JPH04205225A - Printing system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To eliminate necessity to provide a large capacity input buffer by automatically requesting the transmission of printing information from a printer to respective external devices after time sequentially identifying and managing printing requests from the respective external devices. CONSTITUTION:When respective external devices (host computers) 2-4 transmit the printing requests to a printer 1 by radio, a controller part CONT responds to the correspondent external device while successively issuing the prescribed print output identification information based on the presence/absence of a print request channel call and stores the issued print output identification information in an internal memory. Based on the stored print output identification information, the controller part CONT successively requests the transmission of the print information to the correspondent external device. Thus, even without providing any large capacity buffer or the like, printing can be processed while efficiently managing the print requests from the plural external devices.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention provides a printing device in which a plurality of external devices are equipped with a transmitting/receiving means for performing print processing while wirelessly communicating with the printing device via a wireless communication device. It's about systems.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, in a wired printer system that transmits and receives data via an interface cable, the host-to-printer ratio is assumed to be one-to-one, and when data is sent from the host, the printer The data was stored in the input buffer and outputted.

[Problem to be Solved by the Invention 1] However, in the above-mentioned conventional example, the host-to-printer ratio is assumed to be 1:1, so when the host-to-printer ratio is N:1, the following (1) occurs.

There was the problem shown in (2).

fl) Once a printer receives data sent from one host, it cannot recognize the data that is subsequently sent from other hosts other than by accumulating it in an input buffer.

(2) A huge buffer area must be secured in order to store a large number of data.

This invention was made to solve the above problems, and provides information that can identify the print output order to each external device according to the presence or absence of a print request wirelessly transmitted from each external device to the printing device. By replying and automatically requesting the sending of printing information from the printing device to the external device based on the print output order, it is possible to efficiently manage printing requests from multiple external devices without the need for large-capacity buffers, etc. The purpose of the present invention is to obtain a printing system that can perform print processing while printing.

[Means for Solving the Problems] A printing system according to the present invention sequentially issues predetermined print output identification information based on the presence or absence of a print request wirelessly transmitted from each external device to a printing device, while a reply means for sending a reply to the device; a storage means for storing the printout identification information; and a requesting means for sequentially requesting the corresponding external device to transmit the printout information based on the printout identification information stored in the storage means; A management means is provided for managing transmission order identification information stored in the storage means based on the output state of print information transmitted from each external device in response to the request means.

[Operation] In the present invention, when a print request is wirelessly transmitted from each external device to the printing device, the reply means sequentially issues predetermined printout identification information based on the presence or absence of a print request, and sends a print request to the corresponding external device. and stores the issued printout identification information in the storage means. Then, the requesting means sequentially requests the corresponding external devices to send print information based on the print output identification information stored in the storage means, and the printing device and each external device are enabled to send print information, and the printing information is transmitted to the printing device. Process the print information to be printed.

The management means manages the transmission order identification information stored in the storage means based on the output state of print information transmitted from each external device based on the request means.

[Embodiment] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a printing system showing an embodiment of the present invention, in which 1 is a printer, one or more host computers, three host computers 2 in this embodiment. A channel call interface 1a that interfaces the channel calls of the host computers 2 to 4, and a print data transmission/reception interface 1b that interface the channel calls of the host computers 2 to 4 with the channel calls from the channel call interfaces 2a to 4a of the host computers 2 to 4, and a print data transmission/reception interface 1b. The print data transmission/reception interfaces 2b to 4b are configured to be capable of wireless communication via respective lines.

Note that in the printer 1, a storage area for storing a print control table shown in FIG. 2 and a print control program shown in FIG. 3 is secured in a RAM (not shown).

In the printing system configured as described above, when a print request is wirelessly transmitted from each external device (host computers 2 to 4 in this embodiment) to the printing device, a reply means (in this embodiment, the controller unit C0NT) responds to the corresponding external device while sequentially issuing predetermined printout identification information based on the presence or absence of a print request (channel call described later), and stores the issued printout identification information in the storage means (internal memory of the controller unit C0NT). Make me remember. Based on the print output identification information stored in the storage means, the requesting means (in this embodiment, the controller unit C0N)
T) sequentially requests the corresponding external devices to send print information, the printing device and each external device become capable of sending print information, and the printing information sent to the printing device is processed for printing.

Then, the management means (in this embodiment, the controller unit C0
NT) manages transmission order identification information (an ID number to be described later) stored in the storage means based on the output state of print information transmitted from each external device based on the request means.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a print control table constructed and stored in the printer shown in FIG.
is the channel call number, host computer 2-4
Every time a channel call is transmitted, an end flag is automatically registered in the end flag area 12 and an ID number is automatically registered in the ID number area 13.

The print request management processing operation in the printing system according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of a print request management processing procedure in the printing system according to the present invention. Note that (ke) to (13) indicate each step.

First, the print control table shown in FIG. 2 is cleared and the end flag area 12 is set to "1" (1).

Next, the end of data output for the current channel call number is determined (2). If this determination is NO, a channel call (
It is determined whether there is a ChannelCa-11) (3), and if NO, the process returns to step (2). For example, if a channel call is made from the host computer 2, the determination in step (3) is YES, and the currently registered The process moves to the channel call number obtained by adding "1" to the end of the channel call number in the print control table currently displayed (5).

Next, the end flag of the moved channel call number is set in rOJ (6), and the same number as the channel call number is registered as an ID number (7). Then,
The registered ID number is sent from the channel call interface 1a shown in FIG. 1 to the channel call interface 2a where the channel call was made (8
).

Then, return to the current channel call number (9) and return to step (2).

On the other hand, if the determination in step (2) is YES, it is determined whether the end flag of the channel call number obtained by adding "1" to the current channel call number is rOJ.41.
If No, the process returns to step (3). For example, if a channel call is made from the host computer 3 and the end flag is rOJ, the determination in step (4) is YES.
and sets the end flag of the current channel call number to "
1” (lO).

Next, the channel call number obtained by adding "1" to the current channel call number is set as the new current channel call number and is moved (11).

Next, a twin print data transmission request is made from the channel call interface 1a shown in FIG. 1 via the channel call interface 2a to which the ID number of the current channel call is attached (12). Next, the print data is transmitted and received from the print data transmission/reception interface 2b via the print data transmission/reception interface 1b (13), and the process returns to step (2).

Note that in the above embodiment, the print data output data order is determined in advance, so when a large number of print data are sent from each host, print data with a low print data output order may take a considerable amount of time to be output. There is. Therefore, by adding and managing a priority flag to the print control table shown in Figure 2,
Even print data with a low print data output ranking can be outputted urgently. Note that if there are multiple priority flags, the order of print data output is followed.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, the present invention sequentially issues predetermined printout identification information and replies to the corresponding external device based on the presence or absence of a print request wirelessly transmitted from each external device to the printing device. a storage means for storing printed output identification information; a requesting means for sequentially requesting corresponding external devices to transmit the printed information based on the printed output identification information stored in the storage means; and this requesting means. Since the management means for managing the transmission order identification information stored in the storage means based on the output state of the print information transmitted from each external device in accordance with the output status of the print information transmitted from each external device according to the The printer can automatically request the printing information to be sent to each external device by identifying and managing the information, and even if printing requests from each external device are concentrated, there is no need to set up a large-capacity manual buffer in advance like in the past. This has the effect of making it possible to construct an inexpensive printing system.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a printing system showing an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a print control table constructed and stored in the printer shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of a print request management processing procedure in the printing system according to the present invention. In the figure, 1 is a printer, 1a is a channel call interface, 1b is a print data transmission/reception interface, C0NT is a controller section, and 2 to 4 are host computers. Figure 1 2-4: Host computer

Claims (1)

[Claims] In a printing system in which a plurality of external devices are equipped with a transmitting/receiving means for performing print processing while wirelessly communicating with the printing device via a wireless communication device, the print is wirelessly transmitted from each external device to the printing device. a reply means for sending a reply to a corresponding external device while sequentially issuing predetermined printout identification information based on the presence or absence of a request; a storage means for storing the printout identification information; and a storage means for storing the printout identification information stored in the storage means. request means for sequentially requesting corresponding external devices to transmit print information based on the information; and transmission stored in the storage means based on the output state of the print information transmitted from each external device in response to the request means. A printing system comprising: management means for managing ranking identification information.