JP2001301246A - Method for controlling printing - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the problem that a pattern not expected by a user is printed to a blank page, and printing is continued even when the printing to the blank page is wrong to make the user unable to judge the wrong printing until a printed object is sorted in the conventional method of detecting the wrong printing by printing a special pattern or character as a mark to the blank page when an order of skipping the page (blank printing directive order) from a host apparatus is received. SOLUTION: When it is confirmed that an end command of printing input information of one page is received from the host apparatus and printing data cannot be correctly controlled to be developed to one RAM to which the data is to be developed among a plurality of RAMs in a printing controller, the error is informed to the host apparatus to stop printing. When the blank printing directive order of skipping the page from the host apparatus is confirmed, it is detected whether or not the printing data is blank. If the printing data is not blank when the page is to be skipped, the error is informed to the host apparatus to stop printing.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printing control device and, more particularly, to a method for detecting unauthorized printing.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a method of discriminating an illegally printed page is a command for skipping a page from a higher-level device (blank print instruction command) as disclosed in JP-A-10-119392.
By printing a mark such as a special image pattern or a text on a correct blank page according to this instruction, it is determined by sorting illegal blank pages without a mark after printing.

As a general method of detecting unauthorized printing,
The print input information is detected on a character-by-character basis as to whether there is a character corresponding to the built-in font, and if there is no corresponding character, an error is detected (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-28783). In the case of (1), there is a method of determining an error (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-1771).

[0004]

In the above prior art, when a command for skipping a page (blank sheet print instruction command) is received from a higher-level device, a special image pattern or text is printed. There is a problem of printing image patterns and sentences. Further, in this case, even if the printing is illegal, since the printing is continued without the error report, the user determines that the printing is illegal only when sorting the printed matter.

A method for detecting the presence / absence of a built-in font corresponding to print input information in a general character unit and a method for decoding an illegal command to detect an error include errors caused by external device factors and component deterioration. It is impossible to detect illegal printing due to control and malfunction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to detect, on a page-by-page basis, erroneous printing due to erroneous control or erroneous operation, which is a serious failure of a printing control apparatus, and to report an error and stop the apparatus.
It is to solve the above problems.

[0007]

According to the present invention, it is determined that a print input information end command for one page has been received from a higher-level device, and one of the plurality of RAMs in the print control device, which is to be developed, is selected. It is determined on a page-by-page basis whether or not the development control has been correctly performed on one of the RAMs. If the development has been performed on the wrong RAM, an error is reported to the host device and printing is stopped.

[0008] Further, it is determined that a command (blank page printing instruction command) for skipping a page from the upper apparatus has been received, and when the print data from the upper apparatus is not blank, an error report is sent to the upper apparatus as illegal printing. Printing is not performed.

In addition, since printing by a write command involves data, if a print command other than a command for skipping a page (blank page print command) from a higher-level device is used, if the print data is blank, illegal printing is performed. An error report is sent to the host device and printing is not performed.

[0010] Thus, output of unauthorized printing is prevented, and the above object is achieved.

[0011]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of unauthorized printing by a print control device. CPU 102 is the page buffer 10
The rendering processing unit 103 is instructed to render and render the data 105 of No. 4 on the RAM 110. The expansion processing unit 103
The specified address of the RAM 110 is set in the RAMWA 109, which is the RAM write address, and the data 105 of the page buffer 104 is drawn and developed on the RAM 110. Here, the expansion processing unit 103 sets the page buffer 1
04 data 105 by mistake for some reason
Assuming that the drawing is developed on the RAM 111, the RAM 110 has no data. When the data 106 of the page buffer 104 is drawn and developed in the RAM 111 in the next process, the data 105 overlaps because the data 105 of the page buffer 104 has already been drawn and developed in the RAM 111.

Here, it is assumed that there is no data for the next page of data 107 for some reason at the time of writing to or reading from the RAM 112.

When the CPU 102 instructs the printing mechanism 114 to perform printing in the order of the RAMs 110, 111, and the RAM 112, the printing mechanism 114 writes the RAMs 110, 111, and 112 into the RAM read address 116.
Set the address in the order of and print. As a result, the first page 119 is printed with blank paper, the second page 120 is printed with double printing,
The third page 121 is improperly printed, such as blank page printing.

Here, the processing of the present invention will be described below. The expansion processing unit 103 stores the data 10 in the page buffer 104.
In the example where the drawing development is erroneously terminated in the RAM 111, the CPU 102
Each time the data is read, it is recognized whether the instruction is a data end command for one page, and the data processing unit 103 is instructed to finish the data development. When receiving the data expansion end instruction from the CPU 102, the expansion processing unit 103 reports the data end acceptance report to the CPU 102 and the R that has actually written.
The head address 111 of the AM is read and reported. CPU
The CPU 102 compares the content address 110 of the RAM write address 109 with the content of the received RAM address 111 that has actually been written and finds a mismatch, so that an error is reported to the upper-level device and printing is stopped by the printing mechanism unit 114. To instruct.

In an example where the RAM write / read address is correct and there is no data, the CPU 102
It recognizes whether the command is a command for skipping a page every time data and data are read from the page buffer 104 (blank page print command), and in the case of a write command other than this command, a page skip command detection flag 115 in the printing mechanism unit 114. Turn off. After the printing instruction, the state of the page skip command detection flag 115 in the printing mechanism unit 114 (off (invalid) in this case) and the blank page detection circuit 117 that is valid when the print data to be transferred to the printing apparatus 118 is blank. The flag states (in this case, ON (valid)) are compared, and since they do not match, an error is reported to a higher order and printing is stopped.

The page skip instruction detection flag 11
5 and the flag state of the blank page detection circuit 117,
If they match, the printing mechanism unit 114
Reads dot data from MRA 116 and prints device 11
Print on 8. Illegal print detection condition 124 in this process
Are the case of non-blank data for the page skip command and the case of blank data at the time of a write command other than the page skip command. As a result, it is possible to detect the case of an error in developing data from the page buffer 104 to the RAMs 110 to 113, and the illegal printing due to an error in writing and reading data to and from the RAMs 110 to 113 and transfer to the printer 118.

FIG. 2 is an example of a functional block diagram of the print control device. The CPU 207 stores various print data sent from the host device 201 in the reception buffer 202. If the data stored in the reception buffer 202 is a character font pattern, the data is stored in a character pattern buffer 204, and the address of the stored character pattern buffer 204 is registered in a character pattern address management table 203.
This table is set to the valid state. Also, the reception buffer 20
2 is a character code, the character pattern buffer 204 in which the corresponding character pattern is stored.
Address of the character pattern address management table 203
And writes it to the page buffer 205. In the case of figures and image data, the data is also written in the page buffer 205.

The CPU 207 stores one in the page buffer 205.
When print data for a page is accumulated, the development processing unit 208
To start a page, and transmits the address number of the RAM 206 for rendering. Upon receiving the page start instruction and the address number of the RAM 206, the expansion processing unit 208
Respond to the CPU 207 that the drawing can be developed. CPU 207
Responds to the response from the expansion processing unit 208,
At 08, when the contents of the page buffer 205 are character data to be printed, a character pattern is read from the character pattern buffer 204 and the RAM 206 is instructed to perform drawing development. In the case of figures and image data, the expanded data
Stored in AM 206.

The CPU 207 recognizes whether the command is a command for skipping a page every time data is read from the page buffer 205 (blank page print command), and when this command is issued, a page skip command detection flag in the printing mechanism unit 209 is detected. Turn 210 on. In the case of a write command other than this command, the page skip command detection flag 210 in the printing mechanism unit 209 is turned off.

The CPU 207 also controls the page buffer 2
When reading out the data and instructions from the data 05, it recognizes whether it is a data end instruction for one page, and when reading the data end instruction for one page, instructs the expansion processing unit 208 to end the data expansion for one page. I do. The expansion processing unit 208 receives the expansion end reception report and the RAM actually written by itself.
206 address is read and reported. Following this report, C
The PU 207 compares the write instruction address to the RAM 206 with the actually written address, and if the addresses do not match, reports a development error error to a higher order and stops printing.
If they match, the RAM 20 prints on the printing mechanism 209
6 is designated, and printing is instructed.

After the print instruction, the CPU 207 changes the state of the page skip command detection 210 flag in the print mechanism unit 209 and the flag state of the blank page detection circuit 211 which is valid when the print data to be transferred to the printing apparatus 212 is blank. If they do not match, an error report is sent to the host and printing is stopped. In the case of a match, the dot data is read from the designated RAM 206 address to the printing mechanism unit 209 and printed by the printing device 212.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart for detecting unauthorized printing by the print control apparatus according to the present invention. By adding the processing of step 301 to the flow in addition to the conventional processing, the output of the illegal printing as described above is prevented.

After drawing and developing, the CPU recognizes a command for skipping a page (blank page printing command) when reading a command and data from the page buffer, and if this command, turns on a page skip command detection flag. In the case of a write instruction other than this instruction, the page skip instruction detection flag is turned off.

Next, when the data end command for one page is recognized, the data processing end instruction is given to the expansion processing section, and the end acceptance report and the write RAM address read by the expansion processing section itself are received. The CPU compares the received write RAM address with the instructed RAM address, and when they match, instructs the printing mechanism to perform printing.
If the comparisons do not match, it is detected that an operation inconsistency has occurred in the print control device, an error report is sent to a higher order, and the printing device is instructed to stop the printing process.

After the print instruction, the CPU receives and compares the state of the page skip command detection flag with the state of the blank page detection circuit flag that is valid when the print data to be transferred to the printing apparatus is blank. If the comparison does not match, an error report is sent to the host and printing is stopped. If they match,
The dot data is read and printed. According to the present invention, it is possible to detect erroneous control and malfunction of the print control device for each page and prevent output of unauthorized printing.

[0026]

According to the present invention, the apparatus itself detects in advance the inconsistency of the internal operation of the print control apparatus caused by temporary external factors such as static electricity, blank pages, and illegal printing of double printing in page units. It is possible to report an error, and it is possible to suppress output of illegal printing. Further, there is no need to print a mark such as a special symbol which is not requested by the user, and it is not necessary to print all data even after an error. This has the effect of preventing fatal unauthorized printing in the printing device and improving reliability.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of detection of unauthorized printing by a print control apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating functional blocks of a print control apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an unauthorized printing detection flow of the printing control apparatus of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

101: host device, 102: CPU (has a function of reading one page of print input information from the host device), 10
Reference numeral 3: expansion processing unit; 104, page buffer; 105, page buffer (page buffer storing data of the first page); 106, page buffer (page buffer storing data of the second page);
7 page buffer (page buffer storing data of the third page), 108 page buffer n
(Page buffer storing the data of the nth page), 109: RAM write address, 110: RA
M (data after drawing processing of the first page), 111... R
AM (data after drawing processing of the second page), 112 ...
RAM (data after drawing processing of third page), 113
... RAMn (data after drawing processing of the nth page), 11
Reference numeral 4: printing mechanism unit, 115: page skip command detection flag, 116: RAM read address, 117: blank page detection circuit, 118: printing device, 119: first page of printing result,
120: second page of print result, 121: third page of print result, 1
22: nth page of print result, 123: print control signal, 124
.. .Unauthorized printing detection conditions, 201 upper device, 202 reception buffer, 203 character pattern address management table, 204 character pattern buffer, 205 page buffer, 206 RAM (random access memory allocated in print page units) Number), 207 ... CP
U (having a function of reading one page of print input information from a host device), 208: expansion processing unit, 209: printing mechanism unit, 210: page skip command detection flag, 211
... Blank sheet detection circuit, 212... Printing device, 213... Print control signal, 301.

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing from the front page (72) Inventor Mitsuhiro Tenri 810 Shimo-Imaizumi, Ebina-shi, Kanagawa Japan Digital Media System Business Unit (72) Inventor Yuichiro Araki 1st Horiyamashita, Hadano-shi, Kanagawa, Japan (72) Inventor Daigo Miyaguchi 1 Horiyamashita, Hadano-shi, Kanagawa F-term (reference) 2c087 AB05 BC05 BC07 BD01 BD46 CA04 CB02 DA07 DA11 5B021 AA01 BB10 NN01 NN16

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. Characters, graphics, images,
In a print control device that generates and prints print information on a page basis based on a print command such as a format, after receiving a print command instructing blank page printing from a higher-level device, at the time of starting printing of the received page of the print command, A print control method comprising: determining whether print information of a page is blank; if the print information is not blank, stops printing and reports an error to a higher-level device. 2. Characters, graphics, images,
In a print control device that generates and prints print information on a page basis based on a print command such as a format, a print command for performing a print drawing instruction other than a print command for instructing blank page printing is received from a higher-level device. At the start of printing of the received page, determines whether the print information of the page is blank, and if the print information is blank, stops printing and reports an error to a higher-level device. Control method. 3. Characters, graphics, images,
In a print control apparatus that generates and prints print information on a page basis based on a print command such as a format, after receiving a print command for one page to be printed from a higher-level device, the print control apparatus receives the print page received by the print command. A print control method comprising: determining whether print information has been normally developed in a storage unit for storing print information; and, if the print information has been normally developed, stopping printing and reporting an error to a higher-level device. 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determination as to whether or not the print information has been normally developed in the storage unit for storing the print information of the print page is based on a comparison between a write instruction address and a write execution address in the storage unit. The print control method according to claim 3.