KR20000038474A - Printer, and image printing system by using printer and time reservation method - Google Patents

Abstract

A printer, an image printing system using the same, and a time reservation printing method thereof are disclosed. The printer reads the print specification information transmitted with the print data through the storage device and the communication interface, and temporarily stores the print data file selected and received as the reserved print in the storage device, and stores the print specification information in the received print specification information. And a printer controller for processing a print job for the print data file stored in the storage device, and an engine that is controlled by the printer controller and prints an image corresponding to the print data on the paper when the preset reservation time comes. According to such a printer, an image printing system and a time-scheduled printing method applying the same, when a user transmits print data to a printer to print a created document, the user can select a reservation for the print processing request time, and the printer makes a reservation. By making the print job process at a predetermined time, it is possible to make the print process at a time when the frequency of use of the printer is low when there is a large amount of days to be continuously processed at once without requiring a print process in a hurry, thereby improving the use efficiency of the printer.

Description

Printer, an image printing system using the same, and a time reservation printing method thereof

The present invention relates to a printer, an image printing system to which the same is applied, and a time reservation printing method thereof.

The image printing system includes a computer and a printer connected to the computer by a communication interface. The printer converts the received print data into image data, and prints an image corresponding to the converted image data on the loaded paper.

In recent years, in order to increase the use efficiency of a printer, the printer is connected to a large number of user computers through a network, which is a communication interface, and used a lot. A conventional printer determines a print job order for print data received by a first-in first-out method, and performs print jobs in file units according to the determined job order.

According to the conventional print job processing method of the printer by the first-in, first-out, when a large-capacity print file data sent from a user who does not require print processing is transmitted to the printer, it is necessary to proceed with the printing job by the printer afterwards. Another user has the inconvenience of having to wait a long time until the processing is completed by a large amount of print file data that has been previously transmitted and working or waiting.

The printing method of the conventional printer by the first-in, first-out method does not have the ability to select the print processing for the file to be printed for each user and the printing order adjustment ability of the printer corresponding thereto, so that the user can print properly according to the difference in the degree of rapid processing for each user. The order cannot be adjusted among users, and as a result, there is a problem in that the utilization efficiency of the printer is lowered by not satisfying the print processing requirements of each user.

The present invention was devised to improve the above-mentioned problems, and the printer is relatively used for a print target file which is not urgent depending on the data amount of the print target file to be printed by each user and the degree of completion of the print processing request time. It is an object of the present invention to provide a printer capable of instructing print processing to be performed at a time of low frequency, an image printing system using the same, and a method for printing the time reservation.

1 is a block diagram showing an image printing system to which a printer according to the present invention is applied;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a user computer of FIG. 1.

3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the printer of FIG.

4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a print specification selection menu provided through a display device screen of the user computer of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a reservation time input request that is subsequently provided through a screen when a reservation print is selected in the print specification selection menu of FIG. 4.

6 is a flow chart according to a time reservation printing method according to the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating another example of a reservation time input request that is subsequently provided through a screen when a reservation print is selected in the print specification selection menu of FIG. 4.

<Description of the code | symbol about the principal part of drawing>

10: User Computer 11: Central Processing Unit (CPU)

12: ROM 13: RAM

14: bus 15, 34: storage device

15a: Printer Driver 15b: Text Editor

15d: Print menu 15e: Screen

16, 35: communication device 17: input device

18, 37: display device 20: network

30: printer 31: printer controller

31a: clock 32: engine

33: input panel

In order to achieve the above object, a printer according to the present invention includes a storage device; By reading the print specification information transmitted with the print data through the communication interface, temporarily storing the print data file selected and selected as the reserved print in the storage device, and when the reservation time set in the received print specification information is reached, A printer controller for processing a print job for the print data file stored in the storage device; And an engine controlled by the printer controller to print an image corresponding to print data on a sheet of paper.

In addition, an image printing system for achieving the above object has a print specification menu for allowing a user to set a reservation print for reserving a print processing request time for a printed document file to be printed on a screen of a display device. A computer having a printer driver for providing the selected print specification information through a communication interface together with a print data file obtained by converting the selected document specification information into a printer language; Read the print specification information transmitted together with the print data through the communication interface, and temporarily store the print data file selected and received as the reserved print in a storage device provided therein and make a reservation set in the received print specification information. And a printer for processing a print job for the print data file stored in the storage device when a print request is requested in time.

In addition, the time reservation printing method of the printer to achieve the above object is a. Reading the print specification information received with the print data file through the communication interface; I. If the print specification information is designated as reserved printing, storing the received print data file in a storage device; All. If a reservation print request is made and the reservation time set in the print specification information for the print data file stored in the storage device coincides with the present time, an image corresponding to the print data requested for reservation print and held in the storage device is printed on paper. It comprises; a.

In addition, a time reservation printing method of an image printing system for achieving the above object, in an image printing system having a computer and a printer connected to the computer by a communication interface, a print request instruction is given through an input device of the computer. If there is, a print specification selection menu for allowing a user to select a reservation print for reserving a print processing request time for a document to be printed, is provided on the screen, and a print specification for requesting to select a print specification using the input device is provided. A selection step; Transmitting the information on the selected print specification and the document file to the printer together with the print data file converted into a printer language; Reads the information on the print specification sent to the printer together with the print data file, and when the reservation time set in the print specification information is received for the print data file selected and received for reservation printing, a reservation print request is received. And performing a print job of the printed data file.

Hereinafter, a printer according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an image printing system applying the same, and a time reservation printing method thereof will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a block diagram showing an image printing system to which a printer according to the present invention is applied.

Referring to the drawings, a plurality of user computers 10 and a printer 30 are interconnected through a network 20 which is a communication interface. Although not shown, the present invention also applies when the printer 30 and the user computer 10 are connected one-to-one by a parallel port, which is a communication interface.

Each user computer 10 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 11, a ROM 12, a RAM 13, interconnected by a bus 14, as shown in FIG. 2. A storage device 15, a communication device 16, an input device 17, and a display device 18 are provided. The input device 17 includes a keyboard and / or a mouse. Examples of the communication device 16 include a network card.

The storage device 15 is provided with various application programs such as a printer driver 15a and a document editor 15b.

The printer driver 15a provided in the storage device 15 provides a print specification menu for selecting reserved print on the screen of the display device 18 for the print target document file printed through the input device 17. And converting a document file into a printer language to create a print data file, and transferring the print data file to the printer 30 together with the selected print specification information.

Referring to FIG. 4, which shows an example of the print specification selection menu 15d provided by the printer driver 15a through the screen 18a of the display device 18, the printing range, the number of copies, and the reservation for the document file to be printed are shown. Selection items such as printing are displayed on the screen 18a. In particular, the reservation print selection 15e is selected either on or off. When the reserved print selection item 15e is set to off, it is determined as a general print processing method, i.e., a general print request specification that causes the printer 30 to proceed with the print job immediately in the reception order. Alternatively, if the reservation print selection 15e is set to on, as shown in FIG. 5, the screen 18a requests the user to input a print reservation time for when to start a print job. Viewing the print specification selection menu 15d provided on the screen 18a, the print specification information selected by the user using the input device 17 is sent to the printer 30 together with the print data file converted into the printer language. The transfer is processed.

Meanwhile, the printer 30 connected to the computers 10 and the network 20 to read the print specification information received together with the print data and perform a print job corresponding to the set print specification is illustrated in FIG. 3. As described above, a printer controller 31, an engine 32, an input panel 33, a storage device 34, a communication device 35 such as a network card, and a display device 37 are provided.

In general, the input panel 33 provided outside the main body is provided with a plurality of input keys for selecting various printing functions provided by the printer 30. The key input signal corresponding to the input key operation is output to the printer controller 31.

The storage device 34 is used for temporarily storing the print data file received with the print specification information and the image data converted for the engine 32 under the control of the printer controller 31.

The printer controller 31 reads the data transmitted from the computer 10 through the communication interface 20 and controls the print job of the engine 32 in accordance with the set printing specifications. The interior of the printer controller 31 has a clock 31a that is operated by a built-in battery (not shown) even when the power is turned off.

The printer controller 31 stores the received print data file in the storage device 34 for the print data file selected for the reserve print until the reserved time set in the print specification information. Then, when the current time of the clock 31a provided therein coincides with the reservation time set in the print specification information, a print processing operation is performed for the print data file selected as the reserved print and temporarily stored in the storage device 34. . The print processing operation first converts the print data file into image data suitable for engine driving, for example, bitmap data, and then hands it over to the engine 32.

The engine 32 converts the print data from the printer controller 31 in accordance with the engine driving, and prints the image corresponding to the transmitted image data on paper and discharges it. The engine 32 has a variety of configurations depending on the printing method. In the electrophotographic method, the engine 32 typically includes a light scanning device for scanning light onto a photosensitive medium, a developer for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive medium with a developing material, and a paper on which an image formed with a developing material is loaded onto the photosensitive medium. It has a transfer device for transferring to.

Hereinafter, the time reservation printing method by the image printing system to which the printer according to the present invention is applied will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 6. In the figure, step 100 is performed in the computer 10 and step 200 is performed in the printer 30.

First, the user sets the print specification through the print specification selection menu (see Fig. 4; 15d) provided by the printer driver 15a installed in the computer 10 (step 110). Looking at the print specification setting process in more detail, the print specification selection request by a user clicking a print request icon (see Fig. 4; 15c) provided in the document editor 15b of the computer 10 using a mouse. The signal is transmitted to the central processing unit 11. If there is a print specification selection request, the print specification selection menu 15d is provided by the printer driver 15a via the screen 18a of the display device 18. Then, the user selects the print specification by using the input device 17 while looking at the provided print specification selection menu 15d.

The print specification selection information selected by the user is stored in a storage place set for recording the print specification of the storage device 15. If ON is selected for the reserved print item 15e among the print specification menu 15d items, the print reservation time is input and the reservation print request information is recorded together with the input reservation time. On the contrary, when OFF is selected for the reserved print item 15e, general print request information is recorded. In addition, it records the information selected for the print range, number of copies, and other parameters. When the user clicks on the window on the screen 18a where printing is written, the printing specification determination is completed.

When the print specification selection is completed, the printer driver 15a generates a print data file for the print target document file stored in the storage device 15 according to the selected printer's language conversion scheme, and then selects the selected print specification information. The print data file is transmitted together to the printer 30 (step 120).

In step 210, the printer controller 31 reads the print specification information transmitted together with the received print data file and determines whether there is a reservation print request.

If the print specification information transmitted together with the print data file received in step 210 is selected as the normal print, the print job is immediately proceeded (step 250). Of course, if the print data selected as the general print in step 250 and the currently waiting print job or the scheduled print job are in progress, the print jobs are sequentially processed according to the predetermined job order.

If the print specification information transmitted together with the print data file received in step 210 is selected as the reserved print, the reserved print selected print data file is stored in the storage device 34 (step 220), and the print specification information is counted while counting the time. It is determined whether the reservation time set in step 2 coincides with the current time (step 230).

If the reservation time and the current time read out from the built-in clock 31a coincide in step 230, a print job for the reservation print request print data file stored in the storage device 34 is performed (step 240). That is, the printer controller 31 converts the reserved print-selected print data into image data for engine and outputs it to the engine 32, and the engine 32 prints and outputs an image corresponding to the received image data on paper. do.

On the other hand, when the printer controller 31 receives the print specification information selected by the reservation print together with the print data so as to suppress the duplication setting error of the reservation time, the printer controller 31 requires the set reservation print time and its amount of data or the corresponding print processing. It is preferable to transmit the estimated time to the user computer 10 through the communication interface. Then, as shown in FIG. 7, when the user sets the reservation print on, the printer driver 15a displays a reservation time on the screen 18a for requesting input of the reservation time. It is desirable to show a list of reservation prints that are set up first for selection.

When the reservation time is overlapped, the printer controller 31 prints the print job in the next order or prints the print job after the print job processing the print data pre-printed in the priority order with respect to the input print data file. Various methods can be applied, such as sending an error message to the user's computer to reset the reservation printing.

As described so far, according to the printer according to the present invention, the image printing system to which the same is applied, and the time reservation printing method, the user reserves the print processing request time when the print data is transmitted to the printer to print the created document. Can be selected, and the printer can process the print job at the scheduled time so that the printer can be processed at a time when the frequency of use of the printer is low when there is a large amount of days to be processed continuously at once, The utilization efficiency of the is improved. In addition, when such an image printing system is used in an office, the reservation printing time can be used after work leaving time, thereby enabling the printer to be used even during non-working hours.

Claims (6)

A storage device; By reading the print specification information transmitted with the print data through the communication interface, temporarily storing the print data file selected and selected as the reserved print in the storage device, and when the reservation time set in the received print specification information is reached, A printer controller for processing a print job for the print data file stored in the storage device; And an engine controlled by the printer controller to print an image corresponding to print data on a sheet of paper. On the screen of the display device, a print specification menu that allows a user to set a reservation print that can reserve a print processing request time for a document file to be printed is provided, and the selected print specification information is provided for the document file. A computer having a printer driver for outputting through a communication interface with a print data file converted into a printer language; Read the print specification information transmitted together with the print data through the communication interface, and temporarily store the print data file selected and received as the reserved print in a storage device provided therein and make a reservation set in the received print specification information. And a printer for processing a print job for the print data file stored in the storage device when a print request is requested in time. The method of claim 2, And said communication interface is a network for mutually relaying information exchanges between a plurality of said computers and at least one of said printers. end. Reading the print specification information received with the print data file through the communication interface; I. If the print specification information is designated as reserved printing, storing the received print data file in a storage device; All. If a reservation print request is made and the reservation time set in the print specification information for the print data file stored in the storage device coincides with the present time, an image corresponding to the print data requested for reservation print and held in the storage device is printed on paper. Time reservation printing method of a printer comprising a. In an image printing system having a computer and a printer connected to the computer via a communication interface, a reservation for reserving a print processing request time for a document file to be printed if a print request instruction is made through the input device of the computer. A print specification selection step of providing a print specification selection menu on which a user can select printing on a screen, and requesting to select a print specification by using the input device; Transmitting the information on the selected print specification and the document file to the printer together with the print data file converted into a printer language; The printer reads information on the print specification received with the print data file, and when the reservation time set in the print specification information is received for the print data file selected and reserved for reservation printing, a reservation print request is received and received. Performing a print job of the printed data file; and printing a time reservation printing method of an image printing system. The method of claim 5, And transmitting the reservation time set in the print specification information to the computer, when the print specification received with the print data file is selected as the reserved print in the printer. How to print reservations.