JPH0516320U - Print control method of page printer - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] Improving the throughput of the device and improving the convenience by promptly performing the print processing of the urgent print request and distinguishing the urgent print request from other print requests. It is in. A print request queue 1 for storing the priority of a print request for processing print information in page units and the number of pages to be printed, and a priority of a print request and a page for printing stored in this print request queue Of the print requests stored in the print request queue, the comparison means 3 comparing the number of generated print requests with the priority of the generated print requests and the number of pages to be printed. An interrupt generation unit 3 that generates an interrupt when the number of pages of the generated print request is higher than the priority or the number of pages of the generated print request is less than the number of pages of the print request stored in the print request queue, and this interrupt generation. When an interruption occurs by the means, the processing of the print request being processed is interrupted, the generated print request is processed, and the processed print request and the interrupted print request are identified. Equipped with It is characterized by

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 Among the page printers that process print information page by page, the present invention is capable of quickly printing print information with a high print request priority or a small number of print pages. The present invention relates to a print control method of a page printer that improves throughput.

[0002]

[Prior Art]

 When a print request is generated, the conventional page printer sequentially registers the conditions such as the priority added to the print data by the queue program in the print request queue. The page printer prints the print data page by page in the registration order of the print data registered in the print request queue, and discharges the print data to the tray. For example, when a print request for several hundred pages is generated, the queue program registers the print data of the print request in the print request queue. Since the page printer prints the print data of several hundred pages registered in the print request queue and then prints the print data of the print request registered next, even if a print request is generated urgently. During the print processing of several hundred pages of print data, the print request was urgently waited for, and it was not easy to improve the throughput of the print processing.

[0003]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 However, the conventional print control method of the page printer is such that, for example, even if print data of a print request of several hundred pages is urgently generated during the printing process, the print request of several hundred pages is printed. Since the print request generated urgently cannot be printed, there is a problem that the throughput of the printing process is reduced due to the delay in the process and the convenience of the apparatus is lacking.

The present invention has been made in order to solve such a conventional problem, and an object thereof is to quickly print an urgent print request and to transfer the urgent print request to another print request. It is to provide a print control method of a page printer that improves the throughput of the device and improves the convenience by identifying.

[0005]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a print request queue that stores the priority of a print request that processes print information in page units and the number of pages to be printed, and a print request queue that is stored in the print request queue. Comparing means for comparing the priority of the request and the number of pages to be printed with the priority of the generated print request and the number of pages to be printed, and the priority of the print request generated by the comparing means in the print request queue. An interrupt that generates an interrupt when the priority of the stored print request is higher or the number of generated print request pages is less than the number of print request pages stored in the print request queue. When the interrupt is generated by the generating means and the interrupt generating means, the processing of the print request being processed is interrupted, the generated print request is processed, and the processed print request and the interrupted print are processed. Request and The gist is to have the identification means for identifying.

[0006]

[Action]

 According to the above configuration, the priority of the print request for processing the print information in page units and the priority of the print request stored in the print request queue that stores the number of pages to be printed, the number of pages to be printed and the generation Compare the priority of the print request made and the number of pages to print. The priority of the print request generated by this comparison is higher than the priority of the print request stored in the print request queue, or the number of pages of the generated print request is stored in the print request queue. An interrupt is generated when the number of pages is less than the number of print requests. When an interrupt occurs, the processing of the print request in progress is interrupted, the generated print request is processed, and the processed print request and the interrupted print request are identified. Can be printed quickly.

[0007]

Embodiment An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an embodiment relating to a print control system of a page printer of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, the print request queue unit 1 is provided with a print request queue 9 to be described later that registers the priority of the print request and the number of pages to be printed when the print request is generated. Each time a request is generated, it is registered in the print request queue 9 by the queue program. Processing such as registration in the print request queue 9 is executed by the queue program.

The print request control unit 3 compares the priority of the print request and the number of pages to be printed, which are registered in the print request queue 9 described later, with the priority of the generated print request and the number of pages to be printed. .. If the priority of the print request generated by the comparison is high or the number of pages is small, the print control unit 3 generates an interrupt and prints the print data of the print request generated by the print interruption interrupt routine. Output to page printer 5.

The page printer 5 executes print processing based on print data input from the print request control unit 3. When a print interrupt interrupt is generated by the print request control unit 3, a firmware command is issued. Identify the occurrence of the interrupt. When identified by the command of the firmware, the page printer 5 prints the generated print request and discharges it to the emergency tray 7a. The tray 7b is a tray from which print data of a normal print request is discharged.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the print request queue 9 provided in the print request queue unit 1.

In the print request queue 9, the priority P of the print data of the print request and the number of pages to be printed are registered in the order of the height of the priority P and the number of pages. The first registered item in the print request queue 9 has a priority of 90 and the number of pages is 1000. Currently, the page printer 5 executes the print process, and the second and third items are registered. The priority is 40 and 30 which are lower than the first priority. The fourth and fifth print request queues 9 are currently generated print requests. The print request registered fourth is priority 90, the number of pages is 5, and is registered fifth. The print request made has a priority of 99 and a page number of 1. The print request control unit 3 compares the fifth registered print request with the priority and page number of the first registered print request that is currently undergoing print processing. By comparison, the print request control unit 3 has an interrupt that interrupts the first print request currently being printed because the print request registered fifth is high in priority and has a small number of pages. Is generated, and a notice for printing the fifth registered print request is output to the page printer 5 by the print interruption interrupt routine.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. 3 and 4.

First, when the generation of a print request is detected after the power supply of the apparatus is turned on, the queue program of the print request queue unit 1 issues the print request of the detected priority P (99) and the number of pages (1). On the other hand, if the print request is not generated, the process waits. After generating the print request, the print request control unit 3 compares the priority and the number of pages of the generated print request with the priority P (50) and the number of pages (1000) of the print request currently being processed (step Steps 100-120).

By comparison, if the priority P (99) and the number of pages (1) of the print request are higher than the priority of the print request currently under print processing and the number of pages is less than the print request during the print processing, print request control is performed. The section 3 determines that the degree of urgency is high and proceeds to step 150. On the other hand, when the priority of the print request is lower than the priority registered in the print request queue 9 or the number of pages of the print request is larger than the number of pages registered in the print request queue 9, the queue The program is registered in the print request queue 9 (steps 130 to 140).

In step 150, the print request control unit 3 generates a print interrupt request interrupt. Here, the interruption of the print interruption request will be described with reference to the flow chart of the print interruption interruption routine of FIG. When a print interruption request is generated, the print request control unit 3 notifies the page printer 5, and when the page printer 5 is notified, the print request control unit 3 notifies the next request and then returns to the flowchart of FIG. On the other hand, if the page printer 5 is not notified, the print request control unit 3 executes error processing (steps 200 to 250).

When the print interruption interrupt routine returns, the print request control unit 3 passes the print data of the generated print request to the page printer 5. The page printer 5 to which the print data is delivered executes a print process based on the print data and outputs it to the emergency tray 7a. After the output, the print request control unit 3 searches the print request queue 9 and restarts the print processing of the print request whose printing has been interrupted, and returns to step 100 (steps 160 to 170).

Accordingly, the urgent print request is printed promptly, so that the delay of the urgent print request can be prevented and the throughput of the apparatus can be improved.

Further, since the tray that outputs the urgent print request is distinguished from the tray that outputs the other print requests, it can be easily identified as the urgent print request.

In this embodiment, the emergency print request is distinguished by the tray, but it is also possible to provide a cassette for feeding colored paper instead of the tray.

[0022]

[Effect of the device]

 As described above, according to the present invention, the priority and the number of pages of the generated print request are compared with the priority and the number of pages of the print request being processed. By distinguishing the urgent print request from other print requests, the throughput of the apparatus can be improved and the convenience can be improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an embodiment relating to a print control system of a page printer of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a print request queue.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 print request queue section 3 print request control section 5 page printers 7a, 7b tray 9 print request queue section

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A print request queue that stores the priority of a print request for processing print information in page units and the number of pages to be printed, and the priority and print of a print request stored in this print request queue. Comparing means for comparing the number of pages with the priority of the generated print request and the number of pages to be printed, and the priority of the print request generated by this comparing means of the print requests stored in the print request queue. An interrupt generation unit that generates an interrupt when the number of pages of the generated print request is higher than the priority or the number of pages of the generated print request is smaller than the number of pages of the print request stored in the print request queue, and this interrupt generation. When an interruption occurs by the means, the processing of the print request being processed is interrupted, the generated print request is processed, and the processed print request and the interrupted print request are identified. Equipped Print control method of a page printer, characterized in that the.