JPH11242577A - Network printer system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a network printer system that eliminates a print waiting state and that surely printouts in real time by selecting again an output printer. SOLUTION: When a print instruction is given from a host terminal (S20), the state of the printer that is usually used is checked (S21). If the printer is set in an on-line state (S21, Y), a print-out oration is directly started (S26). If the printer is set in an of-line state (S21, N), the printers of another network are retrieved (S22) and all retrieved printers are shown on the side of the host terminal (S23). Then the print-out operation is stated (S26) when an operable printer is selected (S24, Y). When no other printers are selected (S24, N) and the outupt to the printer that is usually used (S25, Y) is desired, the above operation is repeated.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a network printer system to which a plurality of information devices are connected.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A method for efficiently using a printer connected on a network is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei.
As disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 987/987, a plurality of workstations are connected to a plurality of printers.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-200203 discloses a method of designating a specific print server based on information indicating the status of a printer from a print server.
As in the invention described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. H10-107, there has been a method of selecting an optimal printer device for printing from the load state of each printer device and print characteristic information.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the operation in the case of the normal operation in the prior art. When a print command is issued from the host terminal (step 10), the host terminal determines whether the normally used printer is online or offline (step 11). If it is online (step 11; Y), the printout is finished as it is, and if it is offline (step 11; N), the operator is asked whether reprinting is started (retry) (step 12). If no retry is to be performed, the process ends. In the case of retrying, if the setting has been changed to another printer at that time, the printer goes to the changed printer. If not, the printer goes to the printer set to normal use again. If you are offline here, this operation will be repeated.

[0004]

However, when a host terminal (computer) accesses a printer connected on a network, a plurality of printers can be registered in the host terminal. Must be set. Normally, when a print command is issued from a host terminal to a printer on a network and a printout is to be performed, output can only be performed to a normally used printer set in the host terminal. If you want to output to another printer, you must change the settings of the printer you normally use. Also, since it is not only the user who uses the printer on the network, he or she will have to wait if someone uses the printer.

Accordingly, a first object of the present invention is to provide a network printer system in which an output printer can be reselected and output can be reliably performed in real time, thereby eliminating print waiting. A second object of the present invention is to provide a network printer system in which a printer capable of outputting at a glance can be identified.
A third object of the present invention is to provide a network printer system capable of selecting an effective printer when printing cannot be performed immediately but printing is desired as soon as possible.

[0006]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, a plurality of printers are connected to a host terminal via a network, and one of the plurality of printers is set as a printer which is normally used. In a network printer system connected to a network by issuing a print command and capable of outputting to a normally used printer, state detecting means for detecting whether or not a printer set as a normally used printer is in an offline state. A search means for searching for other printers connected to the network when the status detection means detects that the printer is offline, and a display for displaying on the host terminal a printer name searched by the search means. Output printer on the host terminal from the printer name displayed on the display means. By having a selection means for selecting a printer, to achieve the first object.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, a plurality of printers are connected to the host terminal via a network, and one of the plurality of printers is set to a normally used printer, and the host terminal issues a print command. Status detection means for detecting whether or not a printer set as a normally used printer is in an operable state in a network printer system connected to a network and capable of outputting to a normally used printer, and the status detection means Search means for searching for other operable printers connected to the network when it is detected that the printer is not operable in a network, and display means for displaying the printer name searched by the search means on the host terminal. From among the printer names displayed on the display means, the output printer is displayed on the host terminal. By having a selection means for selecting, to achieve the second object.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the network printer system according to the first aspect, when the printer names searched by the search means are displayed on the display means, the printers are displayed in the order of the printer in a printable state. Thereby, the third object is achieved.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a state in which a plurality of printers are connected to one host terminal 10 via a network and are usable. In FIG. 1, four printers A to D can be used, and four printers are registered in the host terminal 10.
The software driver required to start each printer is
It is installed in the host terminal 10 in advance. Among these, the host terminal 10 is connected to the printer normally used by the printer A.
If the print start is performed from the host terminal 10, the printout is performed to the printer A. When using printers B to D, the host terminal 1
It is necessary to change the setting on 0.

Next, a first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 shows a procedure for searching for another printer connected to the network, displaying the names of all detected printers on the host side, and reselecting a printer when the printer to be used is off-line. It is a flowchart shown. Examples of the offline state include when the power supply is turned off and the printer cannot be used due to an error such as a paper jam. When a print command is received from the host terminal 10 (step 20), first, the status of the printer which is set as the printer used normally is checked (step 21). If the printer is online (step 21; Y), The printout operation starts (step 26). If you are offline (Step 2
1; N), search for a printer on another network (step 22), and find all the detected printers in the host terminal 1
It is displayed on the 0 side (step 23). When an operable printer is selected (Step 24; Y), a printout operation is started (Step 26). If the user does not select another printer (Step 24; N) and wants to output to the printer set as the normally used printer (Step 25; Y), this operation is repeated. In the first embodiment, the output printer can be reselected on the host terminal 10, and the printout can be reliably performed in real time, so that the print waiting can be eliminated.

Next, a second embodiment will be described. FIG. 3 also shows a procedure for searching for another printer connected to the network, displaying the names of all detected printers on the host side, and reselecting a printer when the normally used printer is off-line. It is a flowchart shown. In comparison with the example of FIG. 2, in FIG. 2, all the printers detected on the network are displayed on the host terminal 10 side, and the printer is reselected from among them. In the example of FIG. 3, the search on the network is performed. Then, only the name of the printer that is not in a print waiting state and that is currently operating is displayed on the host terminal 10 (step 33).
The printer is selected from among them (step 3).
4). Other operations are the same as those in FIG. In the case of the second embodiment, since a printer that operates immediately can be selected, a print waiting time can be eliminated.

Next, a third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 shows a case where all of the printers set as the normal printers and the printers connected to the network are in the print waiting state, and when the printers are to be displayed on the host side in the order in which the prints are started earlier. It is a flowchart showing a processing procedure. A search is performed on the network (step 42), and if there is a printer that can operate immediately (step 43;
Y) By selecting the printer (step 4)
6; Y), printout is started (step 48). On the other hand, if there is no printer that can operate immediately (step 4
3; N), among the printers in the print waiting state, the printers are displayed on the host side in the order of the printers that can start printing quickly (step 44). By selecting a printer among them, a job wait state is set. In the third embodiment, it is possible to select a printer that can print out the earliest.

[0013]

In the network printer system according to the first aspect, when the printer set as the normally used printer is off-line, the search means searches for other printers connected to the network, Since the printer name is displayed on the host terminal and the output printer can be selected on the host terminal, the output printer can be reselected and the output can be reliably output in real time, thereby eliminating the print waiting.

In the network printer system according to the second aspect, when the printer set as the normally used printer is not in an operable state, the search means searches for other printers connected on the network and can operate. If a suitable printer is found, only the operable printer name is displayed on the host terminal, and the output printer can be selected, so that the printer that can output at a glance can be recognized.

In the network printer system according to the third aspect, when the printer set as the normally used printer is not in an operable state, the search means searches for another operable printer connected to the network. However, when all the printers are in the print waiting state, the printers are displayed on the host terminal in the order in which printing can be performed first, and the output printer can be selected, so that the printout can be performed early.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an example of a network connection between a host terminal and a plurality of printers according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of a process according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of a process according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of a process according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of an operation in the case of a normal operation in the related art.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Host terminal

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of printers are connected to a host terminal via a network, and one of the plurality of printers is set as a normally used printer, and is connected to the network by the host terminal issuing a print command. In a network printer system capable of outputting to a normally used printer, a status detecting means for detecting whether a printer set as a normally used printer is in an offline state, and detecting that the printer is in an offline state by the state detecting means. Search means for searching for other printers connected on the network, a display means for displaying a printer name searched by the search means on a host terminal, and a printer name displayed on the display means Selecting means for selecting an output printer on the host terminal from among Network printer system, characterized in that. 2. A plurality of printers are connected to a host terminal via a network, and one of the plurality of printers is set to a normally used printer, and is connected to the network by the host terminal issuing a print command. In a network printer system capable of outputting to a normally used printer, a status detecting means for detecting whether or not the printer set as a normally used printer is in an operable state, and a state in which the state detecting means is not operable. Search means for searching for other operable printers connected to the network when detected, display means for displaying the printer name searched by the search means on the host terminal, display on the display means Selecting means for selecting an output printer on the host terminal from the printer names specified Network printer system characterized by comprising a. 3. The network printer system according to claim 2, wherein when displaying the printer names searched by the search unit on the display unit, the printer names are displayed in the order of printers in a printable state.