Facsimile and static presentation processing – Static presentation processing – Communication
Reexamination Certificate
1997-06-23
2001-12-04
Popovici, Dov (Department: 2622)
Facsimile and static presentation processing
Static presentation processing
Communication
C358S001160, C358S001130
Reexamination Certificate
active
06327044
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a printer for printing a plurality of print data pieces in a predetermined order.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional printers normally are used by local connection to data processing systems in a one-to-one correspondence with each other. Thus, generally printers comprise only a single type of connection interface adaptive to the data processing system to be connected to the printer.
However, with change in an information processing environment in recent years, it has been demanded that a printer can cover data processing systems having different types of interfaces. For example, a printer comprising a number of input interfaces such as serial ports and parallel ports, which will be hereinafter called input ports, is provided in response to such a demand.
FIG. 27
shows an example of such a printer having a number of input ports. In the figure, for example, a printer
30
is connected to four data processing systems, hereinafter called hosts, H (H
1
-H
4
) via input ports P (P
1
-P
4
), and each input port P (P
1
-P
4
) is provided with a buffer memory B (B
1
-B
4
) having a predetermined capacity.
In the configuration, assume that print commands and data, which will be hereinafter called print jobs, are input to the input ports P from the hosts H at timings as shown in FIG.
28
and are stored in the buffer memories B. At this time, the printer
30
first prints based on the print job input from the host H
1
and subsequently prints based on the print jobs input from the hosts H
3
, H
2
, and H
4
in order. The reason why the conventional printer
30
prints in the above order is that, as shown in
FIG. 28
, an image formation process is executed in the printer data transfer start order to the input ports P, so that a print request is issued to a print mechanism (not shown), and that at the termination of the print job, an image formation process based on the next received print job is executed.
Thus, the conventional printer
30
starts printing in the print job reception order and does not start printing based on another print job unless the current print job is complete. Therefore, the printer involves the following problem:
In the example shown in
FIG. 28
, the print jobs sent from the hosts H
2
-H
4
enter a printable state earlier than the print job input from the host H
1
, but enter a wait state until completion of the print job input from the host H
1
because they are late for the print data transfer start time. Thus, an appreciable wait time is contained by the time all print jobs are completed, not only prolonging the total print time in the printer
30
, but also making the operator of the host in the wait state irritated.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a printer that can solve the problems and execute a plurality of print jobs in the optimum order.
According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a printer comprising: means for receiving print data corresponding to a plurality of print jobs; means for generating intermediate code from the print data received by the reception means; print request preparation means for issuing a print request for the generated intermediate code; a print mechanism for printing based on the corresponding intermediate code in an acceptance order of the print requests issued by the print request preparation means; and priority determination means for determining a print job execution priority used as a trigger for issuing the print request.
According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a printer comprising: means for receiving print data corresponding to a plurality of print jobs; means for storing a plurality of print data received by the reception means; means for generating intermediate code from each of the print data; means for storing intermediate code generated for each print data; print request preparation means for issuing a print request for the generated intermediate code; a print mechanism for printing based on the corresponding intermediate code in an acceptance order of the print requests issued by the print request preparation means; and priority determination means for determining a print job execution priority used as a trigger for issuing the print request; wherein the priority determination means can select either of first and second priority modes, the first priority mode assigning high execution priorities to print jobs in a storage completion time order of the print data in the print data storage means so that the print requests are issued according to the execution priorities, and the second priority mode assigning high execution priorities to print jobs in a storage completion time order of the intermediate code in the intermediate code storage means so that the print requests are issued according to the execution priorities.
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patent: 5444827 (1995-08-01), Briggs et al.
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patent: 5630030 (1997-05-01), Kawamura
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Popovici Dov
Seiko Epson Corporation
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
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