JP2000177197A - Printer system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To correct a printing region on a recording paper such that front and rear printing regions are made to be in conformity with each other when the recording paper is looked through after printing in the case where perfecting printing is executed and a printing shift between the front and rear faces can be generated because of a characteristic of the printer itself. SOLUTION: Perfecting printing is designated by an input device of a host computer and is set by a printer driver (step S1). Correction values of front and rear faces in a direction x and a direction are inputted and are set by the printer driver (step S2). The values of 'omotex' in the direction x and 'omotey' in the direction y for the front face and 'urax' in the in the direction x and 'uray' in the direction y for the rear face are stored in a memory as variables. When the printing is executed on the front face (step S5: Y), an original position of the printing data is corrected by the values of 'omotex' and 'omotey' (step S6). When the printing is executed on the rear face (step S5: N), the original position of the printing data is corrected by the values of 'urax' and 'uray' (step S7).

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a printer system including a host computer and a printer connected to the host computer and capable of performing double-sided printing.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A printer system including a host computer and a printer connected to the host computer and capable of performing double-sided printing is conventionally provided by changing the origin coordinates between the front and back sides during double-sided printing. ,
There was no means for correcting the printing position.

Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 10-133837 discloses a technique for changing the processing of aggregate printing according to a binding direction or the like, but also in this case, correction of a printing position is not particularly performed.

[0004]

In the above prior art,
Since the printing positions on the front and back sides were not corrected in the double-sided printing, there was a problem that when the printing of the front side and the back side occurred due to paper transport, printing was performed with the misalignment.

[0005] In addition, when the variable-size printing and the margin printing are set, there are disadvantages that the margin for the margin is also scaled or that the printing area on the front and back sides is not constant in the binding direction at the time of reduction. Was. Therefore, even when the margin is set, there is a problem that the margin on the front surface and the back surface does not go as intended.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a printer in which both sides of a printed sheet are printed so that the print areas on the front and back sides coincide with each other even when printing misregistration occurs between the front and back sides when performing double-sided printing. An object of the present invention is to make it possible to correct a print area.

Another object of the present invention is to make it possible to select whether to perform such correction.

[0008]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printer system comprising a host computer and a printer capable of performing double-sided printing connected to the host computer. A printer system, comprising: input means for inputting a correction value of a printing position for at least one of printing on the back and the back; and correction means for correcting the printing position in accordance with the input correction value. It is.

Therefore, even when printing misalignment occurs between the front and back sides of the printer when performing double-sided printing by the printer, the printing area is corrected so that the printing areas on the front and back sides coincide when the printed paper is watermarked. It becomes possible to do.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in a printer system including a host computer and a printer capable of performing double-sided printing connected to the host computer, double-sided printing, variable-size printing, and margin printing are provided. An input unit that enables input of an instruction for execution by the printer, and when an instruction for executing double-sided printing and at least one of the variable-size printing and the margin printing is input by the input unit, Based on the magnification, binding margin, binding direction and paper size of this print, the front and back sides of this print so that the printed area on the front and back sides match when the printed paper is watermarked. Calculating means for calculating a correction value of a printing position for at least one of printing, and the printing position according to the correction value obtained by the calculation. It is a printer system characterized that and a correcting means for correcting.

Therefore, when double-sided printing and variable-size printing or margin printing are designated, even if printing deviation occurs on the front and back sides unique to the printer, the printing area on the front and back sides is exposed when the printed paper is watermarked. Can be corrected so as to match. Further, at the time of reduction, printing in which the front and back surfaces are aligned in the binding direction can be performed.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the printer system according to the first or second aspect, a selection unit for selecting whether or not to perform correction by the correction unit is provided.

Therefore, it is possible to select whether to perform the correction by the correction means or not to perform the correction by the conventional correction means.

[0014]

[First Embodiment of the Invention] FIG.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a printer system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

The printer system 1 includes a host computer 2 and a printer 3 connected to the host computer 2 and capable of performing double-sided printing. FIG. The host computer 2 sends a printer setting command and print data to the printer 3. The printer 3 includes a controller 4, a printer engine 5, a panel device 6, a disk device 7, and the like.

The controller 4 includes an IC card 9 for supplying font data and a program from the outside to a CPU 8 for centrally controlling each unit, and a non-volatile memory for storing the contents of a mode instruction from a panel device 6. NVRAM 10 as a storage device, program ROM 11 storing various control programs and the like, font ROM 12 storing font pattern data and the like, work memory of CPU 8, input buffer for input data, page buffer for print data, download A RAM 13 used as a font memory or the like is connected.

The CPU 8 is connected to an engine interface 17, a panel interface 16, a disk interface 15, and a host interface 14.

The printer engine 5 actually performs printing,
The engine interface 17 is a printer engine 5
And command, status and print data. The panel device 6 notifies the user of the current status of the printer 3 and gives a mode instruction. The panel interface 16 communicates commands and status with the panel device 6. The host interface 14 communicates with the host computer 2, and normally uses a Centro I / F or RS232C. The disk device 7 stores various data such as font data, programs, and print data, and is a floppy disk device, a hard disk device, or the like. The disk interface 15 is for performing communication with the disk device 7.

When the controller 4 receives data (character code, control code, control command) from the host computer 2 via the host interface 14,
The data is temporarily stored in the input buffer of the RAM 13. Next, the data held in the input buffer is taken out and stored in the page buffer of the RAM 13 such as the head address of the font pattern for each character of the data, the width of the font pattern, the height of the font pattern, the printing position, and the like. Stores page layout information. When the page buffer is completed for one page,
The data of the page buffer is bit-mapped into the frame buffer of the RAM 13. When the development is completed, a feed tray selection command, a discharge tray selection command, and a print command are sent to the printer engine 5 via the engine interface 17, and the bitmap data developed in the frame buffer is output as video data.

On the other hand, the printer engine 5 feeds paper from a designated paper feed tray in accordance with a paper feed tray selection command, a paper discharge tray selection command, and a print command sent from the controller 4, and performs printing in accordance with video data. Output to the designated paper output tray.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the printer system 1, focusing on the host computer 2.

As shown in FIG.
Sends an OS-specific intermediate print data created via an OS (operating system) 19 to a printer driver 20 when printing data. The printer driver 20 converts the received intermediate print data into a printer control command (final print data) unique to the printer 3 and sends it to the printer manager 21. Here, by temporarily spooling the print data, the print manager 21 can end the print processing of the application 18 quickly, and has an advantage that the release of the application 18 is accelerated. The print manager 21 sends the print data to the printer 3 and
Performs printing.

Next, the processing for performing double-sided printing will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. First, double-sided printing is designated by an input device (not shown) of the host computer 2 and set by the printer driver 20 (step S).
1). Then, the correction values in the x direction and the y direction for the front surface and the back surface are input and set by the printer driver 20 (step S2). And the x direction of the surface is omotex,
The y direction is stored as a variable of “momotey”, the x direction of the back surface is stored as a variable of “urax”, and the y direction is stored as a variable of “uray”. This implements the input means of the present invention.

Next, printing is started from the application 18 (step S3), and when printing of all print data is completed (Y in step S4), the processing in FIG. 3 is ended. If print data remains (N in step S4), and if the next print is the front side (Y in step S5),
The origin position of the print data is corrected with the values of omotex and omotey (step S6). This implements the correction means of the present invention. This correction is performed by issuing a command for correcting the origin position from the printer driver 20 to the printer 3.
Or the printing position may be relatively corrected for each element to be printed (the correction of the drawing area with respect to the paper position is shown in FIG. 4). On the other hand, when the next print is on the back side, the origin position of the print data is set to ura.
The correction is performed using the values of x and uray (step S7). After the correction (steps S6 and S7), the data of the page is transmitted to the printer (step S8), a page break command is transmitted (step S9), the data of one page is transmitted, and the processing of step S4 and subsequent steps is performed. Return to

Therefore, even when the printer 3 performs double-sided printing, even when printing deviation occurs between the front and back sides unique to the printer 3, the printing area on the front and back sides coincides when the printed paper is watermarked. Can be corrected.

[Second Embodiment of the Invention] The second embodiment of the present invention is different from the first embodiment of the present invention in the processing when double-sided printing is performed, and the other points are common. Therefore, in the following, the detailed description is omitted by using the same reference numerals.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a process for performing double-sided printing. When double-sided printing is designated by an input device (not shown) of the printer device 2, the binding direction is also set (step S11), and the set values of the front and rear binding widths are input (step S12). Further, setting of magnification (step S13) and setting of output paper (step S14) are also performed. This implements the input means of the present invention. In this case, it is not necessary to input all values. Then, in accordance with these input values, the correction values in the x direction and the y direction of the front and back sides of the printing are calculated, and the values are calculated as omotex in the x direction of the front side, omotey in the y direction, and urax, y direction ur
It is stored as a variable of ay (step S15). This implements the calculating means of the present invention. Step S
The processing in steps 16 to S22 is common to the processing in steps S3 to S9, and a detailed description is omitted. Step S1
At 9, s20, the correcting means of the present invention is implemented.

An example of the calculation formula in step S15 will be described. In order not to depend on the resolution of the printer 3, the value of the margin is input by dots, and each value is defined as follows.

Omototoji: Margin value of the front surface (dots) uratoji: Margin value of the back surface (dots) percent: magnification (%) xImage: length of output paper in x direction (dots) yImage: y direction of output paper Length (dot) omotex: correction amount in the x direction of the front surface (dot) omotey: correction amount in the y direction of the front surface (dot) urax: correction amount in the x direction of the rear surface (dot) uray: correction in the y direction of the rear surface Amount (dots) At this time, omotex, omotey, ura to be obtained
The values of x and uray are the values of the dots before scaling by the printer 3.

For example, suppose that the position 10 mm from the right at 100% is at the position of 236 dots. If 200% is specified, 236 dots are required to specify the position of 10 mm.
× 100/200 = 118 dots is specified.

Next, a calculation example will be described. In case of left binding omotex = omotetoji × 100 / perc
ent omoty = 0 urax = (xImage-uratoji) × 100
/ Percent-xImage urray = 0 (2) In the case of the above binding omotex = 0 omotey = omototoji × 100 / perc
ent urax = 0 uray = (yImage-uratoji) × 100
/ Percent-yImage (3) Right binding omotex = (xImage-omotetoji)
× 100 / percent-xImage omoty = 0 urax = uratoji × 100 / percent uray = 0 In addition, as in the first embodiment of the present invention, correction values input by setting of the printer driver 20 are further applied to these calculated values. You may add and process.

Therefore, when double-sided printing and variable-size printing or margin printing are designated, even when printing deviation occurs on the front and back sides unique to the printer 3, printing on the front and back sides is performed when the printed paper is watermarked. The print area can be corrected so that the areas match. Further, at the time of reduction, printing in which the front and back surfaces are aligned in the binding direction can be performed.

[Third Embodiment] The third embodiment of the present invention is different from the second embodiment in the processing when double-sided printing is performed, and the other points are common. Therefore, in the following, the detailed description is omitted by using the same reference numerals.

FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 are flowcharts of a process for performing double-sided printing. Steps S31 to S
The processing in step S34 corresponds to steps S11 to S11 in the second embodiment of the present invention.
This is common with S14, and detailed description is omitted. In the third embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to select between printing in the conventional mode in which the print position of the front and back surfaces is not corrected and printing in which the print position of the front and back surfaces is corrected. That is, when the print in which the print positions of the front and back surfaces have been corrected is selected (N in step S35), step S in the second embodiment of the invention is performed.
15 (step S36), and when printing is performed in the conventional mode (Y in step S35), the correction values omotex, omotey, and ur in the xy directions on the front and back surfaces are set.
ax and uray are set to 0 (step S37). This implements the selection means of the present invention. The processing of steps S38 to S44 is common to steps S3 to S9 of the first embodiment of the invention, and a detailed description will be omitted.

According to the third embodiment of the invention, the same effects as those of the second embodiment can be obtained. In addition, the printing in the conventional mode in which the print position of the front and back surfaces is not corrected, and the print position of the front and back surfaces can be adjusted. It is possible to select between the corrected printing and the printing.

In the case of the first embodiment of the present invention, printing in the conventional mode in which the print position of the front and back surfaces is not corrected,
It may be possible to select between printing in which the print position of the front and back sides has been corrected.

[0037]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, even when printing deviation occurs between the front and back sides of the printer when performing double-sided printing by the printer, the printing area on the front and back sides can be reduced when the printed paper is watermarked. It is possible to correct the print area so that they match.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, when double-sided printing and variable-size printing or margin printing are specified, even if printing deviation occurs between the front and back surfaces unique to the printer, the printed paper is watermarked. The print area can be corrected so that the print areas on the front and back sides coincide when the image is printed. Further, at the time of reduction, printing in which the front and back surfaces are aligned in the binding direction can be performed.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the printer system according to the first or second aspect, it is possible to select whether to perform the correction by the correction unit or not to perform the correction by the conventional correction unit.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram focusing on a printer of a printer system according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram mainly showing a host computer of the printer system.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a duplex printing process of the printer system.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating correction of a drawing area with respect to a position of a sheet in the double-sided printing process.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a duplex printing process performed by the printer system according to the second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating double-sided printing processing of a printer system according to a third embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating double-sided printing processing of a printer system according to a third embodiment of the present invention;

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 printer system 2 host computer 3 printer

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A printer system comprising: a host computer; and a printer capable of performing double-sided printing connected to the host computer, wherein a printing position of at least one of the front side and the back side of the double-sided printing is determined. A printer system comprising: input means for inputting a correction value; and correction means for correcting the printing position according to the input correction value. 2. A printer system comprising: a host computer; and a printer connected to the host computer and capable of performing double-sided printing, wherein a command for executing double-sided printing, variable-size printing, and margin printing by the printer is provided. Input means for enabling input; when at least one of the scaling printing and the margin printing and an instruction to execute double-sided printing are input by the input means, the printed sheet is watermarked. When printing, based on the scaling value, binding margin, binding direction, and paper size of this printing, at least one of the front and back sides of this printing so that the printing areas on the front and back sides match. Calculating means for calculating a correction value of the printing position for the correction means, and correcting means for correcting the printing position in accordance with the correction value obtained by the calculation Printer system, characterized in that it comprises,. 3. The printer system according to claim 1, further comprising a selection unit for selecting whether to perform the correction by the correction unit.