JP2615137B2 - Printing device - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printing apparatus that receives data from a host computer or the like and controls printing or the like in accordance with the received data.

[Conventional technology]

In recent years, various page printers (printing devices) such as laser printers are commercially available. These various printing devices are:
A control command (command) code is received from a host computer or the like, and control such as printing is performed by the command code. However, since this control command code may be different depending on the printing device manufacturer or the type of the printing device, the received command code may not be able to control printing or the like. For this reason, many printing devices are provided with a plurality of types of emulation in the printing device so that printing can be controlled even when a control command code of a different type of printing device is received. Control can also be performed on control command codes.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

However, in the conventional printing device, the emulation is switched by setting using the operation switch of the printing device,
The setting is performed by a dip switch provided in the printing apparatus or by receiving a switching command from a host computer.

Therefore, for example, when a plurality of host computers and the like are connected to the printing apparatus and a plurality of types of different control command codes are transmitted from the host computers and the like, an operation is performed every time the type of the transmitted control command codes changes. It is necessary to set switches, dip switches, and the like, and there is a problem that operation is troublesome and operation time is long. In addition, there is a problem that the printing device malfunctions or does not operate if the setting of the operation switch, the dip switch, and the like is wrong. Further, when the emulation is switched by receiving a switching command or the like, the setting operation on the host computer side is troublesome.

The present invention selects an emulation corresponding to a type of a received control command code when a plurality of types of control command codes are received, and executes a control command even when a different type of control command code is received. It is an object of the present invention to provide a printing device that can perform the printing.

[Means for solving the problem]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a page buffer for storing data received from the outside, a plurality of types of emulation for converting a control command code included in the data, and a method based on the converted control command code. Means for reading a control command code stored in the page buffer, and comparing the read control command code with the plurality of types of emulation. Means for selecting the most suitable emulation; and means for switching so that the control command code is guided to the selected emulation.

[Action]

According to the printing device having the above-described configuration, the control command code received from the outside is compared with a plurality of types of emulations in the printing device, and the emulation that best matches the control command code is automatically selected. The emulation is switched to the above, and the control command code is converted. Then, printing is performed based on the converted control command code.

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 shows a block configuration of an embodiment of a printing apparatus according to the present invention.

The host computer 1 is connected to the input interface unit 2 from outside the printing apparatus main body. Then, from the host computer 1, a graphic code,
Data such as a print code and a control command code (hereinafter, simply referred to as data) is transmitted. The input interface unit 2 is connectable to a plurality of host computers 1a and 1b, and data transmitted from each of the host computers 1a and 1b is input to the reception buffer 3 via the input interface unit 2. ing. The reception buffer 3 temporarily stores received data. The page buffer 4 stores 1 data in the reception buffer 3.
Data for a page or more is stored.

A central control unit (hereinafter, referred to as a CPU) 5 controls the printing apparatus based on a program stored in a main program memory 6 and a control command code from the host computer 1. Work memory 7
Is used to store the write start position and end position of the page buffer 4 and to be used when the CPU 5 performs processing. The emulation program memory 8 stores a plurality of types of emulation. Further, the CPU 5 reads a font pattern (character) corresponding to the print code extracted from the page buffer 4 from the font memory 9 and stores the font pattern at a predetermined position in the bitmap memory 10.

The output buffer 11 temporarily stores the font pattern or the graphic pattern stored in the bitmap memory 10. Output interface section 12
Is to output the font pattern or the graphic pattern stored in the output buffer 11 to the printing unit 13. The printing unit 13 prints the photo pattern or the graphic pattern at a predetermined position on a printing paper (not shown).

Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS.

First, when data is received from the host computer 1 in a state where the storage capacity of the page buffer 4 is empty, this data is written to the basic buffer 4 via the reception buffer 3 (steps S ₁ and S ₂ ). . The data is checked for the presence of a page break code. If there is a page break code, the write start position and end position of the page buffer 4 are stored in the work memory 7 (steps S ₃ and S ₃₎ . ₄ ). Conversely, in step S _3, if there is no page break code, without the process of step S _4, the process proceeds to step S _5. Note that the end position indicates a position of a page break code (for example, form feed) written in the page buffer 4.

In step S _5, if there is air in the page buffer 4 returns to the step S _1, if there is no empty page buffer 4,
Data from the page buffer 4 in the step S ₃₁ of FIG. 4 is taken out to the rear operator waits the page buffer 4 until it is empty. When it is empty in the page buffer 4, the flow returns to the step S _1.

In step S _3, although the position of the page break code at the end position, it is determined that the page when the data of the page buffer 4 even without pagination code reaches a predetermined number is completed, The end data position may be the end position.

The end position of the page in step S ₄ a work memory 7
Then, the processing of the flowchart of FIG. 3 is started. That is, for example, the type of emulation
In the case of three types, A, B, and C, variables a, which count control command codes that match each of the emulations A, B, and C, respectively.
b, c are all reset (Step S _11). Then, read the control command code from the page buffer 4 (step S _12), the control command code and and either the emulation is collated whether fit, fits emulation variables (a, b or c, ) to "1" is added (step S ₁₃ to S _18). The process of step S ₁₃ to S ₁₈ are repeated until the end position is read, the end position is read (step S
_19), the process proceeds to step S _20.

In step S _20, the type of the most common emulation adaptation speed is selected. That is, the emulation corresponding to the largest variable among the variables a, b, and c is selected as the most suitable emulation. When the variable a is the largest, the emulation is of type A
It switched to (step S _21), when the largest variable b is switched to a type B (Step S _22), when the largest variable c is switched to the type C (step S _23). Then, when the mode is switched to any one of the emulations, the processing of the flowchart in FIG. 4 is started. First, data is sequentially retrieved from the page buffer 4 (step S _31). Then, the control command code in the data is guided to the switched emulation and converted, and printing or the like is controlled based on the converted control command code (steps _S32 and _S33 ). Further, the step S ₃₁ to S
Process ₃₃ is repeated until the end position is read (step S _34).

Incidentally, in addition to the determination of the presence or absence of the page break code of the step S _3, or alternatively, a determination is made whether a predetermined time has elapsed from when the data from the host computer 1 has started to be received, the predetermined time The data position of the page buffer 4 at the time when the time has elapsed may be printed at the end position even if the data from the host computer 1 is interrupted.

Further, in the above step _{S 13, S 15, S 17} , control command code and for matching the respective emulation may be collated in one by one code, or by matching together two or more code Is also good.

Also, the emulation said selection of the type of emulation in Step S _20, had done each time the end position of the data in the page buffer 4 is read out, which prior to the step S _20, is switched in the last selection when adding the determined kind of whether it matches the emulation found in this selection, if there is a match, the switching process of emulation steps S ₂₁ to S ₂₃ may also be not performed.

〔The invention's effect〕

According to the present invention, even when control command codes of different types are transmitted from a plurality of external host computers or the like, the emulation optimal for the type of the received control command code is automatically selected and switched, so that the control command Can be performed. Further, since the user does not need to perform the setting operation of the operation switch, the DIP switch, and the like, the operation time can be reduced, and the operation switch, the DIP switch, and the like can be reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of a printing apparatus according to the present invention, and FIGS. 2 to 4 are flowcharts showing one embodiment of the operation of the printing apparatus. 1, 1a, 1b ... host computer, 4 ... page buffer, 5 ... central control unit, 8 ... emulation program memory, 13 ... printing unit.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A page buffer for storing data received from outside, a plurality of types of emulation for converting a control command code included in the data, and a print for printing the data based on the converted control command code. And a means for reading a control command code stored in the page buffer, and comparing the read control command code with the plurality of types of emulation to select an emulation that is most suitable. And a means for switching so that the control command code is guided to the selected emulation.