JPH05309919A - Line printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To interrupt a list during printing in a page unit to preferentially print the same by stopping the execution of an I/F script by an L.P. scheduler when a printing demand high in priority appears to interrupt printing. CONSTITUTION:When a printing demand higher in priority appears during printing, an L.P. scheduler 10 stops the execution of an I/F script 11 to interrup printing and confirms the number of pages at the point of time of interruption and the stoppage of printing. Next, the changeover of output paper reception is informed to a printer 2 and a list highest in priority is printed. After the completion of printing, the changeover of output paper reception is re-informed to the printer 2 and the printing from the next page of the confirmed number of pages is immediately resumed. A line printer spooling system 1 controlling a printing demand is constituted of the I/F script 11 transmitting the data of the L.P. scheduler 10 controlling printer output and the list to the printer 2 at every data of one page.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a line printer, and more particularly to a print request control for the line printer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art At present, a line printer (hereinafter also referred to as a printer) is used by a plurality of users for one printer. In this case, for example, when two users simultaneously issue a list print request to one printer, the two lists are mixed and printing cannot be performed. Therefore, in order to prevent such a phenomenon, the line printer performs print request control.

For example, "HP9000 series 300/400" published by Hewlett-Packard Company.
According to "HP-UX system management work for computer", in such a case, a system called a line printer spooling system (hereinafter, also referred to as an LP spooler) for controlling a print request operates, and When one list is printed, another list is printed, but this list is not printed and the list is stored in the buffer and waits. Be started.

When a plurality of lists are in a standby state, the list to be printed next is selected from the list having the highest priority. The priority of this list is specified by the user or L. P. The command gives the same rank as the printer fence set for the printer. Then, if you want to change the order after issuing a print request, if it is a waiting list, alter
Do this by outputting a command.

[0005]

As described above, in the conventional line printer, the print order of the list can be changed only in the waiting list. That is, after the printing of one list is started, other lists cannot be printed until the printing of that list is completed, and the list that you want to print appears with priority over the list being printed. However, there is a problem that it is necessary to wait until the printing of the list being printed is completed.

The present invention has been made in order to solve such a problem, and if a list desired to be printed preferentially appears even during printing, the list being printed is interrupted in page units. The purpose is to provide a line printer that can print with priority.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A line printer according to the present invention is an L.P. P. An L.L. which is composed of a scheduler and an I / F script. P. The spooler has means for printing data to be printed as data in page units, and a request for printing data (second data) having a higher priority than the data (first data) during printing. In the case of printing, the printing of the first data is interrupted at the time when the page being printed is finished, and this is stored, and the means for starting the printing of the second data and the printing of the second data are finished. After that, the means for restarting the printing of the first data from the next interrupted page is provided.

Further, two output paper receivers are provided, and the first paper
The data output sheet and the second data output sheet are respectively provided to different output sheet receivers and output.

[0009]

In the line printer of the present invention, when a print request having a higher priority appears during printing, the L.L.
P. The scheduler stops the execution of the I / F script to interrupt the printing, and recognizes the page number at the time of the interruption and the interruption of the printing. Next, after notifying the printer of the switching of the output paper receiver, the list having the highest rank is printed. After the printing is completed, the printer is re-notified to switch the output paper receiver, and the printing is restarted immediately from the page next to the recognized page number. As a result, a list with a higher priority is printed even while another list is being printed. At that time, the number of paper trays of the printer is increased and the paper is output to another paper tray, so that the output paper can be received by the user for each list and each page.

[0010]

【Example】

Example 1. An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an embodiment of the present invention, in which 1 is a line for controlling a print request.
A printer spooling system (LP spooler) sends line printer scheduler (LP scheduler) 10 that manages printer output and list data to the printer for each page of data. It is composed of an interface script (I / F script) 11, and has a print interruption recognition function, a page recognition function, and a function of printing a higher priority one first. 2 is a printer and 3 is an alter command.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing the operation of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, and S21 to S29 show operation steps. First, when a print request priority change command (alter command) is input from the user in step S21, it is determined in step S22 whether the printer is currently printing. If the printer is not currently printing, printing is started in step S26, and step S26 is started.
When the printing ends in 29, the operation step ends.

If the printer is printing in step S22, the process proceeds to step S23, and it is determined whether or not there is a list that is already stopped during printing, and if there is already a list that is stopped during printing. Moves to step S24, and when the printing of the list currently being printed is completed, the printing of the list having the highest priority in step S21 is started, and the process proceeds to step S28, where the printing of the list of the highest priority is completed. Then, the printing of the list stopped during the printing is restarted, and the process ends in step S29.

If there is no list stopped during printing in step S23, the process proceeds to step S25, where I /
The F script 11 is stopped, and the number of pages at that time and the fact that printing is in progress are stored in a memory (not shown). I /
Before the F script 11 stops, the C.F. P. The data for the number of pages delivered from the scheduler 10 is transmitted to the printer, and the process is terminated. In the next step S27, the list having the highest priority in step S21 is printed. Then, in step S28, when the printing of the highest priority list is completed, the printing of the list suspended in step S25 is restarted. At the time of this printing, by adding "1" to the number of pages stored in the memory and passing it to the I / F script 11, printing is started from the next page. Then, when the printing is completed in step S29, the operation step is completed.

Example 2. 3A and 3B are sectional views showing a schematic structure of a printer for explaining a second embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 3A is a printer in the second embodiment and FIG. 3B is a conventional printer. 32 and 33 are paper receivers, and 34 is a switching display lamp.
As shown in FIG. 3B, in the conventional printer, only one paper receiver 32 is provided for receiving the paper for which printing has been completed, and all the printed lists are sent to this paper receiver 32. It had been. Therefore, in the first embodiment, when one list is temporarily interrupted during printing and another list is printed, the lists are mixed. In order to avoid this, in the second embodiment, a paper receiver 33 is provided separately from the paper receiver 32, and when another list is printed by temporarily suspending the printing of one list, a new list is received as the paper receiver 33. And the switching display lamp is made to blink during the period when the paper tray is switched so that each list is output separately for each page, and the user can receive the organized list. ..

[0015]

Since the present invention is constructed as described above, the following effects can be obtained.

L. P. Spooler L.A. P. By giving the scheduler a page recognition function and the I / F script a function to send page data to the printer, the list being printed is temporarily suspended in page units and another list is given priority. Can be printed as desired.

Further, by providing the printer with two paper receivers, when printing is interrupted and a paper on which another list is printed is sent out, another paper receiver receives this and the output list is output. You can prevent confusion.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an operation of the embodiment shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a second embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 L. P. Spooler 2 Printer 10 L. P. Scheduler 11 I / F script 31 Paper tray 32, 33 Paper tray 34 Switch display

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A line printer having a control function of setting a priority for a plurality of print requests, waiting for data having a low priority, and printing in order from the data having the highest priority. The means for printing as the data of the first data, when the printing request of the data (second data) having a higher priority than the data (first data) is requested during printing, the first data is printed. A means for starting the printing of the second data, which is interrupted at the end of the middle page and stored, and a means for starting the second data from the next page after the printing of the second data is completed. A line printer having means for resuming printing of. 2. An output paper receiver is provided, and a means for distributing the output paper of the first data and the output paper of the second data to different output paper receivers for output is provided. The line printer according to claim 1.