U.S. patent application number 15/215981 was filed with the patent office on 2017-08-17 for print control apparatus and method, print system, and non-transitory computer readable medium.
This patent application is currently assigned to FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.. The applicant listed for this patent is FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.. Invention is credited to Satoshi KONDO, Naoya TAKAYAMA.
Application Number | 20170235263 15/215981 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 59559586 |
Filed Date | 2017-08-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20170235263 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
TAKAYAMA; Naoya ; et
al. |
August 17, 2017 |
PRINT CONTROL APPARATUS AND METHOD, PRINT SYSTEM, AND
NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM
Abstract
A print control apparatus includes an analyzing unit, an
obtaining unit, and a controller. The analyzing unit analyzes a
total number of pages of received print data. The obtaining unit
obtains number-of-printable-pages information, which is information
on a number of pages printable on a bundle of continuous form paper
set in a printer that performs printing on continuous form paper.
When reference to the number-of-printable-pages information
obtained by the obtaining unit and the total number of pages
analyzed by the analyzing unit indicates that a print result based
on the print data is to be printed on multiple bundles of
continuous form paper, the controller controls the printer to
print, on at least last two pages of the currently set bundle of
continuous form paper, information indicating an order of output of
the bundle of continuous form paper.
Inventors: |
TAKAYAMA; Naoya; (Kanagawa,
JP) ; KONDO; Satoshi; (Kanagawa, JP) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
FUJI XEROX CO., LTD. |
Tokyo |
|
JP |
|
|
Assignee: |
FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
Tokyo
JP
|
Family ID: |
59559586 |
Appl. No.: |
15/215981 |
Filed: |
July 21, 2016 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
399/82 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G03G 15/652 20130101;
G06F 3/1288 20130101; G03G 15/5087 20130101; G06F 3/1204 20130101;
G06F 3/1251 20130101; G03G 15/50 20130101 |
International
Class: |
G03G 15/00 20060101
G03G015/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Feb 12, 2016 |
JP |
2016-024771 |
Claims
1. A print control apparatus comprising: an analyzing unit that
analyzes a total number of pages of received print data; an
obtaining unit that obtains number-of-printable-pages information,
which is information on a number of pages printable on a bundle of
continuous form paper set in a printer that performs printing on
continuous form paper; and a controller that, when reference to the
number-of-printable-pages information obtained by the obtaining
unit and the total number of pages analyzed by the analyzing unit
indicates that a print result based on the print data is to be
printed on a plurality of bundles of continuous form paper,
controls the printer to print, on at least the last two consecutive
pages of the currently set bundle of continuous form paper,
information indicating an order of output of the bundle of
continuous form paper.
2. The print control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the
information indicating the order of output of the bundle of
continuous form paper includes information on a total number of
bundles of continuous form paper to be output by executing the
print job.
3. The print control apparatus according to claim 2, further
comprising: a calculation unit that calculates a total number of
bundles of continuous form paper necessary for printing the print
data, from the total number of pages analyzed by the analyzing
unit, and a number of pages printable on one bundle of continuous
form paper.
4. The print control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the
obtaining unit obtains the number-of-printable-pages information
from the printer.
5. The print control apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the
obtaining unit obtains the number-of-printable-pages information
from the printer.
6. The print control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the
obtaining unit obtains the number-of-printable-pages information by
receiving, on the basis of a user operation, information on a
number of pages printable on one bundle of continuous form
paper.
7. The print control apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the
obtaining unit obtains the number-of-printable-pages information by
receiving, on the basis of a user operation, information on a
number of pages printable on one bundle of continuous form
paper.
8. The print control apparatus according to claim 1, further
comprising: a computation unit that computes a number of output
pages output by the printer after replacement of continuous form
paper, wherein the obtaining unit calculates a number of remaining
pages of a bundle of continuous form paper set in the printer from
a number of pages printable on one bundle of continuous form paper
and the number of output pages computed by the computation unit,
and obtains the number of remaining pages as the
number-of-printable-pages information.
9. The print control apparatus according to claim 3, further
comprising: a computation unit that computes a number of output
pages output by the printer after replacement of continuous form
paper, wherein the obtaining unit calculates a number of remaining
pages of a bundle of continuous form paper set in the printer from
a number of pages printable on one bundle of continuous form paper
and the number of output pages computed by the computation unit,
and obtains the number of remaining pages as the
number-of-printable-pages information.
10. The print control apparatus according to claim 4, further
comprising: a computation unit that computes a number of output
pages output by the printer after replacement of continuous form
paper, wherein the obtaining unit calculates a number of remaining
pages of a bundle of continuous form paper set in the printer from
a number of pages printable on one bundle of continuous form paper
and the number of output pages computed by the computation unit,
and obtains the number of remaining pages as the
number-of-printable-pages information.
11. The print control apparatus according to claim 6, further
comprising: a computation unit that computes a number of output
pages output by the printer after replacement of continuous form
paper, wherein the obtaining unit calculates a number of remaining
pages of a bundle of continuous form paper set in the printer from
a number of pages printable on one bundle of continuous form paper
and the number of output pages computed by the computation unit,
and obtains the number of remaining pages as the
number-of-printable-pages information.
12. A print system comprising: a printer that performs printing on
continuous form paper; and a print control apparatus including an
analyzing unit that analyzes a total number of pages of received
print data, an obtaining unit that obtains
number-of-printable-pages information, which is information on a
number of pages printable on a bundle of continuous form paper set
in the printer, and a controller that, when reference to the
number-of-printable-pages information obtained by the obtaining
unit and the total number of pages analyzed by the analyzing unit
indicates that a print result based on the print data is to be
printed on a plurality of bundles of continuous form paper,
controls the printer to print, on at least the last two consecutive
pages of the currently set bundle of continuous form paper,
information indicating an order of output of the bundle of
continuous form paper.
13. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program
causing a computer to execute a process, the process comprising:
analyzing a total number of pages of received print data; obtaining
number-of-printable-pages information, which is information on a
number of pages printable on a bundle of continuous form paper set
in a printer that performs printing on continuous form paper; and
when reference to the obtained number-of-printable-pages
information and the analyzed total number of pages indicates that a
print result based on the print data is to be printed on a
plurality of bundles of continuous form paper, controlling the
printer to print, on at least the last two consecutive pages of the
currently set bundle of continuous form paper, information
indicating an order of output of the bundle of continuous form
paper.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is based on and claims priority under 35
USC 119 from Japanese Patent Application No. 2016-024771 filed Feb.
12, 2016.
BACKGROUND
[0002] (i) Technical Field
[0003] The present invention relates to a print control apparatus
and method, a print system, and a non-transitory computer readable
medium.
[0004] (ii) Related Art
[0005] A printer that prints on continuous form paper often
performs printing based on print data of a great number of pages.
Therefore, not the entire print result may be output on one bundle
of continuous form paper, and accordingly, the print result may be
output on multiple bundles of continuous form paper.
[0006] The printed continuous form paper is stacked in such a
manner that the firstly printed page becomes the bottom and the
lastly printed page becomes the top. Therefore, it is not easy to
identify the order of output simply by looking at the bundles of
output continuous form paper. In particular, when print data of
invoices or the like is printed on continuous form paper, the page
number is not printed on the individual pages. Therefore, the order
of output is not identifiable only by looking at the bundles of
output continuous form paper.
[0007] However, if the bundles of printed continuous form paper are
not handled in the order of output, the order of pages becomes
different from that of the original print data, which may result in
a trouble in the processing afterwards.
SUMMARY
[0008] According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a
print control apparatus including an analyzing unit, an obtaining
unit, and a controller. The analyzing unit analyzes a total number
of pages of received print data. The obtaining unit obtains
number-of-printable-pages information, which is information on a
number of pages printable on a bundle of continuous form paper set
in a printer that performs printing on continuous form paper. When
reference to the number-of-printable-pages information obtained by
the obtaining unit and the total number of pages analyzed by the
analyzing unit indicates that a print result based on the print
data is to be printed on multiple bundles of continuous form paper,
the controller controls the printer to print, on at least last two
pages of the currently set bundle of continuous form paper,
information indicating an order of output of the bundle of
continuous form paper.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] An exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be
described in detail based on the following figures, wherein:
[0010] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the system configuration of
a print system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present
invention;
[0011] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a specific exemplary
configuration of a continuous form paper printer according to the
exemplary embodiment of the present invention;
[0012] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the hardware
configuration of a print server according to the exemplary
embodiment of the present invention;
[0013] FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating the functional
configuration of the print server according to the exemplary
embodiment of the present invention;
[0014] FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the
print server according to the exemplary embodiment of the present
invention;
[0015] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary print of a
banner sheet for two pages, printed on a first bundle of continuous
form paper according to the exemplary embodiment of the present
invention;
[0016] FIG. 7 is a diagram for describing order-of-output
information and total-number-of-bundles information printed on the
banner sheet;
[0017] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary print of the
banner sheet for two pages, printed on a second bundle of
continuous form paper according to the exemplary embodiment of the
present invention;
[0018] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating the case where, when the
banner sheet is printed on the last two pages, the last page is
valley-folded;
[0019] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the case where, when the
banner sheet is printed on the last two pages, the last page is
mountain-folded;
[0020] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating the case where, when the
last page is valley-folded as illustrated in FIG. 9, the last page
is arranged facing back at the top of the bundle of continuous form
paper;
[0021] FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating the case where, when the
last page is mountain-folded as illustrated in FIG. 10, the last
page is arranged facing front at the top of the bundle of
continuous form paper; and
[0022] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the case where the banner
sheet, on which information indicating the order of output of each
of bundles of continuous form paper is printed, is arranged facing
front at the top of the bundles of continuous form paper.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0023] Next, an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will
be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
[0024] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of
a print system according to the exemplary embodiment of the present
invention.
[0025] The print system according to the exemplary embodiment of
the present invention includes a print server (print control
apparatus) 10, a terminal apparatus 20, and a continuous form paper
printer 30 which is a printer that performs printing on continuous
form paper, which are connected to one another via a network 40, as
illustrated in FIG. 1. The terminal apparatus 20 generates print
data and transmits the generated print data to the print server 10
via the network 40. The print server 10 accepts the print data
transmitted from the terminal apparatus 20, and controls the
continuous form paper printer 30 to print an image in accordance
with the print data on continuous form paper.
[0026] The term "continuous form paper" refers to paper capable of
being folded in units of pages that are perforated to be separable
at fold lines, and this paper is different from a so-called paper
roll that is continuous paper without any fold lines.
[0027] Next, FIG. 2 illustrates a specific exemplary configuration
of the continuous form paper printer 30 of the exemplary
embodiment.
[0028] The continuous form paper printer 30 of the exemplary
embodiment includes a hopper 31, a conveying roller 32, a developer
33, a photoconductive drum 34, a transfer unit 35, a fixing unit
36, and a stacker 37, as illustrated in FIG. 2.
[0029] The developer 33 develops an electrostatic latent image
formed on the photoconductive drum 34. The transfer unit 35
transfers a toner image on the photoconductive drum 34, developed
by the developer 33, to continuous form paper 41. The toner image
transferred to the continuous form paper 41 is fixed by the fixing
unit 36.
[0030] The continuous form paper printer 30 is configured as
follows. That is, the continuous form paper 41 accommodated in the
hopper 31 is fed from a paper feed port. Printing is performed on
the fed continuous form paper 41 while the continuous form paper is
conveyed on a paper transport path. The continuous form paper 41 is
folded and ejected onto the stacker 37.
[0031] Next, FIG. 3 illustrates the hardware configuration of the
print server 10 in the print system according to the exemplary
embodiment.
[0032] The print server 10 includes a central processing unit (CPU)
11, a memory 12, a storage device 13 such as a hard disk drive
(HDD), a communication interface (IF) 14 that performs transmission
and reception of data to and from an external apparatus via the
network 40, and a user interface (UI) device 15 including a
touchscreen, or a liquid crystal display and a keyboard, as
illustrated in FIG. 3. These elements are connected to one another
via a control bus 16.
[0033] The CPU 11 executes a certain process based on a control
program stored in the memory 12 or the storage device 13, and
controls the operation of the print server 10. Although the
exemplary embodiment has discussed that the CPU 11 reads and
executes the control program stored in the memory 12 or the storage
device 13, the program may be stored in a storage medium such as a
compact-disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) and may be provided to the
CPU 11.
[0034] FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating the functional
configuration of the print server 10 realized by execution of the
above-mentioned control program.
[0035] The print server 10 of the exemplary embodiment includes a
print job receiver 51, a print job storage unit 52, a print job
transfer unit 53, a print job manager 54, and a
number-of-printable-pages obtaining unit 55, as illustrated in FIG.
4.
[0036] The print job receiver 51 receives a print job (print data)
for printing with the continuous form paper printer 30 from the
terminal apparatus 20.
[0037] The print job storage unit 52 stores the print job received
by the print job receiver 51.
[0038] The print job transfer unit 53 transfers the print job
stored in the print job storage unit 52 to the continuous form
paper printer 30 in units of pages.
[0039] The number-of-printable-pages obtaining unit 55 obtains
number-of-printable-pages information, which is information on the
number of pages printable on a bundle of continuous form paper
currently set in the continuous form paper printer 30.
[0040] In this case, the number-of-printable-pages obtaining unit
55 may obtain the number-of-printable-pages information from the
continuous form paper printer 30 via the network 40.
[0041] Alternatively, the number-of-printable-pages obtaining unit
55 may obtain the number-of-printable-pages information by
receiving, on the basis of a user operation, information on the
number of pages printable on one bundle of continuous form paper.
For example, when one bundle of continuous form paper has
continuous forms of 2000 pages, the user inputs the value "2000"
via a user interface. The number-of-printable-pages obtaining unit
55 may obtain this "2000" pages as the number-of-printable-pages
information.
[0042] When printing of print data starts in the middle of one
bundle of continuous form paper, the number of pages of one bundle
of continuous form paper does not directly be the number of
printable pages. In such a case, the number-of-printable-pages
obtaining unit 55 calculates the number of output pages output by
the continuous form paper printer 30 after replacement of the
continuous form paper, calculates the number of remaining pages of
a bundle of continuous form paper set in the continuous form paper
printer 30 from the number of pages printable on one bundle of
continuous form paper and the calculated number of output pages,
and obtains this number of remaining pages as the
number-of-printable-pages information.
[0043] The print job manager 54 manages page information of the
print job transferred by the print job transfer unit 53.
[0044] The print job manager 54 also analyzes the total number of
pages of the print job received by the print job receiver 51 and
stored in the print job storage unit 52. Referring to the
number-of-printable-pages information obtained by the
number-of-printable-pages obtaining unit 55 and the analyzed total
number of pages, the print job manager 54 determines whether a
print result based on the print job is to be printed on multiple
bundles of continuous form paper. When it is determined that a
print result based on the print job is to be printed on multiple
bundles of continuous form paper, the print job manager 54 controls
the print job transfer unit 53 to control the continuous form paper
printer 30 to print, on at least the last two pages of the
currently set bundle of continuous form paper, information
indicating the order of output of the bundle of continuous form
paper.
[0045] The information indicating the order of output of the bundle
of continuous form paper may include information on the total
number of bundles of continuous form paper output by executing this
print job.
[0046] The print job manager 54 is able to calculate the total
number of bundles of continuous form paper necessary for printing
the print job, from the analyzed total number of pages of the print
job and the number of pages printable on one bundle of continuous
form paper. For example, when the total number of pages of a print
job to be printed is 50000 pages and when one bundle of continuous
form paper has continuous forms of 2000 pages, the total number of
bundles of continuous form paper necessary for printing this print
job is calculated as 26 (50000/19989.apprxeq.25.03). Since the case
is described here where the information indicating the order of
output of each bundle of continuous form paper is printed as a
banner sheet on the last two pages of the bundle of continuous form
paper, the total number of necessary bundles of continuous form
paper is calculated by performing division by 1998 pages, which is
obtained by subtracting 2 from 2000, which is the number of pages
of one bundle of continuous form paper.
[0047] Next, the operation of the print system according to the
exemplary embodiment will be described in detail with reference to
the drawings.
[0048] FIG. 5 is a flowchart for describing the operation of the
print system according to the exemplary embodiment. Hereinafter,
the operation in the case where the total number of pages of a
print job to be printed exceeds the number of pages of one bundle
of continuous form paper will be described. Specifically, the total
number of pages of the print job is 50000 pages, and the number of
pages of one bundle of continuous form paper is 2000 pages.
[0049] At first, the number-of-printable-pages obtaining unit 55
obtains, for example, the value "2000", which is the number of
pages of one bundle of continuous form paper, from the continuous
form paper printer 30 as the number of printable pages (step S101).
Alternatively, the user may input the value "2000", and the
number-of-printable-pages obtaining unit 55 may obtain the value
"2000" as the number of printable pages. Alternatively, the user
may operate an operation screen and input the model number of
continuous form paper, and the number-of-printable-pages obtaining
unit 55 may obtain the number of printable pages which is described
in advance in a memory or the like in association with the model
number of continuous form paper.
[0050] The print job manager 54 controls the print job transfer
unit 53, thereby transferring image data for one page to the
continuous form paper printer 30 (step S102), and 1 is added to the
number of output pages (step S103). It is determined whether
transmission of all the pages of the print job is completed (step
S104). When transmission of all the pages of the print job is not
completed, it is determined whether the page to be transmitted next
is to be printed on the last two pages of the bundle of continuous
form paper (step S105).
[0051] Specifically, since the number of pages of one bundle of
continuous form paper is 2000, the last two pages mean page 1999
and page 2000.
[0052] When the page to be transmitted next does not correspond to
a page to be printed on the last two pages, the processing in steps
S102 to S104 is repeated.
[0053] When the page to be transmitted next corresponds to a page
to be printed on the last two pages, namely, pages 1999 and 2000,
of the bundle of continuous form paper (YES in step S105), the
print job manager 54 controls the print job transfer unit 53 to
transfer, instead of the normal image data, print data for two
pages for printing a banner sheet including information that
indicates the order of output of the bundle of continuous form
paper and information on the total number of bundles of continuous
form paper (step S106).
[0054] FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary print of the banner sheet
for two pages, printed by performing such control. In FIG. 6, the
title "END BANNER SHEET", information including the user name and
the print job name, and the numerals "#001/026" are printed on page
1999 and page 2000.
[0055] As illustrated in FIG. 7, the numeral "#001" is
order-of-output information 71 indicating the order of output of
the bundle of continuous form paper, and the numeral "026" is
total-number-of-bundles information 72 indicating the total number
of bundles of continuous form paper.
[0056] In other words, by referring to the banner sheet illustrated
in FIG. 7, the user is able to know that the order of output of
this bundle of continuous form paper is the first out of
to-be-printed bundles (boxes) of continuous form paper that are 26
in total.
[0057] When printing of the banner sheet for two pages is
completed, the continuous form paper printer 30 runs out of
continuous form paper, and printing is interrupted. Therefore,
paper is replaced in the continuous form paper printer 30. When the
replacement of paper is completed (YES in step S107), the
processing in steps S101 to S106 is repeated.
[0058] FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary print in the case where the
banner sheet is printed on the last two pages of a second bundle of
continuous form paper. The example illustrated in FIG. 8 is the
exemplary print result on the second bundle (box) of continuous
form paper. Thus, the numeral "#002" is printed as the
order-of-output information 71.
[0059] Whenever a bundle of continuous form paper is replaced with
new one, the order-of-output information 71 indicating the order of
output of that new bundle of continuous form paper and the
total-number-of-bundles information 72 are printed on the last two
pages of that bundle of continuous form paper.
[0060] When printing of all the pages of the print job is completed
in the middle of the above-mentioned process (YES in step S104),
the print job manager 54 controls the print job transfer unit 53 to
transmit the banner sheet for two pages after completion of
printing of all the pages of the print job, and ends the process
(step S108). The information "#026/026" is printed on the banner
sheet on the last two pages of the last bundle of continuous form
paper.
[0061] The reason for printing the banner sheet with the same
details on the last two pages of each bundle of continuous form
paper will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 to 12.
[0062] Continuous form paper has a folded structure where the pages
are alternately mountain-folded and valley-folded. Therefore,
whether the last page is to be valley-folded or mountain-folded is
unidentifiable.
[0063] When the banner sheet is printed on the last two pages, FIG.
9 illustrates the case where the last page is valley-folded, and
FIG. 10 illustrates the case where the last page is
mountain-folded.
[0064] When the last page is valley-folded as illustrated in FIG.
9, the last page is arranged facing back at the top of the bundle
of continuous form paper, as illustrated in FIG. 11. However, the
front side of the banner sheet appears by discarding this last
page, as illustrated in FIG. 11.
[0065] When the last page is mountain-folded as illustrated in FIG.
10, the last page is arranged facing front at the top of the bundle
of continuous form paper, as illustrated in FIG. 12. Therefore, the
front side of the banner sheet appears without having the user
discard the last page, as illustrated in FIG. 12.
[0066] In other words, the banner sheet with the same details is
printed on the last two pages of each bundle of printed continuous
paper as in the exemplary embodiment, and, when a page at the top
of a bundle of continuous form paper is blank meaning the back
side, the user cuts off and discards that blank page. Accordingly,
as illustrated in FIG. 13, the banner sheet, on which information
indicating the order of output of each bundle of continuous form
paper is printed, is arranged facing front at the top of all
bundles of continuous form paper.
[0067] The foregoing description of the exemplary embodiment of the
present invention has been provided for the purposes of
illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive
or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed.
Obviously, many modifications and variations will be apparent to
practitioners skilled in the art. The embodiment was chosen and
described in order to best explain the principles of the invention
and its practical applications, thereby enabling others skilled in
the art to understand the invention for various embodiments and
with the various modifications as are suited to the particular use
contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be
defined by the following claims and their equivalents.
* * * * *