JP2003228471A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a printer capable of checking by itself a function of each post-processing device. <P>SOLUTION: The printer is capable of checking the function of each post- processing device by adding a function checking process for each post-processing device in test printing and by selecting an item to check on a display panel, when the function of each post-processing device is checked in a printer control device of the printer with post-processing devices, such as a sheet binding mechanism, a punching mechanism and a bookbinding mechanism connected thereto. In the method for checking the post-processing device function, a printing job transmitted from a host computer by a user for function checking is stored in the printer control device as a print file, and printing the stored print file is executable with the test print menu. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printer having a test printing function.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art The configuration of this printer will be described with reference to FIG. The printer includes a microprocessor 25, a main storage device 26, a hard disk storage device 27 (hereinafter referred to as HDD), a printer control device 29 including an interface 28 as a component, a printer printing mechanism 30 for performing printing,
The display panel 31 is included as a component. The interface 28 also includes the network I / F 32 as a component. The printer software configuration 33 includes a task process 34 for controlling the entire printer and controlling each I / F process, a printer print mechanism control process 35 for controlling the printer print mechanism 30, and a communication I / F process 3 for performing network communication.
6. A panel input / output processing 37 and an operating system 38 (hereinafter referred to as OS) for performing task management and memory management are included as constituent elements.

A conventional technique will be described with reference to FIG. In the conventional test printing, it is possible from the display panel 31 to select a print pattern for confirming print quality, select a paper feed tray for confirming a paper feed destination, and select a discharge tray for confirming a paper discharge destination. A print job corresponding to the print pattern for print quality confirmation is prepared in a file format in the HDD 27 of the printer control device 29, and when an appropriate print pattern is selected 39 from the test print menu of the display panel 31, In the printer software configuration 33, the print file corresponding to the print pattern selected from the display panel 31 is stored in the HD
The reading 40 is performed from D27 onto the main storage device 26. The read data is converted 41 into a format equivalent to the print job received from the host computer, and then transmitted 46 to the command analysis unit of the printer software configuration 33 to execute 47 the test print. When the print pattern is selected 39, a paper feed tray or a paper discharge tray can be selected. These setting contents are the paper feed tray designation 43 when the print file corresponding to the print pattern is read 42 from the HDD 27. However, when the paper discharge tray is selected 44, the paper discharge tray designation 45 is added to the print data, so that the print quality, the paper feed tray, and the function of the paper discharge tray can be confirmed.

However, the function confirmation of each post-processing device connected to the printer cannot be confirmed by the printer alone,
When confirming the function of each post-processing apparatus, the host computer 48 is connected as shown in FIG. 7, and the function 49 of the post-processing apparatus to be confirmed is specified from the printer driver installed in the host computer, or from the host computer. It is necessary to send a print job including the function designation of each post-processing device to the printer 50 in the print job.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to make it possible to confirm the function of each post-processing device with a printer alone.

[0006]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a test for confirming the function of each post-processing device in the printer controller of the printer to which the post-processing device is connected. The feature is that the function confirmation processing of each post-processing device is added to the printing and the function confirmation of each post-processing device can be performed by selecting the item to be confirmed from the display panel.

[0007]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, 3, and 4. FIG. 1 shows an outline of display processing of a test print menu. FIG. 2 shows an outline of display processing of the function confirmation menu. FIG. 3 shows a schematic process of the print job registration process. FIG. 4 shows an outline of the print processing of the function confirmation menu.

The outline of the display process of the test print menu will be described with reference to FIG. If the post-processing device is not installed 1, only the print quality confirmation menu is displayed in the test print menu 2 and the print pattern selection, paper feed tray selection, and the like as in conventional test printing are performed.
Allows selection of output tray. Also, the post-processing device is 1
When three or more are installed, the print quality confirmation menu and the function confirmation menu are displayed in the test print menu 3.

An outline of display processing of the function confirmation menu will be described with reference to FIG. The function confirmation menu determines the installation status of the post-processing device connected to the printer. When the paper binding mechanism is installed 4, the paper binding test switch is displayed 5 and the punching mechanism is installed 6. In this case, the punching test switch is displayed 7, and when the bookbinding mechanism is installed 8, the bookbinding test switch is displayed 9. In the function confirmation menu, a registration switch for registering a print job sent from the host computer by the user as a print file and a user job switch for printing the registered print file are displayed 10.

The print job registration process will be described with reference to FIG. Every time the registration switch of the function confirmation menu is pressed 11, the registration mode 12 and the normal mode 13 are switched, and the print data received from the host computer during the registration mode 14 is not printed and is stored in the HDD 27. It is stored 15 with a fixed file name. The stored print file is used as print data when the user job switch is pressed 11 from the function confirmation menu. In order to cancel the registration mode 12, the normal mode processing 1 is performed by pressing the registration switch 11 again.
Go to 6.

An outline of the print processing of the function confirmation menu will be described with reference to FIG. The HDD 27 stores print files corresponding to the paper binding test switch, the punching test switch, and the bookbinding test switch. If any of the paper binding test switch, punching test switch, or bookbinding test switch is selected from the function confirmation menu,
The corresponding print file is stored in the main storage device 26 from the HDD 27.
After reading 17 above, the read data is converted 18 into the same format as the data received from the host computer, and then the paper binding test switch 1 is added to the converted data.
9. Depending on the selection status of the punching test switch 21 and the bookbinding test switch, information of any one of the paper binding designation 20, the punching designation 22 and the bookbinding designation 23 is added, and the test printing is executed according to the processing of the conventional test printing function 24 To do. When the user job switch is selected, the print file stored with the fixed file name is stored in the HDD 27.
The data is read 17 from the main memory to the main memory 26, and the test printing is executed 24 according to the processing of the conventional test printing function.

As described above, when confirming the function of each post-processing apparatus connected to the printer, the function confirming menu is selected from the display panel 31, and the sheet binding test switch, punching test switch, bookbinding test switch, and user job switch are selected. By pressing any one of them, it becomes possible to confirm the function of each post-processing device in the printer alone.

[0013]

According to the present invention, by adding the function confirmation processing of each post-processing device connected to the printer to the test printing, the confirmation of each post-processing device connected to the printer can be performed by the printer alone. As a result, the printer can be efficiently tested.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of display processing of a test print menu according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of display processing of a function confirmation menu according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of print job registration processing according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of print processing of a function confirmation menu according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic configuration diagram of a printer according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a conventional test printing function.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a function confirmation method of a conventional post-processing device.

[Explanation of symbols]

1: Is there a post-processing device? 2: Display of print quality confirmation menu 3: Display of print quality function confirmation menu 4: Is there a paper binding mechanism? 5: Paper binding test switch 6: Is there a punching mechanism? , 7: Drilling test switch, 8: Is there a binding mechanism? , 9: Bookbinding test switch, 10: User job switch display, 11: Registration switch pressed, 12: Registration mode setting, 13: Normal mode setting, 14: During registration mode, 15: Print job stored in HDD, 16: Normal Mode processing, 17: Read print file from HDD, 1
8: Print data conversion processing, 19: Paper binding test switch pressed? , 20: Add paper binding specification, 21: Press punching test switch? , 22: Add drilling designation, 23:
Binding designation addition, 24: test print execution, 25: microprocessor, 26: main storage device, 27: HDD, 28:
Interface, 29: Printer control device, 30: Printer printing mechanism, 31: Display panel, 32: Network I / F, 33: Printer software configuration, 34: Task processing, 35: Printer printing mechanism control processing, 36: Communication I / F F processing, 37: panel input / output processing, 38: OS,
39: print pattern selection processing, 40: read print file from HDD, 41: print data conversion processing, 4
2: Is paper tray selected? , 43: Add paper feed tray designation to print data, 44: Select paper discharge tray? , 45:
Addition of a paper discharge tray designation to print data, 46: print data transmission, 47: test print execution, 48: host computer, 49: post-processing device function designation, 50: printer.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. When confirming the function of each post-processing device in the printer controller of a printer to which the post-processing device such as a paper binding mechanism, a punching mechanism, and a bookbinding mechanism is connected, each of the test printing is performed during test printing. A printer characterized in that the function confirmation of each post-processing device is performed by adding a function confirmation process of the post-processing device and selecting an item to be confirmed from the display panel. 2. As a method of confirming the function of the post-processing device,
2. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the print job sent by the user from the host computer for function confirmation is stored as a print file in the printer control device, and the stored print file is printed from the test print menu.