JP2982608B2 - Printer device - 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 device, and more particularly to a high-speed data interface using a large-capacity storage device in a color printer or the like that handles a large amount of print data and a data control technique.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a color printer of this type, received print data is converted into actual energizing data, and three color inks of yellow (Y), magenta (M), and cyan (C) are used. Are superimposed on each other, color representation is performed. If the received data is represented in three colors of red (hereinafter R), green (hereinafter G), and blue (hereinafter B), R, G, B , To Y, M, C. Normally, this color conversion is performed in R, G,
Since the printing energization is performed while converting the three colors of B into a printing color, for example, Y, it is necessary to realize a data reading speed higher than the printing speed for conversion processing or the like. Therefore, usually as a print data buffer inside the printer device,
R, G, and IC memories that can read continuously at a constant speed
Built-in for B3 color.

In other printers, an information holding medium is required to incorporate information such as a font used for printing and a type of a host computer.
As shown in JP-A-254528, there is a printer in which an external storage device is used to increase the memory capacity of a printer device. FIG. 2 shows an example of a conventional printer using an external storage device. A hard disk device 115 as an external storage device is provided outside the print control circuit 121, and an interface device 111 is provided therebetween. Data transfer control circuit 1 in interface device 111
Reference numeral 12 controls data transfer between the printer control circuit 121 and the hard disk device 115 via the buffer memory 113 therein. This buffer memory 113
A memory accessed as an external additional memory when viewed from the connection terminal 122 of the printer control circuit 121,
Used for temporary storage of data. The disk control circuit 114 controls the hard disk device 115. The hard disk device 115 is a large-capacity external storage device, and stores a large amount of information as an additional memory such as a font used for printing and a type of a host computer to be connected. A connection terminal 122 for connecting a memory module of the printer control circuit 121 connects the memory cartridge or the interface device 111.
In this connection, part or all of the interface device 111 is mounted in the form of a memory module, and the hard disk device 115 is wired therefrom.

In such a configuration, the contents of the hard disk device 115 are temporarily stored in the buffer memory 113 in the interface device 111, and data is transferred by accessing the buffer memory 113 from the printer control circuit 121. When the flow of data is reversed, the procedure is reversed. In this case, the access timing to the hard disk device 115 may be, for example, using a part of the access address to the memory module from the printer control circuit 121 as an operation instruction of the hard disk device 115, or designating beyond the access range of the buffer memory 113. Then, the operation is performed by a so-called cache memory operation such as accessing the hard disk device 115.

As described above, by using the interface device 111, the hard disk device 115 can be operated as if it were a memory module. As a result, it is possible to minimize the cost increase and increase the capacity of the additional memory of the printer device.

[0006]

However, the method of the prior art described above is effective for storing print characters and for adding a function memory for enhancing the emulation function of the host computer. Since the access speed of a large-capacity storage device such as a hard disk device is slow, it is not possible to specify one access time.
It cannot be used for print data buffers such as color printers that perform continuous printing. Therefore, all the memories of the print data buffer are constituted by IC memories having a higher cost and a higher access speed than a hard disk device or the like.

Further, since the cost of the IC memory is high, the memory for a plurality of items cannot be mounted. Therefore, even if data for the next item is sent during printing, it cannot be received. For this reason, the host computer must wait until the printing operation is completed and the next data can be received, resulting in a decrease in system efficiency.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a method for receiving received print data.
Storage means for temporarily storing data, and receiving data from outside.
Communication with the secondary storage means, and
Sub-CPU for controlling read and read, and the sub-storage means
Once a predetermined amount of received data read from
A line buffer for transferring data, and the line buffer
Reads the received data from the printer and stores the print color data.
Data is transferred to storage means by direct memory access transfer
Data control means for transferring, and control and
And a main CPU for controlling the printing operation.
The line buffer is at least two line buffers
Each time the predetermined received data is stored, writing and
The sub CPU switches to the read mode.
During the memory access transfer, the next line
Is read from the sub-storage means, and the data
The line buffer on the side not accessed by the control means
Write it.

[0009]

Next, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention.

[0010] In various printer devices, especially in a color printer device for printing a color image or the like, data received from a host computer mainly includes a control command for controlling printing of the printer device and actual print data. The host computer which does not transmit the print data and the printer control command through the external interface 23, and the embodiment described here is also such a printer.

In FIG. 1, the sub CPU 15 controls reception from the host computer via the external interface 23. The sub CPU 15 also controls the hard disk device 20 serving as a sub-storage unit, and temporarily stores the received data in the hard disk device 20. Main CPU
Reference numeral 11 controls a printer mechanism (not shown).
Since data cannot be received during the initialization of the printer mechanism or during the printing operation, etc., the sub CPU 15
The receiving process from the external interface proceeds regardless of the operation described above, and if there is a free space in the hard disk device 20, the data is stored as needed.

The main CPU 11 controls the printer mechanism and, when the printing operation is ready, the command register 13
Write the data request command to Sub CPU15
Is the main CPU written in the command register 13
In response to the data request command from the hard disk drive 20, a predetermined one of the received data stored in the hard disk drive 20 is written into the command register 13. That is, as described above, the received data is composed of the control command for performing the printing control and the actual printing data.
Only the control commands necessary for U11 to perform printing control are written in the command register 13, and the actual printing data is written in the line buffer A16 or the line buffer B21 for data transfer. At this time, the sub CPU 15 controls the selector 17 to switch to the line buffer on the access side.

As described above, in a color printer, a color expression is usually performed by superimposing three color inks of Y, M, and C. Therefore, when input print data is in the R, G, or B format, Color conversion needs to be performed. Therefore, the sub CPU 15 reads data of three colors, R, G, B, from the disk device 20 for each print of each color, and writes the data into the line buffer A 16 whose addresses are separated for each color. Sub CPU
15 writes data for one line of three colors of R, G, and B into the line buffer A 16, and switches the selector 17 to the line buffer B 21 side and the selector 18 to the line buffer 16 side to access the data control unit 19 by direct memory access. (Hereinafter referred to as DMA) transfer permission.

When the data control means 19 receives the permission of the DMA transfer, the data control means 19 prints the R, G, B and print data for three colors per line stored in the line buffer A 16 or the line buffer B 21 selected by the selector 18. The data is read and output to the data conversion means 22. Data conversion means 2
Reference numeral 2 converts the input R, G, B, and data into print color data. For example, when printing Y, the printing color data of Y is obtained from R, G, B, and returned to the data control unit 19. The data control unit 19 receives the color-converted printing color data, and performs DMA transfer to a predetermined amount, for example, an address corresponding to the printing position of the IC memory 14 having a capacity of one term. When the color conversion and the DMA transfer for one line are completed, the data conversion unit 19 notifies the sub CPU 15 of the end of the DMA transfer.

While the DMA transfer is being performed, the sub CPU 15 reads the next line R, G, and B data from the hard disk device 20 and writes the next line R, G, and B data to the line buffer on which the data control unit 19 is not accessing.

When the above operation is repeated and the DMA transfer for one item is completed, the sub CPU 15 issues a command for ending the data transfer of Y to the command register 13. Main C
When the PU 11 receives the DMA transfer end command from the command register 11, the PU 11 controls the printer mechanism to start the printing operation. When the printing operation is started, the printing control means 12 sequentially reads the Y printing color data stored in the IC memory 14 in accordance with the printing speed.

While the main CPU 11 is performing the printing operation, that is, while the printing control means 12 is reading data from the IC memory 14, the data control means 19 cannot perform the DMA transfer. Stop reading from the hard disk drive 20, and if there is free space in the hard disk drive 20, the external interface 23
Restarts the receiving process from.

When the printing of Y is completed, the main CPU 11
Indicates that the next print color data, for example, M
Is issued. Sub CPU15
Receives the data, reads out the R, G, and B data from the hard disk device 20 and writes the data to the line buffer in the same manner as the data reading for Y printing. The data control unit 19 switches the printing color, for example, M data, to the conversion mode and performs the above operation.

The above operation is performed for each printing color to realize a color printing operation. The sub CPU 15 controls the hard disk device 20 and clears the area where printing has been completed to make it the next data receiving area.

In this embodiment, the input print data is described in the RGB format. However, when color conversion is performed on the host computer side and YMC format data is sent, the data control means 19 Data conversion means 2
The DMA transfer is performed directly to the IC memory 14 without performing the color conversion by the method 2.

The printing colors are three colors of Y, M, and C, but are not limited thereto, and may be four colors of Y, M, C, and K (black), and may be other colors. .

Although the embodiment using the hard disk device as the sub-storage means has been described, another large-capacity storage device may be used.

Further, in this embodiment, two line buffers for data transfer are provided and their addresses are switched for access. However, more line buffers may be provided, and one line buffer may be provided. The data to be written to the buffer may not be one line, and data for a plurality of lines may be transferred at a time.

[0024]

As described above, the printer of the present invention is provided with the main CPU for controlling the printing operation and the sub CPU for controlling the data reception, and temporarily stores the received data in the large-capacity sub-storage means. By storing and transferring each color print to the IC memory which is the main storage means, a print data buffer memory can be configured with a minimum capacity, and the cost is lower than when all the print data buffer memories are configured by the IC memory. Become.

Further, since a large-capacity and inexpensive hard disk device can be used, the receiving buffer has a large capacity, and a sub-CPU for controlling data reception is provided so that the following data can be received even during printing. This allows the host computer to be released faster and the system to be more efficient.

[Brief description of the drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Main CPU 12 Printing control means 13 Command register 14 IC memory 15 Sub CPU 16 Line buffer A 17 Selector 18 Selector 19 Data control means 20 Hard disk drive 21 Line buffer B 22 Data conversion means 111 Interface device 112 Data transfer control circuit 113 Buffer memory 114 Disk control circuit 115 Hard disk device 121 Printer control circuit 122 Connection terminal

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A printer device for storing data received from an external device in an internal memory, converting the data into print data, and then performing a print operation. Sub-CPU that controls the data reception of the sub-storage unit and controls the writing and reading of the sub-storage unit
A line buffer for temporarily storing a predetermined amount of received data read from the sub-storage means and performing data transfer; and directly reading the received data from the line buffer to a main storage means for storing printing color data. Memory access
And a main CPU for controlling a printer mechanism and controlling a printing operation , wherein the line buffer comprises at least two line buffers.
Each time the predetermined received data is stored, writing and
And the sub CPU switches the direct memory access transfer.
During the operation, the data of the next line is
Read from the column and the data control means is accessing
A printer device for writing data in the line buffer on the non-existent side . 2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising data conversion means for converting the print data read from said line buffer into print color data in accordance with the read timing of said data control means when the print data is not print color data. Item 1
Printer device. 3. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the sub CPU sends control data other than print data included in the received data to the main CPU.