JPH0361056A - Color printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve a processing speed by a method wherein, when all planes of a frame memory are not used, in parallel to the printing of one page the original information for the next page is developed on the remaining planes of the frame memory. CONSTITUTION:When all planes 41y-41k of a frame memory 41 are not used for printing one page, in parallel to the printing of said page the information for the next page is developed in the remaining planes of the frame memory 41. For example, the bit map information of black K for the 1st, 2nd, 3rd,... pages transmitted from a host computer are respectively sequentially developed on the planes 41k, 41y, 41m,... of the frame memory 41. The bit map information for the 1st, 2nd, 3rd,... pages are sequentially read from the planes 41k, 41y, 41m,... of the frame memory 41, whereby printing (the forming of a toner image) is carried out.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Field of Application] The present invention is applicable to a color printer having a plurality of planes of memory.

[Background of the Invention] Conventionally, color printers have been proposed that sequentially form toner images of a plurality of colors on a photoreceptor to form a color toner image. FIG. 2 shows an example.

In the figure, 1 is a photoreceptor having a photoconductive layer provided on a conductive substrate. Further, 21 is a corona charger, 26 is an image exposure device, and - is a laser beam emitted from the image exposure device 26;
A, B, C and D are developing devices having yellow magenta, cyan and black toners, respectively; 31
3 is a fixing device, 32 is a pre-transfer exposure lamp, 33 is a transfer electrode,
34 is a separation electrode, P is a transfer paper, and 35 is a cleaning static elimination electrode.

Further, 36 is a cleaning device, which includes a cleaning plate 1/36a, a bias roller 361], and a cleaning roller 36c.

The surface of the photoreceptor 1 is uniformly charged by a corona charger 21. Next, laser light from the image exposure device 26 for the yellow image is directed onto the photoreceptor 1, and a latent image is formed on the photoreceptor 1.

This latent image is developed by a developing device A having yellow toner. As a result, a yellow toner image is formed on the photoreceptor 1.

Further, the surface of the photoreceptor 1 on which the yellow toner image has been formed is uniformly charged by the corona charger 21. continue,
A laser beam L7 according to magenta image data is emitted from the image exposure device 26 onto the photoreceptor 1, and a latent image is formed on the photoreceptor 1. This latent image is developed by a developing device B having magenta toner. As a result, an ELL:1-toner image and a magenta toner image are formed on the photoreceptor 1 in an overlapping manner.

Thereafter, a cyan toner image and a black toner image are sequentially formed on the photoreceptor 1-L in a similar manner. As a result, a color toner image is formed on the photoreceptor 1.

The color toner image thus formed is neutralized by the exposure lamp 32 to facilitate transfer, and then transferred to the recording paper P by the transfer electrode 33. And recording paper P
is separated from the photoreceptor 1 by the separation electrode 34, and the fuser 3
1 will be fixed. Further, the photoreceptor 1 is cleaned by a static eliminating electrode 35 and a cleaning device 36.

Further, FIG. 3 shows the image exposure device 26 and the photoreceptor 1. As shown in FIG.

In the figure, 41 is a frame memory of four planes, each plane being 41y, 41m, and 41c.

Above 41, hit map information (image data) for yellow Y, magenta M, cyan C, and black << is developed.

-L As described above, when the yellow toner image is being formed, the yellow Y hitmap information is sequentially read out from the plane 41y of the frame memory 41 and supplied to the laser drive circuit 42, and the semiconductor laser 37 uses the hitmap information. Driven based on. The laser beam output from the semiconductor laser 37 is deflected by a rotating polygon mirror 3 for deflection.
8 and an f-8 lens 39 for imaging, the photoreceptor 1, which has been uniformly charged in advance, is irradiated with the light. As a result, a latent image corresponding to the yellow Y bitmap information is formed on the photoreceptor 1, and this is developed by the developing device to form a yellow toner image.

Also, when there is a magenta toner image forming step,
Magenta M from plane 41 m of frame memory 4
The hit map information is sequentially read out and supplied to the laser drive circuit 42, and the semiconductor laser 37 is driven based on the hit map information.

Laser light T5 outputted from the semiconductor laser 37
is directed onto the photoreceptor 1, which has been uniformly charged in advance, via a rotating polygon mirror 38 for deflection and an f-0 lens 39 for imaging. As a result, a latent image corresponding to the magenta M hit map information is formed on the photoreceptor 1, and this latent image is developed by the developing device B to form a magenta toner image.

Thereafter, the process of forming a cyan toner image and the process of forming a black toner image operate in the same manner, and latent images are formed on the photoreceptor 1 corresponding to the cyan C and black bitmap information, respectively. These are developed by developing devices C and D to form a cyan toner image and a black toner image.

[Problem to be Solved by the Invention] Figure 4 shows the case where a document containing all four color information of yellow Y, magenta M, cyan C, and black I is printed (
4-color mode) sequence.

That is, for example, hit map information for yellow Y, magenta M, cyan C, and black sent from a host computer (not shown) is stored in the frame memory 4, respectively.
1 is expanded on each plane 41y, 41m, 41c, and 41. And each plane 41 y, 41
The bitmap information of each color is read out from the above M, 41C, and 41, and printing (formation of a toner image) in yellow Y, magenta M1, cyan C, and black is performed in sequence.

By the way, some documents include only information in one color, for example, black. FIG. 5 shows a sequence when printing such an original (one color mode).

That is, for example, the bitmap information of the first black page sent from the host computer is stored in the frame memory 41.
The image is expanded onto the plane 41 of .

Then, the pit map information of the first page is read out from the plane 41k, and the first page of black I is printed (4).

Next, the human map information at the beginning of page 2 is developed in black on the plane 411 of frame 11 blank 711.

Then, the human map information of the first page of the second page is read out from the plane 411 (from the top), and printing of the first page of the second page in black 1< is performed.

Thereafter, the following prints are performed in the same manner on page 3 with L).

In this way, in the case of one-color mode, in order to print multiple sheets of originals with different contents, it is necessary to
A waiting time WAIT is always required for development, which reduces the processing speed of the color printer by 1'U.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to improve the processing speed of a color printer.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention is a color printer having a plurality of planes of frame memory.

If all planes of the frame memory are not used to print the document information of a certain page, the document information of the next page is expanded onto the remaining planes of the frame memory in parallel with printing the page. It is something.

[Function] In the above configuration, in the case of the one-color mode in which a document containing information in only one color, for example, black, is printed, when a certain page is being printed, the human map information of another page is displayed in the frame. Expanded onto the remaining planes of memory. Therefore, the waiting time required for deployment can be significantly reduced.

[Embodiment] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

In this example as well, the image exposure device is configured as shown in FIG. 3, but in this example, in order to print a certain page, all planes 4.1y to 4.
If 1k is not used, the information for the next page is expanded into the remaining planes of the frame memory 41 in parallel with the printing of a certain page.

FIG. 1 shows a sequence when printing a document containing only information in one color, for example, black (one-color mode).

That is, for example, the hit map information of pages 1.2.3, .
41V, 4111], ...''-. And plane 4.1k of frame memory 41
, 41 y, 41 m, ...from top to bottom! Missing 1.
2.3, . . . The human map information of the page is read out, and printing (toner image formation) is performed.

Please note that the detailed explanation will be omitted, or you can use the same method when printing a document that only contains information in two colors (2-color mode), or when printing a document that only contains information in three colors (3-color mode). ) The system operates in one second.

In this way, according to this example, when one page is being printed, the hit map information of another page is developed on the remaining plane of the frame memory 41, so the waiting time required for development is reduced. It can be greatly reduced, and the processing speed of color printers can be greatly improved.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the present invention, when not all planes of the frame memory are used to print the document information of a certain page, when printing the certain page, the next Since the document information of the page is developed on the remaining planes of the frame memory, the waiting time required for development can be significantly reduced, and the processing speed of the color printer can be greatly improved.

4-I"1 plane G') ti?t Simple explanation FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a color printer, and FIG. 3 is a diagram of an image exposure device. The configuration diagrams, FIGS. 4 and 5, are diagrams showing the color Bunonta O sequence.

0 1・ 26 ◆ 37・ 38・ 39・ 41 ◆ 42・ ・　1 photosensitive ・Image exposure device ・Semiconductor laser ・Rotating polygon mirror ◆f-theta lens ◆Frame memory ・Laser drive circuit

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) In a color printer that has a frame memory of multiple planes, if all the planes of the frame memory are not used to print the document information of a certain page, the next page is printed in parallel with the printing of the certain page. The color printer is characterized in that the original information is developed on the remaining planes of the frame memory.