JP3016314B2 - Page printer - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a page printer,
In particular, it relates to a data reception method of an upper interface.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional page printer includes a plurality of high-level interface connectors, a plurality of data input circuit sections corresponding to the plurality of high-level interfaces, and reads received data from these data input circuit sections to produce print data. It has a print data control unit to be converted and a page memory in which print data is written by the print data control unit.

Next, the operation of the conventional example will be described. When data is received from one of a plurality of upper interfaces, a data input circuit corresponding to the upper interface notifies the print data controller of data reception. The print data control unit that has received the notification outputs a non-reception signal to another data input circuit unit. Then, the data input circuit unit that has received the reception disable signal issues a reception disable signal on the upper interface.

[0004] With this operation, the page printer is exclusively used by the higher-level device that first issued the print data. In this state, all the received data is printed out, and for a certain period of time,
It continues until data reception stops. Thereafter, when data reception is interrupted for a certain period of time, the print data control unit cancels the reception impossible signal for each data input circuit unit and enters a data reception waiting state.

[0005]

In this conventional page printer, when data is received from one host device, all the other host interfaces are in a non-receivable state even though a plurality of host interfaces can be connected simultaneously. Since the upper device that first outputs data occupies the page printer, even if a plurality of upper interfaces can be connected simultaneously, one unit of print data generation processing can be performed only by one higher device. However, there is a problem in that the other higher-level devices wait for output of print data.

[0006]

According to the present invention , a plurality of data input circuit sections corresponding to a plurality of higher-level interfaces enabling a plurality of higher-level devices to be connected at the same time, and reception data is read from the data input circuit sections. in the print data control unit for converting the print data, and one page memory for the print data from the print data control unit is written, the print data output circuit that transmits the print data on the page memory to the print mechanism unit in Lupe Jipurinta with the door, the print data output circuit the plurality of upper
All print data for one page from the device is
From the print data control unit when written to the
By the output start notification that is output,
It is characterized in that data is read and transmitted to the printing mechanism.
The resulting page printer is obtained .

[0007]

[0008]

Next, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the page printer of the present invention.

In this embodiment, two higher-level devices A3 and B4
Have upper interfaces respectively, and data received from these upper devices A3 and B4 are input to data input circuit units A1 and B2, respectively. Here, upper device A
The operation of this embodiment when the print data is output almost simultaneously from 3 and B4 will be described.

First, when print data is input from the higher-level device A3 to the data input circuit A1, the data input circuit A
Reference numeral 1 indicates that the busy signal a to the higher-level device A3 is valid and data transmission from the higher-level device A3 is disabled. Subsequently, the data input circuit unit A1 notifies the print data control unit 5 of the data reception notification a.
Is output, the print data control unit 5 reads the print data from the data input circuit unit A1, and if the data is character data, develops it into dot matrix print data and writes it to the page memory 6.

Thereafter, the print data control unit 5 outputs a reception enable notification a to the data input circuit unit A1, and upon receiving the reception enable notification a, the data input circuit unit A1 invalidates the busy signal a and invalidates the busy signal a. Enables print data output.

Similarly, when print data is input from the higher-level device B4 to the data input circuit B2, the data input circuit B2 validates the busy signal b to the higher-level device B4 and disables data transmission from the higher-level device B4. . Subsequently, when the data input circuit unit B2 outputs a data reception notification b to the print data control unit 5, the print data control unit 5 reads the print data from the data input circuit unit B2, and if the data is character data, a dot matrix. And writes it to the page memory 7.

Thereafter, the print data control section 5 outputs a reception enable notification b to the data input circuit section B2. When the data input circuit section B2 receives the reception enable notification b, the print data control section 5 invalidates the busy signal b and invalidates the busy signal b. Enables print data output.

By repeating the above operation procedure, the host device A
The print data from the third or higher-level device B4 is simultaneously developed on the page memory 6 or 7.

When all the print data for one page from the host device A3 is developed on the page memory 6,
The print data control unit 5 receives the print start code from the host device A3, outputs a reception enable notification a to the data input circuit unit A1, and stops transmission of print data from the host device A3. When all the print data for one page from the higher-level device A3 is developed on the page memory 6, the higher-level device A3
Reference numeral 3 outputs a print start code.

The print start code is also output from the host device B4 in the same procedure. The print data control unit 5 is a host device A
When the print start code is received from B3 and B4, an output start notification is output to the print data output circuit 7. When receiving the output start notification, the print data output circuit 7 reads all the data on the page memory 6 (print data for one page from each of the higher-level devices A3 and B4) and sends it to the printing mechanism.

Although the present embodiment has been described assuming that there are two higher-level devices, it goes without saying that the present invention can be applied to a case of three or more higher-level devices.

[0018]

As described above, according to the present invention, a plurality of
A plurality of data input circuit portion corresponding to a plurality level interface to position device at the same time be connected, the data input
Reads received data from input circuit and converts it to print data
Print data control unit, and the print data control unit
One page memory to which print data is written and this page memory
A mark for sending the print data on the page memory to the printing mechanism
And a printing data output circuit.
Print data output circuit is for each page from multiple host devices
Print data has been written to the page memory.
Output start notification output from the print data controller
Reads all data on the page memory and sends it to the printing mechanism
Communication, the print data from the plurality of data input circuit units are combined on one page memory, and a plurality of higher-level devices can input the print data to one page printer. Such complicated processing can be performed in parallel by a plurality of higher-level devices, which has the effect of improving the print data processing speed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of a page printer according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Data input circuit part A 2 Data input circuit part B 3 Host device A 4 Host device B 5 Print data control part 6 Page memory 7 Print data output circuit

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A plurality of data input circuit sections corresponding to a plurality of upper interfaces enabling simultaneous connection of a plurality of upper apparatuses, and a print data control section for reading received data from the data input circuit sections and converting the received data into print data. If, Lupe Jipurinta includes <br/> and one page memory for the print data from the print data control unit is written, and a print data output circuit that transmits the print data on the page memory to the print mechanism unit The print data output time
The path is one page of print data from each of the plurality of higher-level devices.
When all data has been written to the page memory,
The output start notification output from the printing data control unit
Reads all data on page memory and prints
A page printer, wherein the page is transmitted to a printer.