for each printing of one sheet will be described based on the flowchart of FIG.

First, the printer controller 26 inputs the print data 14 in step S302. The print data consists of a character drawing or graphic drawing command for each unit. This individual print data is stored in the memory in the printer controller 26 so as to be drawn at an appropriate position in one page in the page layout in step S304. It is checked in step S306 if all the print data for one page has arrived, and if there is any print data, the process returns to the input of print data in step S302. When the layout for one page is completed, the process proceeds to step S308, and the image data 15 for one page is output to the engine. According to the engine status 17 after outputting one page, an error status is returned in step S314, or in step S312,
Controller status 2 for the status of 1-page output end
It is returned to the keyword detection unit 6 as 1. Then, the process returns to the input of print data.

Next, the keyword comparison procedure of the keyword detection unit 6 and the control of the number of output sheets will be described in detail with reference to the flowchart of FIG. FIG. 7 shows 1 in the keyword detection unit 6.
6 is a flowchart illustrating a process corresponding to one print from one host computer.

First, in step S320 of FIG. 7, a host name is obtained from the network system 4 as a keyword. Next, in step S322, the number of sheets set in the manual feed port is obtained from the keyword setting panel 25. This number of sheets is held in the keyword detecting unit 6 for comparison with the number of sheets actually printed. Next, in step S324, the keyword is obtained from the keyword setting panel. In step S326, the keyword set for the manual paper feed port is compared with the host name. If the keywords match and if the keyword is not set for the paper feed port, printing is performed. If printing is to be performed, the process proceeds to step S328. If printing is not performed, the process moves to step S334 and an error is returned to the host through the network system. Each time printing is performed in step S328, the status of the controller is checked in step S330. If there is an error, an error status is returned in step S334, and the process ends. If one sheet has been output, it is determined in step S whether the set number of sheets has been output.
332 and step S336. If the set number of sheets have not been output, the process returns to step S328 to repeat the output. If the set number of sheets have been output, step S33.
In 8, the sheet feed port setting keyword is canceled and the process ends.

As described above, since the number of sheets set for manual sheet feeding can be specified on the keyword setting panel, when a printing error occurs or the number of sheets is small for the print data. In this case, the printer can be released to other users promptly.

As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to prevent other users from mistakenly using the paper for a specific user installed for manual paper feeding for printing.
Furthermore, after the printer is occupied, the printer can be automatically released to other users according to the number of installed sheets, so that the user does not have to be near the printer for the entire use of the printer. This makes it possible to use the printer connected to the network more efficiently.

In this embodiment as well, the host name identified on the network is used as the keyword for identifying the user in the same way as in the first embodiment, but it is also effective to use other information as the keyword. is there.

Also, in the present embodiment, the user is identified by the keyword only for the manual feed tray, but it is also possible to set the keyword for each of the other paper feed ports to identify the user. Needless to say, it is included.

The fact that the keywords are compared and identified in a block different from the printer controller is also included in the function of the printer controller, and it is effective to include the keywords in the print control code.

The present invention may be applied to a system composed of a plurality of devices or an apparatus composed of one device. Needless to say, the present invention can be applied to a case where the present invention is achieved by supplying a program to a system or an apparatus.

[0037]

As described above, according to the printing apparatus and the control method thereof of the present invention, when it is desired to occupy a specific paper feed port of a shared printer connected to a network, another person can use the paper feed port. It can be disabled. Further, it is possible to solve the inconvenience that a printing error occurs during exclusive use and the shared printer is continuously occupied, and the operator does not need to continue monitoring.

[0038]

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a usage pattern of a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a data flow in the printer 5.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart of a process corresponding to one print in the keyword detection unit 6.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a form of use of the second embodiment of the present invention.

5 is a block diagram showing a data flow in the printer 200. FIG.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a process in which the printer controller 26 returns a status every time one sheet is printed.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a keyword comparison procedure of the keyword detection unit 6 and control of the number of output sheets.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1,2,3 Host computer 4 Network system 5,200 Printer 6 Keyword detection unit 7,26 Printer controller 8 Printer engine 9,25 Keyword setting panel 10 Serial line 11 Host name 12,14 Print data 13 Status 15 Image data 16, 21 Controller Status 17 Engine Status 18 Selective Paper Feed Port 19 Keyword Reset Command 20, 24 Setting Keyword 22 Reset Command 23 Number of Set Paper

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A printing apparatus that executes printing according to print requests from a plurality of request sources, and a supply unit that supplies a print medium from each supply port, and a setting that sets first identification information for the supply port. Means for inputting second identification information for specifying a request source of the print request together with the print request, and comparing the first identification information and the second identification information, and if they match, the first identification information is compared. An output unit that supplies a print medium from a supply port in which the identification information of the item is set and prints out the print medium. 2. The supply unit has a plurality of supply ports, and the setting unit sets the first identification data to a desired supply port from the plurality of supply ports. The printing apparatus according to 1. 3. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the output unit releases the first identification information set by the setting unit together with the print output. 4. Further comprising a second setting means for setting the number of print media for the supply port, and the output means
The printing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the identification information set by the setting unit is opened after the number of sheets set by the second setting unit is printed out. 5. A method of controlling a printing apparatus for printing on a print medium supplied from a supply port, comprising a setting step of setting first identification information for the supply port of the print medium, and a print request source. The step of reading the represented second identification information and the step of comparing the first identification information with the second identification information. If they match, the supply port in which the first identification information is set An output step of printing on a print medium supplied from the printer in response to a print request corresponding to the second identification information,
A method for controlling a printing apparatus, comprising: 6. The printing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the output step releases the first identification information when a print request from a request source corresponding to the second identification information is completed. Control method. 7. The apparatus further comprises a second setting step of setting the number of media together with the first identification information, wherein the output step is configured to print the number of sheets set by the second setting step. The method for controlling a printing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the first identification information is released.