JPH11222355A - Printing system, printing method, storage medium - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Problem] To provide a printing system, a printing method, and a storage medium capable of optimizing a printing time without performing unnecessary job separation. SOLUTION: In step 1, it is determined whether or not a plurality of copies and job separation are designated, and if so, the process proceeds to step 2. In step 2, it is determined whether the printing is single-sided or double-sided. If the printing is single-sided, the process proceeds to step 3; If it is determined in step 3 that the value obtained by dividing the total number of pages of the original document by N in N-UP is 1 or less, the process proceeds to step 5 and the job separation is stopped. In step 4, the value obtained by dividing the total number of pages of the original by N of N-UP is rounded up, and when the value obtained by dividing by 2 is 1 or less, the process proceeds to step 5 and the job separation is stopped. Note that "N-
"UP" indicates that the N pages of the document are made one page when printing.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printing system, and more particularly to a method for sorting printed materials.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a printing apparatus such as a laser beam printer, when job separation (sorting of printed materials for each job) is performed by a sorter, a physical discharge port is moved when a discharge destination is changed. In addition, more time is required than discharging paper to the same paper outlet.

[0003]

The above-mentioned prior art has the following problems.

The original purpose of job separation is to sort printed materials. However, conventionally, even if a print job has only one physical page, the job is discharged to each bin of the sorter if the job separation is specified. When one job is physically one page, there is no problem even if paper is discharged to the same paper discharge port, considering the original purpose of job separation.

The present invention has been made under such circumstances, and provides a printing system, a printing method, and a storage medium capable of optimizing a printing time by not performing unnecessary job separation. It is the purpose.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, a printing system includes the following (1), (4) to (4).
As described in (8), the printing method was changed as shown in (2) below.
Then, the storage medium is configured as in the following (3).

(1) A printing system having a sorting function for sorting printed materials on a job-by-job basis, comprising: a discriminating means for discriminating whether or not a print output per job is contained in one copy; When it is determined that
A printing system comprising: a control unit that does not use the sorting function regardless of the setting for using the sorting function.

(2) A printing method in a printing system having a sorting function for sorting printed materials on a job-by-job basis, wherein a step of determining whether a print output of a job unit fits into one copy, And determining that the sorting function is not used irrespective of the setting of the sorting function when it is determined that the sorting function is satisfied.

(3) A storage medium storing a program for implementing the printing method described in (2).

(4) A printing system provided with a sorter, which determines whether a print result of one job physically fits on one sheet of paper, and prints a plurality of copies of one job, and When the determination unit determines that the print data specified to perform job separation fits on one sheet, the print data is not sorted into each bin of the sorter and discharged to the same discharge port, instead of being sorted. And a control means for controlling so as to discharge the paper.

(5) The printing system according to the above (4), wherein the printing system comprises a host computer and a printing device for printing by the output of the host computer.

(6) In the printing system according to the above (4), the judging means fits on one sheet when the total number of original pages in one job is two and double-sided printing is designated. The printing system that is to judge.

(7) In the printing system according to the item (4), the determining means determines that the total number of pages of the original in one job is N.
A printing system that determines that a page can be accommodated on one sheet when the designation of N-UP is N pages or more in single-sided printing.

(8) In the printing system according to the above (4), the determining means determines that the total number of original pages in one job is 2N.
Page or 2N-1 page, NU
A printing system for determining that a page can be accommodated on one sheet when P is specified for N pages or more.

[0015]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to embodiments of a printing system. In the examples,
Although the host computer and printer are coupled by a line, the invention is not limited to this, and can be similarly implemented in a wirelessly coupled form or in a stand-alone form. Further, the present invention is not limited to the form of these systems (apparatuses), but can be similarly implemented in the form of a printing method and in the form of a storage medium storing a program for implementing the method.

The "sorter" in the claims is not limited to the sorter in the narrow sense of the embodiment, but refers to a general device for sorting printed materials.
Not limited to printers in the narrow sense described in the embodiments,
And other devices having a printing function.

[0017]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a "printing system" according to an embodiment.

Hereinafter, the structure and operation will be described.

At the same time when the host computer 100 is started, the print information analysis unit 102 in the host computer 100,
The print environment detection unit 105 and the print command generation unit 104 are activated.

When the user executes a printing process while using the application, the application 101 sends print information to the print information analysis unit 102, and the print information analysis unit 1
02 generates image information from the print information and generates the image information analysis unit 1
03, a print command is similarly generated, and the print command generating unit 104 is generated.
To send to. The image information generation unit 103 converts the image information into bitmap data, and sends the bitmap data to the laser beam printer 107 in accordance with a print start command from the print command generation unit 104.

The print start command sent from the host computer 100 is sent to the printer engine 111 through the print information control unit 108 and the printer engine control unit 109 in the printer controller 112. And
The printer engine control unit 109 controls the printer engine 11
When the data transfer enable notification is detected from No. 1, the image data is transferred to the printer engine 111.

The printing environment of the printer engine 111 is transferred to the host computer 100 through the printer engine control unit 109 and the print control unit 108. Then, the printing environment detection unit 105 receives the printing environment information from the laser beam printer 107 and determines the printing environment by using the printing information analysis unit 10.
2. Notify the screen display control unit 106.

A printer engine 111 is a printer unit for performing printing in an electrophotographic system. Although not shown, a known recording medium transport mechanism, a semiconductor laser unit,
Printing is performed by an electrophotographic process including a photosensitive drum, a developing unit, a fixing unit, a drum cleaning unit, a separation unit, and the like.

First, the printer driver (not shown) of the host computer 100 recognizes the following information.

The number of copies (also referred to as the number of prints). The presence or absence of job separation. N-UP. Two-sided printing / single-sided printing. The total number of pages of the document. N-UP means that a plurality of pages of the document are contained in one page. Printing method. For example, in the case of FIG. 4, each of the four pages of the document is reduced and stored on one page. In this case, “N = 4”.

If the printer driver does not need job separation based on the information, execution of the job separation is stopped.

When the printer driver starts the printing process, the process of FIG. 2 is called. It is confirmed whether or not a plurality of copies and a job separation are specified in the printer driver (S1). If these designations are not made, the processing is terminated because there is nothing to do with the operation of this embodiment. Further, it is confirmed whether the printing is single-sided printing or double-sided printing (S2).
In the case of single-sided printing (S3), if the value obtained by dividing the total number of pages of the original of the print job by N is 1 or less, the print job physically fits on one page, and no job separation is performed on the printing apparatus. (S5). Therefore, for example, it is specified to discharge the paper to the default paper discharge port. In the case of double-sided printing, a value obtained by dividing the total number of pages of the document by N is rounded up, and if the value obtained by dividing the value by 2 is 1 or less, S5 is similarly executed. This condition is when the total number of original pages is N
Page or N-1 page, and the specification of N-UP is N
This corresponds to the case of pages or more. Then, the processing in FIG. 2 ends.

In the present embodiment, the method of realizing the printer driver has been described. However, the same processing can be realized in the printer controller. The default discharge port is not limited to the sorter bin, but may be any place such as a discharge tray or a discharge stack.

Although the above is an example of multiple copy, the case where the number of copies of a print job is one, that is, the number of copies is not specified will be described below.

In this case, when one job physically fits on one sheet and the job separation is designated, the sheet is discharged to a default discharge destination.

By doing so, it is possible to prevent sheets that do not require job separation from being discharged to a sorter or the like.

As described above, in the printer driver, information on the number of copies, presence / absence of job separation, N-UP, double-sided printing / single-sided printing, and the total number of pages of the document are obtained, and the number of copies = 1 job separation = Yes N-UP, double-sided / single-sided printing, and the total number of pages of the document are used to calculate the number of copies physically (see FIG. 2). If the value is 1, the discharge destination is set as the default value. Notify the printer.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a logical configuration for performing the above processing.

As described above, according to this embodiment,
By not performing unnecessary job separation, the printing speed can be optimized.

[0035]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Printing speed can be optimized.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the first embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a logical configuration.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of N-UP.

[Explanation of symbols]

 100 Host computer 107 Laser beam printer

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A printing system having a sorting function for sorting printed materials on a job-by-job basis, comprising: a discriminating unit for discriminating whether or not a print output per job is contained in one copy; A printing system comprising: a control unit that, when discriminated, does not use the sorting function irrespective of the setting for using the sorting function. 2. A printing method in a printing system having a sorting function for sorting printed materials on a job-by-job basis, comprising the steps of: determining whether print output of a job is contained in one copy; Determining that the sorting function is not used, irrespective of the setting of the sorting function. 3. A storage medium storing a program for realizing the printing method according to claim 2. 4. A printing system provided with a sorter,
Determining means for determining whether a print result of one job physically fits on one sheet; and printing a plurality of copies of one job;
When the determination unit determines that the print data designated to be subjected to job separation fits on one sheet, the print data is not sorted and discharged to each bin of the sorter, but is output to the same discharge port. And a control means for controlling to discharge the printed matter. 5. The printing system according to claim 4, wherein
A printing system, comprising: a host computer; and a printing device that prints based on an output from the host computer. 6. The printing system according to claim 4, wherein
The printing system is characterized in that the determining means determines that the total number of original pages in one job is two pages, and when double-sided printing is designated, it fits in one sheet. 7. The printing system according to claim 4, wherein
The determination means is characterized in that when the total number of pages of a document in one job is N pages and the designation of N-UP is N pages or more in single-sided printing, it is determined that the document can be accommodated in one sheet. Printing system. 8. The printing system according to claim 4, wherein
The judging means judges that the total number of original pages in one job is 2N pages or 2N-1 pages, and when the N-UP designation is N pages or more in double-sided printing, it is determined to fit on one sheet. A printing system, characterized in that: