JP2005157558A - Printer system, and printer management program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a printer system for raising a paper recycling rate without troubling the users of terminals (host devices). <P>SOLUTION: In the system, an arbitrary number of host devices 1 are connected via a network to a plurality of printers 2 including at least one printer 2-2 which performs image formation where an image in a recording medium can be erased when an output image comes to be unnecessary. The host device 1 comprises: a printer management means 106 for automatically selecting the output printer 2 according to the data content of an application file to be printed; a printer management user interface 103 by which the user sets a parameter to be referred to by the printer management means 106; and a printer driver 102 for converting the data of the application file into data of a form corresponding to the printer 2 which is selected by the printer management means 106. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  According to the present invention, an arbitrary number of host devices and a plurality of printer devices including at least one printer device that performs image formation capable of erasing an image on a recording medium when an output image becomes unnecessary are connected via a network. Related to the printer system. Here, the printer apparatus includes an image forming apparatus such as a digital copying machine or a multifunctional multifunction peripheral.

(1-1) Image Forming Apparatus Using Dedicated Reversible Recording Medium In recent years, with the spread of computers and the like, consumption of recording media such as paper and OHP film used in image forming apparatuses such as printers has rapidly increased. It is increasing. From the viewpoint of reducing the running cost of the image forming apparatus and protecting resources, it is required to reduce the consumption of the recording medium.
Therefore, recently, attention has been paid to the use of a reversible recording medium capable of repeatedly forming and erasing an image several times as a medium replacing plain paper. Research on reversible recording media and image forming means for forming images on the reversible recording media has been actively conducted.
A reversible recording medium is composed of a mixture of a polymer compound and a higher fatty acid such as oleic acid. A reversible thermosensitive recording medium that becomes transparent when heated to a specific temperature and becomes cloudy when heated to another temperature is put into practical use. Has been. In addition, it is composed of a composition containing a leuco dye and a developer. When the leuco dye and the developer are reacted by temporarily heating above the melting temperature, various colors are developed depending on the structure of the leuco dye, and melting There has been disclosed a reversible thermosensitive recording medium that is decolored by separating the leuco dye and the developer by reheating to a temperature lower than the temperature (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
As a color reversible recording medium capable of forming a color image, a color reversible thermosensitive recording medium using a selective reflection color of a cholesteric liquid crystal compound is disclosed (for example, see Patent Document 2). In addition, a photochromic compound that causes a reversible color change between a decolored state and a colored state by light irradiation can be used. The color of the photochromic compound in the colored state has good visibility, and since various materials have been developed from a compound that develops yellow to a compound that develops cyan, a full-color image can be recorded.

(1-2) Image output device capable of reusing paper (for example, see Patent Document 3)
An image forming apparatus that forms an image on a transfer material such as paper or resin is widely used, and a large amount of transfer material is consumed every day. Paper is used for many of the transfer materials that are consumed in large quantities, and most of them are used for temporary information transmission. Therefore, a lot of paper becomes waste. Since paper is made of wood, it is not preferable to use paper as waste from the viewpoint of environmental conservation.
On the other hand, waste paper is melted and deinked and used again as a raw material for paper. However, the number of recycling cycles is extremely low because paper fibers are damaged in the recycling process and the quality deteriorates. limited. Moreover, since it also costs, it is used only in a limited field.
In addition, a method and an apparatus have been proposed in which a transfer material on which an image has been formed using a resin toner can be used again as it is by removing the resin toner or erasing the resin toner. However, since the toner cannot be completely removed or the image formation is hindered by the lamination of the resin, the number of possible reproductions is small, and it has not been widely put into practical use.

(1-3) Decolorizing toner Further, in recent years, output of information by paper is increasing due to the spread of computers, printers, copiers, facsimiles and the like. In order to reduce the output to paper, although “paperless by computerization of information” is screamed, hard copy to paper due to features such as good visibility, high portability, and easy information retrieval by turning pages The request never ends. As a result, protection of natural resources as raw materials for paper, reduction of waste disposal, and reduction of carbon dioxide emissions have become issues to be solved. “Recycling and reusing paper” is a very modern issue in each aspect of protecting natural resources, reducing the amount of waste, and reducing carbon dioxide emissions.
Under these circumstances, the technology that makes image forming materials (various printing ink, toner, jet ink, etc.) for printing / printing on paper colorless after printing / printing promotes the recycling and reuse of paper. Very important. That is, in the conventional paper recycling method, after the recovered paper is re-flocculated with water, a method of floating and separating the ink part in a so-called “deinking step” or a method of decoloring using a bleaching agent is used. These are factors that increase process costs compared to the case of newly making paper.
Therefore, a paper printed with an image forming material using a decolorizable colorant capable of changing a color developing compound in a colored state to a colorless decoloring state has a conventional deinking process. It is expected that it can be reused or recycled without going through.

In recent years, various studies have been made on erasable colorants, and erasable colorants that can be erased by applying heat are disclosed in, for example, Patent Documents 4 and 5. In the former publication, there is a decolorable colorant containing a color developing compound such as a leuco dye, a developer, and an organic phosphoric acid compound having a decoloring action. Sterol compounds such as cholic acid, lithocholic acid, testosterone and cortisone are used as a color erasing agent exhibiting a color erasing effect by applying heat to a combination of a color developing compound such as a leuco dye and a developer. A erasable colorant is disclosed.
Further, for example, Patent Document 6 discloses a erasable colorant that can be erased by contacting with an organic solvent. The decolorizable colorant is composed of a color developing compound such as a leuco dye, a color developer, and a color eraser, and physically or chemically adsorbs the color developer as the color eraser. It is characterized by using a polymer compound having an electron donating group (for example, starch, starch derivative, cellulose derivative, etc.), and as a method for producing a decolorizable colorant, polystyrene as a binder resin is used. A method of kneading a mixture of a color developable compound, a developer and a decoloring agent using a kneader and pulverizing the kneaded product with a pulverizer is disclosed.
For example, Patent Document 7 discusses the use of a pigment or dye having a property capable of causing a decoloring reaction by irradiating light of a predetermined wavelength and decoloring in the developer. With such a developer, the image formed on the used copy paper can be erased by simply irradiating it with light, so that the copy paper can be reused many times without greatly degrading its quality. It can be used. Moreover, it is not necessary to provide a large apparatus or to mix various additives.
JP-A-5-124360 JP-A-11-24027 JP-A-8-152823 JP 7-81236 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-88046 JP 2000-109896 A JP 2002-357922 A

If the image output apparatus having the above configuration is used, the recording medium can be reused by erasing the image on the recording medium. However, when a reusable recording medium is used, there is a possibility that even an output image that should not be erased by some chance is erased. In order to prevent this, it is considered that an image to be permanently stored that must not be erased uses a non-erasable recording medium (paper) or a non-erasable toner (conventional toner).
In order to select the recording medium, the user has to change the output device in accordance with the image he / she wants to output, and there is a troublesome operation (for example, a recording medium erasable from a conventional image output device) For example, by switching the printer device cable to an image output device that can output the For this reason, even if an image is not required to be saved, the user outputs an image with a conventional output device because of the storability of the recording medium without using an erasable recording medium.
By the way, in recent years, office networks (LAN) have been developed, and user terminals (for example, PCs) and image output devices (for example, printers) are connected via a network. In many cases, a plurality of terminals and image output apparatuses are connected to the same network. The user can select an image output device according to an image to be output.
At this time, if there is an image output device that can output the image on the recording medium in an erasable form on the network, the user can select this image output device. That is, the output device can be selected depending on whether the type of image to be output is to be output temporarily or to be stored permanently.
Since the terminal and the image output apparatus are connected via a network, this selection can be performed on the terminal. Compared to the case where the printer device cable is directly connected, the troublesomeness is reduced. However, since the selection is performed on the terminal, the troublesomeness is not completely eliminated. For this reason, there is no situation in which all temporarily used output images are output by an image output device that can output the image on the recording medium in an erasable form.

If an image is formed by an image forming apparatus that forms an image that can erase an image on a recording medium when the output image is no longer needed, the paper recycling rate is improved. Up to now, the user has to select an image forming apparatus that forms an image that can erase an image on a recording medium when an output image is no longer necessary, which is troublesome.
For this reason, even if there is an image forming apparatus that performs image formation that can erase an image on a recording medium when an output image that can be output from a user terminal is no longer necessary, the apparatus may not be selected.
By the way, for example, data on the Internet is often temporary, and even if an image is output to hardware, it is used only temporarily and is often discarded in a short time.
Therefore, when outputting data on the Internet, it is better to output using an image forming apparatus that forms an image that can erase the image on the recording medium when the output image becomes unnecessary. The output image is not limited to data on the Internet, but may be a word, excel, power point, or the like.
However, when there are a plurality of image output devices, the user does not bother to select an image forming device that forms an image that can erase an image on a recording medium when the output image is no longer necessary due to annoyance. .
An object of the present invention is to provide a printer system capable of improving the paper recycling rate without bothering the user of a terminal (host device).

In order to achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, at least an arbitrary number of host devices and a printer device that performs image formation capable of erasing an image on a recording medium when an output image becomes unnecessary are provided. A printer system in which a plurality of printer apparatuses including one printer are connected via a network, wherein the host apparatus automatically selects a printer apparatus to output based on the data contents of the application file to be printed, and a printer A printer system comprising a printer device management user interface that allows a user to set parameters referred to by the device management means, and a printer driver that converts application file data into a format corresponding to the printer device selected by the printer device management means Is the most important feature.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, the printer device management means is a printer device that forms an image that can erase an image on a recording medium when an output image is no longer needed based on the type of application file, or otherwise. The printer system according to claim 1, wherein one of the printer apparatuses is automatically selected.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, when the printer device management user interface selects a printer device that forms an image capable of erasing an image on the recording medium when the output image becomes unnecessary by the printer device management means, The printer system according to claim 1, wherein the file type can be arbitrarily set, is a main feature.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a plurality of printer apparatuses including at least one printer apparatus that forms an image capable of erasing an image on a recording medium when an output image connected on the same LAN becomes unnecessary. A printer management program for selecting a printer device to be printed, a printer device selection process for automatically selecting a printer device to be output according to the data contents of an application file to be printed based on parameters set by a user, and an application file The main feature is a printer management program that can be executed by a computer having a conversion process for converting the data into a format corresponding to the printer apparatus selected by the printer apparatus selection process.
According to the fifth aspect of the invention, the printer device selection process is a printer device that performs image formation that can erase an image on a recording medium when an output image is no longer needed based on the type of application file. 5. A printer management program according to claim 4, wherein one of the other printer apparatuses is automatically selected.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the printer device selection process is a printer that performs image formation that can erase an image on a recording medium when an output image is no longer needed based on the type of application file set by the user. 6. The printer management program according to claim 5, wherein the printer management program automatically selects either the apparatus or any other printer apparatus.

  In the present invention, the paper recycling rate can be increased by selecting a printer device that forms an image that can erase an image on a recording medium when an output image is no longer needed without bothering the user of the terminal. Get higher.

The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a printer system for connecting a host device and a printer device on a LAN according to an embodiment of the present invention. On the LAN 3, at least the host device 1-1, the host device 1-2, the printer device 2-1, and a printer device for forming an image capable of erasing an image on a recording medium when the output image becomes unnecessary. (Image forming apparatus) 2-2 is connected. The connection form of the LAN 3 is not limited to the case of FIG. 1, and any connection form may be used as long as it is a protocol capable of communicating a print command.
FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing the internal configuration of the host device shown in FIG. The host device 1 includes an application 100, an OS (Operating System) 101, a printer driver (A, B) 102, a printer management driver UI 103, a BIOS (Basic Input Output System) 104, a host device I / F 105, and a printer management 106. .
The application 100 is an application program that runs on the OS 101, and is used when creating documents such as documents, diagrams, and images. The OS 101 manages and controls the entire software of the host device 1 and includes Windows (registered trademark), Mac (registered trademark) OS, and the like.
The printer driver 102 converts certain application data on the host device 1 into the page description language (PDL) of the printer device 2 that uses image data. The printer management driver UI 103 is a screen (user interface) for setting selection / printing conditions and the like of the printer device 2 used on the host device 1. In the present invention, various settings are performed using this screen.
The BIOS 104 is a hardware control unit that actually transmits the print data converted into PDL by the printer driver 102 to the printer apparatus 2. The host device I / F 105 is an interface that transmits and receives data between the host device 1 and the printer device 2. In this case, since it is a LAN environment, it is generally a network I / F (Ethernet (registered trademark)).
The printer management 106 is a printer management system that manages the printer device 2 that is used when printing certain application data on the host device 1.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a first example of a detailed setting screen in the printer management driver UI shown in FIG. The printer device selection menu 107 is a function of the printer management 106 that manages the settings of the output printer device on the printer management driver UI 103, and sets whether to automatically select the printer device 2 or to use any printer device 2 in a fixed manner. It is a menu to do.
The used printer device menu 108 is a menu for setting the printer device 2 to be used when “fixed” is selected in the menu 107. The setting menu 109 is a menu for setting conditions for using the printer apparatus 2 that performs image formation that can erase an image on a recording medium when an output image is no longer necessary when “automatic” is selected in the menu 107. is there. Here, there is a check column and the file format can be selected.

The operation of the printer system according to the first embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the printer system according to the embodiment of the present invention. The user sets each item of “management” in the setting screen of the printer management driver UI 103 in advance when installing the printer driver (step S200).
When printing an application file including certain Internet description language data from the host device 1 (step S201), the printer management 106 determines whether the printer device selection menu 107 in the printer management driver UI 103 is automatic / fixed (step S202). ).
If it is automatic (step S202 / Yes), the printer management 106 determines the description format of the file to be printed, and determines whether the value is applicable to the check box file in the setting menu 109 in the printer management driver UI 103. (Step S204).
If the check column is applied (step S204 / Yes), the printer driver B converts the print data into a page description language (PDL) for the printer apparatus 2 (step S205). Then, the printer device 2-2 (printer device B) that forms an image that can erase the image on the recording medium when the output image is no longer necessary prints the data (step S206).
If the check column does not apply in step S204 (step S204 / No), the printer driver A converts the print data into a page description language (PDL) for the printer apparatus 2 (step S207). Then, the printer device 2-1 (printer device A) prints the data (step S208).

In step S202, if the printer device selection menu 107 is fixed (No in step S202), the image on the recording medium is displayed when the output image becomes unnecessary based on the used printer device menu 108 in the printer management driver UI 103. It is determined whether to use the printer B that performs erasable image formation or the printer apparatus A (step S203).
If the printer device B that performs image formation that can erase the image on the recording medium when the output image is no longer needed is selected (Yes in step S203), the printer driver B uses the print data for the printer device 2 The page description language (PDL) is converted (step S205). Then, the printer apparatus B that forms an image that can erase the image on the recording medium when the output image is no longer necessary prints the data (step S206).
In step S203, if the normal printer apparatus is selected (step S203 / No), the printer driver A converts the print data into a page description language (PDL) for the printer apparatus 2 (step S207). Then, the printer apparatus A prints the data (step S208).
Even when another file is printed after the printing is finished (step S209 / Yes), the printing process is performed under the printer management setting conditions. For example, when the setting of the printer management driver UI 103 is as shown in FIG. 3 and there is a check column in the file in the Html format and the jpg format, the process transits to steps S201 → S202 → S204 → S205 → S206 → S207 and automatically output. When the image is no longer needed, the image is printed on the printer B that performs image formation that can erase the image on the recording medium.
As described above, when the user automatically selects the printer device 2 to be used on the printer management driver UI 103 in advance and arbitrarily sets the setting conditions, printing is automatically performed on the printer device 2 according to the user's intention. Done.
The file format of the setting conditions may be arbitrarily added by the user. Furthermore, the setting conditions may be changed by the file properties (date, access level, writable / unwritable, file owner).

(Second Embodiment)
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a second example of a detailed setting screen in the printer management driver UI 103 shown in FIG. The printer device selection menu 107 and the used printer device menu 108 are the same as those in the first embodiment.
The setting menu 109 is a menu for setting conditions for using the printer device B that performs image formation that can erase an image on a recording medium when an output image is no longer necessary when “automatic” is selected in the menu 107. Yes, but here you can select it during the file creation period.
Here, “file creation” is set, but conditions such as “file access” and “file update” may be used. Furthermore, the period is also from a certain period (for example, 03 (year) .03 (month) .03 (day) 13:30 (time) to 03.04.03 01:30) or a specified date (2003.01). .01, the first day of each month, every Wednesday, etc.).
(Third embodiment)
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a third example of a detailed setting screen in the printer management driver UI shown in FIG. The printer device selection menu 107 and the used printer device menu 108 are the same as those in the first embodiment.
The setting menu 109 is a menu for setting conditions for using the printer device B that performs image formation that can erase an image on a recording medium when an output image is no longer necessary when “automatic” is selected in the menu 107. There is, but here it can be selected by the period by file name. Although a file is defined here, a wild card may be used.
The operation of the printer system of the present invention can be realized by executing a program. The program is provided by being recorded on a magnetic recording medium, an optical recording medium, a magneto-optical recording medium, or a semiconductor recording medium. Alternatively, it is downloaded via a network by a file transfer protocol (FTP).
The above-described embodiment shows an example of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. is there.

1 is a configuration diagram of a printer system for connecting a host device and a printer device on a LAN according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing an internal configuration of the host device shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a first example of a detailed setting screen in the printer management driver UI shown in FIG. 2. 5 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the printer system according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a second example of a detailed setting screen in the printer management driver UI shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a third example of a detailed setting screen in the printer management driver UI shown in FIG. 2.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Host apparatus 2 Printer apparatus 3 Network 102 Printer driver 103 Printer management UI (printer apparatus management user interface)
106 Printer management (printer device management means)

Claims (6)

  A printer in which an arbitrary number of host devices and a plurality of printer devices including at least one printer device that forms an image capable of erasing an image on a recording medium when an output image becomes unnecessary are connected via a network A printer device management unit that automatically selects a printer device to be output according to data contents of an application file to be printed, and a printer device management in which a user can set parameters referred to by the printer device management unit A printer system comprising: a user interface; and a printer driver that converts data of an application file into a format corresponding to the printer device selected by the printer device management means.   Based on the type of application file, the printer device management means automatically selects either a printer device that forms an image that can erase an image on a recording medium when an output image is no longer needed, or any other printer device. 2. The printer system according to claim 1, wherein the printer system is selected.   The printer device management user interface can arbitrarily set the type of application file when selecting a printer device that can erase an image on a recording medium when an output image is no longer needed by the printer device management means. The printer system according to claim 1, wherein:   A printer device to be printed is selected from a plurality of printer devices including at least one printer device that performs image formation that can erase an image on a recording medium when an output image connected on the same LAN becomes unnecessary. A printer management program, which is a printer device selection process for automatically selecting a printer device to be output according to the data contents of an application file to be printed based on parameters set by a user, and a printer device selection process for data of an application file. A computer-executable printer management program comprising: a conversion process for converting into a format corresponding to a selected printer device.   Based on the type of application file, the printer device selection process selects either a printer device that forms an image that can erase an image on a recording medium when an output image is no longer needed, or any other printer device. 5. The printer management program according to claim 4, wherein the printer management program is selected automatically.   The printer device selection process is a printer device that performs image formation that can erase an image on a recording medium when an output image is no longer needed based on the type of application file set by the user, or other printer device 6. The printer management program according to claim 5, wherein any one of the above is automatically selected.

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