Printer

Abstract

To reduce a setting frequency of printing setting by printing using a plurality of printing settings, without conducting printing setting every time a printing job is outputted, in the case of performing periodical printing using a plurality of printing settings for a printing job containing a specific keyword.SOLUTION: A printer comprises: queue allocating means 91 for allocating a plurality of created queues having different printing settings, for a specific keyword, when the specific keyword is contained in an acquired job; and redirect means 92 for redirecting a file contained in a job to a plurality of queues allocated to a keyword.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a printing device that reduces the number of times print settings are set. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a printing device (image forming device) is well known that receives print data generated by a computer via a network, stores the received print data in a print queue, and sequentially executes printing processes based on the print data stored in the print queue.

[0003] Patent document 1 discloses a technology relating to an information processing device capable of managing objects to which print queues for instructing the execution of processing on an image processing device are assigned, and which determines whether the image processing device corresponding to a print queue assigned to an object managed by another information processing device is the same as the image processing device corresponding to a print queue registered on the information processing device, and if it is determined that they are the same, performs a setting to assign the print queue registered on the information processing device to an object to be displayed on the information processing device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-95873 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Here, in specific groups or organizations such as schools or companies, it is common to perform regular printing using multiple print settings for the same data, for example, when printing 20 copies of a test paper for Class 3-1 and 17 copies for Class 3-2.

[0006] In such cases, the technology described in Patent Document 1 manages the objects to which the print queue is assigned, but there is a problem in that when printing, it is time-consuming to change the print settings multiple times while printing.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide a printing device that can reduce the number of times print settings are set. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, a first feature of the printing device according to the present invention is: a queue allocation unit that allocates a plurality of queues having different print settings to a specific keyword when the acquired job includes the specific keyword; a redirecting means for redirecting files included in the job to a plurality of queues assigned to the keyword; The reason is that it is equipped with the following. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the features of the printing device of the present invention, the number of times print settings are set can be reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a configuration diagram of a printer network system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the operations of a queue allocation unit and a redirection unit included in a CPU provided in the printer network system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating setting of priorities in a printer network system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the actions of a queue allocation unit and a redirection unit included in a CPU provided in a printer network system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5]10 is a flowchart showing processing contents in a printer network system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the actions of a queue allocation unit and a redirection unit included in a CPU provided in a printer network system according to a third embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The same or equivalent parts and components are designated by the same or equivalent reference numerals throughout the drawings. However, it should be noted that the drawings are schematic and may differ from the actual product. Furthermore, the drawings may include parts with different dimensional relationships and ratios.

[0012] Furthermore, the embodiments shown below are merely examples of devices that embody the technical concept of the present invention, and the technical concept of the present invention does not limit the arrangement of each component to that shown below. Various modifications can be made to the technical concept of the present invention within the scope of the claims.

[0013] Example 1 As shown in FIG. 1, the printer network system according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a stencil printing device 1, which is an image forming device, and a client terminal 14.

[0014] Each client terminal 14 is configured by a PC (personal computer) or the like. This client terminal 14 has a CPU 16 that executes various processes based on a control program stored in a ROM 17. The CPU 16 is also connected to a RAM 18 that functions as a working area, an input unit 19 that includes a keyboard, a mouse, etc., an output unit 20 that includes a liquid crystal display, etc., and an external storage device 21.

[0015] The external storage device 21 has a storage area for application programs for generating manuscript information including printed images such as documents and images, a storage area for the printer driver program of the stencil printing device 1, and a storage area for various other application programs.

[0016] The CPU 16 is an arithmetic unit configured with a processor, memory, and other peripheral devices, and starts an application program in the external storage device 21 in response to a start request input from the input unit 19. The CPU 16 also generates, on the started application program, original information indicating an image specified by parameters input from the input unit 19, etc. The generated original information is displayed on the output unit 20, and when a save request is input from the input unit 19, it is stored in a database area of ​​the external storage device 21.

[0017] When a print request for document information generated by a document application program or the like is input, the CPU 16 executes the printer driver program on the CPU 16, thereby virtually constructing a printer driver 110 on the CPU 16. Then, the printer driver 110 causes the stencil printing device 1 to output a print job.

[0018] The printer driver 110 includes a print control program, acquires manuscript data generated by a manuscript application, etc., and generates a print job. The generated print job is then output from the external interface unit 15 to the external interface unit 11 of the control unit 10.

[0019] The stencil printing machine 1 is a two-color machine that has a drum for a first color and a drum for a second color and prints using two color inks. The stencil printing machine 1 clamps and wraps a made master around each rotating drum, then feeds paper onto the drums and presses the supplied paper against the drums with a press roll while the drums are rotating, thereby performing two-color printing.

[0020] 1, the stencil printing machine 1 includes a scanner section 101 that reads manuscript data from a manuscript, a printer section 102 that prints (records) a print image on a recording paper (one side or both sides) based on the manuscript data read by the scanner section 101 or the manuscript data included in a print job, and a control unit 10 for overall control. The recording paper used to print the print image in the printer section 102 is transported from a paper feed section (not shown) via the printer section 102 to a paper discharge section (not shown).

[0021] Furthermore, external interface sections 15 of a plurality of client terminals 14 (only one client terminal 14 is shown as a representative in FIG. 1) are connected to the external interface section 11 of the control unit 10 via a local area network LAN. The control unit 10 receives print jobs from each client terminal 14. The stencil printing device 1 executes print processing in the printer section 102 under the conditions specified in the print job.

[0022] Furthermore, a display 80 is connected to the control unit 10. The display 80 is disposed on the top of the stencil printing machine 1.

[0023] The control unit 10 of the stencil printing machine 1, which causes the printer section 102 to perform a printing operation, is provided with a CPU 90, as shown in Fig. 1. This CPU 90 controls the operations of the scanner section 101 and the printer section 102 in accordance with the contents input and set from the display 80, based on the programs and setting information stored in the ROM 91.

[0024] The control unit 10 is provided with a RAM 92, which temporarily stores print jobs input to the control unit 10 from the client terminal 14, the number of copies to be printed when copying and various settings input from the display 80, etc.

[0025] Furthermore, the control unit 10 is provided with an external storage device 93, which is connected to the CPU 90. The external storage device 93 is provided with a print queue area for storing print jobs transferred from the above-mentioned RAM 92. The external storage device 93 also stores various types of data, etc.

[0026] The CPU 90 has, in terms of its functions, a queue allocation means 91 and a redirection means 92 .

[0027] When the acquired job contains a specific keyword, the queue allocation means 91 allocates a plurality of queues that have been created and have different print settings to the specific keyword.

[0028] The redirection means 92 redirects files included in a job to a plurality of queues assigned to keywords.

[0029] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the operations of the queue allocation means 91 and the redirection means 92 that the CPU 90 has.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 2, it is assumed that the control unit 10 receives a print job with the job name "Class Communication for Class 3-1" that includes a file F1.

[0031] The received file F1 is stored in the print queue area of ​​the external storage device 93 as the receiving normal print queue Q101. At this time, since the job name contains the keyword "Class 1, Year 3," the queue allocation means 91 extracts the keyword "Class 1, Year 3." Note that while an example in which the job name contains the keyword has been shown here, the keyword may also be included in the owner name.

[0032] Then, the queue allocation means 91 allocates the queues D101a and D101b that have already been created and have different print settings that are associated in advance with the keyword "Class 1, Year 3."

[0033] Queue D101a is a queue with the queue name "3-1_Students" and print settings of "20 copies", "black and white" color / black and white setting, and "double-sided" single-sided / double-sided setting. Queue D101b is a queue with the queue name "Teacher" and print settings of "1 copy", "color" color / black and white setting, and "double-sided" single-sided / double-sided setting.

[0034] The redirection means 92 redirects files included in a job to multiple queues assigned to keywords. In this example, the file F1 is redirected to queues D101a and D101b.

[0035] This allows a specific keyword to be associated with multiple print settings and stored in advance, so that in cases where regular printing using multiple print settings is performed for a print job containing a specific keyword, the printer driver 110 can print using the multiple print settings without having to set the print settings each time the stencil printing device 1 outputs the print job, thereby reducing the number of times the print settings need to be set.

[0036] <Example 2> In the first embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of queues having different print settings are assigned to a specific keyword, but priorities may be set for a plurality of queues.

[0037] 3 is a diagram illustrating the setting of priorities in a printer network system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Note that the configuration of the printer network system according to the second embodiment of the present invention is the same as the configuration of the printer network system according to the first embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0038] 3, in queue D101, a queue D101a with a queue name of "3-1_Students" and a queue D101b with a queue name of "Teacher" are associated with the keyword "Class 3-1." Here, the redirect priority S1 of queue D101a is set to be higher than the redirect priority S2 of queue D101b.

[0039] In addition, in the queue D103, a queue D103a with a queue name of "3-2_Students" and a queue D103b with a queue name of "Teacher" are associated with the keyword "Class 2, Year 3." Here, the redirect priority S1 of the queue D103a is set to be higher than the redirect priority S2 of the queue D103b.

[0040] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the operations of the queue allocation unit 91 and the redirection unit 92 of the CPU 90 provided in the printer network system according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0041] As shown in Figure 4, assume that the control unit 10 receives a print job with the job name "Class Communication for Class 1, Year 3" that includes file F1, and a print job with the job name "Class Communication for Class 2, Year 3" that includes file F2.

[0042] The received files F1 and F2 are stored in the print queue area of ​​the external storage device 93 as the receiving normal print queue Q201. At this time, since the job name of the job that includes file F1 contains the keyword "Class 1, Year 3," the queue allocation means 91 extracts the keyword "Class 1, Year 3." Also, since the job name of the job that includes file F2 contains the keyword "Class 2, Year 3," the queue allocation means 91 extracts the keyword "Class 2, Year 3."

[0043] Then, the queue allocation means 91 allocates the queues D101a and D101b that have already been created and have different print settings that are associated in advance with the keyword "Class 1, Year 3."

[0044] Queue D101a is a queue with the queue name "3-1_Students" and print settings of "20 copies", "black and white" color / black and white setting, and "double-sided" single-sided / double-sided setting. Queue D101b is a queue with the queue name "Teacher" and print settings of "1 copy", "color" color / black and white setting, and "double-sided" single-sided / double-sided setting.

[0045] Furthermore, the queue allocation means 91 allocates the created queues D103a and D103b, which have different print settings and are associated in advance with the keyword "Class 2, Year 3."

[0046] Queue D103a has the queue name "3-2_Students" and is set to a print setting of "17 copies", "black and white" as the number of copies, and "double-sided" as the color / black and white setting. Queue D103b, like queue D101b, has the queue name "Teacher" and is set to a print setting of "1 copy", "color" as the color / black and white setting, and "double-sided" as the single-sided / double-sided setting.

[0047] Then, the redirection means 92 copies the file F1 and redirects it to the queue D101a and the queue D101b. Here, the redirection priority S1 of the queue D101a is set to be higher than the redirection priority S2 of the queue D101b, so the redirection means 92 redirects the file F1 to the queue D101a, and then redirects the file F1 to the queue D101b.

[0048] Then, the redirection means 92 copies the file F2 and redirects it to the queue D103a and the queue D103b. Here, since the redirection priority S1 of the queue D103a is set to be higher than the redirection priority S2 of the queue D103b, the redirection means 92 redirects the file F3 to the queue D103a, and then redirects the file F1 to the queue D103b.

[0049] This allows the order of printing to be determined in advance. For example, when printed materials printed face up are output to the paper output section of the printer unit 102, printed materials for the teacher printed by queue D103b can be stacked and output on top of printed materials for the students printed by queue D103a.

[0050] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the processing contents in the printer network system according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 5, in step S101, the receiving normal print queue receives a print job.

[0052] In step S103, the process waits until the RIP process of the print data (file) included in the previous print job is completed.

[0053] In step S105, the queue allocation means 91 determines whether or not the job name or owner name contains a keyword.

[0054] If it is determined that the job name or owner name contains a keyword (step S105; YES), in step S107, the queue allocation means 91 checks the redirect priority and allocates multiple queues that have been created and have different print settings to the specific keyword based on the redirect priority.

[0055] In step S109, the CPU 90 repeatedly executes the processes of steps S111 to S113 until there are no more redirect destinations to which data has not yet been sent.

[0056] In step S111, the redirection means 92 copies the received data (file) for redirection.

[0057] In step S113, the redirection means 92 redirects the copied file to the queue with the highest redirection priority among the unsent files.

[0058] Example 3 In the first embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of queues having different print settings are assigned to a specific keyword, but it is also possible to synthesize and output pre-registered registration forms.

[0059] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the operations of the queue allocation unit 91 and the redirection unit 92 of the CPU 90 provided in the printer network system according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

[0060] As shown in FIG. 6, it is assumed that the control unit 10 receives a print job with the job name "Class 3-1_Test" that includes file F3.

[0061] The received file F3 is stored as a receiving normal print queue Q301 in the print queue area of ​​the external storage device 93. At this time, since the job name of the job that includes file F3 contains the keyword "Class 1, Year 3_Test", the queue allocation means 91 extracts the keyword "Class 1, Year 3_Test".

[0062] Then, the queue allocation means 91 allocates the queue D105a and the queue D105b that have already been created and have different print settings that are associated in advance with the keyword "class 1, year 3_test."

[0063] Queue D105a is a queue with the queue name "3-1_Students_Test" and print settings of "20 copies", "black and white" color / black and white setting, and "double-sided" single-sided / double-sided setting. Queue D105b is a queue with the queue name "Teacher_Answer" and print settings of "1 copy", "color / black and white" color / black and white setting, and "double-sided" single-sided / double-sided setting.

[0064] Furthermore, the registration form D106 is a registration form in which the queue name is stored in advance in association with "Teacher_Answer", and the queue name is synthesized as "Teacher_Answer" and printed.

[0065] The redirection means 92 redirects the file F1 to the queue D105a and the queue D105b. Here, the redirection priority S1 of the queue D105a is set to be higher than the redirection priority S2 of the queue D105b, so the redirection means 92 redirects the file F1 to the queue D105a, and then redirects the file F1 to the queue D105b.

[0066] The redirection means 92 combines a registration form D106 with the file F1 when redirecting the file F1 to the queue D105b.

[0067] As a result, when a printed matter printed face up is output to the paper output section of the printer section 102, the printed matter P106 for the teacher printed by the queue D105b with the registration form D106 superimposed thereon can be stacked and output on top of the printed matter P105 for the student printed by the queue D105a.

[0068] (Addendum) The present application discloses the following inventions.

[0069] (Appendix 1) a queue allocation unit that allocates a plurality of queues having different print settings to a specific keyword when the acquired job includes the specific keyword; a redirecting means for redirecting files included in the job to a plurality of queues assigned to the keyword; A printing device comprising:

[0070] This allows printing using multiple print settings without having to set print settings each time the print job is output, in cases where regular printing is performed using multiple print settings for a print job containing a specific keyword, thereby reducing the number of times the print settings are set. [Explanation of symbols]

[0071] 1 Duplicate printing device 10. Control Unit 11,15 External interface section 14 Client Terminal 19 Input section 20 Output section 21 External storage device 80 Display 91 Queue Allocation Method 92 Redirection methods 93 External storage device 101 Scanner section 102 Printer section 110 Printer Driver

Claims

[Claim 1] a queue allocation unit that allocates a plurality of queues having different print settings to a specific keyword when the acquired job includes the specific keyword; a redirecting means for redirecting files included in the job to a plurality of queues assigned to the keyword; A printing device comprising:

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