JP2958481B2 - Printing control device - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a control device for a printing device such as a laser printer, and more particularly, to a control of automatic page printing and automatic paper discharge.

2. Description of the Related Art In a printing apparatus such as a laser printer, so-called double-sided printing, in which data such as characters and graphics are recorded on both sides of a sheet, is disclosed in, for example, JP-A-59-179354. Already known.

In such a two-sided printing apparatus, print data is transferred from a host computer or the like to the two-sided printing apparatus, print data for a plurality of pages is stored in a memory as page data, and then the control side of the two-sided printing apparatus stores the data in the memory. A two-sided printing mode for taking out page data and performing printing control on both sides of the sheet and a one-sided printing mode for performing printing control on one side of the sheet are provided. In the double-sided printing mode, a paper transport switching mechanism and a reverse transport path are provided for printing on both sides of the paper, and the recording unit of the printing apparatus reverses the front and back sides of the paper twice. Was controlled to pass through.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] In any mode, page data of less than one page of print data may be stored in the memory without receiving a print discharge code. In this case, despite the fact that there is data to be printed in memory,
A data lamp indicating the remaining print data is displayed without entering the printing operation. Therefore, from this state,
To print out only one page, the user must operate the print discharge switch of the printing apparatus or transmit a print discharge command from the host computer.

In particular, in the case of the double-sided printing mode, whether the remaining print data is less than one single-sided page or whether there is one single-sided page but less than two-sided two pages, a conventional data lamp is used. It was not possible to determine just by displaying. Therefore, in order to determine this, the print discharge switch of the printing apparatus is operated to forcibly execute the duplex printing, and the print discharge command is discriminated from the host computer. Is transmitted to the printing apparatus to start the printing operation, or whether the printing operation is not started while the data lamp is lit.

When a print discharge command is transmitted from the host computer to the printing apparatus, the print operation is not started unless the print discharge command is transmitted twice when the print data is less than one page of one side.

In addition, it is easy to forget to confirm the data lamp, and the user assumes that all print data has been printed, turns off the printing apparatus, and forgets to print the remaining print data. There is. further. In the two-sided printing mode, even if the residual print data is less than one side, the paper is conveyed in the same manner as in the two-sided printing, so that extra time is required until the print output is completed.

Also, to prevent the paper from stopping in the paper feed state,
A device has been proposed in which a sheet is automatically discharged after a predetermined time has passed by a timer (for example, see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Sho 59-67071). However, this apparatus does not print and discharge the print data remaining in the memory onto paper, and in order to perform print discharge, the user must avoid re-operation.

The present invention solves the above-described problem, and it does not receive a print discharge code, and when page data less than one page in single-sided printing and less than two pages in double-sided printing is stored in a memory. Even if a predetermined time has passed, by forcibly ejecting the print, a double-sided printing apparatus is provided which does not require a troublesome operation for performing print output and does not forget to print. The purpose is to:

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a double-sided printing control device which switches the printing mode to a single-sided printing mode when the page data is less than one-sided at the time of the forced printing and improves the throughput.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a storage unit for storing externally input print data as page data, and checks whether the page data satisfies one page. When a single page is filled in the single-sided printing mode or when two pages are filled in the double-sided printing mode, a printing control device having a printing means for printing those pages is used for a predetermined time after externally receiving no print data. After the lapse of time, a determination means for checking whether page data remains in the storage means, and as a result of checking by this determination means, when the page data is less than one page in the single-sided printing mode, the page data is not stored in the double-sided printing mode. When the number of pages is less than two, the printing unit is operated to automatically print the remaining page data. The printer includes a control unit for discharging the document and a mode switching unit for switching the printing mode to the single-sided printing mode when the page data does not extend over two pages in the double-sided printing mode.

[Operation] According to this configuration, even if the page data stored in the storage unit is data that is not enough to start a printing operation, after a predetermined time has elapsed, the print data is printed on one side according to the page data. Since data is automatically printed in the mode or the double-sided printing mode, data does not remain in the memory.

Further, in the above, when the page data does not extend over two pages in the double-sided printing mode, since the operation is performed in the single-sided printing mode, no extra time is required until the completion of the print output.

[Embodiment] FIG. 1 shows an overall configuration of a double-sided recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In this embodiment, a laser printer is used.
A laser / scanner unit 2, an image recording process device 3, a fixing device 4, and the like are provided. The process device 3 includes a photosensitive drum 5, a main charger 6, a developing unit 7, a transfer charger (transfer unit) 8,
It is composed of a separator 9 and the like. The laser / scanner section 2 converts a light image of a laser beam for recording data such as characters and graphics into a photosensitive drum 5 through a reflection mirror 10.
A latent image is formed on the photosensitive drum 5, and the latent image is developed by a developing device 7 and further transferred to a sheet by a transfer charger 8.

As for the paper transport system, two paper cassettes 12a and 12b containing one side paper 11 of the main body 1 are mounted.
The paper 11 is conveyed to the transfer unit by the paper feed rollers 13a and 13b and the registration roller 14, and is conveyed to the fixing device 4 via the conveyance guide unit 15 after being transferred and separated. Further, transport path switching levers 16 and 17 are disposed downstream of the fixing device 4, and the transport path is controlled by the switching lever 16 between the face down tray 18 provided on the upper surface of the main body 1 and the other side of the main body 1. Is switched to either the face-up tray 19 or the reversing tray 20 provided on the side. On the other hand, the switching lever 17 is used to switch between the face-up discharge tray 19 and the reversing tray 20 on the latter side.

Further, a reversing roller 21, a reversing conveyance path 22, a skew feeding roller 23, and a reversing paper tray 24 are provided as a device for reversing and conveying the paper on the reversing tray 20. A re-feed roller 25 for re-feeding paper is provided upstream of the roller 14. Further, a discharge roller 27 is provided on the transport path 26 facing the face down tray 18.

In FIG. 1, a solid arrow indicates a paper transport route during the previous printing in the duplex printing mode, and a broken arrow indicates a paper transport route during the inverted printing.

FIG. 2 shows a block configuration of a printing control device for controlling a printing mechanism (engine) mainly including the laser / scanner unit 2.

In the present control device, print data in a page unit (hereinafter, referred to as page data) is input via an interface 41 from an external device 40 such as a host computer, and is printed and recorded by a CPU 51 which controls the entire device. A RAM 52 in which page data and the like are stored, a video RAM 53 in which the page data is expanded as image data, an operation program of the apparatus, a character generator, and the like are stored.
A ROM 54, a timer 55 that starts counting after data is no longer received, and outputs a signal to the CPU 51 after a predetermined time has elapsed; a printing mechanism (engine) including the laser / scanner unit 2 and the image recording process device 3; ) 56, a print mode selection switch 58 for selecting one-sided print mode or two-sided print mode, an automatic print discharge mode selection switch 58 for selecting whether to set the automatic print discharge mode, and lights up the presence of residual print data. And a data lamp 59 for notifying the user.

Further, the RAM 52 includes a reception buffer 52a for temporarily storing data sent from the external device 40, and data stored in the reception buffer 52a as page data together with position data indicating a recording position on a sheet surface. It comprises a page data memory 52b for storing, a work memory 52c for storing a page print flag indicating that there is data to be printed in the page data, and the like.

Next, the printing operation of this apparatus will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. 3 and 4 showing the operation procedure.

FIG. 3 shows a flowchart in the case where the mode selection switch 57 selects the duplex printing mode.

The CPU 51 checks whether data has been input from the external device 40 such as a host computer (step # 1).
When the data is input, the timer 55 is cleared (# 2),
It is checked whether the input data is a print discharge code (or whether a page print flag is set) (# 3). If not, the data is expanded in the page data memory 52b (# 4). ), And return to # 1. If the input data is the print ejection code in # 3, the data development for one page is completed (# 5), and it is checked whether the page data for two pages is complete (# 5).
6) If the page data for two pages is not available,
A message of one-sided data completion (residual print data exists) is displayed by turning on the data lamp 59 on the operation panel (#
7) Return to # 1. If the page data for the two pages is complete, double-sided printing discharge is executed (# 8), and the printing operation ends.

In the # 8 print discharge operation, the CPU 51 performs dot development of the page data stored in the page data memory 52b as image data in the video RAM 53 by a character generator stored in the ROM 54, and uses the image data as a video signal as a printing mechanism. This is performed by outputting to the unit 56.

On the other hand, if no data has been input in # 1, it is determined whether or not the timer 55 is currently set (# 9). Since the timer has not been set at present, the automatic print discharge mode selection switch 58 is operated. To check whether the same mode is selected (# 10). Here, if the automatic print discharge mode is selected, it is checked whether or not there is print data in the page data memory 52b (# 11). If there is print data, the timer 55 is set (# 12). Then, the timer 55 counts up until data is input from the host computer 40. If data is input, the timer 55 is cleared in # 2. If no data is input after the lapse of the predetermined set time, when the predetermined set time has elapsed (YES in # 13), 1
Terminate the data development for the page (# 14) and then #
Similar to 6, it is checked whether or not two pages of page data are available (# 15). If YES, double-sided printing discharge is executed as described above (# 8), and the operation ends.

When the automatic print discharge mode is not selected (NO in # 10), when there is no print data (NO in # 11), and after the timer 55 is set (# 12), the process returns to # 1.

If NO in # 15, that is, if the data for two pages is not prepared, the print mode is switched to the one-sided print mode (# 16), the one-sided print discharge is executed (# 17), and the operation is terminated. .

FIG. 4 shows a flowchart when the single-sided printing mode is selected by the mode selection switch 57.

In this figure, # 1 to # 5 and # 9 to # 14 are equivalent to the same steps in FIG. 3, and when the input data is judged to be the print discharge code in # 3, and the timer is executed in # 13. When uploading, even if data development for one page is completed,
The single-sided printing discharge is executed (# 20), and the printing operation ends.

In the single-sided printing mode as well, when there is residual data, a data lamp may be turned on to indicate the fact.

In this way, if the automatic print discharge mode is selected, after the print data is transferred, if the next print data is not received after a predetermined period of time, regardless of the presence of the print discharge code, Therefore, printing is automatically completed, and print data does not remain in the page data memory 52b. If the automatic print discharge mode is not selected and there is residual print data, the
By displaying with, it is possible to prevent forgetting to print.

When the automatic print discharge mode is not selected and in the double-sided print mode, after the data is received and after a predetermined time has elapsed by the timer 55, the data amount is checked. Message, for example, "THE FACE ONLY" is displayed on the operation panel.
You may make it display using LED. Alternatively, the data lamp 59 is composed of two display panels, a front (FACE) and a back (BACK). In the single-sided printing mode, when print data is received, only the front (FACE) panel blinks.
If there is page data less than one page, the table (FA
CE) panel, while in duplex mode,
When print data is received, the front (FACE) and back (BACK) panels flash, and if there is more than one page and less than two pages of data after reception, the front (FACE) and back (BACK) panels are displayed. The panel of the table (FACE) may be turned on when there is page data of less than one page. By displaying in this way, the user can easily know how many pages of the residual print data will be.

If the printing device is provided with setting means for allowing the operator to freely set the predetermined time, the printer can be more easily used.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, in a printing apparatus that stores print data as page data in a storage unit, and then prints and discharges the sheet in a one-sided printing mode or a two-sided printing mode, When the print data is stored in the printer, a user operation is interposed even if page data less than one page is generated in the single-sided print mode and less than two pages are generated in the double-sided print mode without receiving the print discharge code. The printer automatically prints and discharges the paper after a predetermined time, so that careless mistakes by the user, such as forgetting to process the remaining print data, can be prevented, and the operability of the printing apparatus can be improved. Can be.

In the above, when the page data does not extend over two pages in the double-sided printing mode, the printing mode is switched to the single-sided printing mode, so that the throughput is improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

1 is an overall configuration diagram of a two-sided printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block configuration diagram of a printing control device of the same device, and FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a procedure of a printing operation in a two-sided printing mode. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the printing operation in the simplex printing mode. 51… CPU, 52… RAM, 52b… Page data memory (storage means), 53… Video RAM, 55… Timer, 56…
... Printing mechanism, 58 ... Automatic print discharge mode selection switch.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] A storage means for storing print data input from the outside as page data; checking whether the page data satisfies one page;
When filling pages, or 2 in duplex mode
A print control unit that prints the pages when the pages are filled, and checks whether or not the page data remains in the storage unit after a predetermined time elapses after print data is no longer input from the outside. When the page data is less than one page in the single-sided printing mode, and when the page data is less than two pages in the double-sided printing mode, the printing unit is activated to operate the printing unit. Control means for automatically printing and discharging the residual page data; and mode switching means for switching the printing mode to the one-sided printing mode when the page data does not extend over two pages in the duplex printing mode. Print control device.