JP3012344B2 - 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 apparatus which can be connected simultaneously with a plurality of information processing apparatuses.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a printing apparatus which can be connected simultaneously with a plurality of information processing apparatuses and has a plurality of language modes, the language mode is switched by a panel operation or a language mode switching command. Operation was required.

[0003]

Therefore, in the above conventional example, when a plurality of connected information processing devices use different language modes, a complicated operation for switching between the language mode and the connection mode is required. Become
Incorrect printing due to operation mistakes also occurred.

When it is desired to automatically switch the connection mode, it is necessary to provide a connection device such as a printer buffer between the information processing apparatus and the printing apparatus, which is problematic in terms of economy and installation area. was there.

An object of the present invention is to provide a printing apparatus capable of switching modes without providing a connection device for switching information processing apparatuses and without complicated operations.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, there are provided a plurality of interfaces capable of connecting information processing apparatuses each using a different language mode ;
From the corresponding storage means and the information processing device
Of the input order of the received data, and an interface selection means for selecting one of these said interferents <br/> over scan, before
And language mode selection means for selecting a language mode based on the received data input to the in-<br/> interface selected by the serial interface selection means, the storage means
If the volume of the received data at
Sending to the information processing device transmitting the received data
Suspending means for issuing a disconnection request;
If the interface is selected by the step no input for a predetermined time received data, and a release means for releasing the interface, said storage means, corresponding
The interface is the interface selecting means;
Even if the interface is not selected,
The received data input to the interface is stored and the interface is stored.
The face selection means is provided by the release means.
When the face is released, the corresponding storage means
The interface where the received data is stored is
In some cases, the interface is selected .

[0007]

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

The printing apparatus 100 of this embodiment is configured as a laser beam printer, and connected to information processing apparatuses 200 and 250 as host computers.

The information processing device 200 is connected by the parallel interface 4 and the information processing device 250 is connected by the serial interface 5.

The printing apparatus 100 is controlled by a central processing unit (CPU) 1 which controls the entire embodiment according to a control procedure stored in a ROM 3, a RAM 2 which is a work area of the CPU 1, and a control of the CPU 1. Host 200
A parallel interface 4 such as a Centronics interface for controlling an interface with the CPU 1
And a serial interface 5 such as an RS-232C interface that controls the interface with the host 250 under control of the LBP.
An engine unit 7; an LPB interface 6 for controlling an interface with the LBP engine unit 7; a character generator 8 for generating a character pattern corresponding to a character code of text data sent from the information processing devices 200 and 250; The character pattern from the character generator 8 is developed, and the information processing device 20
0, 250, a pattern developing unit 9 for combining and developing the image data, an operation panel 11 for manually operating the printing apparatus 100, and a panel interface 10 for controlling an interface between the operation panel 11 and the CPU 1. And

The information processing apparatuses 200 and 250 send data to the printing apparatus 100 in different language modes. On the other hand, the printing apparatus 100 has the interfaces 4, 5
Each receiving device has a receiving buffer (not shown) and fetches the received data into the receiving buffer in order. When the interface is not occupied at the time of this reception, the operation of occupying the interface is performed. I do.
Then, when the threshold value of the reception buffer is exceeded, a request to suspend transmission is made to the information processing device 200 or 250.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a data receiving process in the parallel interface 4.

First, the exclusive state of the interface is checked (S1). If the interface is not exclusive, the interface is set to exclusive (S2), and data is saved in the parallel reception buffer (S3). Then, processing such as buffer full control is performed as needed (S4 to S6).

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a data receiving process in the serial interface.

First, the exclusive state of the interface is checked (S11). If the interface is not exclusive, the serial is set to exclusive (S12), and data is saved in the serial reception buffer (S13). Then, processing such as buffer full control is performed as needed (S14, S15).

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the overall processing of this embodiment.

After the initial setting (S3), the printing apparatus 100
1) Waiting for a key input from the operation panel 11 and data from the information processing devices 200 and 250 (S32 to S34), and performs a key input process if there is a key input (S35).

When data is received (S34), first, an interface release time is set (S36), and data is taken out from the reception buffer of the currently occupied interface (S37).

If the received data is not the command data but the print data (S38), the received data is stored in the RAM2.
And waits until the command data is received (S4
2).

If the received data is command data (S38), the language mode is determined from the characteristics of the series of commands (S39).
The language mode is automatically switched (S40), and the data stored in the RAM 2 is printed in that mode (S4).
1).

When no data arrives at the interface subjected to the analysis processing (S34), and after a predetermined time has elapsed (S43), the printing apparatus 100 releases the interface (S44), receives the data later, and still processes it. Start the analysis process for the interface that is not running. Then, the language mode is automatically switched to perform the printing process.

Then, when the data does not come in both the interfaces 4 and 5 (S34), and the last selected interface is over the release time (S34).
43), return to free state, occupying neither interface.

According to the method described above, the printing apparatus can obtain an operation as if a dedicated printing apparatus were provided to a plurality of information processing apparatuses without complicated operations such as an operation panel.

In the above embodiment, the printing apparatus is not limited to a laser beam printer, but may be another printing apparatus (dot matrix, ink jet, LED, etc.).

Further, the present invention can be applied even when the number of interfaces is three or more.

Further, a plurality of language modes may be built in from the beginning, or may be added as an option.

The interface is not limited to Centronics and RS-232C.
SCSI or any other interface is acceptable.

[0028]

According to the present invention, a plurality of connected information
If the processing units use different language modes,
Even complicated to switch between language mode and connection mode
Operation is no longer needed and
Even if the connection mode is not
There is an effect that can be.

[Brief description of the drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating processing in a parallel interface according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing processing in the serial interface of the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing overall processing in the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... CPU, 2 ... RAM, 3 ... ROM, 4 ... Parallel interface, 5 ... Serial interface, 6 ... LBP interface, 7 ... LBP engine part, 8 ... Character generator, 9 ... Pattern development part, 10 ... Panel interface, 11 ... operation panel, 100 ... printing device, 200, 250 ... information processing device.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A plurality of interfaces to which information processing apparatuses using different language modes can be connected; and a storage corresponding to each of the plurality of interfaces.
Means and; the input order of the received data from the information processing apparatus, interferon <br/> Esu selecting means and for selecting one of these said interface; the Lee <br/> centers selected by the interface selection means Language mode selecting means for selecting a language mode based on the received data input to the interface; and a capacity of the received data in the storage means exceeding a fixed amount.
The information processing transmitting the received data.
And interruption means for issuing a transmission interruption request device; when there is no input for a predetermined time received data to the interface that has been selected by the interface selection means, chromatic and release means for releasing the interface
The storage means stores the corresponding interface
When not selected by the interface selection means
However, the received data input to the interface
The interface selecting means is provided by the releasing means.
When the interface is released, the corresponding
The interface in which the reception data is stored in the storage means;
If there is an interface, select the interface
A printing device, comprising: