JP3108260B2 - Printing apparatus and print control method - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printing apparatus connected to an information processing apparatus and another printing apparatus via a network.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, this type of image forming apparatus inputs data such as a document to be recorded from a host computer or a host device such as an external personal computer, facsimile, printer, or copier to a microprocessor of a control device. The image forming / recording is performed on recording paper or the like supplied by a paper feed cassette or the like.

[0003]

However, in the conventional apparatus, when the supply of the recording paper or the like is insufficient, the shortage of the recording paper or the necessity of the paper supply is merely output by voice, LED, or the like. There is a problem that the image formation / recording is interrupted.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems. When print data is received from an information processing apparatus and is printed on the recording paper based on the received print data, the present invention is applied to the recording paper. When the absence is detected, the information processing apparatus is notified that there is no recording paper, and the print data is transmitted to another printing apparatus connected to the network based on a response instruction from the information processing apparatus to the notification. Or to wait until recording paper is replenished to the printing means, to avoid a situation in which printing and storage are interrupted. After the recording paper is replenished, the user can select either the avoidance method of acquiring the print result with the same printing apparatus or the avoidance method of acquiring the print result quickly with another printing apparatus having the recording paper. In this case, the degree of selection of the user's avoidance method is extended, and based on the selection result, the print data is transferred to another printing apparatus connected to the network, or the recording paper is replenished. Since the printing process is controlled so that either printing is resumed when the paper is ready to be fed, it is possible to determine the handling method of the print data according to the avoidance method selected by the user in the printing apparatus having no recording paper. The user wishes to continue printing with the printing device waiting for recording paper replenishment by continuing the optimum print data processing that matches the coping method desired by the user, and wishes to promptly continue printing with another printing device capable of feeding paper. It is an object of the present invention to provide a printing apparatus and a printing control method that can improve convenience for a user.

[0005]

A printing apparatus according to the present invention.
Is connected to an information processing device and a printing device via a network.
A printing device connected to the information processing device
Receiving means for receiving print data from the
Prints on recording paper based on the received print data.
Printing means, and the presence of recording paper fed to the printing means.
Detecting means for detecting the absence of the recording paper;
If no recording paper is detected, the information
Notification means for notifying the processing device, and communication by the notification means.
Based on a response instruction from the information processing device to the knowledge
To other printing devices connected to the network.
Transferring the print data, or
Selection means for selecting whether to wait until recording paper is supplied
Transfer of the print data to another printing device is selected.
If selected, the print data is transferred to the network
Transfer means for transferring to another printing device connected to the
When waiting to supply paper is selected
Waits until the recording paper is replenished
And print control means for restarting printing.
You.

[0006] A print information processing method according to the present invention provides an information processing method.
Connected to the management device and printing device via a network
A printing control method in a printing apparatus,
A receiving step of receiving print data from the processing device;
Based on the print data received in the receiving step.
And printing on recording paper, and
Detection step to detect the presence of recording paper fed by the
Detected that there is no recording paper in the detecting step.
In this case, the information processing device is notified that there is no recording paper.
Notification step and the notification by the notification step.
On the basis of a response instruction from the information processing device
Print data to another printing device connected to the network.
Data or transfer the recording paper to the printing means.
A selection step to choose whether to wait until paid, and other
Selected to transfer the print data to a printing device.
Connection of the print data to the network
A transfer step for transferring to another printing device
When it is selected to wait until the recording paper is replenished
Waits until recording paper is replenished and paper can be fed.
A print control step of restarting printing.
You.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a control configuration of a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure,
1 is a host computer for exchanging document data and the like, 2 is a host I / F, 3 is a page memory, 4 is a font memory (ROM), 5 is a bitmap memory, and 7 is a printing unit I / F.
F, 10 is a sensor unit I / F, 11 is a network I / F
The above-mentioned units are controlled by the main control unit 6 by the system bus.
Are connected to each other to exchange data.

Reference numeral 8 denotes an operation panel, 9 denotes an LBP engine control unit, and 12 denotes another printer connected on a network. When the paper detection sensor 13 detects that the recording paper is present, the host computer 1 sends the document data to the host I / F 2 in the form of a code.
The transmitted data is stored in the page memory 13 in page units.

When one page of document data is stored, a character (font) corresponding to the code is read out from the font ROM 4 and developed on the bit map memory 5. When one page is developed on the bitmap memory 5, a signal to start printing is sent from the main control unit 6 to the printing unit I / F7. A signal is sent from the printing unit I / F 7 to the LBP engine control unit 9, and the document is printed and recorded on recording paper.

In the image forming apparatus configured as described above, when the paper detection sensor 13 detects that there is no recording medium fed to the engine unit, the main control unit 6 transmits the data stored in the page memory 3 to another. Control the network interface 11 so that the data is transferred to the printer 12
Even if the paper runs out during data output, it is possible to output continuously without stopping data output.

In the data transfer, an intermediate code may be generated from a control command and the intermediate code may be transferred, or a bitmap image may be generated from the intermediate code and the image data may be transferred. Is also good. Further, the control command received from the host is directly used by another printer 1.
2 or check the control command of another printer 12, execute the emulation program,
The converted control command may be transferred to another printer 12.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of a first output control procedure in the printing apparatus according to the present invention.
Note that (1) and (2) indicate each step.

First, the recording paper is detected by the paper detection sensor 13.
It is determined whether "No" is detected (1), and NO
In this case, the normal output process is continued. If YES, the document data sent from the host computer 1 to the host I / F 2 is output via the network I / F 11 together with output page information for all pages after the interruption. Printer 1
2 (2), and the process ends.

The document data transferred to the other printer 12 is printed and recorded on recording paper in the same procedure as described above.

With the above configuration and control, the paper detection sensor 1
3 detects that there is no recording paper, the document data sent from the host computer 1 to the host I / F 2 is transferred to another printer 12 via the network I / F 11 and is printed on the recording paper. Since printing and recording are performed, it is possible to avoid a state where image formation and recording are interrupted.

In the above embodiment, the case where the document data is transferred to another printer 12 when the paper detection sensor 13 detects that there is no recording paper has been described.
As will be described later, the host may be notified that the paper has run out, and an instruction to replenish the paper may be issued, or control may be performed so that the user can select the output of document data by another printer 12.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the second output control procedure in the printing apparatus according to the present invention.
Note that (1) to (7) indicate each step.

"No paper" by paper detection sensor 13
It is determined whether or not (1), if NO, the normal output processing is continued, and if YES, when the out of paper is detected,
The fact that there is no recording paper is sent to the host I / F 2 and the host computer 1 via the system bus (2).

Next, since the printer to be printed / recorded has no recording paper, whether another printer should continue printing / recording or supply the recording paper and continue printing / recording on the same printer. (3), and waits for the user to select on the host computer 1 whether to continue printing / recording on another printer (3), and prints / records on another printer. If "continue" is selected, the received document data and output page information are transferred (4), and the output is continued from the page interrupted due to out of paper (5), and the process is terminated.

On the other hand, if the replenishment of the recording paper is selected in the step (3), the replenishment of the recording paper is waited for (6), and when the paper can be supplied, the output is performed from the next interrupted page to the last page. Is resumed (7), and the process ends.

Thus, under the control of the host computer 1, when there is no recording paper, whether to continue printing / recording on another printer or supply recording paper and continue printing / recording on the same printer. Since selection can be made, interruption of printing / recording as in the above-described embodiment can be prevented from being interrupted.

According to the above embodiment, when data such as a document to be recorded is input from a higher position and an image is formed on the recording medium based on the data, a detecting means for detecting the presence or absence of the recording medium; A transfer unit for transferring data such as a document to be recorded to another image forming device connected to a network such as a LAN, wherein the transfer unit detects that there is no recording medium by the detection unit In this case, since data such as a document to be recorded is transferred to another image forming apparatus connected on the network to perform image formation and recording, when the recording medium is insufficient in the image forming apparatus to be recorded, It is possible to avoid a state where the image formation / recording is interrupted.

In the above embodiment, the case where the printer engine is a laser beam printer has been described. However, the application of the present invention is not limited to a printer of another recording system, for example, an ink jet system.

Further, the method of communicating with another printer may be via a network or may be directly transferred from a printer to a lower-order printer via a communication interface, which prevents application of the present invention. is not.

The present invention may be applied to a system constituted by a plurality of devices or to an apparatus constituted by a single 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.

[0026]

As described above, the printing according to the present invention is performed.
According device, network and the information processing apparatus and a printing apparatus
A printing device connected via the
Receiving means for receiving print data from a processing device;
Recording paper based on the print data received by the means
Printing means for printing on the paper, and a record fed to the printing means.
Detecting means for detecting the presence or absence of a recording sheet; and
If it is detected that there is no paper,
Notification means for notifying the information processing apparatus; and the notification means
To the response instruction from the information processing device to the notification by
Based on other printing connected to the network
Transferring the print data to the device, or
Select whether to wait until recording paper is supplied to the means.
Selecting means for transferring the print data to another printing apparatus.
Is selected, the print data is transferred to the network.
Transfer method to transfer to another printing device connected to the work
To wait until the paper is replenished.
When the paper is fed, it is possible to wait until the paper is supplied
Print control means for restarting printing when
In order to avoid a situation in which printing / storage is interrupted, after replenishing recording paper with a printing device having no recording paper, the user may use an avoidance method of acquiring a printing result with the same printing device or another recording device having recording paper. Since the user can select any of the avoidance methods for quickly obtaining a print result in the printing apparatus, the user can expand the selectivity of the avoidance method when there is no recording paper. Further, based on the selection result, either the print data is transferred to another printing apparatus connected to the network, or the printing is restarted when the paper can be fed after the recording paper is replenished. Since the print processing is controlled so as to execute the print data processing method, a method of handling the print data can be determined according to the avoidance method selected by the user in the printing apparatus having no recording paper, and the optimum print data processing that matches the method desired by the user can be determined. , The convenience for the user who wants to continue printing on the printing apparatus waiting for the recording paper supply and the user who wants to continue printing quickly with another printing apparatus capable of feeding paper can be improved. According print control method according to the present invention, an information processing
Printer and the printer are connected via a network.
A printing control method in a printing apparatus, comprising:
Receiving print data from a processing device;
Based on the print data received in the receiving step
A printing step for printing on recording paper by
Detection step for detecting the presence or absence of recording paper fed by the printer
Detected that there is no recording paper in the detecting step.
In this case, the information processing device is notified that there is no recording paper.
Notification step and the notification by the notification step.
On the basis of a response instruction from the information processing device
Print data to another printing device connected to the network.
Data or transfer the recording paper to the printing means.
A selection step to choose whether to wait until paid, and other
Selected to transfer the print data to a printing device.
Connection of the print data to the network
A transfer step for transferring to another printing device
When it is selected to wait until the recording paper is replenished
Waits until recording paper is replenished and paper can be fed.
A print control step to restart printing is provided, so that when printing or storage is interrupted, the user obtains the print result with the same printing device after replenishing the printing paper with a printing device that does not have printing paper. Since it is possible to select either the avoidance method for avoiding the problem or the avoidance method for quickly obtaining a print result with another printing apparatus having the recording paper, the user's selectivity of the avoidance method when there is no recording paper can be expanded. Further, based on the selection result, the print data is transferred to another printing apparatus connected to the network, or the printing is restarted when the paper can be fed after the recording paper is replenished. Since the printing process is controlled so as to execute the above, it is possible to determine the handling method of the print data according to the avoidance method selected by the user in the printing apparatus having no recording paper,
A user who wants to continue the optimal print data processing that matches the coping method desired by the user, and wants to continue printing with the printing apparatus waiting for the recording paper replenishment and a user who wants to quickly continue printing with another printing apparatus capable of feeding paper. This has the effect of improving the convenience for the user.

[0027]

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a control configuration of a printing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a first output control procedure in the printing apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a second output control procedure in the printing apparatus according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Host computer 2 Host interface 3 Page memory 4 Font ROM 5 Bitmap memory 6 Main control unit 7 Printing unit interface 8 Operation panel 9 LBP engine control unit 10 Sensor unit interface 11 Network interface 12 Other printer 13 Paper detection sensor

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A printing device connected to an information processing device and a printing device via a network, wherein the receiving device receives print data from the information processing device, and the printing device receives the print data from the printing device. Printing means for printing on recording paper based on the data, detecting means for detecting the presence or absence of recording paper fed to the printing means, and when the detecting means detects that there is no recording paper,
Notifying means for notifying the information processing device that there is no recording paper
From the information processing apparatus to the notification by the notification means.
Based on the response instruction of, the transfer means to transfer the print data to another printing device connected to the network, or a selection means for selecting whether to wait until the printing means is supplied with recording paper, It is selected to transfer the print data to another printing device.
Connection, the print data is connected to the network.
When the transfer means for transferring to another connected printing device and waiting for recording paper to be replenished are selected
Waits until the recording paper is replenished
And a printing control unit for restarting printing. 2. An information processing apparatus and a printing apparatus are connected to a network.
Printing control method for a printing device connected via a network
A law, receiving receives print data from the information processing apparatus step
And the print data received in the receiving step.
A printing step for printing on the recording paper, and detecting the presence or absence of the recording paper fed in the printing step.
A case where it is detected that there is no recording paper in the detecting step and the detecting step
To notify the information processing device that there is no recording paper.
A notification step, and the information processing apparatus for a notification by the notification step
Connected to the network based on the response
Transfer the print data to another printing device that is
Alternatively, wait until the printing means is supplied with recording paper.
And selecting to transfer the print data to another printing device.
Connection, the print data is connected to the network.
When the transfer step for transferring to another connected printing device and the waiting for the recording paper to be replenished are selected.
Waits until the recording paper is replenished
And a print control step for restarting printing.
Characteristic print control method.