JP2859035B2 - Printing equipment - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printing device such as a page printer used as a peripheral device of an information processing device, and more particularly to inputting external character data from an external device and storing it in an external character font memory for printing. The present invention relates to a printing device used when

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As one of peripheral devices of an information processing apparatus,
There are printing devices such as page printers, and some of such printing devices have two or more external connection interfaces for connecting to external devices.

In such a printing apparatus, a separate external apparatus can be connected to each of the external connection interfaces, and one printing apparatus can print data from a plurality of external apparatuses.

On the other hand, recent information processing apparatuses use a so-called external character data in which special characters other than the standard characters built in the printing device are created by an external device and mixed with the print data for printing. Printing is increasing.

As described above, a conventional printing apparatus which can be connected to a plurality of external apparatuses stores external character data sent from each external apparatus in a single external character font memory provided inside the printing apparatus. The external character font memory is configured to print while referring to the same as the font memory storing the standard character data.

Since the external character font memory has only one in common for a plurality of external devices, each time the external device for inputting print data is switched, the external character font memory is temporarily cleared and a new external character font memory is newly stored. Is stored.

[0007]

As described above, the conventional printing apparatus clears the external character font memory every time the connected external apparatus is switched. However, the external apparatus cannot recognize the switching of the connection. Each time printing of external character data is required, the external character data must be sent to the printing apparatus.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned drawbacks of the conventional printing apparatus and to transmit a selection signal to an external apparatus when the connection with the external apparatus is switched, thereby making the selection. Only when the signal is received, the desired external character data can be printed only by transmitting the external character data,
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a printing apparatus capable of efficiently transmitting print data.

[0009]

According to the present invention, there is provided a printing apparatus comprising: a plurality of external connection interfaces connected to a plurality of external devices; a plurality of external connection interfaces; Buffer, an external character font memory for storing external character data transmitted from the plurality of external devices, and clearing the external character font memory when switching a connection state between the reception buffer and the plurality of external connection interfaces. And switching the connection state between the interface control unit or the reception buffer and the plurality of external connection interfaces that output a selection signal to the external device connected thereto via the external connection interface that was previously connected. When the external character data is received, the external connection interface connected before was To output a selection signal to the external device connected therewith and a interface controller to clear the external character font memory.

[0010]

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the embodiment of FIG.

Referring to FIG. 1, external devices 20 and 21
Is an information processing device connected to the first external connection interface 1 and the second external connection interface 2 of the printing device 11, respectively, and sends print data including external character data to the printing device 11. The reception buffer 3
The first external connection interface 1 and the second external connection interface 2 are switched and connected, and the print data transmitted from them is received and transmitted to the processor 4. The processor 4 processes the input print data and prints the
1 to control the operation of each unit and send a print image to the printing mechanism unit 9. The external character font memory 8 stores external character data sent from the external device 20 or 21.

The processor 4 includes an external device 20 or 21
Is recognized, and the external character data therein is stored in the external character font memory 8. When a code for referring to the external character data is sent next, the external character data corresponding to the code is transmitted. External character font memory 8
And instructs the printing mechanism 9 to print.

The interface control unit 6 switches the connection between the first external connection interface 1 and the second external connection interface 2 when the reception buffer 3 switches the connection between the external devices 20 and 21. At this time, the selection information is output to the external devices 20 and 21.

The font memory 5 stores standard character data. Image memory 7, the print data follower
The print dot image expanded into a dot image is stored with reference to the print memory 5 and the external character font memory 8. The operation unit 10 inputs a command to the processor 4.

The printing apparatus configured as described above operates as shown in FIG. That is, the interface control unit 6 determines that the reception buffer 3 has the first external connection interface 1
When the switching of the connection between the external device and the second external connection interface 2 is notified (step 30), the selection information is output to the external device before the switching via the external connection interface connecting the external device. (Step 3
1).

For example, when print data is sent from the external device 20 via the first external connection interface 1 and the reception buffer 3 receives the print data, the reception buffer 3 temporarily stores the received print data. Store. At this time, the external device 21 cannot send print data because the second external connection interface 2 is busy. If the print data stored in the reception buffer 3 includes external character data and an external character code for referring to the external character data, the processor 4 to which the print data has been transferred from the reception buffer 3 transmits the external character data and the external character. Recognize the code, store the external character data in the external character font memory 8 in a state where the external character code can be referred to, and expand the received print data into a dot image by referring to the font memory 5 and the external character font memory 8 to the image memory 7. Store. When the storage of the print dot images of all the received print data is completed, the processor 4
Sends it to the printing mechanism 9 for printing.

When the reception of the print data from the external device 20 is completed, the processor 4 enables the reception of the second external connection interface 2 which has been busy until then. Next, the external device 2 via the second external connection interface 2
When print data reception starts from 1, the interface control unit 6 recognizes that the reception in the reception buffer 3 has been switched, clears the external character data registered in the external character font memory 8, and sets the first external connection interface 1. The selection information for notifying that the external character font memory 8 has been cleared is sent to the external device 20 via the external device 20. Based on this selection information, the external device 20 recognizes that the next time the print data is transmitted, if the print data contains an external character, the external character data must be transmitted again. When the external device 20 has not received the selection information before transmitting the print data, the reception state in the reception buffer 3 has not been switched, so that only the external character code may be transmitted.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the second embodiment of the present invention.

In this embodiment, the configuration is the same as that of FIG.
Behavior is different.

That is, as shown in FIG. 3, when the interface control unit 6 is notified that the reception buffer 3 switches the connection between the first external connection interface 1 and the second external connection interface 2 (step S3). 40),
If the external character font memory 8 is not directly cleared and the external character data is sent next (step 41), the external character data registered in the external character font memory 8 is cleared and transmitted to the external device before switching. Output selection information for notifying that the external character font memory 8 has been cleared through the connected external connection interface (step 4).
2).

[0022]

As described above, according to the printing apparatus of the present invention, when the connection state with a plurality of external apparatuses is switched, the external character font memory is cleared for the external apparatus connected before the switching. By outputting the selection information for notifying that the external character font memory is in the state of the external character font memory, it is possible to prevent unnecessary external character data from being transmitted. There is an effect that the efficiency of print data transmission can be increased.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the embodiment of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the second embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 First external connection interface 2 Second external connection interface 3 Receive buffer 4 Processor 5 Font memory 6 Interface control unit 7 Image memory 8 External character font memory 9 Printing mechanism unit 10 Operation unit 11 Printing device 20 ・ 21 External device 30-31 ・40-42 steps

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁶ , DB name) B41J 5/44 G06F 3/12 G09G 5/22

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A plurality of external connection interfaces connected to each of a plurality of external devices; a reception buffer connecting the plurality of external connection interfaces and switching their connection states to receive print data; An external character font memory for storing external character data transmitted from the device, and an external connection interface previously connected by clearing the external character font memory when switching a connection state between the reception buffer and the plurality of external connection interfaces And an interface control unit for outputting a selection signal to an external device connected thereto via the printer. 2. A plurality of external connection interfaces connected to each of a plurality of external devices, a reception buffer connecting the plurality of external connection interfaces and switching their connection state to receive print data, and a plurality of external buffers. An external character font memory that stores external character data transmitted from the device, and an external connection interface that was previously connected when external character data was received after switching the connection state between the reception buffer and the plurality of external connection interfaces. A printing apparatus which outputs a selection signal to an external device connected thereto via the interface control unit to clear the external character font memory.