JP2002019194A - Printer, printing method, and printing system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a printer in which both a computer and a printer require the same processing of the same data only once when a piece of data supplied from a computer is printed at a plurality of positions of a sheet of recording medium. SOLUTION: The printer for printing a piece of data supplied from a computer is arranged such that a piece of data supplied from a computer is copied by writing it into a print buffer memory in order to print the piece of data at a plurality of positions of a sheet of recording medium.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a printing technique for printing data supplied from a computer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, when a host computer is connected to a printing apparatus and data to be printed is supplied from the host computer and printing is performed by the printing apparatus, for example, the same symbol is printed on one sheet of A4 size paper. Even in the case of printing one sheet, the host computer supplies print data for the entire A4 size paper, and the printing apparatus
Image processing such as smoothing processing is performed on all supplied print data to perform printing.

In other words, even when two identical symbols are printed on one page, the host computer supplies two pieces of print data of the same symbol, and the printing apparatus sends two pieces of print data of the same symbol. , Image processing such as smoothing processing was performed in exactly the same manner.

[0004]

However, even when a plurality of the same symbols are printed on one page, as in the prior art,
The host computer supplies a plurality of print data related to exactly the same pattern, and the printing apparatus performs exactly the same image processing on a plurality of completely identical print data. In both cases, the same operation is repeatedly performed a plurality of times, which is wasteful. Therefore, it has been demanded to omit this repeated operation from the viewpoint of processing efficiency.

That is, if both the host computer and the printing apparatus can eliminate the repetitive processing and perform the same processing only once, the processing efficiency can be improved. Therefore, the same processing needs to be performed only once. Was requested.

The present invention has been made under such a background. An object of the present invention is to print one data supplied from a computer at a plurality of locations on one recording medium by using a computer or a printing apparatus. Are to perform the same process for the same data only once.

[0007]

According to the present invention, there is provided a printing apparatus for printing data supplied from a computer, the apparatus comprising: There is provided writing means for writing the one print data in a predetermined memory so as to copy the one print data in order to print the print data.

In the present invention, the data written in the memory is data that has been subjected to image processing only once by the printing apparatus.

In the present invention, the memory is constituted by a print buffer memory.

In the present invention, the printing buffer memory is constituted by a line memory.

According to the present invention, the computer includes:
The size of the recording medium and layout information of the data for the recording medium are supplied to the printing apparatus together with the data.

In the present invention, the writing means has a plurality of issuing means for issuing a write address for writing the data to the memory.

Further, in the present invention, the plurality of issuing units respectively issue write addresses to different areas of the recording medium.

In the present invention, the plurality of issuing units issue the write addresses one by one cyclically.

In the present invention, the data is transferred to the writing means by DMA transfer in the printing apparatus.

Further, according to the present invention, the computer includes:
It comprises a host computer directly connected to the printing device.

[0017]

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

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 130 denotes a host computer, and 150 denotes a printing device. Printing device 150
Is connected to the host computer 130 via the host interface unit 101 by a Centronics interface cable or the like.

When only the same plurality of symbols are printed on a single sheet of printing paper, the host computer 130 does not supply all the same symbol data to the printing device 150, but instead prints the symbol data. Supply only once.
In this case, the host computer 130 attaches the number of the same symbols to be printed on one print sheet and the layout information.

Reference numeral 140 denotes a video controller provided inside the printing apparatus 150 for performing image processing such as smoothing processing. Reference numeral 120 denotes a printing mechanism (printer engine) of the printing apparatus 150, and the video controller 140 and the printing mechanism 120 are connected via the engine interface 106.

Next, the video controller 140 will be described in detail. The video controller 140 has a controller control unit 102, a reception data storage unit 103, a bitmap memory 104, and an image processing unit 105, in addition to the host interface unit 101 and the engine interface unit 106 described above.

The received data storage unit 103 is a memory for storing print data received from the host computer 130 via the host interface unit 101. The print data stored in the received data storage unit 103 is subjected to image processing in the image processing unit 105 and is developed in the bitmap memory 104 in a bitmap format. The print data expanded in the bitmap format in the bitmap memory 104 is output to the printing mechanism unit 120 via the engine interface unit 106 and printed. These series of operations are controlled by the controller control unit 102.

However, the transfer of the print data from the bitmap memory 104 to the engine interface unit 106 is performed by the D
By issuing the DMA permission by the MA controller 102a, the operation is directly performed between the bitmap memory 104 and the engine interface unit 106 without going through the controller control unit 102.

FIG. 2 shows the engine interface unit 106.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of FIG. Engine interface 1
Reference numeral 06 includes a bitmap data transfer unit 201, an address set register 202, a smoothing processing unit 203, an address switching control unit 204, a line memory (print buffer memory) 205, and a copy mode register 206.

The most significant feature of the engine interface unit 106 is as follows. That is, when printing only the same plurality of symbols on one print sheet, the host computer 130 supplies only one of the same symbol data.
Reference numeral 6 outputs a write address for writing a plurality of pieces of the symbol data to the line memory 205 in order to print the symbol data (base image data).

The bitmap data transfer unit 201 is provided with a DM
When a DMA request is issued to the A controller 102a, a DMA permission signal is issued from the DMA controller 102a, and the data enable signal becomes active (valid), the print data is read from the bitmap memory 104, and a smoothing process is performed. The data is stored in the line memory 205 via the unit 203.

The address set register 202 is a register for storing a write address when writing the print data transferred from the bitmap memory 104 to the line memory 205. The smoothing processing unit 203 performs a smoothing process on the print data transferred from the bitmap memory 104.

The address switching control unit 204
The write address for storing the print data transferred from the bitmap memory 104 in the line memory 205 is switched. The line memory 205 is a memory having a capacity for storing print data in the bitmap format transmitted from the bitmap memory 104 for a plurality of lines.

The copy mode register 206 stores the base image data in the line memory 2 in the case of a printing process in which a certain base image data is simply printed repeatedly.
This register is used to set whether or not to write a plurality of data in the data 05. When "0" is set in the copy mode register 206, the copy mode is set. When "1" is set, the copy mode is not set.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the timing at which the image data is stored in the line memory 205 when a plurality of base image data are printed on printing paper.

NCS is a line memory selection signal, nWR is a line memory write signal, add is a write address, d
“ata-in” indicates input data. mode-cp is a signal indicating whether or not a copy mode is set. Change-p
The pulse “ulse” is a pulse for generating a write signal to the line memory 205 and switching the output of a write address during the operation in the copy mode.

When copying the print data received from the bitmap memory 104 to the line memory 205,
“0” is set in the copy mode register 206. This setting is performed by the controller control unit 102, and the mode-cp signal becomes Low by this setting. When the nCS signal goes low and subsequently the nWR signal goes low, the line memory 205 is written.

The Add Change signal is a signal for enabling a copy destination write address to be output.
When the dd Change signal is High, a copy destination write address can be output.

At the rise of the nWR signal, the write data (data) is stored in the address "A0" of the line memory 205.
"0") is written. When the nWR signal rises, a pulse is generated in the Change-pulse signal,
At the falling edge of the change-pulse signal, Ad
The d Change signal becomes High, and the write address (copy destination ride address) “A0 ′” is output to the line memory 205.

At the same time, the write signal nWR to the line memory 205 goes low, and data (data "0") is written to the write address "A0 '" of the line memory 205 at the rise of the nWR signal. That is, the same data "0" is written to the addresses "A0" and "A0 '" of the line memory 205.

When data is being read from the line memory 205, no Change-pulse signal is generated. Therefore, the Add Change signal does not become High. Also, “0” is set in the copy mode register 206.
Is not set, the mode-cp signal is High
Thus, the Add Change signal does not become High, and the copy destination write address is not output.

FIG. 4 shows the address switching control unit 2.
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration of a fourth embodiment.

An address counter org 401 is a counter indicating a regular write address of the line memory 205, that is, a write address for storing base image data. The address counter cp402 is a counter indicating a write address of a copy destination of the line memory 205.

A normal write address from the address counter org 401 is input to one input terminal of the AND gate 403, and Add C is input to the other input terminal.
The hang signal is inverted and input. AND gate 4
04 has an input terminal cp40
2, the copy destination write address is input, and the other input terminal is input with the Add Change signal.
The output signal of the AND gates 403 and 404 is input to the input terminal of the OR gate 405,
The output signal 05 is output as an add signal.

The initial value of the address counter org401 is "0". The initial value of the address counter cp402 is the write address value stored in the address set register 202. In the copy mode, the address set register 202 stores the copy destination area based on the layout information from the host computer 130. The address of the printing start point in is stored. Therefore, in the copy mode, the address counter cp402
Is the address of the printing start point in this copy destination area.

The address counter org 401 and the address counter cp 402
The count is incremented every time image data relating to one symbol in the bitmap format is transferred from the bitmap memory 104 of the main controller 140 according to 1.

Under such a configuration, Add Chan
When the ge signal is Low, the address (add signal) output to the line memory 205 is the address count value indicated by the address counter org401, that is,
This is the write address for one dot of the base image data. When the Add Change signal is High, an address output to the line memory 205 is an address count value indicated by the address counter cp402, that is, a write address for one dot of image data related to copying.

That is, when the Add Change signal is L
Each time it alternately changes to ow / High, the write address of the base image data and the write address of the image data for copying are output to the line memory 205 alternately.

As described above, the image data corresponding to one symbol is obtained, and the image data for the two symbols is written into the line memory 205 by the copy processing. Even when printing on printing paper, image processing such as smoothing
It only needs to be performed on image data for one symbol.

Referring to FIG. 5, the operation of writing data to the line memory will be specifically described. When data is written to the write address indicated by the ▼ mark 501 in the left base image data area, The same data is written at the write address indicated by the @ mark 502 in the image data area for the right copy. And ▼ mark 5
The write address is updated to the right of 01 → the right of the ▽ mark 502, etc., and the same data is written to the right of these. However, it goes without saying that the data written on the right side is not necessarily the same as the data written at the position of the mark 501 or the mark 502.

When printing three identical symbols,
The address set register 202 stores the write address of the printing start point in the second copy destination area, and this write address is set in the address counter cp402 as an initial value. And Add C
By keeping the change signal high,
Only the write address set in the address counter cp402 is output, and the line memory 2
One piece of image data that has already been transferred from the bitmap memory unit 104 and that has been subjected to smoothing processing is used as the copy source image data to be copied to 05.

When printing the same four symbols,
That is, when a plurality of prints are made, the copy may be performed using only the address counter cp402 as in the case of printing three prints. For example, the address counter org401
Is set as the initial value of the write address of the printing start point in the third copy destination area, and the address counter cp is set.
At 402, the write address of the printing start point in the fourth copy destination area may be set as an initial value, and the write address may be output alternately from these counters.

FIG. 6 shows the nWR signal and the Add Cha
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a circuit that generates an nge signal.

The nWR-org signal is a write signal output to the line memory 205 irrespective of the copy mode, and is input to the OR gate 601. mod
The e-cp signal indicates "0" to the copy mode register 206.
Becomes low when "1" is set, and goes high when "1" is set. When this mode-cp signal is low, writing to the copy area of the line memory 205 is performed. This mode-cp signal is A
The signal is inverted and input to the ND gate 602. The output of the AND gate 602 is output as an Add Change signal and is input to the OR gate 601. This O
The output of the R gate 601 is output as an nWR signal.

The Change-pulse signal is
This is a pulse signal generated during a write sequence to the line memory 205. This Change-Puls
The e signal is input to the toggle circuit 603, and the change
Each time a Pulse signal is input, the toggle circuit 603
Are alternately output as Low and High. The output of the toggle circuit 603 that changes in this way is input to the AND gate 602.

When the mode-cp signal is Low, that is, when "0" is set in the copy mode register 206, the Change-pulse signal alternates between Low and High.

As described above, the mode-cp signal which becomes low in the copy mode is inverted, and the AND gate 60
2, the AND gate 602 passes the output of the toggle circuit 603 as it is to
It will be output as an nge signal. Further, as described above, the output of the toggle circuit 603 is output from the Change-Pu
Every time the 1se signal is input, Low and High are alternately output, so that Add as shown in FIG.
A Change signal is obtained.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and for example, three or more address issuing units may be provided. In this case, each address issuing unit issues the write address one by one cyclically.
Further, the print data may be supplied from a computer on a network.

[0055]

As described above, according to the present invention,
In a printing apparatus that prints data supplied from a computer, in order to print one data supplied from the computer on a plurality of locations on one recording medium, the one print data is copied to a predetermined memory. Since a writing means for writing is provided, in a case where a plurality of the same symbols are printed on one sheet of printing paper, a target image can be printed only with print data of a basic symbol, and printing is performed on printing paper. Since all the print data is not required, both the computer and the printing apparatus can perform the same process relating to the same print data only once, thereby improving the processing efficiency of the print process. .

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an engine interface unit.

FIG. 3 is a timing chart illustrating an operation of writing data to a line memory.

FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram illustrating a configuration of an address switching control unit.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram specifically explaining an operation of writing data to a line memory;

FIG. 6 is a circuit diagram of a circuit that generates an nWR signal and an Add Change signal.

[Explanation of symbols]

 102 controller controller 102a DMA controller 105 image processing unit 106 engine interface unit 130 host computer 140 video controller 150 printing device 201 bitmap data transfer unit 202 address set register 203 smoothing processing unit 204 Address switching control unit 205: line memory 206: copied register 401: address counter org 402: address counter cp

Claims (30)

[Claims] 1. A printing apparatus for printing data supplied from a computer, wherein the one print data is copied so as to print one data supplied from the computer on a plurality of locations on one recording medium. And a writing means for writing into a predetermined memory. 2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the data written in the memory is data that has been subjected to image processing only once by the printing apparatus. 3. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the memory comprises a print buffer memory. 4. The printing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said print buffer memory is constituted by a line memory. 5. The computer according to claim 1, wherein the computer supplies the printing apparatus with information on a size of the recording medium and layout information of the data on the recording medium together with the data. Printing device. 6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said writing means includes a plurality of issuing means for issuing a write address for writing said data to said memory. Printing equipment. 7. The printing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of issuing units respectively issue write addresses to different areas of the recording medium. 8. The printing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of issuing units issue the write addresses one by one cyclically. 9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the data is stored in a DMA in the printing apparatus.
9. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the printing apparatus is transferred to the writing unit by transfer. 10. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the computer is configured by a host computer directly connected to the printing apparatus. 11. A printing method applied to a printing apparatus that prints data supplied from a computer, wherein the one data supplied from the computer is printed at a plurality of locations on one recording medium. A printing method comprising a writing step of writing one print data in a predetermined memory in a form of copying. 12. The printing method according to claim 11, wherein the data written in the memory is data that has been subjected to image processing only once after being supplied from the computer. 13. The printing method according to claim 11, wherein the memory comprises a print buffer memory. 14. The printing method according to claim 13, wherein said print buffer memory is constituted by a line memory. 15. The printing method according to claim 11, wherein the computer supplies the size of the recording medium and layout information of the data for the recording medium together with the data. 16. The method according to claim 11, wherein said writing step includes a plurality of issuing steps of issuing a write address for writing said data to said memory. Printing method. 17. The printing method according to claim 16, wherein the plurality of issuing steps respectively issue write addresses to different areas of the recording medium. 18. The printing method according to claim 16, wherein in the plurality of issuing steps, write addresses are issued cyclically one by one. 19. The data is stored in a DM in the printing apparatus.
19. The printing method according to claim 11, wherein the printing method is supplied to the writing step by A transfer. 20. The printing method according to claim 11, wherein said computer is constituted by a host computer directly connected to said printing apparatus. 21. A printing system in which a computer and a printing apparatus are connected and data is supplied from the computer to the printing apparatus and printing is performed, wherein one data supplied from the computer is stored in a plurality of locations on one recording medium. A printing system, comprising: a writing unit that writes the one print data into a predetermined memory so as to copy the print data. 22. The printing system according to claim 21, wherein the data written in the memory is data that has been subjected to image processing only once by the printing device. 23. The printing system according to claim 21, wherein the memory comprises a printing buffer memory. 24. The printing system according to claim 23, wherein said print buffer memory is constituted by a line memory. 25. The printing apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the computer supplies the printing device with the size of the recording medium and layout information of the data for the recording medium together with the data. Printing system. 26. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said writing means has a plurality of issuing means for issuing a write address for writing said data to said memory.
The printing system according to any one of the above. 27. The printing system according to claim 26, wherein the plurality of issuing units respectively issue write addresses to different areas of the recording medium. 28. The printing system according to claim 26, wherein the plurality of issuing units issue the write addresses cyclically one by one. 29. The data is stored in a DM in the printing apparatus.
The printing system according to any one of claims 21 to 28, wherein the data is transferred to the writing unit by A transfer. 30. The printing system according to claim 21, wherein said computer is constituted by a host computer directly connected to said printing apparatus.