Processing control apparatus and processing control method

Abstract

To prevent a processing time from becoming unnecessarily long and to reduce burdens of an operator in a case where a plurality of jobs are grouped and successively executed.SOLUTION: A processing control apparatus for controlling a processing apparatus for processing a medium, includes: a grouping processing unit for grouping a plurality of jobs so as to execute them successively; a job execution processing unit for giving instructions of execution of the plurality of grouped jobs to the processing apparatus; and a temporary stop instruction unit for giving, to the processing apparatus, instructions of temporarily stopping the execution of the jobs during a time between the jobs of the plurality of grouped jobs based on settings.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a processing control device and a processing control method.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes that when performing overlay printing for repeatedly forming the same image, a pause is made each time one page of data is processed, and a command to continue or not continue the print job is received from the user. Even if the number of overlays is set based on the image data, a suitable image may not be formed for the operator. Therefore, according to the above, the user can check the finish state each time overlay printing is performed once.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in Patent Document 1, when the pause setting is on, it always pauses every time one job ends. When a plurality of jobs are grouped and continuously executed, if there is always a pause between jobs, an unnecessary pause occurs, and the overall processing time becomes long. In addition, each time a pause occurs, it is necessary for the operator to instruct the resumption of the job, which increases the labor of the operator and reduces the effect of grouping a plurality of jobs.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to prevent the overall processing time from becoming unnecessarily long when a plurality of jobs are grouped and continuously executed, and to reduce the labor of the operator.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The main invention for achieving the above object is a processing control device that controls a processing device for performing processing on a medium, a grouping processing unit that groups a plurality of jobs so as to be continuously executed, a job execution instruction unit that instructs the processing device to execute the grouped plurality of jobs, a pause reception unit that can receive a setting of whether to pause the execution of a job for each job among the grouped plurality of jobs, a pause instruction unit that instructs the processing device to pause the execution of a job between the grouped plurality of jobs based on the setting, and a processing control device comprising the same.

[0007] Other features of the present invention will be clarified by the description in this specification.

Effects of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, when a plurality of jobs are grouped and continuously executed, it is possible to prevent the overall processing time from becoming unnecessarily long and to reduce the labor of workers.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] ===Embodiment=== <<Overall Configuration>> FIG. 1 is an explanatory view of the overall configuration of the printing system 100. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the printing system 100.

[0011] The printing system 100 is a system for performing printing on the medium M. The printing system 100 includes a printing device 1 and a printing control device 60. The printing device 1 is an example of a processing device that processes the medium M, and is a device for performing printing on the medium M. Here, the printing device 1 is an inkjet printer. The medium M is a long strip-shaped sheet member and is a member to be printed (printing medium). The medium M is, for example, roll paper, film, cloth, etc. The printing device 1 includes a control unit 2, a head 10, a carriage mechanism 20, a moving mechanism 30, a cleaning mechanism 40, and an ink supply mechanism 50.

[0012] The head 10 ejects ink onto the medium M. The head 10 is mounted on the carriage 21 and is movable in the scanning direction shown in FIG. 1 together with the carriage 21. Although not shown, a nozzle row in which a plurality of nozzles for ejecting ink are arranged along the conveyance direction of the medium M is formed on the lower surface of the head 10. The material of the ink ejected from the head 10 is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include aqueous dye ink, aqueous pigment ink, solvent-based (solvent-based) pigment ink, and ultraviolet curable ink that cures when exposed to ultraviolet light.

[0013] The carriage mechanism 20 includes a carriage 21 and a carriage motor (not shown). The carriage 21 mounts the head 10 and is configured to be movable in the scanning direction. The carriage motor is a drive source for moving the carriage 21.

[0014] The moving mechanism 30 is a mechanism for relatively moving the head 10 and the medium M in a predetermined direction. The moving mechanism 30 of the present embodiment is a mechanism for conveying the medium M in a predetermined direction, and includes a conveying roller 31 and a conveying motor (not shown). The predetermined direction is a direction orthogonal to the scanning direction of the head 10. The conveying roller 31 is a member that conveys the medium M by rotating. The conveying motor is a drive source for rotating the conveying roller 31. The direction orthogonal to the scanning direction of the carriage 21 is the conveying direction in which the medium M moves during printing. In the conveying direction, the side where the medium M is supplied is referred to as the "upstream side", and the opposite side (the side where the medium M is discharged) may be referred to as the "downstream side". Also, when the relative movement between the head 10 and the medium M is viewed based on the head 10, the side where the medium M originates and the side where the head 10 faces the medium M later is referred to as the "upstream side". The side where the medium M moves to and the side where the head 10 faces the medium M first may be referred to as the "downstream side".

[0015] The cleaning mechanism 40 is a mechanism for cleaning the head 10. The ink supply mechanism 50 is a mechanism for supplying ink to the head 10.

[0016] The control unit 2 controls the printing apparatus 1. The control unit 2 is communicably connected to the printing control apparatus 60, and controls each part of the printing apparatus 1 according to a job (command command and print data) from the printing control apparatus 60.

[0017] According to the printing apparatus 1 described above, an image is printed on the medium M by an ink ejection operation of ejecting ink from the head 10 while moving in the scanning direction and a conveyance operation of the medium M by the moving mechanism 30. However, the configuration of the printing apparatus 1 is not limited to the above. For example, the moving mechanism 30 may have a conveyance table (flat bed) and convey the medium M by moving this conveyance table. Further, the printing apparatus 1 may be configured such that the medium M does not move and the head 10 is movable in the scanning direction and a direction orthogonal to the scanning direction. In this case, the direction orthogonal to the scanning direction of the head 10 corresponds to a predetermined direction (the direction in which the head 10 and the medium M relatively move). Also, in the predetermined direction, the side where the head 10 starts printing (moving) corresponds to the downstream side, and the side where the head 10 ends printing (moving) corresponds to the upstream side. Further, it may be configured to print an image by passing the medium M under a fixed head having a nozzle row longer than the width of the medium M. In this case, the direction in which the medium M moves under the fixed head corresponds to the predetermined direction. Further, the printing apparatus 1 is not limited to an inkjet printer, and may be a laser printer or the like, and the medium M may be a sheet member cut to a predetermined size.

[0018] The printing control apparatus 60 is an example of a processing control apparatus that controls the printing apparatus 1 which is a processing apparatus. The printing control apparatus 60 creates a job for controlling the printing apparatus 1 and transmits the job to the printing apparatus 1.

[0019] The printing control device 60 is configured here by a general-purpose personal computer. The printing control device 60 includes, as hardware, an arithmetic processing unit (not shown), a storage device, and a communication device. The arithmetic processing unit is configured by, for example, a CPU or the like. The storage device is configured by a main storage device such as a RAM and an auxiliary storage device such as a hard disk drive or an SSD. By the arithmetic processing unit executing a program stored in the storage device, various functions described later are realized. The communication device is configured by, for example, a communication module and communicates with the printing device 1. The communication device transmits a job to the printing device 1 or receives a signal from the printing device 1, for example.

[0020] A display device 71 and an input device 72 are connected to the printing control device 60. The printing control device 60 causes the display device 71 (for example, a display or the like) to display various screens described later. Also, the printing control device 60 acquires information input by an operator via the input device 72 (for example, a keyboard or the like).

[0021] As shown in FIG. 2, the printing control device 60 includes a printing control unit 61. The printing control unit 61 has a function of creating a job for controlling the printing device 1. The printing control unit 61 includes a job acquisition unit 62, a grouping processing unit 63, a job execution instruction unit 64, a pause reception unit 65, a pause instruction unit 66, an inter-job operation reception unit 67, an inter-job operation execution instruction unit 68, and a group job cancel reception unit 69. The printing control unit 61 is realized by the printing control device 60 (computer) executing a control program for controlling the printing device 1.

[0022] <<Control Method for Group Jobs>> FIG. 3 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a method for controlling a group job. FIGS. 4 to 7 are explanatory diagrams of an example of a screen displayed on the display device 71. FIGS. 4 and 5 show a job management screen 80. FIG. 6 shows a job setting screen 81. FIGS. 7A and 7B show a paused setting screen 82. In the present embodiment, the screens 80 to 82 shown in FIGS. 4 to 7 are displayed on the display device 71 connected to the print control device 60. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the screens may be displayed on the operation screen 4 of the printing device 1, or may be displayed on both (4, 71).

[0023] Hereinafter, a method in which the print control device 60 groups a plurality of jobs so that a plurality of jobs are continuously executed by a single print execution command, and controls the printing device 1 through the grouped plurality of jobs will be described. A job is a unit of work processed by a processing device, and in the present embodiment, it is a unit of work processed by the printing device 1. Here, a process in which the printing device 1 prints one image on the medium M is defined as one job.

[0024] First, the operator creates a plurality of image data to be printed using various applications and inputs a plurality of jobs into the print control unit 61 (S01 in FIG. 3). Specifically, the operator sets the print settings (print speed, type of medium, image quality, etc.) of the created image data, selects an instruction of "create print data", or inputs the created image data into the job list 801 of the job management screen 80 (FIG. 4).

[0025] When the job acquisition unit 62 of the print control unit 61 acquires a job (print settings, image data), it uses the display device 71 to display the acquired job in the job list 801 of the job management screen 80. Here, an example is given of a job in which an operator prints N pieces of image data in PDF format such as "job1.pdf", "job2.pdf",... "jobN.pdf". In FIG. 4, the job names displayed in the job list 801 are the same as the file names of the image data, but they may be different. In the following description, the job of printing the image data of "job1.pdf" is called "Job 1", and the job of printing the image data of "job2.pdf" is called "Job 2", and the N jobs are also called Job 1 to Job N, respectively.

[0026] Next, the operator makes a request to group a plurality of jobs 1 to N registered in the job list 801 (S02). Specifically, the operator selects a plurality of jobs 1 to N to be grouped from the job list 801 and selects "Grouping of Multiple Jobs" from the menu list 802 displayed by clicking the mouse or the like.

[0027] The grouping processing unit 63 of the print control unit 61, in response to the grouping request, associates a plurality of jobs 1 to N with each other and groups them so that the plurality of jobs 1 to N are executed continuously (S03). Specifically, the grouping processing unit 63 adds a command command for continuously printing a plurality of jobs 1 to N to the data (print settings, image data) related to the plurality of jobs 1 to N. In the following description, the grouped plurality of jobs 1 to N are also called group jobs.

[0028] In addition, as a result of the grouping, the grouping processing unit 63 causes the display device 71 to display the display and name of the group job (here, "Group Job No1") above the grouped plurality of jobs 1 to N as shown in the job list 801 of FIG. 5. In addition, the grouping processing unit 63 displays a number in front of each name of the plurality of jobs 1 to N (for example, "1.job1.pdf"). Thereby, the operator can confirm that the plurality of jobs 1 to N are grouped.

[0029] Here, the print control unit 61 of the present embodiment has a "pause reception unit 65" that can receive a setting as to whether to pause the execution of jobs for each of the jobs of a plurality of grouped jobs 1 to N. Therefore, an operator can pause the execution of a job between any of the plurality of continuously executed jobs 1 to N.

[0030] When the operator wants to pause during a group job, the operator makes a pause setting (S04). Specifically, the operator selects the job before the pause from the job list 801 (job 2 in FIG. 5), and clicks the mouse or the like to launch the setting screen 81 (FIG. 6) of the selected job. Then, the operator checks the item 811 of "pause after this job" in the job setting screen 81. Thereby, the pause reception unit 65 receives a pause during the group job (S05).

[0031] According to the above setting method, a pause setting can be made for any of the jobs among the plurality of jobs 1 to N. Here, a case where a pause is made for one (between job 2 and job 3) among the jobs of the plurality of jobs 1 to N is exemplified, but it is not limited to this. The operator can also make a pause setting for between a plurality of jobs or between all jobs according to the purpose.

[0032] Also, the above setting method is just an example and is not limited thereto. For example, in the job list 801, the job after the pause can be selected, and the setting method can be to pause before the selected job, or the jobs before and after the pause can be selected, and the setting method can be to pause between the selected jobs. Also, a screen for setting whether to pause between jobs may be displayed on the display device 71 at the timing when the grouping processing unit 63 performs grouping. Thereby, the operator can prevent forgetting to set the pause. Also, in the job setting screen 81, when the job is not grouped, it is preferable not to enable the selection of the item 811 "pause after this job". By doing so, it is possible to prevent unnecessary selections from being made even though it is not a group job.

[0033] When the pause reception unit 65 receives the pause setting, the pause instruction unit 66 adds a pause command to the data (printing settings, image data) related to the group job based on the setting (S06). For example, when pausing after job 2, the pause instruction unit 66 adds a pause command between the data related to job 2 and the data related to job 3. Thereby, after the end of job 2, the printing device 1 pauses the group job. In this way, the pause instruction unit 66 can instruct the printing device 1 to pause the execution of the job between the grouped multiple jobs 1 to N through the pause command.

[0034] Note that the operator can also not set a pause at all between the jobs of the group job. In that case, the pause instruction unit 66 does not add a pause command to the data related to the group job. Thereby, the printing device 1 continuously executes the multiple jobs 1 to N without pausing in the middle of the group job.

[0035] Next, the operator requests the execution of the group job (S07). Specifically, the operator selects a group job from the job list 801 on the job management screen 80, and selects "Print" from the menu list 802 (Fig. 4).

[0036] When the job execution instruction unit 64 of the print control unit 61 receives a request for print execution, it converts the data (print settings, image data) related to each of the plurality of grouped jobs 1 to N into data (command commands, print data) that can be decoded by the printing apparatus 1. Specifically, based on the print settings, the image data is converted into print data (on / off data of dots assigned to each nozzle of the head 10). A command command (such as the print start position and the conveyance amount of the medium M) for executing printing is added to the print data. The job execution instruction unit 64 instructs the printing apparatus 1 to execute the group job by transmitting the data thus created to the printing apparatus 1. Note that the transmission to the printing apparatus 1 is not limited to after all the print data of the group job has been created, and the created print data may be sequentially transmitted to the printing apparatus 1.

[0037] Also, the printing apparatus 1 may execute the printing of a label indicating the information of the job together with the image of the job. Examples of the job information include information regarding the image data that is the source of the job (such as the file name and file format of the image data) and information regarding the execution of the job (such as the model name of the printing apparatus 1 and the print quality). For example, as shown in Fig. 8A described later, the label L2 (information of job 2) of job 2 may be printed near the image p2 by job 2. When the printing of the label is set in this way, the job execution instruction unit 64 adds the print data of the label before or after the print data of each job of the group job. By doing so, the label is printed on the downstream side (front) or upstream side (rear) of the image of each job.

[0038] Also, in the above description, the pause instruction unit 66 adds a pause command before the job execution instruction unit 64 creates the print data, but it is not limited to this. After the job execution instruction unit 64 creates the print data, the pause instruction unit 66 may add a pause command.

[0039] And when the group job has a pause command, the job execution instruction unit 64 transmits the data up to the job before the pause command (S08). For example, when pausing after job 2, the job execution instruction unit 64 transmits the data related to job 1 and job 2, and the subsequent pause command to the printing apparatus 1.

[0040] When the printing apparatus 1 receives the data related to job 1 and job 2, it prints the image corresponding to job 1 and then continuously prints the image corresponding to job 2 (S09). Then, due to the pause command after job 2, the printing apparatus 1 pauses the execution of the group job (S10). Also, the control unit 2 of the printing apparatus 1 notifies the print control unit 61 that job 1 and job 2 are completed and in a paused state.

[0041] When the print control unit 61 receives that the printing apparatus 1 has completed up to job 2 and is paused, it causes the display device 71 to display the pause setting screen 82 (Fig. 7A) (S11). On the pause setting screen 82, it is displayed that job 2 has ended and it is in a paused state, and the operator can confirm this. Also, on the pause setting screen 82, a button 821 for resuming the next job and a button 822 for canceling the subsequent jobs are provided.

[0042] In addition, the printing control device 60 of the present embodiment includes an inter-job operation reception unit 67 that receives the operations between the jobs executed by the printing device 1 during the pause period, and an inter-job operation execution instruction unit 68 that instructs the printing device 1 to execute the operations received by the inter-job operation reception unit 67. That is, during the pause period of the group job, the operation of the printing device 1 (other operations than the printing operation) is permitted. Therefore, on the setting screen 82 during the pause, a button 823 for selecting "operation of the printing device during pause" is provided.

[0043] When the operator wants the printing device 1 to execute a desired operation during the pause period, the operator requests the operation between the jobs to the printing control unit 61 (S12). Specifically, the operator selects the button 823 for "operation of the printing device during pause" and opens the menu 824 shown in FIG. 7B. The menu 824 lists the operations that can be executed between the jobs during which the printing device 1 is paused.

[0044] In the present embodiment, examples of the operations between the jobs include "1. Release the opening / closing lock of the machine cover", "2. Clean the head", "3. Print a test image", "4. Feed the media", "5. Replace the ink cartridge", and "6. Circulate the ink". However, the above six operations between the jobs are just examples, and the configuration may be such that the operator selects only a part of the above six operations, or the operator may be able to select operations of the printing device 1 other than the above six operations.

[0045] When the operator selects a desired operation from the menu 824, the inter-job operation reception unit 67 receives the operation between the jobs during the pause (S13). Then, the inter-job operation execution instruction unit 68 creates a command command regarding the operation between the jobs requested by the operator and transmits the command command to the printing device 1 (S14). Thereby, the inter-job operation execution instruction unit 68 instructs the printing device 1 to execute the operation between the jobs.

[0046] When the printing apparatus 1 receives an operation command between jobs, it executes the operation between the jobs (S15). The control unit 2 of the printing apparatus 1 notifies the printing control unit 61 that the operation between jobs has ended. Thereafter, the printing control unit 61 causes the display device 71 to display a screen (not shown) indicating that the operation between jobs has ended. Thereby, the operator can confirm that the operation between jobs has ended.

[0047] Note that the operator can request an operation between certain jobs and, after it ends, request an operation between other jobs. That is, the operations between jobs permitted for the printing apparatus 1 during pause are not limited to one, and may be plural.

[0048] Thereafter, the operator selects either a button 821 for resuming the next job or a button 822 for canceling the subsequent jobs from the pause setting screen 82 (FIG. 7A).

[0049] When the operator selects the button 821 for resuming the next job and requests resumption of the group job (S16), the job execution instruction unit 64 transmits data regarding the jobs after the pause command (here, jobs 3 to N) to the printing apparatus 1 (S17). The printing apparatus 1 prints the images corresponding to jobs 3 to N in order continuously, and when the printing is completed, notifies the printing control unit 61 of that. The printing control unit 61 notifies the operator that the group job has ended, for example, by deleting the display of the group job from the job management screen 80 (FIG. 5). Alternatively, without deleting the display of the completed group job, the fact that the printing has ended may be displayed on the job management screen 80. For example, a print completion display may be made in the "status" column of the job list 801 in FIG. 5.

[0050] On the one hand, the operator can also select the button 822 to cancel the subsequent jobs and request the cancellation of the group job. In this case, the group job cancellation reception unit 69 of the print control unit 61 deletes the data related to the remaining jobs 3 to N without transmitting it to the printing apparatus 1. Further, the group job cancellation reception unit 69 deletes the display of the group job from the job management screen (FIG. 5). As a result, the group job ends halfway. Alternatively, without deleting the display of the canceled group job, the fact of cancellation may be displayed on the job management screen 80. For example, a cancellation display may be made in the "status" column of the job list 801 in FIG. 5. The above is the print control method for group jobs.

[0051] As described above, the print control apparatus 60 (processing control apparatus) of the present embodiment includes a grouping processing unit 63 that groups a plurality of jobs 1 to N so as to be continuously executed, a job execution instruction unit 64 that instructs the printing apparatus 1 (processing apparatus) to execute the grouped plurality of jobs 1 to N, a pause reception unit 65 that can receive a setting as to whether to pause the execution of the jobs for each of the grouped plurality of jobs 1 to N, and a pause instruction unit 66 that instructs the printing apparatus 1 to pause the execution of the jobs between the grouped plurality of jobs 1 to N based on the setting.

[0052] Further, the print control method (processing control method) of the printing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment includes a grouping processing step (S03 in FIG. 3) that groups a plurality of jobs 1 to N so as to be continuously executed, a job execution instruction step (S08, S17) that instructs the printing apparatus to execute the grouped plurality of jobs 1 to N, a pause reception step (S05) that receives a setting as to whether to pause the execution of the jobs for each of the grouped plurality of jobs 1 to N, and a pause instruction step (S06) that instructs the printing apparatus 1 to pause the execution of the jobs between the grouped plurality of jobs 1 to N based on the setting.

[0053] According to the above-described printing apparatus 1 and printing control method, a plurality of jobs can be grouped, and an operator can collectively and continuously execute the plurality of jobs 1 to N with a single printing execution command. Therefore, the labor (workload) of the operator can be reduced. Also, it is possible to pause between the grouped plurality of jobs 1 to N. Therefore, the operator can check the printing result of the image during the group job. Thus, it is possible to prevent all of the plurality of jobs 1 to N from being executed in a state where there are problems such as a printing setting mistake or poor ink ejection, and it is possible to prevent wasteful consumption of the medium M and ink and the occurrence of wasteful printing time. In particular, when a label is printed together with an image, the printing settings can be confirmed by looking at the label. Also, it is possible to set whether to pause between each job. Therefore, compared to a case where, for example, there is always a pause between each job unlike this embodiment, unnecessary pauses can be prevented. Thus, the overall processing time can be shortened. Also, the labor of the operator for instructing the resumption of the job after the pause can be reduced. Also, since it is possible to set a pause between arbitrary jobs, the operator can pause at a desired timing according to the purpose.

[0054] During the pause, it is preferable to keep the cap 41 shown in FIG. 12 described later in close contact with the nozzle surface of the head 10. By doing so, it is possible to prevent the ink in the head 10 (nozzle) from drying or curing and the adhesion of foreign matter to the nozzle surface during the pause. Therefore, ink is appropriately ejected from the head 10 even after the resumption of the job.

[0055] In this embodiment, the printing control device 60 is configured by a computer provided outside the printing apparatus 1. However, it is not limited to this. For example, the control unit 2 of the printing apparatus 1 may include a printing control unit 61 and function as a printing control device. Alternatively, a part of the function of the printing control unit 61 may be provided in the control unit 2 of the printing apparatus 1, and the remaining part may be provided in a computer outside the printing apparatus 1, and the printing control device may be configured by both the control unit 2 of the printing apparatus 1 and the computer.

[0056] In addition, in this embodiment, as an example of the processing device, the printing device 1 is illustrated, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The processing device may be any device that performs processing on a medium. For example, it may be a cutting device that cuts a medium into a desired shape with a cutter, or a printing device with a cutting head that includes a head for discharging ink and a cutting head. Further, the printing device (processing device) may be a so-called 2D printer that prints a two-dimensional image, or a so-called 3D printer (three-dimensional modeling device) that forms a three-dimensional object using a curable ink.

[0057] <<Inter-job operations>> FIGS. 8 to 12 are explanatory diagrams of operations between jobs during a pause. FIGS. 8A and 8B are explanatory diagrams of the state where the body cover 3 is closed and open. FIGS. 9A and 9B are explanatory diagrams of the feeding of the medium M. FIGS. 10A, 10B, 11A, and 11B are explanatory diagrams of the printing of the test image TP. FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of the cleaning mechanism 40 and the ink supply mechanism 50.

[0058] As described above, the printing control device 60 of the present embodiment includes an inter-job operation execution instruction unit 68 that instructs the printing device 1 to execute operations between jobs of the printing device 1 during the pause period of the group job.

[0059] Therefore, during the pause period of the group job, another operation other than printing of the printing device 1 can be interrupted. Therefore, by the operations between jobs described later, an operator can obtain a desired printed image.

[0060] In this embodiment, the operator can select one or more operations from a plurality of operations between jobs listed in the menu list 824 (FIG. 7B) of the setting screen 82 during the pause. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the operations between jobs may be fixed. In that case, the operator may be able to select whether to execute the fixed operations between jobs, or the fixed operations between jobs may be always executed during the pause.

[0061] The following describes operations 1 to 6 between specific jobs. (Operation 1 between jobs) In the printing apparatus 1, during the execution of a group job, the body cover 3 is closed. Also, the locking of the body cover 3 is automatically performed by the printing apparatus 1, not manually by the operator. When the body cover 3 is closed as shown in FIG. 8A during a temporary stop of the group job, a part of the image p2 printed in the job before the temporary stop (especially the immediately preceding job 2) is hidden by the body cover 3 and cannot be visually recognized.

[0062] Therefore, the operation between jobs is preferably an operation to release the opening / closing lock of the body cover 3. When the operator selects No. 1 from the menu list 824 in FIG. 7B, the inter-job operation execution instruction unit 68 instructs the printing apparatus 1 to release the opening / closing lock of the body cover 3 as an operation between jobs. By doing so, as shown in FIG. 8B, the portion of the image p2 hidden by the body cover 3 is exposed, and the operator can check the finish state of the image p2. Also, the operator can visually check whether there is any abnormality inside the printing apparatus 1 by opening the body cover 3.

[0063] (Operation 2 between jobs) Also, if ink ejection failure occurs in the head 10 (nozzles) of the printing apparatus 1, the image quality of the printed image deteriorates. Therefore, the operation between jobs is preferably a cleaning operation of the head 10. When the operator selects No. 2 from the menu list 824, the inter-job operation execution instruction unit 68 instructs the printing apparatus 1 to perform a cleaning operation of the head 10 as an operation between jobs.

[0064] The cleaning operation of the head 10 is performed by the cleaning mechanism 40 of the printing apparatus 1. As the cleaning mechanism 40, as shown in FIG. 12, an example can be a mechanism including a cap 41, an absorbent material 42, a suction passage 43, and a suction pump 44. The cap 41 is a concave member that covers the nozzle surface of the head 10 and can move up and down in the vertical direction to contact or separate from the head 10. An absorbent material 42 capable of absorbing ink is provided inside the cap 41. One end of the suction passage 43 is located at the bottom of the cap 41, and the other end is connected to the suction pump 44.

[0065] Examples of the cleaning operation of the head 10 include a close contact suction process, an air suction process, a wiping process, and a flushing process. The close contact suction process is a process in which, with the head 10 and the cap 41 in close contact, the space inside the cap 41 is made negative pressure using the suction pump 44, and foreign substances (e.g., thickened ink, dust, air bubbles, etc.) inside the nozzles of the head 10 are suctioned and discharged. The air suction process is a process in which, with a gap between the head 10 and the cap 41, the ink inside the cap 41 is discharged using the suction pump 44. The wiping process is a process in which the nozzle surface of the head 10 is wiped by a wiper (not shown) to remove foreign substances. The flushing process is a process in which ink is forcibly discharged from the head 10 toward the cap 41.

[0066] Even if ejection failure occurs in the head 10 (nozzles), it can be recovered so that ink is appropriately ejected from the head 10 by the cleaning operation. Therefore, in a group job, a plurality of jobs are continuously executed, and by performing the cleaning operation of the head 10 during the process, high-quality images can also be printed in the latter half of the jobs. Also, when using ink that was not used in the previous job in a later job, it is advisable to perform a cleaning operation of the head 10 between those jobs. For example, when printing a background image with white ink and then overlaying and printing an image with color ink (YMCK), during the printing of the background image, there is a possibility that the drying of the color ink nozzles and the hardening of the ink are progressing. Even in such a case, through the cleaning operation, an image can be printed with the color ink being ejected appropriately.

[0067] Note that the printing apparatus 1 may perform a cleaning operation of the head 10 regularly during the execution of a group job, regardless of a request from an operator, or may not perform a cleaning operation of the head 10. Particularly in the latter case, it is effective to interrupt the cleaning operation of the head 10 during a pause.

[0068] (Operation 3 between jobs) If there is a malfunction in the printing apparatus 1, the image quality of the printed image will deteriorate. Therefore, the operation between jobs is preferably a printing operation of the test image TP by the head 10. When the operator selects item 3 from the menu list 824, the inter-job operation execution instruction unit 68 instructs the printing apparatus 1 to perform a printing operation of the test image TP as the operation between jobs. Specifically, the inter-job operation execution instruction unit 68 creates data for printing the test image TP and transmits it to the printing apparatus 1.

[0069] The test image TP is an image for checking and adjusting malfunctions of the printing apparatus 1. Examples of the test image TP include those for checking the ejection state of the head 10 (presence or absence of nozzle clogging), those for checking the deviation of the landing position when the head 10 performs bidirectional printing (malfunctions of the carriage mechanism 20 or ejection timing malfunctions from the head 10), and those for checking the conveyance error of the medium M (malfunctions of the moving mechanism 30). However, it is not limited to the above.

[0070] By printing the test image TP, the operator can check for any malfunctions in the printing apparatus 1. By eliminating or adjusting it, a high-quality image can be printed in the job after the temporary stop. For example, when there is a discharge defect in the head 10, it is advisable to execute a cleaning operation. Also, when there is a deviation in the landing position or a conveyance error, it is advisable to adjust the discharge timing or the conveyance amount.

[0071] Furthermore, when printing the test image TP, as shown in FIG. 10, the job-intermediate operation execution instruction unit 68 may instruct the printing apparatus 1 to print the test image TP in the area of the medium M upstream of the image P2 printed in the job 2 before the temporary stop in the conveyance direction of the medium M. Or, as shown in FIG. 11, the moving mechanism 30 relatively moves the head 10 and the medium in a predetermined direction (here, the medium M is conveyed downstream in the conveyance direction), and the test image TP is printed upstream of the area RN of the medium M where an image is to be printed in the last job N of the plurality of jobs 1 to N. It may also instruct the printing apparatus 1 to do so.

[0072] In the case of FIG. 10, after the temporary stop, the printing apparatus 1 starts printing the test image TP without conveying the medium M downstream or in a state where it is conveyed only slightly. Thereby, the test image TP can be printed adjacent to the image p2 printed in the job 2 immediately before the temporary stop. In this case, the printing of the test image TP can be started immediately, the printing time of the test image TP can be shortened, and the temporary stop period can also be shortened. On the other hand, in the case of FIG. 11, after the temporary stop, the printing apparatus 1 conveys the medium M downstream and starts printing the test image TP. In this case, the test image TP does not enter between the images printed in the group job.

[0073] In addition, the inter-job operation execution instruction unit 68 preferably adjusts the printing position of the test image TP (FIG. 10 or FIG. 11) according to the settings of the operator. For this purpose, for example, an item 812 "permit an image such as a test print to be inserted immediately after this job" may be provided on the job setting screen 81 (FIG. 6). Whether the operator checks this item 812 or not, the printing position of the test image TP can be adjusted. When the item 812 is checked, the test image TP is printed between job 2 (image p2) and job 3 (image p3) as shown in FIG. 10. When the item 812 is not checked, the test image TP is printed upstream of the last job N (image pN) as shown in FIG. 11. Note that the item 812 may be made selectable when the operator checks the item 811 above it ("pause temporarily after this job"). By doing so, it is possible to prevent unnecessary selections from being made even though no pause occurs.

[0074] (Inter-job operation 4) As shown in FIG. 9A, the image p2 printed by the job before the pause (especially the immediately preceding job 2) is difficult to see as it is located inside the printing apparatus 1. Therefore, the inter-job operation is preferably a relative movement operation in a predetermined direction between the head 10 and the medium M by the movement mechanism 30 (here, the conveyance operation of the medium M). When the operator selects number 4 from the menu list 824, the inter-job operation execution instruction unit 68 instructs the printing apparatus 1 to perform the conveyance operation of the medium M as the inter-job operation. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 9B, the movement mechanism 30 conveys the medium M downstream and sends it out to the front of the printing apparatus 1. In the case of a printing apparatus in which the head 10 moves in a predetermined direction with respect to the medium M, the head 10 may be moved upstream in the predetermined direction.

[0075] By doing so, the image p2 printed in the job before the pause is separated from the head 10 and its peripheral devices, allowing the operator to approach and check the image p2, making it easier to view. If a printing setting error is detected here, canceling the remaining jobs can prevent all job images from being printed wastefully with a printing setting error. Also, if the label L2 is printed together with the image p2, it becomes easier for the operator to check the printing settings.

[0076] Also, unlike FIG. 9B, in a state where the body cover 3 of the printing apparatus 1 is open (operation 1 between jobs), the medium M may be further conveyed downstream in the conveyance direction. In that case, the conveyance amount of the medium M is at least such that it becomes easier for the operator to check the image p2.

[0077] (Reverse conveyance of the medium M) As an operation between jobs, as shown in FIG. 11, when a test image TP is printed after conveying the medium M downstream, or as shown in FIG. 9, when the medium M is conveyed downstream for checking the image p2, the following is preferable. That is, the inter-job operation execution instruction unit 68 stores the relative movement amount of the head 10 and the medium M in a predetermined direction during the pause period (that is, the movement amount of the medium M or the head 10), and before resuming the job, preferably instructs the printing apparatus 1 to return the relative position of the head 10 and the medium M in the predetermined direction to the predetermined position at the time of pause. Specifically, the inter-job operation execution instruction unit 68 may reverse-convey the medium M upstream by the stored movement amount. In the case of a printing apparatus in which the head 10 moves in a predetermined direction with respect to the medium M, the head 10 may be moved downstream in the predetermined direction by the stored movement amount to return to the position at the time of pause.

[0078] By doing so, even when a relative movement operation between the head 10 and the medium M (here, the conveyance operation of the medium M) is performed during the pause, the image of the next job can be printed at an appropriate position (predetermined position) of the medium M. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the interval between the image of the job before the pause and the image of the job after the pause from becoming too wide and wasting the medium M unnecessarily.

[0079] (Operations 5 and 6 between jobs) As shown in FIG. 12, the ink supply mechanism 50 includes a tank 51 for storing ink, an ink flow path 52 between the head 10 and the tank 51, a liquid feed pump 53, a valve 54, and a damper 55. The tank 51 is a source of ink and can be exemplified by an ink cartridge. The ink flow path 52 is constituted by, for example, a tube and includes a supply flow path 521 and a circulation flow path 522. The supply flow path 521 is a flow path connecting the tank 51 and the head 10. The circulation flow path 522 is a flow path that branches from the supply flow path 521 and returns to the tank 51. Note that the circulation flow path 522 may be a flow path that connects the supply flow path 521 on the tank 51 side of the liquid feed pump 53 and the supply flow path 521 on the head 10 side of the liquid feed pump 53. The liquid feed pump 53 is for flowing ink in the ink flow path 52. The liquid feed pump 53 also functions to adjust the supply amount of ink according to the pressure of the ink in the head 10. The valve 54 is provided in the middle of the circulation flow path 522. The valve 54 is normally closed, and ink is supplied from the tank 51 to the head 10. When circulating the ink, by opening the valve 54, ink is supplied to the circulation flow path 522. The damper 55 is for alleviating the pressure fluctuation of the ink in the head 10.

[0080] When the remaining amount of ink in the tank 51 decreases during the execution of the group job, the image quality of the printed image deteriorates. Therefore, the operation between jobs is preferably an operation of replacing the tank 51. When the operator selects No. 5 from the menu list 824, the inter-job operation execution instruction unit 68 instructs the printing apparatus 1 to perform the operation of replacing the tank 51. Thereby, the printing apparatus 1 may, for example, display a screen showing the replacement procedure of the tank 51 on the display device 71, or execute the close suction process and the empty suction process when the replacement of the tank 51 by the operator is completed. By the close suction process and the empty suction process, air can be discharged while filling the ink flow path 52 and the head 10 with ink.

[0081] Also, by making the tank 51 replaceable during the suspension of the group job, the ink in the tank 51 can be effectively consumed as compared to the case where the tank 51 is replaced before the start of the group job, for example. Further, it is possible to suppress the ink from running out during the execution of one job included in the group job.

[0082] Also, some inks are liable to cause the coloring materials to aggregate and precipitate. Therefore, the operation between jobs is preferably the circulation operation of the ink in the ink flow path 52. When the operator selects No. 6 from the menu list 824, the inter-job operation execution instruction unit 68 instructs the printing apparatus 1 to perform the circulation operation of the ink. Thereby, the printing apparatus 1 opens the valve 54 and operates the liquid feed pump 53. By doing so, the ink is circulated between the tank 51, the supply flow path 521, and the circulation flow path 522, or the ink is circulated between the supply flow path 21 and the circulation flow path 522, and the aggregation and precipitation of the coloring materials can be eliminated.

[0083] As described above, the operation between jobs during the suspension is preferably an operation for controlling the flow of the ink in the ink flow path 52. The operation for controlling the flow of the ink is the filling operation (close contact suction process) of the ink into the ink flow path 52 when replacing the tank 51, or the circulation operation of the ink in the ink flow path 52.

[0084] By doing so, when the operator replaces the tank 51, the ink flow path 52 can be filled with ink, and deterioration of the printed image due to ink shortage can be prevented. Further, by the circulation operation of the ink, the coloring materials are dispersed, and color unevenness of the printed image due to aggregation and precipitation of the coloring materials can be prevented.

[0085] <<Overprinting>> Figs. 13A to 13C are explanatory diagrams of the state of overlay printing. Overlay printing (multi-layer printing) is printing in which two or more images are overlaid. In the example shown in Fig. 13, on the medium M, a circular pattern image P1 is printed as the first layer, and a background image P2 filled with white ink is printed on top of the first layer as the second layer L2. When the overlay printing setting is performed, the job execution instruction unit 64 adds a command code for reverse transporting the medium M upstream in the transport direction after the data for printing the image P1 of the first layer, and then adds the data for printing the image P2 of the second layer. Thereby, the printing apparatus 1 can print the image P2 of the second layer over the image P1 of the first layer (Fig. 13C).

[0086] When performing overlay printing, an operator can group each job of a plurality of images to be stacked. In that case, according to the printing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, it is possible to pause between arbitrary jobs. For example, it is assumed that the operator sets a pause between the jobs of the first layer and the second layer. In that case, it is preferable to pause as shown in Fig. 13A before the reverse transport of the medium M for overlay (Fig. 13B) is performed.

[0087] That is, when the moving mechanism 30 performs an operation of pulling back the medium M upstream in the transport direction with respect to the head 10 so that the image printed by the job before the pause is stacked and printed with the image by the job after the pause, the pause instruction unit 65 instructs the printing apparatus 1 to pause before the pulling-back operation (reverse transport of the medium M) is performed. Specifically, the pause instruction unit 65 adds a pause command before the reverse transport command.

[0088] By doing so, the image printed on the medium M by the job before the pause is not pulled back upstream, and it becomes easier for the operator to check the image in front of the printing apparatus 1. Also, in the operation 4 (Fig. 9) between the aforementioned jobs, when transporting the medium M downstream, the transport amount can also be reduced. That is, it is possible to prevent a wasteful operation of pulling out the medium M pulled back upstream again downstream in order for the operator to check the image.

[0089] Also, in a printing apparatus in which the head 10 moves in a predetermined direction (for example, a direction orthogonal to the scanning direction of the head 10) with respect to the medium M, when performing overlay printing, the following may be the case. That is, the moving mechanism 30 performs an operation of pulling back the head 10 with respect to the medium M to the downstream side (the side where the image has been printed first) in the predetermined direction so that the image printed in the job before the temporary stop is overlaid and printed with the image in the job after the temporary stop. In this case, the temporary stop instruction unit 65 may instruct the printing apparatus 1 to temporarily stop before the operation of pulling back the head 10 to the downstream side in the predetermined direction is performed. Specifically, a temporary stop command is added before the command command for the pulling-back operation of the head 10. By doing so, the image printed in the job before the temporary stop and facing the head 10 will not be hidden by the movement of the head 10, and it becomes easier for the operator to check the image.

[0090] As described above, the above embodiments are presented as examples and do not limit the scope of the invention. The above configurations can be implemented in appropriate combinations, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. The above embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are also included in the invention described in the claims and its equivalent scope.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0091] 1 Printing apparatus (processing apparatus), 2 Control unit, 3 Body cover, 10 Head, 20 Carriage mechanism, 21 Carriage, 30 Moving mechanism, 31 Conveyor roller, 40 Cleaning mechanism, 41 Cap, 42 Absorbent material, 43 Suction channel, 44 Suction pump, 50 Ink supply mechanism, 51 Tank, 52 Ink channel, 53 Liquid feed pump, 54 Valve, 55 Damper 60 Printing control device (processing control device), 61 Printing control unit, 62 Job acquisition unit, 63 Grouping processing unit, 64 Job execution instruction unit, 65 Pause reception unit, 66 Pause instruction unit, 67 Inter-job operation reception unit, 68 Inter-job operation execution instruction unit, 69 Group job cancellation reception unit, 71 Display device, 72 Input device, 80 Job management screen, 81 Job setting screen, 82 Setting screen during pause, 100 Printing system, M Media,

Claims

1. A processing control device for controlling a processing device that performs processing on a medium, comprising: a grouping processing unit that groups a plurality of jobs so that they are executed continuously; a job execution instruction unit that instructs the processing device to execute the grouped plurality of jobs; a pause reception unit that can receive a setting of whether to pause the execution of a job for each job among the grouped plurality of jobs; a pause instruction unit that instructs the processing device to pause the execution of a job between the grouped plurality of jobs based on the setting; A processing control device comprising the above.

2. The processing control device according to claim 1, comprising: a job - to - job operation execution instruction unit that instructs the processing device to execute an operation between jobs of the processing device during a pause period.

3. The processing control device according to claim 2, wherein: the processing device includes a head that discharges ink onto the medium; the operation between jobs is a cleaning operation of the head.

4. The processing control device according to claim 2, wherein: the processing device includes a head that discharges ink onto the medium; the operation between jobs is a printing operation of a test image by the head.

5. The processing control device according to claim 4, wherein: the processing device includes a moving mechanism that relatively moves the head and the medium in a predetermined direction; the job - to - job operation execution instruction unit: instructs the processing device to print the test image on a region of the medium on the upstream side in the predetermined direction of an image printed by a job before the pause, or relatively moves the head and the medium in the predetermined direction by the moving mechanism, and instructs the processing device to print the test image on the upstream side in the predetermined direction of a region of the medium where an image is printed by the last job of the plurality of jobs.

6. The processing control device according to claim 2, wherein: the processing device includes a head that discharges ink onto the medium and a moving mechanism that relatively moves the head and the medium in a predetermined direction; the operation between jobs is a relative movement operation in the predetermined direction between the head and the medium by the moving mechanism.

7. The processing control device according to claim 5 or 6, wherein: The inter-job operation execution instruction unit stores the relative movement amount of the head and the medium in the predetermined direction during the pause period, and before resuming the job, instructs the processing apparatus to return the relative position of the head and the medium in the predetermined direction to a predetermined position. A processing control apparatus.

8. A processing control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the processing apparatus includes a head that discharges ink onto the medium, a tank that stores ink, and an ink flow path between the head and the tank. A processing control apparatus, wherein the operation between the jobs is an operation of controlling the flow of ink in the ink flow path.

9. A processing control apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the processing apparatus includes a head that discharges ink onto the medium, and a moving mechanism that relatively moves the head and the medium in a predetermined direction. When the moving mechanism performs an operation of pulling back the medium to the upstream side in the predetermined direction with respect to the head, or an operation of pulling back the head to the downstream side in the predetermined direction with respect to the medium so that an image printed in a job before the pause is laminated and printed with an image in a job after the pause, the pause instruction unit instructs the processing apparatus to pause before the pulling-back operation is performed. A processing control apparatus.

10. A processing control method for a processing apparatus that processes a medium, a grouping process step of grouping so that a plurality of jobs are continuously executed, a job execution instruction step of instructing the processing apparatus to execute the plurality of grouped jobs, a pause reception step of receiving a setting of whether to pause the execution of a job for each between the jobs of the plurality of grouped jobs, a pause instruction step of instructing the processing apparatus to pause the execution of a job between the plurality of grouped jobs based on the setting, A processing control method comprising:

Images