Print control method and system, and a recording medium

• US 6,678,066 B1
• Filed: 03/31/1999
• Issued: 01/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Nakamura, Kazuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Coles, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ghee, Ashanti
• Application Number:
  US09/281,967
• Time in Patent Office: 1,749 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.13, 358/437, 358/1.1, 358/1.14
• US Class Current: 358/1.13
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1215 achieving increased printing speed, i.e. reducing the time between printing start and printing end
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/124 Parallel printing or parallel ripping
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1244 Job translation or job parsing, e.g. page banding

Abstract

In a print processing section (12), print commands are converted into the form of a packet, and a header indicative of a print-end position is attached to the packet. The packet with the header attached thereto is stored into a command file section (13). A command transmitting section (14) reads out, whenever occasion calls, the packets (print commands) from the command file section (13), and sends them to a printing device (2). In the event that a print interrupt instruction is input during the printing operation, the command transmitting section (14) takes the following action on the basis of the contents of the headers of the packets. It passes the print commands of other packets than those being currently processed till a print-end position is reached, and sends only the print commands necessary for the process execution to the printing device.

Claims

1. A print control method for converting print data into print commands having a predetermined format and storing the print commands, while simultaneously sequentially reading the stored print commands and sending the read print commands to a printing device,

wherein each of the print commands has indicating information attached thereto, the indicating information for indicating whether or not a subsequent processing may be interrupted, and interpreting the indicating information before each of the read print commands is sent to the printing device to thereby determine whether or not the subsequent processing may be interrupted.

2. A print control method for converting print data into print commands having a predetermined format and storing the print commands, while simultaneously sequentially reading the stored print commands and sending the read print commands to a printing device,

wherein the print commands are formed into groups and each of the print commands has indicating information attached thereto, the indicating information for indicating print positions corresponding to the groups, and skipping the print commands before each of the read print commands is sent to the printing device until the indicating information indicating a specified print position is interpreted.

3. A print control method for converting print data into print commands having a predetermined format and storing the print commands, while simultaneously sequentially reading the stored print commands and sending the read print commands to a printing device,

wherein the print commands are formed into groups and each of the print commands has indicating information attached thereto, the indicating information for indicating at least one of whether a subsequent processing may be interrupted and print positions corresponding to the groups;

the print control method comprising receiving a print interrupt instruction, and, in case of receiving the print interrupt instruction, interpreting the indicating information to determine whether or not the subsequent processing of the groups may be interrupted and skipping the print commands until the indicating information indicating a specified print position is interpreted, both of which steps are performed before each of the read print commands is sent to the printing device.

4. A print control system for converting print data into print commands having a predetermined format and storing the print commands, while simultaneously sequentially reading the stored print commands and sending the read print commands to a printing device, comprising:

attaching means for attaching indicating information to each of the print commands for indicating whether or not a subsequent processing may be interrupted; and

interpreting means for interpreting the indicating information before each of the read print commands is sent to the printing device to thereby determine whether or not the subsequent processing may be interrupted.

5. A print control system for converting print data into print commands having a predetermined format and storing the print commands, while simultaneously sequentially reading the stored print commands and sending the read print commands to a printing device, comprising:

attaching means for attaching indicating information to the print commands which are formed into groups wherein the indicating information indicates print positions corresponding to the groups; and

skipping means for skipping the print commands before each of the read print commands is sent to the printing device until the indicating information indicating a specified print position is interpreted.

6. A print control system for converting print data into print commands having a predetermined format and storing the print commands, while simultaneously sequentially reading the stored print commands and sending the read print commands to a printing device, comprising:

attaching means for attaching indicating information to the print commands which are formed into groups wherein the indicating information indicates at least one of whether a subsequent processing may be interrupted and print positions corresponding to the groups;

receiving means for receiving a print interrupt instruction;

interpreting means for interpreting the indicating information before each of the read print commands is sent to the printing device to thereby determine whether or not the subsequent processing may be interrupted in case of receiving the print interrupt instruction; and

skipping means for skipping the print commands before each of the read print commands is sent to the printing device until the indicating information indicating a specified print position is interpreted in case of receiving the print interrupt instruction.

7. A recording medium, accessible by a computer, which stores a program for causing the computer to execute:

a process for converting print data into print commands having a predetermined format;

a process for attaching indicating information to each of the print commands for indicating whether or not a subsequent processing may be interrupted, and storing the print commands with the indication information attached thereto;

a process for interpreting the indicating information to thereby determine whether or not the subsequent processing may be interrupted; and

a process for sending only the print commands, being determined to be sent by interpreting said indicating information, to a printing device.

10. A recording medium according to any of claims 7 to 9, wherein the indicating information is deleted before the print commands are sent to the printing device.

14. A recording medium according to any of claims 7 to 9, wherein the indicating information is deleted before the print commands are sent to the printing device and has a format not affecting the printing device.

8. A recording medium, accessible by a computer, which stores a program for causing the computer to execute:

a process for converting print data into print commands having a predetermined format;

a process for forming the print commands into groups;

a process for attaching indicating information to each of the print commands for indicating print positions corresponding to the groups, and storing the print commands with the indication information attached thereto;

a process for skipping the print commands until the indicating information indicating a specified print position is interpreted; and

a process for sending predetermined print commands to a printing device when the indicating information indicating a specified print position is interpreted.

11. A recording medium according to any of claims 8 or 9, wherein the group of print commands corresponds to a unit of print processing.

12. A recording medium according to claim 11, wherein the unit of print processing corresponds to any of a command stream, page, or a job.

13. A recording medium according to any of claims 7-9 or 12, wherein the indicating information has a format not affecting the printing device.

15. A recording medium according to any of claims 8 or 9, wherein the group of print commands corresponds to the unit of print processing and the indicating information has a format not affecting the printing device.

9. A recording medium, accessible by a computer, which stores a program for causing the computer to execute:

a process for converting print data into print commands having a predetermined format;

a process for forming the print commands into groups;

a process for attaching indicating information to each of the print commands for indicating at least one of whether a subsequent processing may be interrupted and print positions corresponding to the groups, and storing the print commands with the indication information attached thereto;

a process for receiving a print interrupt instruction;

a process for interpreting the indicating information to determine whether or not the subsequent processing of the groups may be interrupted and skipping the print commands until the indicating information indicating a specified print position is interpreted in case of receiving the print interrupt instruction; and

a process for sending predetermined print commands to a printing device when the indicating information indicating a specified print position is interpreted.