JP2007272833A - Printing system, printing apparatus, host apparatus, printing method, printing program, printing control program, and recording medium - Google Patents

Abstract

A printing system capable of confirming a printing error even in a host device in printing via a network is provided.
A printing apparatus includes non-volatile memory, and includes a completion page number holding unit that holds a completion page number that is a page number of a printing sheet on which printing completion is detected. Device acquisition command for requesting the printing apparatus 10 to establish a session when a communication possible state capable of communicating with the printing apparatus 10 is detected after detecting an incommunicable state where communication with the printing apparatus 10 cannot be performed The printing apparatus 50 transmits a completion page number to the PC 10 when detecting the session establishment state.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a printing system, a printing apparatus, a host apparatus, a printing method, a printing program, a printing control program, and a recording medium that include a printing apparatus and a host apparatus that issues a printing instruction to the printing apparatus.

  There is a growing need for highly reliable printing processing in a printing apparatus (hereinafter simply referred to as a printer) such as a printer connected on a network. Conventionally, in printing by a printer connected to a network, if an error occurs during printing, the user computer must find a printer that does not cause an error and execute the printing process from the beginning again. There was a problem.

  In order to solve such a problem, after the first printer receives the first print job (push print job) from the user computer, the first print job cannot be executed due to an error. In this case, the first printer searches the network for the second printer, and a second print job (pull print job) newly created based on the first print job for the second printer. Has been devised (Patent Document 1).

  According to this technology, when an error occurs during printing on the network, it is possible to search for another printer and perform a print job. When an error occurs, printing is performed by the other printer. By executing, the reliability of printing is enhanced.

JP 2002-189581 A

  However, since the technique of Patent Document 1 only transmits a print job from a user computer, for example, when an error occurs and printing is performed again, it is necessary to restart the print job. Furthermore, if the printer is executing print processing based on another print job when resending the print job, the print job cannot be retransmitted until the print processing of the other print job is completed. It was.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problem, and in printing via a network, a printing system, a printing apparatus, a host apparatus, a printing method, and a printing program capable of confirming a printing error even in a host apparatus Another object is to provide a print control program and a recording medium.

  In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, the invention according to claim 1 is a printing system including a printing apparatus and a host apparatus that issues a printing instruction to the printing apparatus. The apparatus includes a print data receiving unit that receives print data including a plurality of print pages from the host device, a print data holding unit that holds the print data received by the print data receiving unit, and the print data holding unit. A printing unit that prints the print data that is held; a print completion detection unit that detects the completion of printing by the printing unit; and a non-volatile memory, the printing completion of which is detected by the print completion detection unit A completion page number holding unit that holds a completion page number that is a page number, and the host device monitors a communication state with the printing device A communication state monitoring unit and a communication state monitoring unit that detects a communication disable state in which communication with the printing apparatus cannot be performed and then detects a communication possible state in which communication with the printing apparatus can be performed. , A device acquisition command transmission unit that transmits a device acquisition command for requesting establishment of a session with the printing device to the printing device, and the communication state monitoring unit cannot communicate with the printing device And a completion page number transmitting means for transmitting the completion page number held by the completion page number holding means to the host device when a session establishment state with the host apparatus is detected after detecting a communication impossible state. Then, the host device, as a response to the device acquisition command transmitted by the device acquisition command transmission means, the communication disabled state Response receiving means for receiving a print completion page number that has been printed in the printing apparatus immediately before, and a print page specifying means for specifying the next print page of the completed page number included in the response information received by the response receiving means And print data transmission means for transmitting, to the printing apparatus, print data subsequent to the print page specified by the print page specification means among the print data.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printing apparatus that performs printing in accordance with an instruction from a host device, the print data receiving unit receiving print data including a plurality of print pages from the host device, and the print data A print data holding means for holding the print data received by the receiving means; a printing means for printing the print data held by the print data holding means; and a print completion detecting means for detecting the completion of printing by the printing means; A non-volatile memory that monitors a communication state between the host device and a completion page number holding unit that holds a completion page number that is a page number of a print sheet whose printing completion is detected by the print completion detection unit And a communication status monitoring means for detecting the communication status monitoring means and the host device after detecting an incommunicable status in which the communication status monitoring means cannot communicate. When detecting the session establishment condition of, characterized in that the complete page number the completion page number holding means for holding and a complete page number transmission means for transmitting to the host device.

  The invention according to claim 3 is the printing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising response request command receiving means for receiving a response request command for requesting a response from the host device, and the completion page number. When the response request command receiving means receives the response request command, the transmission means receives the response information including the completion page number while continuing the session establishment state when the response request command is received. Features.

  The invention according to claim 4 is the printing apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the print data receiving means receives a plurality of print data from the host device, and the completion page number holding means is The completed page number is stored in association with print data identification information for identifying print data including the print page of the completed page number, and the completed page number transmitting unit corresponds to the completed page number holding unit. The completion page number attached and the print data identification information are transmitted to the host device.

  The invention according to claim 5 is the printing apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the completion is detected when the print completion detection unit detects completion of printing of the last page of the print data. It further comprises a completed page number deleting means for deleting the completed page number held by the page number holding means.

  The invention according to a sixth aspect is the printing apparatus according to any one of the second to fifth aspects, wherein the communication state monitoring unit sets the communication disabled state and disconnects communication with the host device. It is characterized in that a communication interruption state is detected.

  The invention according to claim 7 is the printing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the print data holding unit holds the print when the communication state monitoring unit detects the communication disconnection state. Print data deletion means for deleting data, wherein the print data receiving means receives the print page having a page number after the completion page number held by the completion page number holding means among the print data. It is characterized by that.

  Further, the invention according to claim 8 is the printing apparatus according to claim 6 or 7, wherein when the state monitoring unit detects the communication cut-off state, the state holds information indicating that the communication is cut off. The completion page number transmission unit further includes a holding unit, and when the communication state monitoring unit detects the communication disconnection state, the completion page number transmission unit indicates information indicating the communication disconnection together with the completion page number when the session establishment state is detected. Is transmitted to the host device.

  The invention according to claim 9 is the printing apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 8, wherein the communication state monitoring unit detects a power-off state of the printing apparatus as the communication disabled state. It is characterized by doing.

  The invention according to a tenth aspect is the printing apparatus according to the ninth aspect, wherein the communication state monitoring unit is configured such that the completed page number holding unit holds the completed page number when power is turned on. The power supply is judged to have been cut off.

  According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a host device that issues a print instruction to a printing apparatus, wherein the communication state monitoring means for monitoring the state of communication with the printing apparatus, and the communication state monitoring means is the printing device. After detecting an incommunicable state incapable of communicating with the apparatus, a session establishment with the printing apparatus is established for the printing apparatus when a communicable state capable of communicating with the printing apparatus is detected. A device acquisition command transmission unit for transmitting a device acquisition command for requesting a print completion page that has been printed in the printing device immediately before the communication disabled state as a response to the device acquisition command transmitted by the device acquisition command transmission unit Response receiving means for receiving response information including a number, and the completion page number included in the response information received by the response receiving means Print page specifying means for specifying a next print page; and print data transmitting means for transmitting, out of the print data, print data after the print page specified by the print page specifying means to the printing apparatus. It is characterized by that.

  The invention according to claim 12 is the host device according to claim 11, wherein the response receiving unit receives the response information during the continuation of the session establishment state when the device acquisition command is transmitted. It is characterized by receiving.

  The invention according to claim 13 is the host device according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the completion page number receiving means includes print data including the completion page number and the print page of the completion page number. Print data identification information for identifying the print data, and the print data identification means identifies the print data based on the print data identification information received by the completion page number reception means, and further includes the completion page of the print data. The print data of the page next to the number is specified.

  The invention according to claim 14 is the host device according to any one of claims 11 to 13, further comprising response request command transmission means for transmitting a response request command for requesting a response to the printing device. The communication state monitoring means determines that the communication is disabled when a response to the response request command is not received within a predetermined time.

  The invention according to claim 15 is the host device according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein the response request command instructing to respond at predetermined time intervals is transmitted to the printing device. The communication status monitoring unit may further include a request command transmission unit, and may determine that the communication is disabled when a response to the response request command is not received within a predetermined time.

  According to a sixteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printing method in a printing system including a printing apparatus and a host apparatus that issues a printing instruction to the printing apparatus. A print data receiving step for receiving print data including a print page; and a printing step for printing the print data held by the print data holding means for holding the print data received by the printing apparatus in the print data receiving step; A printing completion detecting step in which the printing apparatus detects the printing completion in the printing step; a communication state monitoring step in which the host apparatus monitors a communication state with the printing apparatus; After detecting an incommunicable state in which communication with the printing apparatus cannot be performed in the communication state monitoring step A device acquisition command transmission step of transmitting to the printing device a device acquisition command for requesting establishment of a session with the printing device when a communicable state capable of communicating with the printing device is detected; When the printing device detects a session establishment state with the host device after detecting a communication impossible state in which communication cannot be performed in the communication state monitoring step, A completed page number transmitting step of transmitting to the host device the completed page number held by a completed page number holding unit that holds a completed page number that is a page number of the printing paper on which printing completion has been detected; and Response to the device acquisition command transmitted in the device acquisition command transmission step A response receiving step of receiving a print completion page number printed in the printing device immediately before the communication disabled state, and the completion page included in the response information received by the host device in the response receiving step. A print page specifying step for specifying a print page next to a number, and printing in which the host device transmits print data after the print page specified in the print page specifying step among the print data to the printing device. And a data transmission step.

  According to a seventeenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a print program for causing a computer to execute a printing process for performing printing in accordance with an instruction from a host device, and receiving print data including a plurality of print pages from the host device. A receiving step; a printing step for printing the print data held by a print data holding means for holding the print data received in the print data receiving step; and a print completion detecting step for detecting the printing completion in the printing step; A communication state monitoring step for monitoring a state of communication with the host device, and a communication establishment incapable state in which communication cannot be performed in the communication state monitoring step, and then a session establishment state with the host device is detected. A non-volatile memory, wherein the printing completion detecting step A completion page number transmission step of transmitting the completion page number held by the completion page number holding means for holding the completion page number that is the page number of the printing paper for which printing completion is detected to the host device. Features.

  The invention according to claim 18 is a printing control program for causing a computer to execute a printing control process for issuing a printing instruction to a printing apparatus, and a communication state monitoring step for monitoring a state of communication with the printing apparatus; In the communication state monitoring step, after detecting a communication impossible state in which communication with the printing apparatus cannot be performed, and when detecting a communication possible state in which communication with the printing apparatus can be performed, the printing apparatus On the other hand, as a response to the device acquisition command transmitted in the device acquisition command transmission step for transmitting a device acquisition command for requesting establishment of a session with the printing device, immediately before the communication disabled state, Response reception for receiving response information including the print completion page number that has been printed in the printing device A print page specifying step for specifying a print page next to the completed page number included in the response information received in the response receiving step, and the print data specifying step in the print page specifying step among the print data And a print data transmission step of transmitting print data after the print page to the printing apparatus.

  The invention according to claim 19 is a recording medium, characterized in that the program according to claim 17 or 18 is stored in a computer-readable manner.

  According to the first aspect of the invention, the print data receiving unit of the printing apparatus receives print data including a plurality of print pages from the host device, and the print data holding unit is received by the print data receiving unit. The print data is held, the printing unit prints the print data held by the print data holding unit, the print completion detection unit detects the printing completion by the printing unit, and the completion page number holding unit is A non-volatile memory that holds a completed page number that is the page number of the printing paper on which printing completion has been detected by the printing completion detecting means, and the communication status monitoring means of the host device communicates with the printing apparatus. After monitoring the status and the device acquisition command transmission means detects an incommunicable state in which the communication status monitoring means cannot communicate with the printing device, When a communicable state capable of communicating with the printing apparatus is detected, a device acquisition command for requesting establishment of a session with the printing apparatus is transmitted to the printing apparatus, and a completion page number of the printing apparatus is transmitted. The completion page held by the completion page number holding unit when the transmission unit detects a session establishment state with the host device after detecting a communication impossible state in which the communication state monitoring unit cannot communicate. The number is transmitted to the host device, and the response receiving unit of the host device prints in the printing device just before the communication disabled state as a response to the device acquisition command transmitted by the device acquisition command transmission unit. Before the completion page number is received and the print page specifying means is included in the response information received by the response receiving means Since the print page next to the completed page number is specified, and the print data transmission unit transmits the print data after the print page specified by the print page specification unit among the print data to the printing apparatus. In printing via the printer, there is an effect that a printing error can be confirmed also in the host device.

  According to the invention of claim 2, the print data receiving means receives print data including a plurality of print pages from the host device, and the print data holding means receives the print data received by the print data receiving means. Holding the data, the printing means prints the print data held by the print data holding means, the print completion detecting means detects the printing completion by the printing means, and the completed page number holding means is nonvolatile. A memory that holds a completed page number that is a page number of the printing paper whose completion of printing has been detected by the printing completion detection unit, and a communication status monitoring unit monitors the status of communication with the host device and completes After the page number transmitting means detects a communication inability state in which the communication state monitoring means cannot communicate, it detects the session establishment state with the host device. When, and transmits the completion page numbers the completion page number holding means for holding said host device, brings in the printing via the network, the effect that it is possible to confirm the printing error in the host device.

  According to the invention of claim 3, the response request command receiving means receives a response request command requesting a response from the host device, and the completion page number transmitting means is the response request command receiving means. When the response request command is received, the response information including the completion page number is received during the continuation of the session establishment state when the response request command is received, so that the printing apparatus is occupied by the host device There is an effect that the response information can be stably transmitted.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the print data receiving unit receives a plurality of print data from the host device, and the completed page number holding unit stores the completed page number and the completed page number. Print data identification information for identifying print data including the print page is stored in association with each other, and the completed page number transmission unit associates the print data with the completed page number associated with the completed page number storage unit. Since the identification information is transmitted to the host device, it is possible to identify a plurality of print data and perform processing for each.

  According to the invention of claim 5, the completed page number deleting unit holds the completed page number holding unit when the print completion detecting unit detects completion of printing of the last page of the print data. Since the completion page number is deleted, the completion page number is not notified unless the communication is disabled due to an error or the like, and an error can be notified to the character only in the communication disabled state. .

  According to the invention of claim 6, since the communication state monitoring means detects a communication cut-off state in which communication with the host device is cut off as the communication disabled state, the communication state is accurately monitored. There is an effect that can be.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, the print data deleting unit deletes the print data held by the print data holding unit when the communication state monitoring unit detects the communication disconnected state. Since the print data receiving means receives the print page of the page number after the completed page number held by the completed page number holding means among the print data, after returning from the communication disconnection state, There is an effect that the processing can be resumed from the next print page of the print page that has already been printed.

  According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, when the state monitoring unit detects the communication cut-off state, the state holding unit holds information indicating that the communication is cut off, and the completion page number transmission unit When the communication state monitoring means detects the communication disconnection state and then detects the session establishment state, it transmits information indicating the communication disconnection together with the completion page number to the host device. There is an effect that it is possible to confirm that communication has been interrupted.

  According to the invention according to claim 9, since the communication state monitoring unit detects the power-off state of the printing apparatus as the communication disabled state, it is confirmed that the host apparatus has also been turned off. There is an effect that can be.

  According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, the communication state monitoring unit determines that the power-off state has occurred when the completion page number holding unit holds the completion page number when the power is turned on. Therefore, there is an effect that the power-off state can be detected while suppressing an increase in processing load.

  According to the invention of claim 11, the communication status monitoring means monitors the status of communication with the printing apparatus, the apparatus acquisition command transmission means communicates with the printing apparatus. Obtaining a device for requesting the printing device to establish a session with the printing device when a communicable state capable of communicating with the printing device is detected after detecting a communication impossible state that cannot be performed. The response receiving means transmits response information including a print completion page number printed in the printing apparatus immediately before the communication disabled state as a response to the apparatus acquisition command transmitted by the apparatus acquisition command transmission means. The print page specifying means receives the print page next to the completion page number included in the response information received by the response receiving means. The print data transmitting means transmits the print data after the print page specified by the print page specifying means among the print data to the printing apparatus, so that printing is also performed on the host apparatus in printing via the network. There is an effect that an error can be confirmed.

  According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, since the response receiving unit receives the response information while the session establishment state is being transmitted when the device acquisition command is transmitted, a state in which the printing device is occupied The effect is that the response information can be stably transmitted.

  According to the invention of claim 13, the completion page number receiving means further receives the completion page number and print data identification information for identifying print data including the print page of the completion page number, The print data specifying unit specifies the print data based on the print data identification information received by the completion page number receiving unit, and further specifies the print data of the page next to the completion page number among the print data. There is an effect that it is possible to identify a plurality of print data and perform processing on each of them.

  According to the fourteenth aspect of the present invention, the response request command transmitting means transmits a response request command requesting a response to the printing apparatus, and the communication state monitoring means sends a response to the response request command for a predetermined time. If it is not received, it is determined that the communication is impossible, so that it is possible to accurately identify the communication impossible state.

  According to the fifteenth aspect of the present invention, the response request command transmitting means transmits a response request command instructing to respond every predetermined time to the printing apparatus, and the communication state monitoring means is configured to transmit the response request command. When a response to the command is not received within a predetermined time, it is determined that the communication is impossible, so that it is possible to accurately specify the communication impossible state.

  According to the sixteenth aspect of the present invention, in the print data receiving step, the printing device receives print data including a plurality of print pages from the host device. In the printing step, the printing device receives the print data. The print data held by the print data holding means that holds the print data received in the data reception step is printed, and in the print completion detection step, the printing apparatus detects the print completion in the print step, and the communication state In the monitoring step, the host device monitors the state of communication with the printing device, and in the device acquisition command transmission step, the host device cannot communicate with the printing device in the communication state monitoring step. Since communication with the printing device is performed after detecting the incommunicable state When a communicable state is detected, a device acquisition command requesting establishment of a session with the printing device is transmitted to the printing device, and in the completed page number transmitting step, the printing device performs the communication state monitoring step. In the non-volatile memory, when a session establishment state with the host device is detected after detecting an incommunicable state in which communication cannot be performed in step 1, The completed page number held by a completed page number holding unit that holds a completed page number that is a page number is transmitted to the host device, and in the response receiving step, the host device transmits the device acquisition command in the device acquisition command transmitting step. As a response to the device acquisition command, immediately before the communication disabled state, In the printing page specifying step, the host device specifies a print page next to the completed page number included in the response information received in the response receiving step. In the print data transmission step, the host device transmits the print data after the print page specified in the print page specification step among the print data to the printing device. The host device also has an effect that a printing error can be confirmed.

  According to the seventeenth aspect of the present invention, the print data receiving step receives print data including a plurality of print pages from the host device, and the print step receives the print data received in the print data receiving step. The print data held by the held print data holding unit is printed, and in the print completion detection step, the print completion in the print step is detected, and in the communication status monitoring step, the status of communication with the host device is monitored. In the completed page number transmission step, after detecting a communication impossible state in which communication cannot be performed in the communication state monitoring step, when detecting a session establishment state with the host device, a nonvolatile memory, Printing in which printing completion is detected in the printing completion detection step Since the completion page number held by the completion page number holding means that holds the completion page number that is a paper page number is transmitted to the host device, a print error can also be confirmed in the host computer during printing via the network. There is an effect that can be.

  According to the invention of claim 18, in the communication state monitoring step, the state of communication with the printing apparatus is monitored, and in the apparatus acquisition command transmission step, communication with the printing apparatus is performed in the communication state monitoring step. Obtaining a device for requesting the printing device to establish a session with the printing device when a communicable state capable of communicating with the printing device is detected after detecting a communication impossible state that cannot be performed. In the response reception step, response information including a print completion page number that has been printed in the printing device immediately before the communication disabled state is transmitted as a response to the device acquisition command transmitted in the device acquisition command transmission step. In the print page identification step, in the response reception step The next print page of the completed page number included in the received response information is specified, and in the print data transmission step, the print data after the print page specified in the print page specification step is included among the print data. Since the data is transmitted to the printing apparatus, the printing error can be confirmed also in the host apparatus in printing via the network.

  According to the nineteenth aspect of the present invention, the print data receiving step receives print data including a plurality of print pages from the host device, and the print step receives the print data received in the print data receiving step. The print data held by the held print data holding unit is printed, and in the print completion detection step, the print completion in the print step is detected, and in the communication status monitoring step, the status of communication with the host device is monitored. In the completed page number transmission step, after detecting a communication impossible state in which communication cannot be performed in the communication state monitoring step, when detecting a session establishment state with the host device, a nonvolatile memory, Printing in which printing completion is detected in the printing completion detection step Since the completion page number held by the completion page number holding means that holds the completion page number that is a paper page number is transmitted to the host device, a print error can also be confirmed in the host computer during printing via the network. There is an effect that can be.

  Exemplary embodiments of a printing system, a printing apparatus, a host apparatus, a printing method, a printing program, a printing control program, and a recording medium according to the present invention are explained in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(1. Embodiment 1)
(1.1. Overall configuration)
The printing system according to the first embodiment is a printing system that includes a personal computer (PC) and a printer that are connected via a network, and that executes printing while exchanging commands and responses. And a response to the printer in response thereto, a print page data that is print data for each page is transmitted from the PC to the printer, and a reception response is returned from the printer to the PC to execute printing. Then, a status monitoring command for monitoring the status of the printer is transmitted from the PC at predetermined time intervals, and the printer transmits status information indicating the completion of printing to the PC every time printing is completed in units of pages. The PC acquires the print completion information for each page synchronously at regular time intervals, and when printing of the last page is completed, sends a device release command to receive a response from the printer and closes the session.

  With this configuration, information on the printing status of the printer is sent to the PC synchronously within the same session, and the PC can grasp the completion of printing on the printer synchronously for each page, and an error occurs in the printer. However, by acquiring the page information that has been printed and discharged until just before the error occurred, even when resuming printing, only the error page and later can be printed out. Thus, it is possible to provide a highly reliable printing system that eliminates redundant printing and is free of waste.

  FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a printing system according to the first embodiment. The printing system according to the first embodiment includes a personal computer (PC) 10 and a printer 50 connected via a network 5. The network 5 is configured by a LAN or the Internet.

  The PC 10 includes a communication control unit 11, an application unit 12, a storage unit 13, a display unit 14, and an input unit 15. The PC 10 causes the printer 50 to print information generated by various applications included in the application unit 12 via the network 5.

  The application unit 12 includes applications having various print output functions. Various print data generated on the application is stored in the storage unit 13. The display unit 14 displays print data generated on the application. The input unit 15 accepts various inputs by contact input from a mouse, a keyboard, or the display unit 14.

  The communication control unit 11 transmits print page data that is print data in units of pages generated by the application unit 12 to the printer 50 via the network 5. The communication control unit 11 also causes the printer 50 to specify the PDL (page description language) specification information used by the driver and to print the page unit, to discharge the page unit, and to print and eject the page unit. A command for obtaining information about the paper is generated and transmitted to the printer 50. The printer 50 generates response information in response to these commands and transmits the response information to the PC 10.

  The printer 50 includes a response control unit 51, a drawing processing unit 52, a print output unit 53, and a paper discharge sensor 54. The print output unit 53, for example, sensitizes a photosensitive drum to form an electrostatic latent image according to print data, attaches toner, visualizes it on a recording sheet, and discharges it to a discharge tray (not shown).

  The paper discharge sensor 54 is a sensor that optically detects the edge of the paper discharged from the paper discharge tray and converts it into an electrical signal. Thus, it is detected that the recording sheet is printed and then discharged and stored in the discharge tray. Since such an optically detecting sensor is a known technique, detailed description thereof is omitted.

  The response control unit 51 receives various commands transmitted from the PC 10 and print page data, which is print data in units of pages, and generates and transmits response information for the commands and response information for receiving print page data.

  The drawing processing unit 52 has various drivers, selects a driver designated from various drivers in accordance with designation information about PDL transmitted from the PC 10, and performs print page data transmitted from the PC 10. The PDL conversion process is performed by the selected driver. The print output unit 53 outputs an image according to the print data subjected to PDL conversion by the drawing processing unit 52.

(1.2. Communication / printing control on PC10)
FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the communication control unit 11 of the PC 10. The communication control unit 11 includes a print data monitoring unit 100, a discharge page monitoring unit 102, a transmission information generation unit 104, and a first communication unit 106.

  In the first communication unit 106, the PC 10 transmits and receives information including various commands and print page data to and from the printer 50.

  The print data monitoring unit 100 acquires transmission page number information of print page data that is print data in units of pages to be transmitted to the printer 50 via the first communication unit 106.

  When receiving a print command from the operator via the input unit 15, the transmission information generation unit 104 generates device acquisition command information for requesting connection to the printer 50 connected to the network 5. The first communication unit 106 establishes a session that is a logical connection with the printer 50 according to the received response information, and closes the session.

  The transmission information generation unit 104 transmits the generated device acquisition command information to the designated printer 50. The transmission information generation unit 104 also reads and analyzes the response information received from the printer 50, and analyzes, for example, whether or not the response information is a response to a device acquisition command for establishing a session.

  The first communication unit 106 performs a connection process with the printer 50 when the transmission information generation unit 104 analyzes that it is response information. The connection process here is to establish a connection logically with a physically connected partner and start a session. The transmission information generation unit 104 generates information according to the communication protocol and transmits it. It depends. In this way, connection processing is performed on the PC 10 side, not the printer 50 side.

  The transmission information generation unit 104 generates job start command information after the session is established. Here, it is desirable that the job start command includes information specifying the PDL used for print conversion. This is because the start command can be interpreted by the printer 50 reading the PDL designation information.

  The transmission information generation unit 104 causes the printer 50 to transmit the generated job start command information. On the other hand, since the printer 50 transmits start response information including a job ID responding to the start command, the received print data monitoring unit 100 generates print data generated on the application and stored in the storage unit 13. For the above, print page data for each page is generated, and page number information is acquired when transmitting the data for each page.

  The transmission information generation unit 104 receives a reception response for each page of print page data from the printer 50, and generates a job end command information for confirming that the printer 50 has received the final page when the reception response is the final page. And send it.

  Upon receiving the job completion confirmation response information from the printer 50, the transmission information generation unit 104 generates and transmits job completion confirmation command information for determining job information including the number of received pages.

  The transmission information generation unit 104 receives the response of the job completion confirmation information from the printer 50. If there is a subsequent job, the transmission information generation unit 104 generates and transmits a subsequent job start command to start the job.

  When there is no subsequent job, the transmission information generation unit 104 generates and transmits a status monitoring command for monitoring the print output status of the printer 50. Here, the print output state to be monitored will be described by taking the completed state of paper discharge as an example. However, the present invention is not limited only to monitoring the discharge completion state.

  The transmission information generation unit 104 transmits a state monitoring command every predetermined time. Alternatively, the transmission information generation unit 104 can transmit the data only once, and the printer 50 can respond only when a change in the printing state occurs.

  The paper discharge page monitoring unit 102 receives status information from the printer 50 as response information to the status monitoring command, and acquires paper discharge page information from the received status information. That is, the discharged page monitoring unit 102 acquires information about the number of discharged pages actually discharged for each page in the printer 50 at regular time intervals. If it is determined that the discharged page is not the last page, the status monitoring command is transmitted again at regular time intervals. The time interval of this transmission is 100 msec, for example.

  On the other hand, when the paper discharge page monitoring unit 102 determines that the paper discharge on the printer 50 side has been completed up to the last page, the transmission information generation unit 104 generates device release command information for closing the session and sends it to the printer 50. Send it.

  When the transmission information generation unit 104 reads the response information for the device release command received from the printer 50, the transmission information generation unit 104 causes the first communication unit 106 to close the session with the printer 50.

(1.3. Communication / Printing Control with Printer 50)
FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of the response control unit 51. The response control unit 51 includes a second communication unit 500, a response information generation unit 502, a received data monitoring unit 504, a driver monitoring unit 506, a paper discharge detection unit 508, and a paper discharge state table holding unit 510. The second communication unit exchanges information with the PC 10.

  When the second communication unit 500 receives the device acquisition command information, the reception data monitoring unit 504 reads the received command information and determines whether it is device acquisition command information.

  When the reception data monitoring unit 504 determines that the received data monitoring unit 504 is a device acquisition command, the response information generation unit 502 generates acquisition response information that responds to the PC 10 via the second communication unit 500.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a job ID issued by the transmission information generation unit 104. The reception data monitoring unit 504 reads the start command information transmitted from the PC 10 and causes the response information generation unit 502 to generate response information including a job ID and transmit it. Here, if the start command includes PDL designation information in the start command, the received data monitoring unit 504 may determine the job start by reading it.

  The job ID is issued on the printer 50 side in response to the start command of the PC 10. In the table shown in FIG. 4, since only the job ID is issued and printing for each page is not completed, the column is blank. Here, the job ID and the number of printed pages are recorded. However, when the completion of the job is confirmed or when the session with the printer 50 is closed, it is possible to delete the previous records. .

  The reception data monitoring unit 504 reads the PDL designation information and transmits it to the driver monitoring unit 506. The drawing processing unit 52 has a plurality of drivers. The driver monitoring unit 506 causes the drawing processing unit 52 to select a driver based on the designated PDL information.

  When receiving the print page data transmitted from the PC 10, the reception data monitoring unit 504 causes the PC 10 to transmit the page number information of the received print page data. Then, the received print page data is transmitted to the drawing processing unit 52.

  The drawing processing unit 52 performs print processing conversion such as bitmap data conversion on print page data using a driver that has already been designated and selected. The print output unit 53 starts printing in accordance with the data subjected to the print process conversion.

  When the received data monitoring unit 504 receives a job end command for confirming that print page data has been received from the PC 10 up to the last page, it confirms that the last page has been received. Then, the drawing processing unit 52 performs EOF (end-of-file) processing, and the response information generation unit 502 generates job completion response information for confirming reception up to the final page, and transmits it to the PC 10.

  When the received data monitoring unit 504 receives the job completion confirmation command information for determining the number of received pages and the job ID from the PC 10, the received data monitoring unit 504 determines the number of received pages and the job ID, and the response information generating unit 502 uses this information as response information. Generate and send to PC 10. When there is no subsequent job from the PC 10 side, a status monitoring command for monitoring the print output status of the printer 50 is transmitted at regular time intervals.

  FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a discharge state recording table that records the number of pages that have been discharged. A paper discharge detection unit 508 detects a paper discharge state of the recording paper being printed based on a paper discharge detection signal from the paper discharge sensor 54. The paper discharge state table holding unit 510 holds a table as shown in FIG. 5 for recording the paper discharge state. When a change in the paper discharge state is detected by the arrangement detection unit, the paper discharge state table holding unit 510 writes the change in the paper discharge operation for each page in the paper discharge state table. This writing is updated and written. In FIG. 5, up to 15 pages are completed for printing with a job ID of 1, and up to 7 pages are completed during printing for a job ID of 2. A job ID of 3 is not discharged. Each time paper discharge is completed, the number of printed pages is updated.

  When the discharge state table holding unit 510 updates the discharge state table, the response information generation unit 502 generates the updated number of discharged pages as state information and transmits it to the PC 10. As a result, response information is transmitted when paper discharge is completed page by page, and traffic is not increased.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5, it is desirable that the response information generation unit 502 returns status information about the completed job, the job currently in progress, and the job scheduled to be printed as the same response information. This is because the PC can inform the takeover information of the preceding job and the succeeding job by one transmission.

  When the PC 10 determines that the discharged page is the last page, device release command information for closing the session is transmitted, so the received data monitoring unit 504 decodes the command information. If the response information generation unit 502 interprets that it is a device release command, it transmits response information for the device release command. By receiving this response information on the PC 10 side, the PC 10 side can determine that the paper has been discharged to the last page, and closes the session with the printer 50.

(1.4. Printing Procedure According to Embodiment 1)
6 and 7 are flowcharts for explaining a printing procedure in the printing system according to the first embodiment. In the following procedure, the print control unit of the PC 10 exchanges information with each other via the first communication unit 106, and the print output unit 53 of the printer 50 exchanges information with each other via the second communication unit 500.

  When the PC 10 receives a print command from the operator via the input unit 15, the transmission information generation unit 104 generates device acquisition command information for requesting connection to the printer 50 connected to the network 5. The print data monitoring unit 100 transmits the generated device acquisition command information to the designated printer 50 via the first communication unit 106 (step S101).

  In the printer 50, the second communication unit 500 receives the device acquisition command information. The reception data monitoring unit 504 reads the received command and determines whether or not it is device acquisition command information. The reception data monitoring unit 504 determines that it is a device acquisition command (step S102), and the response information generation unit 502 generates acquisition response information according to the read device acquisition command information and transmits it to the PC 10 (step S103). ). On the other hand, the reception data monitoring unit 504 waits as it is until the command received from the PC 10 is determined as the device acquisition command information. Thus, a session is established by a command from the PC 10. Thereafter, information is exchanged in the same session until the PC 10 confirms that the last page in a batch of jobs transmitted from the printer 50 has been discharged.

  In the PC 10 that has received the acquisition response information from the printer 50, the first communication unit establishes a logical session with the printer 50 that is physically connected (step S104).

  The transmission information generation unit 104 generates job start command information. Here, the job start command includes information specifying the PDL used for print conversion. The transmission information generation unit 104 transmits the generated job start command information to the printer 50 (step S105).

  The received data monitoring unit 504 of the printer 50 reads start command information. The reception data monitoring unit 504 causes the response information generation unit 502 to generate response information for the job start command and transmit it. Here, the response information includes a job ID issued by the received data monitoring unit 504 (step S106). In addition, the reception data monitoring unit 504 reads designated PDL information included in the start command and transmits it to the driver monitoring unit 506. The driver monitoring unit 506 causes the drawing processing unit 52 to select a driver based on the designated PDL and prepares for PDL conversion for print page data.

  When receiving the start response information, the print data monitoring unit 100 reads the issued job ID, generates print page data for each page for the print data generated on the application and stored in the storage unit 13, and for each page And transmit page information is acquired (step S107).

  When the received data monitoring unit 504 of the printer 50 receives the transmitted print page data, the response information generating unit 502 generates response information for receiving the print page data and transmits it to the PC 10 (step S108). The received data monitoring unit 504 transfers the received print page data to the drawing processing unit 52. The drawing processing unit 52 receives the print page data, and performs print processing conversion on the bitmap data by the already selected driver. The print output unit 53 starts printing in accordance with the print process converted data (step S109).

  The PC 10 receives the print page data reception response information from the printer 50, and determines whether or not the received response is the final page reception response (step S110). If it is determined that it is not the last page (No in step S110), the process returns to step S107, and the print page data of the next page is transmitted. On the other hand, if it is determined that the response is the last page (Yes in step S110), a job end command for confirming that the printer 50 has received the last page is transmitted (step S111).

  The received data monitoring unit 504 of the printer 50 reads the job end command, determines whether the last page has been received (step S112), and determines that the last page has been received (Yes in step S112), prints out. The unit 53 is subjected to EOF (end of file) processing. Then, the response information generation unit 502 generates job completion response information for confirming the final page number, and transmits the response information to the PC 10 (step S113). On the other hand, if the received data monitoring unit 504 determines that the print page data has not been received until the last page (No in step S112), the process returns to step S108.

  When the print data monitoring unit 100 of the PC 10 receives the job completion confirmation response information from the printer 50, the print data monitoring unit 100 causes the transmission information generation unit 104 to generate job completion confirmation command information for determining the number of received pages and the job ID, and transmit the information. (Step S114).

  The received data monitoring unit 504 of the printer 50 reads the received job completion confirmation command information to determine the number of received pages and the job ID (step S115), and the response information generating unit 502 uses the determined information as response information. Generate and transmit (step S116).

  The transmission information generation unit 104 detects reception of a job completion confirmation information response from the printer 50, determines whether there is a subsequent job (step S117), and determines that there is a subsequent job (step S117). Yes), the process returns to step S105 to shift to the next job transmission. When a different PDL is specified in the next job, the driver monitoring unit 506 causes the drawing processing unit 52 to select a different PDL in the printer 50.

  If it is determined that there is no subsequent job (No in step S117), the transmission information generation unit transmits a status monitoring command for monitoring the print output status of the printer 50. The transmission interval is, for example, 100 msec. Here, as the print output state to be monitored, the completion state of the paper discharge is monitored.

  In the printer 50, the paper discharge detection unit 508 detects the paper discharge state of the recording paper being printed based on the paper discharge detection signal from the paper discharge sensor 54. The paper discharge state table holding unit 510 counts the number of pages that have been printed by the completion of the paper discharge operation for each page, and changes the state as shown in FIG. Write to the paper discharge status table. This writing is updated and written (step S119). The response information generation unit 502 generates the updated number of discharged pages as state information only when the discharge state table holding unit 510 updates the discharge state table, and transmits it to the PC 10 (step S120).

  The paper discharge page monitoring unit 102 of the PC 10 acquires paper discharge page information from the received status information, that is, the PC 50 side synchronously acquires information on the number of paper discharge pages discharged for each page in the printer 50. . The paper discharge page monitoring unit 102 determines whether or not the paper discharge page is the last page (step S121). When it is determined that the page is not the last page (No in step S121), the process returns to step S118, and further Continue sending status monitoring commands.

  On the other hand, when the discharge page monitoring unit 102 determines that the last page has been discharged on the printer 50 side (Yes in step S121), the transmission information generation unit 104 generates device release command information for closing the session, and the printer 50 (step S122).

  The received data monitoring unit 504 that has received the device release command of the printer 50 reads the device release command and transmits response information indicating that the device release command has been received (step S123).

  The transmission information generation unit 104 of the PC 10 reads the received response information, and causes the first communication unit to close the session with the printer 50 (step S124).

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart for explaining the procedure of step S106 in which the printer 50 responds to the PC 10 with job ID information. The reception data monitoring unit 504 determines whether or not the received command is a job start command (step S201). If the reception data monitoring unit 504 determines that the received command is a job start command (Yes in step S201), the response information generation unit 502 The job ID is determined (step S203), registered in the paper discharge state table as shown in FIG. 4 (step S204), and the job ID is returned to the PC 10 (step S204).

  FIG. 9 is a flowchart for explaining the procedure of steps S119 and 120 in which the printer 50 responds to the PC 10 with the number of pages that have been printed. Here, it is configured to respond to the PC 10 when the state of the printer 50 changes. When the paper discharge detection unit 508 detects completion of page printing (step S301), the paper discharge state table holding unit 510 updates and records the number of pages that have been printed in the table (step S302). The response information generation unit 502 transmits the print completion page number information to the PC 10 (step S303). In this way, the status information can be transmitted to the PC 10 when the discharge of each page is completed. In addition to the steps S119 and S120, the number of printed pages in the table of the paper discharge state table holding unit 510 is updated every time the paper discharge detection unit 508 detects paper discharge.

(1.5. Effect)
As described above, in the printing system according to the first embodiment, in the same session, information on the printing state of the printer 50 is synchronously transmitted to the PC 10, and the PC 10 grasps the completion of printing on the printer 50 synchronously for each page. Even if an error occurs in the printer 50, only the page after the error page is printed even when printing is resumed by acquiring page information that has been printed and discharged until just before the error occurs. Since output is possible, it is possible to provide a wasteless and highly reliable printing system that eliminates redundant printing in units of pages when printing is performed again.

  If there is a succeeding job, the print page data of the succeeding job is read and then the process proceeds to status monitoring. For example, print data of n jobs are collectively received, executed collectively, and set to n Can be monitored.

(Modification 1)
Here, in the printing procedure of the first embodiment, step S117 may be executed immediately after step S121, and if there is a subsequent job, the process may return to step S105.

  As a result, if there is a subsequent job, printing of one job is executed, status monitoring is performed, printing is performed, and then printing of the next job is performed and status monitoring is performed, thereby printing, for example, n jobs. On the other hand, after confirming the completion of printing, the process proceeds to the next printing. Therefore, the n jobs are successively processed as a single unit from transmission to completion of monitoring of the printing state. can do.

(Modification 2)
FIG. 10 is a flowchart for explaining a procedure when the printer 50 sets the timer time of the status information that responds to the PC 10 in step S120. Here, it is assumed that the printer 50 sets the timer time of the status information that responds to the PC 10 in step S120 by the command information from the PC.

  The reception data monitoring unit 504 determines whether or not the received command is a state monitoring command (step S401). If the reception data monitoring unit 504 determines that the received command is a state monitoring command (Yes in step S401), the reception data monitoring unit 504 The timer set value included in the state monitoring command is read (step S402). The reception data monitoring unit 504 sets the read timer setting value as a response timer time (step S403). The response information generation unit 502 can transmit status information to the PC 10 at every set response timer time.

  As a result, the transmission interval of the status information from the printer can be controlled from the PC, so that an appropriate transmission interval can be set according to the traffic state.

(1.7. Hardware configuration, etc.)
FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the PC 10 according to the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 11, the PC 10 according to the embodiment includes a control device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 2301, a storage device such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) 2302 and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 2303, an HDD ( Hard disk drive), external storage device 2304 such as CD (Compact Disk) drive device, display device 14, input device 15 such as contact input mechanism, keyboard and mouse, and communication I / F 2307 are connected. A bus 2308 is provided and has a hardware configuration using a normal computer.

  The printer 50 according to the embodiment includes the print output unit 53 illustrated in FIG. 1 in addition to such a hardware configuration.

  The print control program executed by the PC 10 and the printer 50 according to the embodiment and the print program are files of an installable format or an executable format, and are CD-ROM, flexible disk (FD), CD-R, DVD (Digital Recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as Versatile Disk).

  The print control program executed by the PC 10 and the printer 50 according to the embodiment and the print program are stored on a computer connected to the network 5 such as the Internet, and are provided by being downloaded via the network 5. It may be configured. The print control program and the print program executed by the PC 10 and the printer 50 according to the embodiment may be provided or distributed via the network 5 such as the Internet. In addition, the print control program and the print program executed by the PC 10 and the printer 50 according to the embodiment may be provided by being incorporated in advance in a ROM or the like.

  The print control program and print program executed by the PC 10 and the printer 50 according to the embodiment include the above-described units (the print data monitoring unit 100, the discharge page monitoring unit 102, the transmission information generation unit 104, the first communication unit 106, Second communication unit 500, response information generation unit 502, received data monitoring unit 504, driver monitoring unit 506, paper discharge state table holding unit 510, paper discharge detection unit 508, etc.) As the hardware, a CPU (processor) reads out and executes a print control program and a print program from the storage medium, whereby the above-described units are loaded onto the main storage device. The print data monitoring unit 100, the discharge page monitoring unit, Transmission information generation unit 104, first communication unit 106, second communication unit 500, response information generation unit Received data monitoring unit 504, the driver monitor 506, such as paper discharge state table holding unit 510 and the paper discharge detection unit 508, is adapted to be generated on the main memory.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 12 is a block diagram of a functional configuration of the communication control unit 11 according to the second embodiment. In addition to the functional configuration of the communication control unit 11 according to the first embodiment, the communication control unit 11 according to the second embodiment includes a communication state monitoring unit 110, a print page specifying unit 112, and a print page extracting unit 114. I have.

  The communication state monitoring unit 110 monitors the communication state with the printer 50 by the first communication unit 106. Here, the communication state includes a communicable state in which communication with the printer 50 is possible, a communication impossible state in which communication with the printer 50 is impossible due to a failure such as communication disconnection, and logical communication with the printer 50. There is an established session establishment state. The communication status monitoring unit 110 identifies the communication status based on whether or not the printer 50 acquired by the first communication unit 106 has received response information and the received response information.

  The print page specifying unit 112 is designated from the response information when the response information received by the first communication unit 106 includes designation of predetermined print data or designation of a predetermined print page of the print data. Specify the print data and print page. The print page extraction unit 114 extracts the print page specified by the print page specification unit 112 from the storage unit 13 and passes it to the transmission information generation unit 104. In this case, the transmission information generation unit 104 generates transmission information including only the print page extracted by the print page extraction unit 114.

  FIG. 13 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the response control unit 51. In addition to the functional configuration of the response control unit 51 according to the second embodiment, the response control unit 51 according to the second embodiment includes a communication state monitoring unit 520, a print data holding unit 522, a print data deletion unit 524, A completed page number holding unit 530 and a completed page number deleting unit 532 are provided.

  The communication status monitoring unit 520 monitors the communication status with the PC 10. Specifically, it is monitored whether the communication is possible, the communication is impossible, or the session is established.

  The print data holding unit 522 holds the print data received from the PC 10 by the second communication unit 500. When the communication state monitoring unit 520 determines that the communication is impossible, the print data deletion unit 524 deletes all the print data held by the print data holding unit 522.

  The completed page number holding unit 530 holds the page number at which the paper discharge detection unit 508 detects paper discharge, that is, the completed page number. The paper discharge state table holding unit 510 holds a history of completed page numbers that have been discharged so far, but the paper discharge state table holding unit 510 includes only the completed page numbers that have been discharged immediately before. Hold. The completed page number holding unit 530 is a nonvolatile memory, and continues to hold information even when the power is turned off. The paper discharge state table holding unit 510 is a volatile memory, and all information is deleted when the power is turned off. When the paper discharge detection unit 508 completes the discharge of the last page, the completion page number deletion unit 532 deletes the completion page number stored in the completion page number holding unit 530, and the value of the completion page number holding unit 530 is deleted. To the initial value.

  FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating a data configuration of the completed page number holding unit 530. The completed page number holding unit 530 holds the page number of the print page for which discharge has been detected immediately before, that is, the completed page number, and a job ID for identifying print data including the print page in association with each other. When all the print pages in the print data to be printed are discharged, an initial value is set in the completed page number holding unit 530. For example, “NULL” may be held as an initial value.

  FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing processing of the response control unit 51 when a job completion confirmation command is received in the processing described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. When the printing of a predetermined print page is completed (step S500), the response control unit 51 according to the second embodiment then updates the completed page number (step S502). Next, the completed page number is registered in the paper discharge state table (step S504), and the completed page number is also registered in the completed page number holding unit 530 (step S506). Then, a job end command including the completed page number is transmitted to the PC 10 (step S111).

  As described above, the response control unit 51 according to the second embodiment also registers the completed page number in the completed page number holding unit 530 formed of a nonvolatile memory. Thereby, even when the power is turned off due to the occurrence of a failure or the communication is cut off, it is possible to specify to which page the paper discharge has been completed.

  Further, the completed page number registered in the completed page number holding unit 530 is deleted when an apparatus release command is received from the PC 10 (step S122). Then, the completed page number holding unit 530 holds an initial value.

  Next, a process in which the communication state monitoring unit 110 of the PC 10 detects a communication disabled state will be described. FIG. 16 is a communication control unit in the process described with reference to FIG. 6 in the first embodiment after transmitting the device acquisition command (step S101) to the job completion confirmation command transmission process (step S114). 11 is a flowchart showing an error detection process according to FIG.

  In the above period, after transmitting an apparatus acquisition command, job start command, job end command, and job completion confirmation command (step S510), a response to each command is awaited. If the response information is received (step S512, Yes), it is determined that the session establishment state continues.

  On the other hand, when the response is not received for a predetermined period (No in step S512), it is determined that there is an abnormality in the printer 50 (step S514), that is, it is determined that the communication state is shifted from the session established state. As a cause of not receiving a response in this way, it is conceivable that the communication is cut off and the power of the printer 50 is cut off. It is desirable to determine the period.

  Next, error detection processing during state monitoring will be described. FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing a timer setting process performed by the communication control unit 11 immediately before the state monitoring command is transmitted (step S118). In the timer setting process, first, the transmission information generation unit 104 determines a timer setting time (step S520). Here, the timer setting time is a time interval when the printer 50 transmits response information to the PC 10. That is, the PC 10 transmits response information to the PC 10 every time the timer set time elapses.

  Next, the timer set time is stored (step S522). Next, a state monitoring command including a timer setting time is created (step S524). The state monitoring command thus created is transmitted to the printer 50 (step S118).

  FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing error detection processing by the communication control unit 11 after the state monitoring command transmission (step S118). The communication state monitoring unit 110 measures the elapsed time from the transmission of the device acquisition command, and when response information is received from the printer 50 (step S532, Yes) until the timer set time elapses (Yes in step S530). ), It is determined that the session establishment state continues.

  On the other hand, if the response information is not received from the printer 50 (step S532, No) even after the timer set time has elapsed (step S530, Yes), it is determined that there is an abnormality in the printer 50 (step S534).

  As described above, during the state monitoring, by setting so that the response information is received from the printer 50 every time the timer set time elapses, the presence / absence of occurrence of the printer abnormality is determined based on whether the response information is received. Can be detected. The timer setting time is arbitrary, but may be set to several ms, for example.

  As described above, the PC 10 can detect more than the PC 10 in both the period in which the command transmission is performed and the period in which the command monitoring is not performed in the state monitoring.

  FIG. 19 is a flowchart showing a communication disconnection process when the printer 50 detects a communication failure with the PC 10, that is, a communication disconnection. If the communication state monitoring unit 520 of the printer 50 detects a communication disconnection (Yes in step S600), the transmission information generating unit 104 then includes a notification of communication disconnection in response information to be transmitted next (step S602).

  For example, in TCP / IP, when data cannot be transmitted even if TCP repeats transmission, the communication is forcibly terminated and an error is notified to the application. When the second communication unit 500 receives such an error notification, the communication state monitoring unit 520 detects a communication disconnection.

  Next, the print data deletion unit 524 deletes the print data already received from the PC 10 and held by the print data holding unit 522 (step S604). Next, the completion page number stored in the paper discharge state table holding unit 510 is specified (step S606), and the print data job including the completion page number and the completion page stored in the paper discharge state table holding unit 510 is specified. The ID is stored in the completed page number holding unit 530 (step S608). The communication interruption process is thus completed.

  As described above, when the communication disconnection is detected, the job ID and the completed page number are held in the completed page number holding unit 530, so that the information can be referred to and transmitted to the PC 10 at the time of return. Further, when the communication disconnection is detected, all the received print data is deleted, so that inappropriate printed matter can be prevented from being discharged.

  FIG. 20 is a communication sequence diagram between the PC 10 and the printer 50 when returning from a communication interruption. The communication state monitoring unit 520 of the printer 50 confirms that a connection has been established in the TCP connection phase, and determines whether or not a line is connected. When the line is connected (step S620, Yes), the print page ID held in the completed page number holding unit 530 and the completed page number are specified (step S622). Next, when the communication disconnection is detected, the job ID and the completed page number are further included in the response information set to indicate the communication disconnection, and this is generated as a device acquisition response (step S624).

  On the other hand, when the PC 10 confirms that the connection has been established in the TCP connection phase (step S630, Yes), it transmits a device acquisition command (step S632). The printer 50 transmits the previously acquired device acquisition response as a response to the device acquisition command (step S634).

  As described above, the response information to the device acquisition command after returning from the error includes the information of the print page that has already been discharged, so that the PC 10 can specify the print page to be transmitted next.

  Subsequently, in response to the job start command transmitted by the PC 10 (step S636), the printer 50 transmits a job start response (step S638). The PC 10 specifies the job ID and completion page number included in the device acquisition response (step S640). Then, a print page is transmitted to the printer 50 from the next page of the completed page (step S642). When the data transmission at the time of returning from the communication interruption is completed by the above process, the process proceeds to the process of step S108 described with reference to FIG.

  In the job start response (step S638), a new job ID different from that before the error occurs is transmitted to the PC 10, and in the print page transmission (step S642), the job assigned this time to the same print data. The print page is transmitted together with the ID and the job ID assigned before the error occurred.

  When an error occurs, the print page ID and the completed page number are stored in the completed page number holding unit 530 formed of a nonvolatile memory. Thus, after the error is restored, the print page ID and the completed page number are stored in the completed page number holding unit 530. Only the print pages after the completion page can be received from the PC 10 by using the completed page number.

  In this embodiment, the job ID and the completed page number are included in the device acquisition response. However, these pieces of information may be transmitted before the print data transmission. For example, the information may be included in the job start response. Good.

  FIG. 21 is a communication sequence diagram between the PC 10 and the printer 50 when the printer 50 is restored from the power interruption. When the printer 50 is turned on (step S650), the job ID and completed page number held by the completed page number holding unit 530 are specified (step S652). Next, the job ID, the completed page number, and the fact that there was a power interruption are included in the response information (step S654).

  On the other hand, when communication becomes possible in the PC 10 (step S660, Yes), a device acquisition command is transmitted (step S662). The printer 50 transmits a device acquisition response including a job ID, a completed page number, and a power-off message (step S664). The subsequent processing (steps S664 to S672) is the same as the processing described in FIG.

  As described above, when returning from communication interruption and power interruption, the print page ID and completion page number stored in the completion page number holding unit 530 are referred to, and only the print pages of the subsequent pages are printed. can do.

  As described above, the printing system, the printing apparatus, the host apparatus, the printing method, the printing program, the printing control program, and the recording medium according to the present invention are suitable for the technology for controlling printing, and in particular, the network from the host apparatus side. It is suitable for the technique which controls and controls the printer connected via this.

1 is a functional block diagram of a printing system according to Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a functional block diagram of the communication control part 11 of PC10. 3 is a functional block diagram of a response control unit 51. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a job ID issued by a transmission information generation unit 104. FIG. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a discharge state recording table that records the number of pages that have been discharged. 4 is a flowchart for explaining a printing procedure in the printing system according to the first embodiment. 6 is a flowchart (continuation) for explaining a printing procedure in the printing system according to the first embodiment. 10 is a flowchart for explaining the procedure of step S206 in which the printer 50 responds to the PC with job ID information. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure in which the printer 50 responds to the PC 10 with the number of pages that have been printed. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure for setting a timer time of state information that the printer 50 responds to the PC 10 in step S120. It is a figure which shows the hardware constitutions of PC10 by embodiment. FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of a communication control unit 11 according to a second embodiment. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of a response control unit 51. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a data configuration of a completed page number holding unit 530. FIG. FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a process of a response control unit 51 when a job completion confirmation command is received in the process described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. FIG. In the processing described with reference to FIG. 6 in the first embodiment, error detection by the communication control unit 11 between the transmission of the device acquisition command (step S101) and the job completion confirmation command transmission processing (step S114). It is a flowchart which shows a process. It is a flowchart which shows the timer setting process by the communication control part 11 just before transmitting a state monitoring command (step S118). It is a flowchart which shows the error detection process by the communication control part 11 after status monitoring command transmission (step S118). 7 is a flowchart showing a communication disconnection process when the printer detects a communication failure with the PC, that is, a communication disconnection. FIG. 5 is a communication sequence diagram between the PC 10 and the printer 50 when returning from a communication interruption. FIG. 6 is a communication sequence diagram between the PC 10 and the printer 50 when the printer 50 is restored from a power failure.

Explanation of symbols

10 PC
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Communication control part 12 Application part 13 Memory | storage part 14 Display part 15 Input part 50 Printer 51 Response control part 52 Drawing process part 53 Print output part 54 Paper discharge sensor 100 Print data monitoring part 102 Paper discharge page monitoring part 104 Transmission information generation part 106 First communication unit 110 Communication state monitoring unit 112 Print page specifying unit 114 Print page extracting unit 500 Second communication unit 502 Response information generating unit 504 Received data monitoring unit 506 Driver monitoring unit 508 Paper discharge detection unit 510 Paper discharge state Table holding unit 520 Communication state monitoring unit 522 Print data holding unit 524 Print data deleting unit 530 Completed page number holding unit 532 Completed page number deleting unit

Claims (19)

A printing system comprising a printing device and a host device that issues a printing instruction to the printing device,
The printing apparatus includes:
Print data receiving means for receiving print data including a plurality of print pages from the host device;
Print data holding means for holding the print data received by the print data receiving means;
Printing means for printing the print data held by the print data holding means;
Print completion detection means for detecting the completion of printing by the printing means;
A non-volatile memory having completion page number holding means for holding a completion page number that is a page number of the printing paper whose printing completion is detected by the print completion detection means;
The host device is
Communication state monitoring means for monitoring the state of communication with the printing apparatus;
When the communication state monitoring unit detects a communication incapable state in which communication with the printing apparatus cannot be performed and then detects a communicable state in which communication with the printing apparatus can be performed, A device acquisition command transmission means for transmitting a device acquisition command for requesting establishment of a session with the printing device,
The printing apparatus includes:
When the communication state monitoring unit detects a communication impossible state where communication cannot be performed, and then detects a session establishment state with the host device, the completion page number held by the completion page number holding unit is stored in the host. A completion page number transmitting means for transmitting to the device;
The host device is
Response receiving means for receiving a print completion page number printed in the printing apparatus immediately before the communication disabled state as a response to the apparatus acquisition command transmitted by the apparatus acquisition command transmitting means;
A print page specifying means for specifying a print page next to the completed page number included in the response information received by the response receiving means;
The printing system further comprising: print data transmission means for transmitting print data after the print page specified by the print page specifying means among the print data to the printing apparatus. A printing device that performs printing according to instructions from the host device,
Print data receiving means for receiving print data including a plurality of print pages from the host device;
Print data holding means for holding the print data received by the print data receiving means;
Printing means for printing the print data held by the print data holding means;
Print completion detection means for detecting the completion of printing by the printing means;
A non-volatile memory, a completed page number holding unit that holds a completed page number that is a page number of the printing paper whose printing completion is detected by the print completion detecting unit;
Communication state monitoring means for monitoring the state of communication with the host device;
When the communication state monitoring unit detects a communication impossible state where communication cannot be performed, and then detects a session establishment state with the host device, the completion page number held by the completion page number holding unit is stored in the host. A printing apparatus comprising: a completed page number transmitting means for transmitting to the apparatus. A response request command receiving means for receiving a response request command for requesting a response from the host device;
When the response request command receiving means receives the response request command, the completion page number transmitting means transmits response information including the completion page number during the continuation of the session establishment state when the response request command is received. The printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the printing apparatus receives the printing apparatus. The print data receiving means receives a plurality of print data from the host device;
The completion page number holding unit holds the completion page number in association with print data identification information for identifying print data including the print page of the completion page number,
4. The completion page number transmission unit transmits the completion page number and the print data identification information associated with each other in the completion page number holding unit to the host device. Printing device.   When the print completion detection unit detects completion of printing of the last page of the print data, the print completion detection unit further includes a completion page number deletion unit that deletes the completion page number held by the completion page number holding unit. The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 4.   6. The printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the communication state monitoring unit detects a communication cut-off state in which communication with the host device is cut as the communication disabled state. When the communication state monitoring unit detects the communication disconnection state, the communication state monitoring unit further includes a print data deleting unit that deletes the print data held by the print data holding unit,
7. The printing according to claim 6, wherein the print data receiving unit receives the print page having a page number after the completion page number held by the completion page number holding unit of the print data. apparatus. When the state monitoring unit detects the communication disconnection state, the state monitoring unit further includes a state holding unit that stores information indicating that the communication is disconnected.
When the communication state monitoring unit detects the communication establishment state after the communication state monitoring unit detects the communication interruption state, the completion page number transmission unit transmits information indicating the communication interruption together with the completion page number to the host device. The printing apparatus according to claim 6 or 7, wherein:   The printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the communication state monitoring unit detects a power-off state of the printing apparatus as the communication disabled state.   The printing according to claim 9, wherein the communication state monitoring unit determines that the power is off when the completion page number holding unit holds the completion page number when power is turned on. apparatus. A host device that issues a print instruction to a printing device,
Communication state monitoring means for monitoring the state of communication with the printing apparatus;
When the communication state monitoring unit detects a communication incapable state in which communication with the printing apparatus cannot be performed and then detects a communicable state in which communication with the printing apparatus can be performed, A device acquisition command transmission means for transmitting a device acquisition command for requesting establishment of a session with the printing device;
Response receiving means for receiving response information including a print completion page number printed in the printing apparatus immediately before the communication disabled state as a response to the apparatus acquisition command transmitted by the apparatus acquisition command transmitting means;
A print page specifying means for specifying a print page next to the completed page number included in the response information received by the response receiving means;
A host device comprising: print data transmission means for transmitting print data after the print page specified by the print page specification means among the print data to the printing apparatus.   12. The host device according to claim 11, wherein the response receiving unit receives the response information while the session establishment state is continued when the device acquisition command is transmitted. The completion page number receiving means further receives the completion page number and print data identification information for identifying print data including the print page of the completion page number;
The print data specifying unit specifies the print data based on the print data identification information received by the completion page number receiving unit, and further specifies the print data of the page next to the completion page number among the print data. The host device according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that: Response request command transmission means for transmitting a response request command for requesting a response to the printing apparatus;
14. The communication state monitoring unit determines that the communication is disabled when a response to the response request command is not received within a predetermined time period. Host device. Response request command transmission means for transmitting a response request command instructing to respond at predetermined time intervals to the printing apparatus;
The communication state monitoring unit determines that the communication is impossible when it does not receive a response to the response request command within a predetermined time period. The host device described. A printing method in a printing system comprising a printing device and a host device that issues a printing instruction to the printing device,
A print data receiving step in which the printing device receives print data including a plurality of print pages from the host device;
A printing step in which the printing apparatus prints the print data held by a print data holding unit that holds the print data received in the print data reception step;
A printing completion detecting step in which the printing apparatus detects the printing completion in the printing step;
A communication state monitoring step in which the host device monitors the state of communication with the printing device;
When the host device detects a communicable state in which communication with the printing apparatus can be performed after detecting a communication impossible state in which communication with the printing apparatus cannot be performed in the communication state monitoring step, A device acquisition command transmission step of transmitting to the printing device a device acquisition command for requesting establishment of a session with the printing device;
When the printing device detects a session establishment state with the host device after detecting a communication impossible state in which communication cannot be performed in the communication state monitoring step, the printing completion detection step is a non-volatile memory. A completion page number transmission step of transmitting the completion page number held by the completion page number holding means for holding the completion page number which is the page number of the printing paper for which the completion of printing is detected to the host device;
A response receiving step in which the host device receives, as a response to the device acquisition command transmitted in the device acquisition command transmission step, a print completion page number printed in the printing device immediately before the communication disabled state;
A print page specifying step in which the host device specifies a print page next to the completed page number included in the response information received in the response receiving step;
A printing method comprising: a print data transmission step in which the host device transmits, to the printing device, print data subsequent to the print page identified in the print page identification step among the print data. A printing program for causing a computer to execute a printing process for performing printing in accordance with an instruction from a host device,
A print data receiving step of receiving print data including a plurality of print pages from the host device;
A printing step of printing the print data held by a print data holding unit that holds the print data received in the print data receiving step;
A printing completion detection step for detecting the printing completion in the printing step;
A communication state monitoring step for monitoring a state of communication with the host device;
After detecting an incommunicable state in which communication cannot be performed in the communication state monitoring step, when a session establishment state with the host device is detected, the non-volatile memory is configured to perform printing completion in the print completion detection step. A printing program comprising: a completed page number transmitting step of transmitting to the host device the completed page number held by a completed page number holding unit that holds a completed page number that is a page number of the detected printing paper . A print control program for causing a computer to execute a print control process for issuing a print instruction to a printing apparatus,
A communication state monitoring step for monitoring a state of communication with the printing apparatus;
In the communication state monitoring step, after detecting a communication impossible state in which communication with the printing apparatus cannot be performed, when a communication possible state in which communication with the printing apparatus can be performed is detected, the printing apparatus A device acquisition command transmission step for transmitting a device acquisition command for requesting establishment of a session with the printing device;
As a response to the device acquisition command transmitted in the device acquisition command transmission step, a response reception step of receiving response information including a print completion page number that has been printed in the printing device immediately before the communication disabled state;
A print page specifying step for specifying a print page next to the completed page number included in the response information received in the response receiving step;
A print control program comprising: a print data transmission step of transmitting, to the printing apparatus, print data subsequent to the print page identified in the print page identification step among the print data.   A recording medium in which the program according to claim 17 or 18 is stored so as to be readable by a computer.

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