JP2514544Y2 - Printer control device - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial field of application] The present invention allows an external controller developed for a printer that can set only a single size of recording paper to be connected to a printer that can set multiple sizes of recording paper. The printer control device according to claim 1.

[Conventional technology]

As a conventional printer control device, for example, an external controller (for example, a host computer, a user interface, etc.) receives a tray signal of one paper feed tray selected from a plurality of paper feed trays and a size signal of recording paper accommodated in the tray. And the like), and in response thereto, recording is performed on the recording paper of the paper feed tray selected based on the drive command and image signal of the paper feed tray output from the external controller. According to this printer control device, the operator can select a recording paper of a predetermined size from recording papers of a plurality of sizes, and the external controller drives the corresponding paper feed tray according to the size of the recording paper. In addition, the image signal is processed and then output from the printer so that desired image recording is performed.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

However, according to the conventional printer control device, since the paper feed tray signal indicating which paper feed tray is selected is linked to the recording paper size signal is output to the external controller, There is an inconvenience that the recording operation cannot be performed under the control of an external controller developed for a printer that can set only the recording paper of the size.

[Means for solving problems]

The present invention has been made in view of the above, and selects one paper feeding tray from a plurality of paper feeding trays containing recording papers of different sizes, and feeds the recording papers fed from the one paper feeding tray. In the printer that performs recording based on image data obtained from an external controller, a detection unit that detects recording paper sizes accommodated in the plurality of paper feed trays and generates a plurality of recording paper size detection signals; A tray selection control unit that feeds recording paper from the one paper tray based on selection of one paper tray, and outputs a paper tray signal representing the selected one paper tray; The size of the recording paper to be recorded is determined based on a plurality of recording paper size detection signals and the paper feed tray signal, and a recording paper size determination signal representing the determined recording paper size is sent to the external controller. Includes size information controller for outputting to La, the external controller outputs the image data to be recorded on the recording paper to be fed from the one paper tray based on the recording sheet size determination signal. When the size information control unit determines the size of the recording paper to be printed, the size information control unit outputs the determination result to the external controller and causes the external controller to control the printer. As a result, even if the external controller is developed for a printer that can set only a single size of recording paper, it is possible to control a printer in which a plurality of sizes of recording paper are set. Further, since the size information control unit inputs the size signal and the paper feed tray signal, it is possible to output the information in which the size signal and the paper feed tray signal are linked to the external controller.

 Hereinafter, the printer controller of the present invention will be described in detail.

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention, in which 1 is a printer main body, 2 and 3 are tray selection keys and a tray selection display section arranged on a man-machine interface, and 4 is a tray selection control section for selecting a paper feed tray. Reference numeral 5 is a size information control unit for generating size information of the recording paper, 6 is a host interface, and 7 is an external controller including a host computer or the like. The printer body 1 includes a rotary polygon mirror 11 that deflects a laser beam modulated according to an image signal output from a semiconductor laser (not shown), a scan motor 12 that rotates the rotary polygon mirror 11, and a laser beam focusing unit. And a lens 14 for reflecting and exposing the photosensitive drum 13 and a reflecting mirror 15. A developing machine 16 and a transfer corotron 17 are located around the photoconductor drum 13, a registration roll 18 is provided in the front stage of the transfer contactron 17, and a fixing device 19 is provided in the rear stage. Three paper feed cassettes 20A, 20B, 20C are provided for feeding recording paper toward the registration roll 18, and a discharge tray 21 is provided at the subsequent stage of the fixing device 19. Paper cassette 20A is B4 size, 20B is A4 size, 20
C contains B5 size recording paper. Tray selection key 2 is the top, middle, and bottom three feed trays 20
This is a key for selecting one paper feed tray from among A, 20B, and 20C, and the tray selection display section 3 displays the paper feed trays of the upper, middle, and lower selected stages. The tray selection control unit 4 controls the display of the tray selection display unit 3 based on the signal from the tray selection key 2 and also controls the paper feed trays 20A, 20B, 20.
The sheet feeding roll C is controlled to feed the recording sheet, and the signal of the selected tray is given to the size information controller 5. The size information control unit 5 is based on the size signals B4, A4, B5 of the recording paper of the respective paper feed trays 20A, 20B, 20C and the tray selection signal of the tray selection control unit 4 and is about to receive the recording paper. A recording paper size signal representing the size of the recording paper is generated. The external controller 7 is configured to input this recording paper size signal via the host interface 6.

The operation of the above configuration will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. When the upper sheet feed tray 20A is selected from the tray selection key 2, the tray selection control section 4 causes the tray display section 3 to display that the sheet feed tray 20A has been selected, and outputs a selection signal to the sheet feed tray 20A and feeds it. Outputs the non-selection signal to the paper trays 20B and 20C, and
A paper feed tray signal indicating that the upper stage is selected is output to the size information control unit 5. The size information control unit 5 inputs signals representing recording paper sizes B4, A4, B5 from sensors (not shown) provided on the upper, middle, and lower paper feed trays 20A, 20B, 20C, and A paper feed tray signal indicating selection is input and it is determined that the size of the recording paper to be printed is B4. B4 based on this judgment result
When the recording paper size signal of is supplied to the external controller 7 via the host interface 6, the external controller 7 outputs the processed image signal to the printer control unit (not shown) and also the printer main body via the printer control unit. 1 is controlled to perform predetermined recording on B4 size recording paper fed from the paper feed tray 20A. This recording is performed by deflecting the laser beam by the rotary polygon mirror 11 rotated by the scan motor 12, exposing the photosensitive drum 13 by the deflected laser beam, developing the electrostatic latent image by the developing machine 16, and recording the toner image by the transfer corotron 17. After the transfer onto paper (B4 size) and the fixing of the transferred image by the fixing device 19, the recording paper on which the image is recorded is discharged to the discharge tray 21 and one printer cycle is completed.

In the above embodiments, the laser printer has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this and can be applied to, for example, a thermal printer.

[Effect of device]

As described above, according to the printer control device of the present invention, based on the tray selection signal for selecting one paper feed tray from the plurality of paper feed trays and the size signal of the recording paper accommodated in each of the plurality of trays. The size of the recording paper to be recorded is determined and only that size is output to the external controller.Therefore, an external controller developed for a printer that can set only a single size of recording paper allows multiple sizes of recording paper to be recorded. You can control which printers you can set.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 and 2 show an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is an explanatory view of the configuration, and FIG. 2 is a flowchart of the operation. Explanation of code 1 …… Printer body 2 …… Tray selection key 3 …… Tray selection display section 4 …… Tray selection control section 5 …… Size information control section 6 …… Host interface 7 …… External controller 20A, 20B, 20C ...... Paper tray

Claims (1)

(57) [Scope of utility model registration request] 1. An image data obtained from an external controller by selecting one paper feed tray from a plurality of paper feed trays containing recording papers of different sizes, and recording papers fed from the one paper feed tray. A recording unit based on the selection of one of the paper feed trays, the detection unit generating a plurality of recording paper size detection signals by detecting the recording paper sizes accommodated in the plurality of paper feed trays. The recording paper is fed from the one paper feed tray and the selected one
A tray selection control unit that outputs a paper feed tray signal representing one paper feed tray, and a size of a recording paper to be recorded is determined based on the plurality of recording paper size detection signals and the paper feed tray signal. A size information control unit for outputting a recording paper size determination signal indicating the recording paper size to the external controller, the external controller recording based on the recording paper size determination signal. A printer control device which outputs the image data to be recorded on paper.