Recording device, control method of the same, and program

Abstract

To perform consecutively-transmitted control properly in a printer which does not have a high capacity memory for storing multiple printing jobs.SOLUTION: A recording device includes: receiving means which receives printing jobs each including setting information and job data and may receive the setting information of at least one or more second printing jobs different from a first printing job when the first printing job is performed; and control means which performs consecutive printing processing in the second printing job based on the setting information of the first printing job and the setting information of the received second printing job.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] SUMMARY This disclosure relates to control that increases productivity in multiple print jobs. [Background technology]

[0002] In order to improve the productivity of a printer, control is performed to feed the recording medium for the next page while the image of the current page is being formed (hereinafter referred to as "continuous feed control"). This continuous feed control transports the recording medium to the recording head without any interval, making it possible to continue printing without interrupting the image formation process (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The technique described in Patent Document 1 relates to continuous feed control within the same print job, and does not take into account continuous feed control between print jobs. In the case of a printer with a large capacity memory that can store multiple print jobs, it is possible to perform continuous feed control between print jobs by comparing the setting information of the print job that the printer is currently printing with the setting information of the print job to be printed next. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 02-116571 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In a printer that does not have a large capacity memory for storing multiple print jobs, when continuous feed control between print jobs is performed, for example, a method of combining print jobs in a client terminal is considered. However, when continuous feed control is performed by combining print jobs in a client terminal, the printer cannot accurately grasp the number of print jobs and cannot correctly record logs. The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above problem, and aims to appropriately perform continuous feed control in a printer that does not have a large capacity memory for storing multiple print jobs. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The recording device of the present disclosure is characterized in that it comprises a receiving means for receiving a print job including setting information and job data, the receiving means being capable of receiving setting information for at least one second print job different from the first print job while executing a first print job, and a control means for performing continuous printing processing in the second print job based on the setting information of the first print job and the received setting information of the second print job. Effect of the Invention

[0006] According to the technique disclosed herein, it becomes possible to appropriately perform continuous feed control in a printer that does not have a large capacity memory for storing multiple print jobs. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a recording medium transport path of the recording apparatus. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of a recording apparatus. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a module structure of the recording apparatus. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a data flow from a client terminal to a recording device. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a data structure of print settings. [Figure 7] 13 is a flowchart showing a process flow in continuous feed control. [Figure 8] 13 is a flowchart showing a process flow in continuous feed control. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the present disclosure, and not all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the present disclosure. In addition, each process (step) in the flow chart is indicated by a reference number beginning with "S".

[0009] [First embodiment] The following description will be given taking an inkjet recording apparatus as an example, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The present disclosure can also be applied to other types of recording apparatuses, such as electrophotographic recording apparatuses. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an outline of an inkjet recording apparatus (hereinafter, referred to as a "recording apparatus") 100 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration required for this embodiment, in which the recording apparatus 100 is cut along the section II-II.

[0010] The recording device 100 shown in FIG. 1 can turn the recording device 100 on and off and change print settings by operating the operation unit 111. It is also possible to notify the user of the status of the recording device 100 and prompt the user to perform a process by displaying a notification on the liquid crystal display unit of the operation unit 111. The recording device 100 drives the paper feed motor 210 to drive the paper feed roller 207 and feeds the recording medium one by one from the paper feed port 107 in which the recording medium can be loaded. The recording medium 212 is transported along the inclination 208 of the cassette and reaches the first intermediate roller 206. Also, by driving the paper feed motor 210, the first intermediate roller 206 and the second intermediate roller 205 rotate in a direction to transport the recording medium in the transport direction 213. Then, by driving the transport motor 209, the transport roller 105 and the paper discharge roller 106 are rotated so that the recording medium 211 advances in the transport direction 216, and the recording medium 211 is transported under the recording head 214. The rollers are arranged in the order of the paper feed roller 207, the first intermediate roller 206, the second intermediate roller 205, the conveying roller 105, and the paper discharge roller 106 from the paper feed port 107. In this embodiment, three rollers driven by the paper feed motor 210 are provided, but the number may be changed according to the length of the conveying path or the length of the corresponding recording medium. Furthermore, although the description has been given of a two-motor configuration of the paper feed motor 210 and the conveying motor 209, a mechanism for switching the rollers driven by one motor may also be used. The recording medium 211 conveyed by the second intermediate roller 205 is detected by the paper detection sensor 204. After detection, the leading edge position of the recording medium 211 is calculated according to the driving amount of the paper feed motor 210 and the conveying motor 209. Then, the carriage 103 carrying the recording head 214 and the ink tank 104 is scanned in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the recording medium 211, and an image is formed on the recording medium 211 by ejecting ink from the recording head 214 (hereinafter referred to as "printing"). By driving the feed motor 210 even during printing on the recording medium 211, the next recording medium 212 can be fed. By feeding the next recording medium 212 while printing on the previously fed recording medium 211, the printing speed is improved.

[0011] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the recording device 100 in this embodiment. The hardware of the recording device 100 is connected by a control bus 306. The CPU 303 in the control unit 302 of the recording device 100 loads a control program recorded in a ROM 305 into a RAM 304, and reads it out when necessary to perform various controls such as power-on control and recording control. The RAM 304 is the main memory of the CPU 303, and is used as a work area and a temporary storage area for loading various programs stored in the ROM 305. The ROM 305 stores image data, various programs, and various setting information. In this embodiment, the ROM 305 is assumed to be a rewritable flash storage, an EEPROM, or the like, but it may also be an auxiliary storage device such as a hard disk (HDD) or an SSD. In the recording device 100, one CPU 303 uses one memory (RAM 304) to execute each process shown in the flowchart described later, but other modes may be used. For example, it is also possible to use multiple CPUs and have multiple RAMs, ROMs, and storages work together to execute each process shown in the flowchart described later. Also, some of the processes may be executed using a hardware circuit. An engine interface (hereinafter referred to as "engine I / F") 307 connects a printer section (printing unit) 312 and the control section 302. Image data to be printed in the printer section 312 is transferred from the control section 302 via the engine I / F 307, and the printer section 312 records the image data on a recording medium such as paper. An operation display section I / F 308 connects an operation display section 313 and the control section 302. The operation display section 313 includes a liquid crystal display section having a touch panel function and operation keys, and functions as a reception section that receives instructions from a user. A USB I / F 309 and a network I / F 310 control communication with a client terminal (information processing device) 314 connected to the recording device 301. One client terminal 314 is connected to the recording device 100 via the USB I / F 309. A plurality of client terminals 314 may be connected to the recording device 100 via the network I / F 310. The power supply board 311 transforms the power supplied from a power supply 315 via a power cable 318 and supplies the power to the printing apparatus 100 .Furthermore, the power supply board 311 may be equipped with a storage battery capable of storing power.

[0012] Next, a functional configuration of software operated by the CPU 303 will be described. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the software configuration of a control program for controlling each hardware module deployed in the RAM 304 in this embodiment. The control program is divided into three blocks. The three blocks are an application layer 410 that manages applications, a middleware layer 420 that controls the recording device 100 via various I / Fs, and an operating system 430 that manages the overall control.

[0013] The operating system 430 provides basic functions for executing a control program in the control unit 302. The middleware layer 420 is composed of a group of software that controls the I / F with the printer unit 312 and each physical device. In this embodiment, the middleware layer 420 includes the following four modules. A printer control module 421 exists as a module that controls the engine I / F 307. An I / F control module 423 exists that controls the USB I / F 309 and the network I / F 310, which are devices used for communication with the client terminal 314. An image processing module 422 exists that processes image data so that the printer control module 421 can print image data received by the I / F control module 423. A UI control module 424 exists that controls the operation display unit I / F 308. The application layer 410 realizes functions such as printing that the recording device 100 provides to the user by operating each device via each middleware. For example, when the I / F control module 423 receives a print job from the network I / F 310, the application layer 410 is notified of the reception of the print job. In response to the notification, the application layer 410 executes a print job in the job management application 411. The job management application 411 also generates a log on the success or failure of the print job. This makes it possible to record logs on a print job basis. The job management application 411 uses the image processing module 422 of the middleware layer 420 to perform image processing on the data received by the I / F control module 423 so that the printer control module 421 can process it. The printer control module 421 then receives the data image-processed by the image processing module 422 and executes a print operation by the printer unit 312.

[0014] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a data flow in a print control flow. First, a user operates a client terminal 314 to execute a print job. Print job data is transmitted from the client terminal 314 to the recording device 100 via a network line 317. The recording device 100 receives the print job data via a network I / F 310. The received print job data is stored in a receiving buffer 501 arranged in a RAM 304. Then, the CPU 303 performs a decoding process of the received data according to the print job settings via an image processing module 422. In the decoding process, the image data of the received print job is converted into print data that can be ejected from a print head, and is stored in a print buffer 503 arranged in a RAM 304. Based on the print data stored in the print buffer 503, the CPU 303 ejects ink from the print head 214 onto a recording medium via a printer control module 421, and an image is printed on the recording medium.

[0015] Next, with reference to FIG. 6, the details of the print job information (print job) including the print job settings will be described. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the data structure of the print job information assumed in this embodiment. FIG. 6(a) shows the overall structure. The print job information 600 includes a print job setting section 610 and a print job data section 620. The print job setting section 610 is data of only the setting information of the print job, and therefore has a size of about several tens of kilobytes. The print job data section 620 may have a size of several megabytes because it includes image data. FIG. 6(b) is a diagram showing an example of the structure of the print job setting section 610. The transmission date and time 611 indicates the date and time when the print job was transmitted from the transmission source. As the date and time information, information indicating the year, month, day, hour, minute, and second is used, but time information in smaller units such as milliseconds may be included as necessary. The transmission date and time 611 does not affect the continuous transmission determination control. Even if the transmission dates and times are different, continuous transmission is possible in this embodiment if the time difference is such that reception can be performed during printing. The sender identifier 612 is an identifier that uniquely identifies the user of the transmission source. This includes the login name of the user for the sending device. The sender name 613 is an arbitrary character string used for purposes such as displaying the name of the sending user. The sender identifier 612 and sender name 613 do not affect the continuous transmission determination control. Even if the print jobs are sent from different users, the CPU 303 can perform continuous transmission control if other print job settings allow continuous transmission.

[0016] The print job identifier 614 is an identifier for uniquely identifying the print job information 600. When canceling a print job from the client terminal 314, this print job identifier 614 is specified to cancel the print job. The print job identifier 614 does not affect the continuous transmission determination control. However, data management in the receive buffer 501 and print buffer 503 is required so that jobs with different print job identifiers 614 are not deleted when canceled. In this embodiment, the reception start timing and the decode process start timing are specified on the control flow so that management of the print job identifier 614 in the receive buffer 501 and print buffer 503 is not required.

[0017] Print paper size 615 specifies the paper size of the print job. Specifically, it can be the size of the recording medium supported by recording device 100, such as A4 size, A5 size, or postcard size. Print paper type 616 specifies the paper type of the recording medium of the print job. Specifically, it can be the paper type of the recording medium supported by recording device 100, such as plain paper, photo paper, or envelope. Basically, if the paper type and paper size of the recording medium are the same between print jobs, continuous feed control is possible.

[0018] Depending on the recording device 100, if the print paper size or type is different, continuous feeding may not be possible because the paper set in the paper feed port of the recording device 100 needs to be replaced. On the other hand, in a recording device 100 that has multiple paper feed ports, if the device is configured to be able to feed paper from the second paper feed port while printing from the first paper feed port, continuous feeding control is possible even for different print paper sizes or types.

[0019] The print quality setting 617 specifies the quality of the print job. Specifically, it can take values ​​such as fine, standard, and fast. If the next page is fed during printing, the slight vibrations during feeding affect the printing, so in the case of the fine setting, control is often performed to prevent continuous feeding. In the case of the standard or fast setting, continuous feeding control is generally performed to feed the next page during printing. In addition, the fine setting increases the number of times (hereinafter referred to as the "number of scans") that the carriage moves back and forth over the recording medium during image formation compared to the standard setting. This is because forming an image while moving back and forth multiple times has the effect of making unevenness and positional deviation of the image less noticeable. Therefore, depending on the recording device 100, the size of the print buffer 503 shown in FIG. 5 may be changed between the fine setting and the standard setting. In a configuration that has only one print buffer 503 and changes the size reserved depending on the quality, the CPU 303 can determine that continuous feeding control cannot be performed between jobs of different qualities.

[0020] The page count setting 618 specifies the number of print page data included in the print job data section 620. In this embodiment, the print job setting includes the number of pages, but information on whether or not there is a next page for each print page data may be included. For example, when two print jobs with a 5-page setting are received, the CPU 303 determines whether or not pages 1 to 5 of the first job can be sent continuously based on a single job setting, and executes continuous sending control. On the other hand, for the 5th page of the first job and the 1st page of the second job, continuous sending control is executed if the CPU 303 determines that the settings of the first job and the settings of the second job can be sent continuously by the determination control according to this embodiment. Also, for pages 1 to 5 of the second job, the CPU 303 determines whether or not pages can be sent continuously based on a single job setting, and continuous sending control is executed.

[0021] The double-sided printing setting 619 is a setting for whether or not to perform double-sided printing of a print job. Specifically, the CPU 303 can specify a single-sided setting or a double-sided setting. In this embodiment, the CPU 303 determines that continuous feeding is possible only with a single-sided printing setting, but if a configuration is available in which multiple sheets of paper can be held and double-sided printing can be performed, the CPU 303 can determine that continuous feeding is possible even with a double-sided setting.

[0022] Examples of settings not included in Fig. 6(b) will be described below. The first is a color / monochrome setting. This setting specifies whether to print using color inks or only black ink, but changing the ink used changes the nozzles in the print head 214 used, and therefore changes the size used in the print buffer 503. Therefore, just like print quality, the configuration of the print buffer 503 affects the determination of whether continuous feed control can be performed.

[0023] Secondly, there is a manual double-sided setting. In the double-sided printing setting 619 described above, the recording device 100 automatically reverses the recording medium after printing on the front side and prints on the back side, whereas when the manual double-sided setting is enabled, the user manually places the paper that has been printed on one side in the paper feed slot again and prints on the back side. Since user operation is required, in this embodiment, when the manual double-sided setting is enabled, the CPU 303 determines that continuous feed control cannot be performed. The above content is an example, and it is not necessary to include all of the examples given above. It is also possible to include information other than the above.

[0024] 6(c) is a diagram showing a print job data section 620. The print job data section 620 includes print page data information for the number of pages specified by the page count setting 618. Print page data 621, 622, and 623 are data indicating the contents to be printed. In the case of printing a document, this is text data or image data of each page that constitutes the document. In the case of photo printing, this is image data.

[0025] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a print control flow assuming that print jobs are continuously input from the client terminal 314. The process of this flowchart is executed by being triggered by the start of input of a print job from the client terminal 314. In S701, the CPU 303 receives a print job via the job management application 411 and the I / F control module 423, and the process proceeds to S702. When receiving a print job in S701, if one or more print job settings have already been received, one print job is selected from the received print job settings (print job setting information) and the print job is received. The situation in which one or more print job settings have been received assumes the following cases. This corresponds to a case in which the printer unit 312 cannot execute the next print job because a predetermined operation such as replacing a recording material is performed due to a factor such as a lack of remaining ink or other recording material in the ink tank 104, even though the print job settings have been received. When selecting one print job from one or more print job settings, if the print job with the largest number of print jobs to be continuously sent is selected, the continuous sending process shown in this sequence chart can be continued for a long time. Alternatively, the earliest received print job may simply be printed.

[0026] In S702, the CPU 303 starts decoding the received data in order to perform image processing on the print data of the print job received in S701 via the job management application 411 and the image processing module 422. When the decoding process of the received data starts, the process proceeds to S703. In S703, the CPU 303 instructs the printer unit 312 to start printing via the printer control module 421 in order to sequentially form images based on the decoded data. When the printer unit 312 is instructed to start printing, the process proceeds to S704. In S704, the CPU 303 waits for the decoding of the received data to be completed via the job management application 411 and the image processing module 422. Even while the CPU 303 is waiting for the decoding of the received data to be completed, the printer unit 312 continues printing the print job. When the decoding of the received data is completed, the process proceeds to S705.

[0027] In S705, the CPU 303 checks whether remaining data remains even after the decoding of the received data is completed. Examples of cases where remaining data exists include cases where data of an abnormal print job is received, and cases where the client terminal 314 transmits multiple print jobs in one communication. Therefore, if remaining data remains, the process proceeds to S715.

[0028] On the other hand, if there is no remaining data after the completion of decoding of the received data in S705, the process proceeds to S706. In S706, the CPU 303 starts receiving the print job settings of the next print job from the client terminal 314 via the I / F control module 423. The operation of the recording device 100 receiving the print job settings from the client terminal 314 is as follows. As shown in FIG. 6A, the print job setting section 610 is arranged at about 40 KB at the beginning of the print job. When a print job is sent from one client terminal 314, the CPU 303 first receives only the print job setting section 610 in the print job from the client terminal 314, and returns NAK to the client terminal 314 as a response to the print job. When a print job is sent from another client terminal 314, the CPU 303 of the recording device 100 performs the same operation, and the CPU 303 receives one or more print job settings. When the reception of the print job settings of the next print job starts, the process proceeds to S707.

[0029] In this embodiment, by waiting for completion of decoding of the received data in S704, print job settings for the next print job are received after the receive buffer of I / F control module 423 arranged in RAM 304 becomes empty. This has the advantage that CPU 303 does not need to control the boundary between print jobs in the receive buffer via image processing module 422. In this embodiment, reception of print job settings is started after waiting for completion of decoding of the received data, but the receive buffer may be divided and managed in advance, and CPU 303 may manage the receive buffer for each job via I / F control module 423. Also, without dividing the receive buffer, CPU 303 may determine the boundary between print jobs while performing decoding via image processing module 422.

[0030] In S707, while the printer unit 312 is forming an image on a recording medium, the CPU 303 checks whether there is a print job that can be sent continuously among one or more print job settings received from the job management application 411 after S706. In this embodiment, the print job settings are the minimum information required to determine whether there is a print job that can be sent continuously. Other data may be received as long as it includes the print job settings. In particular, if the RAM 304 has room to spare and is configured to have a large receive buffer, image data may also be received. The print job settings that can be sent continuously will be described later.

[0031] In S707, if there is no next print job that can be continuously sent, the process proceeds to S708. If there is a next print job that can be continuously sent, the process proceeds to S709. In S708, the CPU 303 checks whether the printing of the currently executed print job is complete. If the printing of the currently executed print job is complete, the process of the flowchart shown in Fig. 7 ends. If the printing of the currently executed print job is not complete, the process returns to S707.

[0032] In S709, the CPU 303 changes the response to the client terminal 314 that has transmitted the continuous print job settings via the job management application 411 and the I / F control module 423 as follows. Up until now, the CPU 303 has returned a NAK to the client terminal 314 indicating that the print job is not permitted to be transmitted, but this is changed so that the CPU 303 returns an ACK indicating that the print job is permitted to be transmitted. By returning an ACK indicating that transmission is permitted to the print job, the CPU 303 becomes able to receive subsequent data (print job data portion 620) of the setting information for the next print job that can be transmitted continuously from the client terminal 314. When reception of the print job data portion 620 of the next print job that can be transmitted continuously begins, the process proceeds to S710.

[0033] In S710, the CPU 303 checks whether the recording device 100 can continue printing and feed continuously via the job management application 411 and the printer control module 421. If it is necessary to replace the ink tank 104 (recording material) after the completion of the currently executed print job, or if a predetermined operation such as a recovery operation (maintenance operation) is required to maintain the ejection performance of the recording head 214, the CPU 303 determines that continuous feeding is not possible. However, if the configuration allows ink replenishment or a recovery operation of the recording head 214 even if the next page is fed, the CPU 303 may determine that continuous feeding is possible. If the CPU 303 determines that the recording device 100 cannot feed continuously in S710, the process proceeds to S715. If the CPU 303 determines that the recording device 100 can feed continuously, the process proceeds to S711.

[0034] In S711, the CPU 303 instructs the job management application 411 and the printer control module 421 to feed a recording medium in order to print the print job received in S709. However, if the print job currently being printed is a multi-page job, the feeding of the recording medium is started at the start of printing the final page of the print job in order to print the print job received in S709. When the feeding of the recording medium is started, the process proceeds to S712. In S712, the CPU 303 waits for the print job currently being printed to be completed. When the print job currently being printed is completed, the process proceeds to S713. Note that in this embodiment, the completion of the print job may include not only the completion of the printing operation currently being printed, but also the completion of the analysis of the received print job. Usually, the analysis of the print job is completed before the printing operation is completed. However, if data other than the print job information 600 is added to the received data, it is necessary to read and discard the data, and there are cases where the analysis of the print job is not completed even if the printing on the recording medium is completed. By reading and discarding the data, the free space of the receiving buffer 501 can be secured.

[0035] In S713, the CPU 303 starts decoding the received data of the print job received in S709 via the job management application 411 and the printer control module 421. In this embodiment, decoding of the received data of the next print job is started after the printing of the previous print job is completed. This is to prevent data of different print jobs from being mixed in the print buffer (mainly the print buffer in which the data to be discharged is stored) secured in the RAM 304 for storing the decoded data. By consolidating the buffer for storing data into one, there is an effect that the memory area used can be reduced, and an effect that the management of the decoded data that needs to be read and discarded when the job specification is canceled from the client terminal 314 can be simplified. In the case of a configuration having a plurality of buffers for storing decoded data, or in the case of a configuration in which the decoded data can also be job-managed, the decoding process may be started while the print job is received in S709. When the decoding process of the received data is started, the process proceeds to S714. In S714, when the decoding of the received data has progressed, the CPU 303 starts the print processing of the next print job via the job management application 411 and the printer control module 421. Hereinafter, the print job being printed is referred to as the current print job. When the print processing of the next print job has started, the process returns to S704.

[0036] In S715, CPU 303 waits for the print job currently being printed to be completed. When the print job currently being printed is completed, the process proceeds to S716. In S716, CPU 303 waits for the cause of the failure of continuous feeding to be resolved. When the cause of the failure of continuous feeding is resolved, the process of the flowchart shown in FIG. 7 ends. In this embodiment, the process of the flowchart shown in FIG. 7 ends with a step of waiting for the cause of the failure of continuous feeding to be resolved, but the print job may be temporarily ended before the process of waiting for the cause of the failure of continuous feeding to be resolved. Then, after the cause of the failure of continuous feeding is resolved, the process of S701 is started again.

[0037] According to this embodiment, in a printer that does not have a large capacity memory for storing print jobs, the printer is able to grasp the number of print jobs and accept print job settings from one or more client terminals to perform continuous feed control. Since continuous feed control is performed without combining print jobs, the log of each print job is also accurately recorded. This makes it possible to perform appropriate continuous feed control in a printer that does not have a large capacity memory for storing print jobs.

[0038] [Second embodiment] In the first embodiment, a one-to-many communication form in which the recording device 100 is connected to a plurality of client terminals 314 via the network line 317 has been described. In the present embodiment, a one-to-one communication form in which the recording device 100 is connected to one client terminal 314 via a USB cable 316 will be described. In the first embodiment, since there are a plurality of users, a control in which a job sent by another user is not deleted when a job is canceled has been described. On the other hand, in the case of one-to-one communication, the influence of deleting another print job when a job is canceled is limited, so that control in pursuit of productivity is possible. Specifically, in the first embodiment, after waiting for completion of data decoding in S704, reception of the next job setting is started. On the other hand, in the second embodiment, reception of the next print job setting is started without waiting for completion of data decoding. Also, in the first embodiment, after waiting for completion of printing of the current print job in S712, data decoding of the next print job is started. In the present embodiment, data decoding of the next print job is started without waiting for completion of printing of the current print job. In this way, in this embodiment, by allowing different print jobs to be mixed in the receive buffer 501 and the print buffer 503, the timing to start processing is advanced and productivity is improved. In the second embodiment, a connection with a USB cable 316 that provides physical one-to-one communication is described as an example, but the present invention is also applicable to a communication method in which multiple jobs are exchanged in one session via a network line 317. In this embodiment, when multiple jobs are included in one session, reception of a print job of a new session is not started, and a determination is made as to whether the next job in the session being received can be sent continuously.

[0039] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a control flow for explaining this embodiment. This control flow assumes that different print jobs are continuously input from one client terminal 314. In S801, the CPU 303 receives print jobs via the job management application 411 and the I / F control module 423. In this embodiment, a configuration in which jobs are received one by one from the client terminal 314 will be described. However, if the USB I / F 309 is configured to be able to receive one or more print jobs, the CPU 303 may select an optimal job and execute the print job processing as in the first embodiment. When the CPU 303 starts processing the print job, the process proceeds to S802. In S802, the CPU 303 starts decoding the print data received via the image processing module 422 in order to perform image processing of the print data received in S801 via the job management application 411. When the decoding of the print data starts, the process proceeds to S803.

[0040] In S803, in order to sequentially form an image of the decoded print data, the CPU 303 starts printing the print job via the job management application 411 and the printer control module 421. When the printing of the print job starts, the process proceeds to S804. In S804, the CPU 303 checks whether the next print job has been received from the client terminal 314 via the I / F control module 423. If the reception of the next print job has not started, the process proceeds to S805. If the reception of the next print job has started, the process proceeds to S806. In S805, the CPU 303 checks whether the current print job has been completed via the job management application 411. If the current job has not been completed, the process returns to S804, and the CPU 303 monitors whether the reception of the next print job has started via the I / F control module 423. If the print job currently being printed has been completed in S805, the process of the flowchart shown in FIG. 8 ends.

[0041] In S806, the CPU 303 starts analyzing the next print job settings received via the job management application 411. In analyzing the print job settings, as described in FIG. 7, the CPU 303 compares the print job settings of the print job currently being printed with the print job settings of the print job received next to analyze whether continuous transmission is possible. When the analysis of the print job settings of the next print job starts, the process proceeds to S807. In S807, the CPU 303 determines whether continuous transmission is possible based on the analysis result in S806 and the situation of whether the ink level is insufficient or whether a recovery operation of the print head is necessary after the print job currently being printed is completed. If it is determined that continuous transmission is not possible in S807, the process proceeds to S812. If it is determined that continuous transmission is possible in S807, the process proceeds to S808.

[0042] In S808, the CPU 303 starts feeding a recording medium via the job management application 411 and the printer control module 421 to execute printing of the print job analyzed in S806. When feeding of the next print job starts, the process proceeds to S809. In S809, the CPU 303 also starts decoding print data via the image processing module 422 to execute printing of the next print job. In the first embodiment, the next print job is decoded after the currently printed job is decoded, so that the decoded print data does not need to be distinguished for each job in the print buffer 503. A similar waiting process may be inserted in the present embodiment. When decoding of the print data of the next print job starts, the process proceeds to S810. In S810, the CPU 303 waits for the completion of printing of the current print job. When printing of the current print job is completed, the process proceeds to S811. In S811, the CPU 303 starts printing processing of the next print job via the job management application 411 and the printer control module 421. Hereinafter, the print job that is being printed is referred to as the “current print job.” When the print process for the next print job starts, the process returns to S804.

[0043] In S812, the CPU 303 waits for the completion of the print job currently being printed via the job management application 411 and the printer control module 421. When the print job currently being printed is completed, the process proceeds to S813. In S813, the CPU 303 waits for the cause of the failure of continuous feeding to be resolved. When the cause of the failure of continuous feeding is resolved, the process of the flowchart shown in Fig. 8 ends. Alternatively, if it is determined in S807 that the job is not capable of continuous feeding, the process of S813 of waiting for the cause of the failure of continuous feeding to be resolved is immediately ended, and printing of the next print job is started.

[0044] According to this embodiment, in a printer that does not have a large capacity memory for storing print jobs, the printer is able to grasp the number of print jobs and accept print job settings from a client terminal to perform continuous feed control. Since continuous feed control is performed without combining print jobs, the log of each print job is also accurately recorded. This makes it possible to perform appropriate continuous feed control in a printer that does not have a large capacity memory for storing print jobs.

[0045] [Other embodiments] The present disclosure can also be realized by providing a program for implementing one or more functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and having a computer in the system or device read and execute the program. The computer has one or more processors or circuits, and may include multiple separate computers or a network of multiple separate processors or circuits to read and execute computer-executable instructions.

[0046] The processor or circuitry may include a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessing unit (MPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gateway (FPGA), a digital signal processor (DSP), a data flow processor (DFP), or a neural processing unit (NPU).

[0047] The storage medium may also be referred to as a non-transitory computer-readable medium. The storage medium may include one or more hard disks (HD), random access memories (RAM), read-only memories (ROM), and storage devices of a distributed computing system. The storage medium may also include optical disks (e.g., compact disks (CD), digital versatile disks (DVD), or Blu-ray disks (BD, registered trademark)), flash memory devices, and memory cards.

[0048] The disclosure of the above-described embodiment includes the following configurations.

[0049] (Configuration 1) A recording device comprising: a receiving means for receiving a print job in which job data is stored following setting information, the receiving means being capable of receiving setting information for a second print job different from the first print job while a first print job is being executed; and a control means for performing the continuous printing processing in the second print job when it is possible to perform the continuous printing processing based on the setting information of the first print job and the received setting information of the second print job.

[0050] (Configuration 2) The recording device according to configuration 1, wherein the setting information includes the type and size of the recording medium.

[0051] (Configuration 3) The recording device according to configuration 1 or 2, wherein the continuous printing process starts feeding of the recording medium for the second print job while printing the final page of the printing process for the first print job.

[0052] (Configuration 4) The recording device described in Configuration 1, further comprising a transmitting means for, when the receiving means receives the second print job while executing the first print job, transmitting a response indicating non-permission of transmission of the second print job to the information processing device that sent the second print job after receiving the setting information of the second print job, and, when the continuous printing process is possible, transmitting a response indicating permission of transmission of the second print job to the information processing device that sent the second print job that is capable of performing the continuous printing process.

[0053] (Configuration 5) A recording device as described in any one of configurations 1 to 3, further comprising an image processing means for performing image processing on job data of the print job, the image processing means performing image processing on image data of the second print job after the print processing of the first print job is completed.

[0054] (Configuration 6) A recording device described in any one of configurations 1 to 3, characterized in that when multiple information processing devices are connected, the receiving means starts receiving job data of the second print job after image data processing of the first print job is completed.

[0055] (Configuration 7) A recording device described in any one of configurations 1 to 3, characterized in that when one information processing device is connected, the receiving means starts receiving job data of the second print job before image data processing of the first print job is completed.

[0056] (Configuration 8) The recording device according to any one of configurations 1 to 7, characterized in that if a specified operation is required after the printing process of the first print job is completed, the control means does not perform the successive printing process.

[0057] (Configuration 9) The recording apparatus according to configuration 8, wherein the predetermined operation is replacement of the recording material.

[0058] (Configuration 10) The recording device according to configuration 8, wherein the predetermined operation is a maintenance operation for a printing unit.

[0059] (Configuration 11) The recording device described in configuration 1, characterized in that if setting information for a print job that performs the consecutive printing processing is not received before the printing processing of the first print job is completed, the control means performs the consecutive printing processing on the print job that performs the most consecutive printing processing among the setting information of the second print job.

[0060] (Configuration 12) The recording device according to configuration 5, wherein the image processing means performs image processing on the image data of the second print job after the analysis of the first print job is completed.

[0061] (Configuration 13) The recording device described in configuration 1, characterized in that when printing processing based on other print jobs included in the same session has not been completed, the receiving means does not start receiving a print job of a new session, and the control means executes printing processing based on the other print jobs.

[0062] (Configuration 14) A control method for a recording device that exchanges data with an information processing device, comprising: a step of receiving setting information for a second print job from the information processing device while executing a first print job, in a receiving means that receives a print job including setting information and job data from the information processing device; and a step of performing continuous printing processing for the second print job based on the setting information of the first print job and the received setting information of the second print job.

[0063] (Configuration 15) A program for causing a computer to function as the recording device according to any one of configurations 1 to 13.

Claims

1. a receiving means for receiving a print job including setting information and job data, the receiving means being capable of receiving setting information of at least one or more second print jobs different from the first print job while a first print job is being executed; a control unit that performs continuous printing processing for the second print job based on setting information for the first print job and the received setting information for the second print job; A recording device comprising:

2. 2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the setting information includes a type and a size of the recording medium.

3. 2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the continuous printing process starts feeding of the recording medium for the second print job when the final page of the printing process for the first print job is being printed.

4. when the receiving means receives the second print job while the first print job is being executed, after receiving the setting information of the second print job, transmitting a response indicating non-permission of transmission of the second print job to the information processing device that is a source of the second print job; The recording device according to claim 1, further comprising a transmitting means for transmitting a response indicating permission to transmit the second print job to the information processing device that transmitted the second print job capable of performing the continuous printing process when the continuous printing process is possible.

5. The print job further includes an image processing unit for performing image processing on the job data of the print job.

2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image processing unit performs image processing on the image data of the second print job after the print processing of the first print job is completed.

6. 2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when a plurality of information processing apparatuses are connected, the receiving unit starts receiving the job data of the second print job after image data processing of the first print job is completed.

7. 2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when one information processing apparatus is connected, the receiving unit starts receiving the job data of the second print job before image data processing of the first print job is completed.

8. 2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when a predetermined operation is required after the printing process of the first print job is completed, the control means does not perform the successive printing process.

9. 9. The recording apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the predetermined operation is replacement of the recording material.

10. 9. The recording apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the predetermined operation is a maintenance operation for a printing unit.

11. A recording device as described in claim 1, characterized in that if setting information for a print job that performs the consecutive printing process is not received before the printing process of the first print job is completed, the control means performs the consecutive printing process on the print job that performs the most consecutive printing process in the setting information of the second print job.

12. 6. The recording apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the image processing unit performs image processing on the image data of the second print job after the analysis of the first print job is completed.

13. A recording device as described in claim 1, characterized in that when printing processing based on other print jobs included in the same session has not been completed, the receiving means does not start receiving a print job of a new session, and the control means executes printing processing based on the other print job.

14. A method for controlling a recording device that exchanges data with an information processing device, comprising the steps of: a receiving unit for receiving a print job including setting information and job data from the information processing device, the receiving unit receiving setting information for a second print job from the information processing device while a first print job is being executed; performing continuous printing processing for the second print job based on setting information for the first print job and the received setting information for the second print job; 13. A method for controlling a recording apparatus comprising:

15. A program for causing a computer to function as the recording device according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

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