JP2874541B2 - High-speed printer output system - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printer output system for confirming a record in a system for editing article image data of newsprint, magazines and the like by a host computer. And a processing system for transferring the data.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In an editing system for newspapers and magazines, when the editing result is confirmed as an image,
A PPC plain paper printer is directly connected to the host computer for recording and output.

[0003] When outputting image data, the host computer generally takes time to develop the image data. Therefore, when viewed from each channel, the image data may not be continuously transmitted.

Further, the PPC plain paper printer requires a warm-up time when the image data from the host computer is interrupted (in units of one page) and the image data is sent again. Had an effect. To solve this problem, the number of output channels from the host computer has been increased, and a PPC plain paper printer has been added to secure the necessary output time.

[0005]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional method, it is necessary to install a plurality of printers according to the peak usage of the PPC plain paper printer, which leads to an increase in price and an increase in floor occupancy. .

Also, the operation rate of this printer has been reduced,
There is a disadvantage that the maximum processing capacity of the C plain paper printer cannot be used efficiently.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a novel high-speed printer output system capable of solving the above-mentioned drawbacks inherent in the prior art. To provide.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, a high-speed printer output system according to the present invention comprises a plurality of image buffer devices for storing image data sent from a host computer, and a plurality of image buffers. An image selection device for checking the image data storage state of the buffer device and the ready state of the plurality of printers and selecting a transfer path of the image data, and a PPC plain paper printer for recording the image data.

In the above-mentioned image buffer device, P
Equipped with control and memory capacity that allow retransmission processing when a PC plain paper printer is jammed.

Further, in the image selecting device,
C To maintain the maximum processing capacity of plain paper printers,
It has control to output image data to this printer without interruption.

[0011]

Next, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a specific example of the image buffer device shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a specific example of the image selection device shown in FIG. FIG. 4 shows an example of a procedure for transferring image data.

For convenience of explanation, this embodiment shows a system using three image buffer devices and two PPC plain paper printers. Of course, the host computer,
The same processing is possible even if the number is changed according to the processing capacity of the PPC plain paper printer.

In FIG. 2, the image buffer devices 12 to 1
Reference numeral 4 denotes a buffer memory 21 for storing image data output from the host computer 11, an input interface unit 22 for inputting image data, and image data input via the input interface unit 22 stored in the buffer memory 21. A memory control unit 23 for controlling and outputting the image data to the image selection device 15; an output interface unit 24 for outputting the image data to the image selection device 15; and a CPU control unit 25 for controlling the respective units. doing.

In FIG. 3, the image selecting device 15
It includes an input interface unit 31 to enter the image data from the image buffer unit 12 to 14, an output interface unit 33 for outputting image data to the printer 16, 17
A data selection control unit 32 that controls switching so that image data transferred via the input interface unit 31 can be selected and transferred to the output interface unit 33; and a CPU control unit 34 that controls each unit. ing.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, when the development of the image data is completed in the host computer 11, the image data is sequentially transferred to the image buffer device in which the buffer memory 21 is empty. Upon completion of receiving one page of data in the buffer memory 21, each of the image buffer devices 12, 13, and 14 notifies the image selection device 15 of the storage completion flag. In the image selection device 15,
After cyclically checking the storage completion flags of the image buffer devices 12, 13, and 14, and confirming that they are "ON", a start signal is given to the PPC plain paper printer 16 or 17 to transfer the image data. Start.

Next, the continuous recording operation for the PPC plain paper printers 16 and 17 will be described with reference to FIG. In this figure, each of the image buffer devices 12, 13, and 14 has completed the reception of the image data from the host computer 11, and has set the storage completion flag to "ON" for the image selection device 15.

First, the image selection device 15 confirms the storage completion flag “ON” (), and the PPC plain paper printer 16
To a warm-up.
After the completion of the warm-up, the output of the image data to the PPC plain paper printer 16 is started. Thereafter, in order to improve the throughput, the storage completion flag “ON” () is confirmed during the transfer of the image data, and the image data is output to the same PPC plain paper printer 16 after the image data transfer is completed. Similarly, each of the image data of the above, when the transfer of the previously received image data is completed,
Continue to transfer.

By this operation, the PPC plain paper printer 16
, Different image data can be supplied continuously.

Note that the storage completion flag "ON" () to
When the image data from the host computer 11 is interrupted for a while, such as when the storage completion flag is “ON” (), and the image data is received again, it is necessary to restart the PPC plain paper printer. is there. here,
In order to use this printer evenly, the startup destination is P
The PC plain paper printer 17 is used. After that, the storage completion flag “O” is output from each of the image buffer devices 12, 13, and 14.
Unless the N "signal is interrupted, image data is continuously transferred.

FIG. 2 shows image buffer devices 12, 13, and 14.
An example of the configuration will be shown, and its operation will be described.

First, a method of using the buffer memory 21 will be described.

[0023] The buffer memory 21, should be divided into several areas in the number one large size of the size to be recorded.
When a jam occurs in the PPC plain paper printer 16 or 17, the number of areas is set to the PPC plain paper printer 1.
Maximum ÷ images back of sheets to be simultaneously jammed per platform
It is assumed that the number of fa devices +1.

The reason for securing the area of the maximum value ÷ the number of image selection devices is that the PPC plain paper printers 16 and 17 used for editing confirmation and the like usually operate continuously, depending on the location where the jam occurs. This is because the paper recorded in the past may become jammed, and it is necessary to hold the past data.

The area of +1 is secured by receiving and storing image data from the host computer 11,
Thereafter, the image is output to the image selection device 15.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a method of using the buffer memory. In FIG.
An entry with a number means that the image data of that number is stored.

Here, a description will be given of a case where the buffer memory 21 is divided into four areas as shown in FIG.

When image data is received from the host computer 11, the image data is stored from the first area. When all the image data of one page has been received, the image selecting device 15
In response to this, the storage completion flag is set to "ON", and in response to the request signal for completion of transfer preparation, the image data is transferred (see (1) in FIG. 5). When the main transfer is completed, the image data received from the host computer 11 is stored in the second area. Thereafter, the operation described with reference to FIG. 5A is repeated, and the image data is stored in each area (see FIGS. 5B to 5D). After the image data is stored in all the areas and the transfer to the image selecting device 15 is completed, the next image data sent from the host computer 11 is stored by sequentially overwriting the area in which the oldest image data is stored ( (See FIGS. 5 (5) and (6).) In this way, each area is sequentially used in a ring shape. In the case of this example, the past three image data are always stored.

Here, as shown in FIG. 5 (6), while the image data is being transferred to the image selection device 15, a jam occurs in the PPC plain paper printer of the transfer destination, and the past 3 When there is a retransmission request for the number of sheets, FIG.
As shown in (7) to (9), each data is sequentially retransmitted. Thereafter, as described above, the next image data is stored by sequentially overwriting the area in which the older image data is stored (see FIGS. 5 (10) to (12)).

Next, according to FIG.
Operations in 2, 13, and 14 will be described.

When the CPU control unit 25 confirms that the previously received image data has been completely output to the image selection device 15, the input interface unit 2
2, the image data is received from the host computer 11 via the buffer computer 21 in accordance with the above-described area designating method of the buffer memory 21 in the memory control unit 23.
To be stored. If storage of one page is completed, CP
The U control unit 25 sets the storage completion flag to “ON” and notifies the image selection device 15. Then, upon receiving a transfer preparation completion request signal from the image selection device 15, the image data is output to the image selection device 15 from the terminal 202 via the output interface unit 24.

FIG. 3 shows an example of the configuration of the image selection device 15 and its operation will be described.

The input interface unit 31 has terminals 301, 302, 303 for receiving image data and control signals from the respective image buffer devices 12, 13, 14.
have. The CPU control unit 34 monitors the storage completion flag from each input terminal, and confirms which input terminal is “ON”. After confirming the input terminal, a start signal is supplied to one of the PPC plain paper printers 16 and 17 connected to the terminals 304 and 305 of the output interface unit 33, and at the same time, the data selection control unit 32 sets a storage completion flag. Switching is performed so that the input terminal of the input interface 31 that is “ON” and the output terminal of the output interface 33 to which the start signal is given can transfer image data. Then, after receiving the warming-up completion signal, it returns a transfer preparation completion request signal to the image buffer device in which the storage completion flag is set to “ON”. afterwards,
Image data is transferred.

The output destination PPC plain paper printer 16
Alternatively, if the reception is already in continuous reception and the warm-up has been completed, the activation signal is not given to the PPC plain paper printer during continuous reception even if the storage completion flag is confirmed to be "ON". Instead, the PPC confirms that the image data being transferred has already been transferred and that the next image data can be received.
Upon receiving the notification from the plain paper printer, a transfer preparation completion request signal is immediately returned to the image buffer device, and the image data is received.

[0035]

As described above, according to the present invention,
With regard to the problem that the transfer time of each image data becomes longer due to the development time of the image data generated in the host computer, by installing a plurality of image buffer devices,
The image data can be transferred to the PPC plain paper printer without interruption, and the forming-up time when the transfer interval of the image data is long, which has been a limitation of the PPC plain paper printer, is not required. The effect of enabling operation with the maximum processing capacity of the printer is obtained.

Further, according to this effect, the number of PPC plain paper printers can be reduced, which is advantageous in terms of price.
The effect of reducing the floor occupancy can also be obtained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a specific example of the image buffer device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a specific example of the image selection device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a transfer procedure of image data.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of how to use a buffer memory.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... Host computer 12, 13, 14 ... Image buffer device 15 ... Image selection device 16, 17 ... PPC plain paper printer 21 ... Buffer memory 22 ... Input interface unit 23 ... Memory control unit 24 ... Output interface unit 25 ... CPU control unit DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 31 ... Input interface part 32 ... Data selection control part 33 ... Output interface part 34 ... CPU control part 201 ... Input terminal from a host computer 202 ... Output terminal to an image selection device 301, 302, 303 ... Input from an image buffer device Terminals 304, 305: Output terminals to PPC plain paper printer

Continuation of front page (56) References JP-A-64-14043 (JP, A) JP-A-3-100823 (JP, A) JP-A-3-122715 (JP, A) JP-A-4-225423 (JP) , A) JP-A-5-216603 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁶ , DB name) G06F 3/12

Claims (7)

(57) [Claims] 1. A plurality of image buffer devices for storing image data sent from a host computer, an image data storage state of the plurality of image buffer devices, and a ready state of a plurality of PPC plain paper printers are checked. An image selection device for selecting an image buffer device and which PPC plain paper printer to transfer image data from the buffer device to the PPC plain paper printer, and a PPC plain paper printer for recording the image data A high-speed printer output system. 2. An image buffer device comprising: a buffer memory for storing image data output from the host computer; an input interface for inputting image data; and an image interface for inputting image data via the input interface. A memory control unit that controls storage of the image data in the buffer memory and outputs the image data to the image selection device, an output interface unit that outputs the image data to the image selection device, and a CPU control unit that controls each unit. 2. The high-speed printer output system according to claim 1, further comprising: 3. The image selection device according to claim 1, wherein the image selection device receives the image data from the image buffer device, inputs the image data from the image buffer device, outputs the image data to the printer, and transfers the image data to the printer via the input interface portion. 2. The high-speed printer output according to claim 1, further comprising: a data selection control unit that controls switching so that image data can be selected and transferred to the output interface unit; and a CPU control unit that controls each unit. system. 4. In the image buffer device, a PPC
When a paper jam occurs in the plain paper printer, the printer has a memory control unit that retransmits the image that has been jammed, is divided into a plurality of areas in a size corresponding to a recording size, and the jam occurs in the plurality of areas. 3. The high-speed printer output system according to claim 2, further comprising a buffer memory capable of storing past images including images. 5. The image selection device is connected to the input interface unit so that image data can be transferred to one PPC plain paper printer without interruption so that the maximum processing capacity of the PPC plain paper printer can be maintained. From which of the plurality of image buffer devices the image data is received, and which P
4. The high-speed printer output system according to claim 3, further comprising a data selection control unit for selecting whether to transfer to a PC plain paper printer. 6. The PPC plain paper printer, wherein the buffer memory is divided into a plurality of areas with the largest size for recording, and when the number of areas is jammed in the PPC plain paper printer, the jam is simultaneously generated in the PPC plain paper printer. 5. The high-speed printer output system according to claim 4, further comprising: (number of image buffers to be retransmitted as a whole) = (number of image buffers) +1. 7. When each of the image buffer devices has completed receiving one page of data in the buffer memory, the image buffer device notifies the image selection device of a storage completion flag. 3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising the step of: confirming a storage completion flag of the image buffer device and confirming that the storage device is "ON", transmitting a start signal to the PPC plain paper printer to start transfer of image data. A high-speed printer output system as described.