JPH07200423A - Output method - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] High-speed output such as printing to devices connected by a network. [Structure] When an operator issues an output instruction, the client sends not the output data but the location of the data to be output to the output server as an output request ID. The output server stores the received output request in the internal storage device, and after storage, reports the output end to the client. Then, the output server searches the output data according to the stored output request ID and outputs the output data to the output device. [Effect] Shortening the output waiting time.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

[Industrial application] In a system that outputs long data such as image data when printing is performed by another control device on the network or when outputting such as a facsimile, instead of sending the long data, the location of the data ( A system that reduces the amount of data and minimizes operator wait time by sending information such as storage device names and data names) to devices with an output mechanism.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, all data to be printed is transmitted from a client terminal to an output server terminal, and the output server terminal outputs (prints). Then, when examining the data owned by the server itself from the file server device on the network, the data is sent once to the client terminal, and then all the data to be printed from the client terminal to the output server terminal is sent according to the above route. The transfer method of doing was adopted.

[0003]

A control device for outputting long data such as image data when another control device on the network prints or outputs a facsimile or the like, which is faster than an output device such as a magnetic disk device. Even if the output data is stored in the storage device and the completion of the output is reported when the storage is completed, the transfer time on the network is long because the data is large. Therefore, by sending information such as the location of data (name of storage device, data name, etc.) to a device having an output mechanism, the amount of data is reduced and the waiting time of the operator is minimized.

[0004]

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention has invented a control device capable of connecting a storage device for storing data and an output device for outputting data.

[0005]

According to the present invention, the output procedure from the operator is stored in the storage device, and after the storage, the output completion report is made.
The operator's waiting time can be shortened and work efficiency can be improved. The stored output procedure is automatically read and output according to the output procedure.

Further, by changing the output order, the number of outputs, the output device, etc., which are the output procedures, it is possible to perform control such that the data to be output first is output with priority.

[0007]

1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

The network 10 connects control devices to transfer data. The output server 11 is the network 1
An output request is accepted via 0 and the output data is printed by the printer 1.
2 is a control device to be sent to. The printing device 12 prints the print data received from the output server 11. The file server 13 accepts a data read / write request via the network and controls the storage device 14 for read / write. Storage devices 14 and 18 are
It stores data. The clients 15, 16 and 17 issue a data search instruction from the file server 13 via the network, and issue a print instruction to the output server 11.

FIG. 2 shows the output request ID. Location information 20
Indicates the position where the data to be output exists, and consists of a station name, drive name, file name and output range. The output format 21 includes the number of output copies, paper size, and output device. Of these, the output device 212 is used to specify the type of output device such as a printing device or a facsimile and the device number when a plurality of the same output devices are connected. The data format 22 consists of character codes. Character code 22
0 specifies binary data, shift JIS code, etc., and binary data also specifies the compression format of image data. The user information 23 is information for protecting the confidentiality of output data, and includes a user name and a password of a user who requested output.

The client searches the data in the storage device connected to the file server and its own control device,
Output request I for position information, output format, etc. of data to be output
Send it as D to the output server and wait until the output end report comes from the output server.

On the other hand, the output server stores the output request ID received from the client in the storage device included in the output server, and when the storage of the output request ID is completed, the output server reports the output completion to the client. FIG. 3 shows an output management table that stores output request IDs. The output management table manages output order, request station name, output request ID, output state, and the like. The requesting station indicates the name of the station that requested output, and the output status is such that output request data is being output to the output device, waiting for the output device to be vacant, or an error occurring in the output device. Indicates.

When there is data to be output, the output server refers to the output management table automatically or according to an instruction from the operator, and outputs the data designated by the output request ID in the output order. The output data creation process and output process are described below.

Creation of output data is roughly divided into data search processing and data editing processing. The data search process starts with
The control device in which the data exists is discriminated from the station information indicated by the position information of the output request ID and contact is made on the network. Next, the drive name and file name are sent to the control device in which the data exists, searched, and the data is received.

The data editing process extracts a portion indicated by the output range from the data received by the data search process and removes unnecessary data. The removal of unnecessary data is performed when a color image is output to a monochrome printing device or the like. The output format and data format of the output request ID are added to the last edited data.

In the output processing, first, the output server confirms the state of the output device and, if output is possible, sends the edited output data to the output device. After sending the data, the output server waits for an output end report from the output device. The output device outputs the sent data and reports the output after the output is completed. The output server deletes the output request from the output management table if the output end report from the output device ends normally. If it is abnormal termination, the termination code is set in the output control table. The exit code is
For example, in the case of a temporary error such as a difference in telephone number for facsimile output, output request processing in the next output order is performed. However, if a continuous error such as an output device abnormality occurs, the next process is not performed, and the buzzer or the like is used to report the error to the operator for recovery.

The output server is operated by the operator to
It is possible to change the output order and delete output requests. At this time, the output request can be changed only by the user and the system administrator who correspond to the above-mentioned user information so that the data of other users are not accidentally or intentionally deleted.

[0017]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the waiting time of an operator when outputting data to an output device between devices connected by a network or the like having a relatively slow transfer time.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an electronic file device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an output request format.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing output request management information.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 ... Network, 11 ... Output server, 12 ... Output device, 13 ... File server, 14, 18 ... Storage device, 15, 16, 17 ... Client.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A control device having a procedure for communicating with an output device and another control device, receiving an identifier of output data from another control device, discriminating a control device having output data from the received identifier, and discriminating. A control device that receives output data from the control device and outputs the output data to the output device.