JPH05212916A - Printer device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To eliminate the need for again developing printing data to shorten a printing time by a method wherein printing data received from a host is developed to bit map image data in a printer and outputted to an external storage device. CONSTITUTION:Printing data is transmitted from a host computer 1 to a printer device 2. Then, a control part 3 temporarily stores the input data in a buffer memory 4. While reading the input data stored in the buffer memory 4, a developing part 6 develops the data to bit map image data by referring to a character pattern data 5. This data is stored in a bit map memory 7. When reading a printing instruction, the developing part 6 transmits the printing instruction to a device control part 8. When the device control part 8 receives the printing instruction, a device part 9 conducts printing the data stored in the bit map memory 7. An external storage device 11 stores the bit map image data developed in the printer device 2.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printer device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional printer has only means for expanding print data received from a host into bitmap image data inside the printer and printing the result on paper. There is no one that stores the expanded bitmap image data in the external storage device.

[0003]

This conventional printer device has only means for expanding the print data received from the host into bit map image data and printing the data. Therefore, until printing on paper. I didn't know the result of deployment. In addition, once expanded bitmap image data is erased when the paper is ejected, so if you need the print results for multiple copies, you could not print multiple copies unless you set copy settings in advance. There's a problem.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A printer device according to the present invention includes a buffer memory for temporarily storing print data received from a host computer, a data read from the buffer memory, a character code, etc. while referring to character pattern data. A means for expanding the data into bitmap image data, a expanding section having a means for judging whether to expand or read the data from an external storage device, a bitmap memory for storing the expanded bitmap image data, and a bitmap A device control unit that has a means for determining whether to print image data on paper or save it in an external storage device, an I / F unit that inputs and outputs data to and from the external storage device, and actually prints the data. The device includes a device unit for performing the above operations and a control unit for controlling each of the above units. Storing the data, if necessary to work with an external storage device for storing it.

[0005]

Since the printer device of the present invention is configured as described above, the data received from the host computer is temporarily stored in the buffer memory, and this data is read out and the character code or the like is referred while referring to the character pattern data. Data is expanded into bitmap image data, and the expansion unit determines whether to perform this expansion or read the data from the external storage device, and the device control unit prints the read bitmap image data on paper or externally. The I / F unit inputs / outputs data to / from the external storage device after determining whether to save the data in the storage device, the device unit actually prints, and the bitmap image data is output via the I / F unit. It operates in cooperation with an external storage device that stores or stores it if necessary.

[0006]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

The host computer 1 sends print data to the printer. The external storage device 11 stores the bitmap image data expanded inside the printer device 2. The printer device 2 has means for expanding print data such as a character code received from the host computer 1 into bitmap image data.

Next, printing on paper will be described. When print data is sent from the host computer 1 to the printer device 2, the control unit 3 temporarily stores the input data in the buffer memory 4. The expansion unit 6 includes a buffer memory 4
While reading the input data stored in, the character pattern data 5 is referenced and developed into bitmap image data. The bitmap memory 7 stores this data. When the expansion unit 6 reads the print command,
A print command is sent to the device control unit 8. Device controller 8
However, when the print command is received, the device section 9 prints the data stored in the bitmap memory 7.

Here, the features of the present invention are described with respect to the case where the data expanded inside the printer device is stored in the external storage device 11 and the case where the bitmap image data is read from the external storage device 11 and printed. 2 will be described.

When the data is expanded into bitmap image data inside the printer device 2 and stored in the external storage device 11, reference is made to FIG. Host computer 1
When the print data is sent from the printer device 2 side to the printer device 2, the control unit 3 temporarily stores the input data in the buffer memory 4. The expansion unit 6 reads the input data stored in the buffer memory 4 while referring to the character pattern data 5 and expands it into bitmap image data.
The bitmap memory 7 stores this data. When the expansion unit 6 reads the output command to the external storage device 11, the expansion unit 6 sends the output command to the external storage device 11 to the device control unit 8. The device control unit 8 reads the data stored in the bitmap memory 7. In the I / F unit 10,
This data is sent to the external storage device 11 and stored in a file format for a personal computer.

When the bitmap image data is read out from the external storage device 11 and printed on a sheet of paper, as shown in FIG.
Refer to. From the host computer 1 to the printer device 2
When the print data is sent to the side, the control unit 3 temporarily stores the input data in the buffer memory 4. Development unit 6
Reads the input data stored in the buffer memory 4, and when receiving the data input command from the external storage device 11, sends the data input command from the external storage device 11 to the device control unit 8. The device control unit 8 includes an I / F unit 10
To the external storage device 11 to send a file read command. The I / F unit 10 reads the file from the external storage device 11 and stores it in the bitmap memory. When the storage of the data in the bit map memory is completed, the device control section 8 sends the data in the bit map memory 7 to the device section 9, and the device section prints.

[0013]

As described above, according to the present invention, the print data received from the host can be expanded into bitmap image data inside the printer and output to an external storage device to be saved in a file format. By using, the effect that you can see the expanded result without printing on paper, and you can save the bitmap image data in the external storage device, read it, and print it as it is Since there is no need to expand, there is an effect that the printing time can be shortened.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart of processing of the embodiment of FIG. 1, (a)
Shows the case where the data expanded into the bitmap image data is stored inside the printer device, and (b) shows the case where the bitmap image data is read from the external storage device and printed.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 host computer 2 printer device 3 control unit 4 buffer memory 5 character pattern data 6 expansion unit 7 bitmap memory 8 device control unit 9 device unit 10 I / F unit 11 external storage device

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁵ Identification code Internal reference number FI technical display location B41J 29/38 Z 8804-2C G06F 15/62 410 9287-5L

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A buffer memory for temporarily storing print data received from a host computer, and means for reading data from the buffer memory and expanding data such as a character code into bitmap image data while referring to character pattern data. , A development unit that has a means to determine whether to perform expansion or read data from an external storage device, a bitmap memory that stores the expanded bitmap image data, and print the bitmap image data on paper or use an external storage A device control unit having a means for determining whether to save in the device, an I / F unit for inputting / outputting data to / from an external storage device, a device unit for actually printing, and a control for controlling each unit. Section and stores bitmap image data through the I / F section, and stores the bitmap image data if necessary. Printer apparatus characterized by operating in cooperation with an external storage device for storing.