JP3084806B2 - Printing device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to one printing operation mode from a plurality of printing operation modes by comparing a control code in print information with a control code table corresponding to each printing operation mode of a plurality of printing apparatuses. In particular, the present invention relates to a printing apparatus that can determine an appropriate printing operation mode even when an error control code is generated because a control code does not match each control code table.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, various printing devices have been provided. In these devices, when printing is performed in accordance with input printing information, alphanumeric characters or the like for which a printing command is issued are included in the printing information. Are faithfully executed based on control codes such as double-width designation, line feed, and page break included in. In addition, the above-described various printing apparatuses have their own operation modes in order to enable more versatile printing.

Here, the specific operation modes include, for example, a high-speed mode for executing high-speed printing, a horizontal / vertical writing change mode, and designation of a dot space and a bit image. Specified by a control code inside, in particular, an extended control code (ESC sequence).

Under such circumstances, when creating print information, it is necessary to know in advance the operation mode of the printing apparatus for executing printing, and it is required to perform coding in accordance with this operation mode. From the point of view of the above, the desired printing could not be executed except for the printing information conforming to its own operation style.

In order to eliminate such inconvenience, the printing apparatus is provided with a plurality of types of operation modes of the printing apparatus in advance, and print information input based on the operation mode of one printing apparatus selected by the user at the time of printing is printed. (Hereinafter, referred to as the former) have been proposed.

[0006] Further, by taking this step one step further, a device capable of automatically setting a printing operation mode by analyzing a specific control code included in print information by the printing device itself (hereinafter, referred to as the latter) has also been proposed. (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 63-2167)
No. 56). Both of the former and latter printing devices are used in various fields because the printing information stored conventionally can be effectively utilized.

[0007]

However, in the former printing apparatus, it is determined which operation mode is intended for each print information that the user wants to print, and the printing apparatus is required It is necessary to set an operation mode or perform a special operation, and thus there is a problem that the operation becomes complicated and the operation takes a long time.

In the latter printing apparatus, the printing operation mode can be automatically determined. However, when the operation mode is automatically determined, an erroneous control code is mixed in a control code group to be determined. In this case, an error condition occurs in which the control code does not match the control code table corresponding to each printing operation mode, and the printing operation mode is determined to be another printing operation mode that is not originally planned, and proper printing can be performed. However, there still remains a problem that the printing device does not operate in some cases.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, and it is possible to determine various printing operation modes of a printing apparatus at a high speed, and a control code for determining the printing operation mode is provided. It is an object of the present invention to provide a printing apparatus that can appropriately select and determine a printing operation mode even when an error state that does not match the printing operation mode occurs. In addition, this print operation style decided
The number of control codes determined not to match
If the value is less than or equal to the value, the
Control code that does not match the selected printing operation mode
Even if an error occurs, appropriate printing can be performed very accurately.
It is an object to provide a printing device.

[0010]

In order to achieve this object, a printing apparatus according to the present invention has a simulating function for simulating operation modes of a plurality of printing apparatuses, and an operation mode of one preselected printing apparatus. A printing device for executing a printing operation in accordance with input printing information based on the printing information, and a printing information storage means for storing the printing information; and a printing operation mode determined from the printing information stored in the printing information storage means. Control code detecting means for detecting a control code to be performed, determining means for determining whether or not the control code detected by the control code detecting means conforms to each of the printing operation modes, and corresponding to each of the printing operation modes. Provided, among the control codes,
Counter means for counting a code determined not to match each of the printing operation modes as an error control code,
The number of error control codes is
Detecting means for detecting a small counter means, and the detecting means
Of the error control code of the counter means detected by
Determining means for determining whether the number is equal to or less than a predetermined value;
The number of the error control codes is equal to or less than a predetermined value by the determination means.
When it is determined to be below, control means for executing printing based on a printing operation mode corresponding to the counter means detected by the detecting means is provided.

[0011]

According to the printing apparatus of the present invention, first, the printing information input from the external device is stored in the receiving buffer, and thereafter, the control code for determining the printing operation mode included in the printing information by the control code detecting means is provided. Is detected. here,
The control code is detected by determining the appearance of a control code specific to each printing device, determining the frequency of occurrence of the control code, the order of appearance of the control code, or a combination of these, or performing control specific to each printing device. This is performed by determining the code system.

Subsequently, it is determined whether or not the control code detected by the control code detecting means via the determining means conforms to each printing operation mode. In this determination, when it is determined that the detected control code does not match each printing operation mode, the code is sequentially counted as an error control code by the counter means corresponding to each printing operation mode. Then, finally, the number of error control codes
The minimum counter means is detected by the detection means, and
Of the error control code of the counter means
It is determined by the determination unit whether or not the value is equal to or less than the predetermined value. Soshi
Thus, in such a determination, it is determined that the
In this case, printing is executed based on the printing operation mode corresponding to the counter means having the minimum number of the error control codes .

[0013]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a laser printer according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing an optical system and a driving system of a laser printer. A laser beam L emitted from a semiconductor laser 10 is collimated by a collimator lens 12 and then reflected by a rotary polygon mirror 14. As a result, the traveling direction is periodically changed, and the photosensitive drum 18 is scanned in the direction of arrow A via the fθ lens 16.

The photosensitive drum 18 is driven to rotate around an axis parallel to the scanning direction of the laser beam L at a rotation speed according to a preset resolution, and a latent image is formed by the exposure scanning of the laser beam L. An image is printed on a recording medium such as printing paper by a developing device, a transfer device, or the like (not shown).

The rotary polygon mirror 14 constitutes a scanning means, and includes a polygon mirror 20, a scanner motor 22 for driving the polygon mirror 20 to rotate around its axis, and a predetermined rotation speed for the scanner motor 22. And a scanner motor drive circuit 24 that is driven to rotate. In addition, the rotating polygon mirror 14
Is a plurality of types having different rotation speeds corresponding to a predetermined resolution. In the present embodiment, the resolution is 240 DPI (Dot
/ Inch), 300 DPI, and 400 DPI are prepared, and are appropriately replaced according to a desired resolution.

The photosensitive drum 18 is driven to rotate by a main motor 28 via a main motor drive circuit 26. The main motor 28 includes a paper feed / discharge roller (not shown),
The developing device and the fixing device are also driven. The semiconductor laser 10 is ON / OFF controlled by the laser drive circuit 30. The scanner motor drive circuit 24, the main motor drive circuit 26, and the laser drive circuit 30 are connected to a control unit 32 composed of a microcomputer.

The control unit 32 includes the engine controller 3
4. Video controller 36 and CPU 38, ROM4
0, and a RAM 42, and performs signal processing according to a program stored in the ROM 40 while using the temporary storage function of the RAM 42. Here, the video controller 36 converts the image data sent from the host computer 44 as an external device into dot data that can be printed in accordance with the resolution.
A modulation signal is output to the laser drive circuit 30 in accordance with the dot data sent from the
N-OFF control is performed.

Further, the engine controller 34 includes a main motor driving circuit 26 and a scanner motor driving circuit 24.
, Respectively, to control the rotation speed of the main motor 28 according to the resolution, and to control the start and stop of the rotation of the scanner motor 24.

As shown in FIG. 3, the ROM 40 stores, in a table, control codes composed of a combination of two character codes for determining the printing operation mode according to the printing operation mode corresponding to each of the plurality of printing devices. The stored control code table 41 and other various programs necessary for control code detection control, print control, and the like are stored.

The RAM 42 includes a print information buffer 43 for temporarily storing print information including a control code sent from the video controller 36, and control code counters 52, 3 for counting all control codes as described later.
It is provided with three error control code counters 54 provided corresponding to each of the three printing operation modes, a register for comparing control codes, and the like.

In the laser printer according to this embodiment having the above configuration, the host computer 44 as an external device is used.
A control code for determining one operation mode from the operation modes of a plurality of printing devices is detected from the dot data obtained by converting the image data sent from the video controller 36 by the video controller 36, and the detected control is performed. Code and RO
By comparing with the control code table of M40,
A printing operation mode is determined, and the scanner motor drive circuit 24, the main motor drive circuit 26, and the laser drive circuit 30 are driven and controlled in accordance with the operation mode to perform printing.

Next, a description will be given of a specific initial process executed in the printing apparatus of the present embodiment before the image information from the host computer 44 as an external device is decoded and printing control is executed as described above. . FIG. 2 is a flowchart of the initial processing program stored in the ROM 42 of the control unit 32.

The processing of this program is started by the CPU 38 at the time of startup when the power of the printing apparatus is turned on. First, in order to initialize the apparatus, SELF-TEST, RAM
42, and initialization processing (S1) for temporarily selecting the operation mode 0 from among three types of operation modes (0, 1, 2) of the self. Next, in S2, a control code counter 52 for counting all control codes,
Then, the error control code counters 0, 1, 2 (54) provided corresponding to each printing operation mode are reset.

Subsequently, the print information output from the host computer 44 is received and stored in the print information buffer 43 assigned to a predetermined address in the RAM 42 (S
3). Then, when only the control code is detected from the stored print information and the control code is detected (S5: Y
Only in the case of (ES), the processing shifts to the following judgment processing (S7 to S19), otherwise (S5: NO), the processing returns to S3 again to store the print information. All the detected control codes are counted by the control code counter 52. When entering the determination process, as shown conceptually in FIG. 3, first, a routine for determining whether the detected control code is a control code of the operation mode 0 is executed (S7).

FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram of the operation of the routine.
In this routine, the control code table 41 (composed of a combination of two character codes) stored in the ROM 40 is compared with the content of the detected control code.

Here, the comparison of the control codes is performed as follows. First, of a plurality of character codes constituting the control code detected in S5, two characters following the ESC code are used.
Only the character codes are transferred to the register A of the RAM 42. On the other hand, of the control code table 41 of the ROM 40, the control code is sequentially transferred from the control code table 46 corresponding to the operation mode 0 to the register B of the RAM 42. Then, the CPU 38 determines that both registers A,
By comparing B, it is sequentially determined whether the detected control code corresponds to the operation mode 0.

In the example shown in FIG.
Of the first control code among the control codes stored in
The two character codes following the SC code are X and Y. On the other hand, since the combination of the X and Y character codes exists in the control code table 46, the first control code matches the control code system of the operation mode 0. You can see that we are doing it. The two character codes following the ESC code in the second control code are A and B. On the other hand, since the combination of the A and B character codes exists in the control code table 46, the control code is also in the operation mode. 0
It can be understood that the control code system of FIG.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the operation mode is determined only for two character codes among the plurality of character codes constituting the control code. The comparison with the control code table 41 can be performed at high speed, and the storage capacity of the control code table 41 can be kept small because only two character codes are required for one control code. The algorithm of the determination in this routine is common to S11 for determining whether the operation mode is 1 and S15 for determining whether the operation mode is 2.

Subsequently, when it is determined that the control code detected in S5 does not exist in the operation mode 0 (S5).
7: NO), increments the error control code counter 0 by 1 (S9), and proceeds to the next process (S11). In S11, a determination routine for determining whether or not the detected control code exists in the operation mode 1 is executed.
1: NO), the error control code counter 1 is incremented by 1 (S13).

Here, the determination in S11 is made in the same manner as in S7 by determining two character codes of the character codes constituting the control codes transferred from the reception buffer to the register A and the control code table corresponding to the operation mode 1. The two character codes transferred from 48 to the register B are sequentially compared to determine whether the detected control code matches the control code system of the operation mode 1.

In the next S15, similarly to S7 and S11, it is determined whether or not the detected control code exists in the control code system in the operation mode 2, and only when the detected control code does not exist (S15: NO). The error control code counter 2 is incremented by 1 (S17). Here, register A
Is compared with the two character codes transferred from the control code table 50 to the register B to determine whether the detected control code matches the control code system of the operation mode 2. Is done.

When S17 ends, the control code counter 52 is incremented by 1 in S19, and the process returns to S3 in order to repeatedly execute the control code detection from the print information and the operation mode narrowing process.

During the start-up period of the printing apparatus in which the above-mentioned initial processing is repeatedly executed, the CPU 38 monitors the internal time counter to know the lapse of time and to determine the time lapse.
After the elapse of the time C, the processing of the 4SEC interrupt routine shown in FIG. 4 is started. In this process, the execution of the initial processing program is terminated (S30), and the error control code counters 0, 1, and 2 obtained by the execution of the initial processing program are executed. The number is compared and a counter with the minimum number of error control codes is detected (S32).

The error control code counter having the minimum number of error control codes obtained by this detection exceeds 5% of the number of control codes detected by the initial processing program and counted in the control code counter. It is determined whether or not it exceeds 5% (S34).
4: NO), a command error is displayed (S3).
5). When it is determined that the determination in S34 does not exceed 5% (S34: YES), S36 is executed.

In S36, if there is only one minimum error control code counter (S36: YES), the RAM is controlled based on the set operation mode control code system.
The printing information stored in the video controller 3
The data is converted into dot data in 6, and the printing operation of the dot data is started (S38), and the normal printing control is performed thereafter. On the other hand, when the minimum error control code counter is two or more (S36: NO), the control code system based on one operation mode arbitrarily determined within the narrowed range selected by the process of S38 is used. Then, printing is executed (S40).

As described in detail above, according to the printing apparatus of the present embodiment, the error control code counter 54 is provided corresponding to each printing operation mode. Since the counter with the smallest number of codes is detected and the printing operation mode is determined based on the counter with the smallest number of error control codes, printing is performed in the appropriate printing operation mode corresponding to the control code. be able to.

In particular, the number of error control codes in the minimum error control code counter detected as described above,
The number of detected control codes is compared with the number of all detected control codes, and the printing operation mode is determined based on whether or not the number of error control codes is 5% or less of the total number of control codes. Even when an error control code is generated, the printing operation mode can be selected and determined very accurately and printing can be performed.

Further, in the printing apparatus according to the present embodiment, when determining the printing operation mode, of the plurality of character codes constituting the control code, the first two character codes following the ESC code are also used. Since the print operation mode is determined by comparing with a control code table which is a table of character codes,
The printing operation mode can be determined at a very high speed.

In this embodiment, the printing operation mode is determined based on whether or not the ratio of the number of error control codes to the number of all control codes is 5%. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and it goes without saying that this ratio can be increased or decreased within a range that does not hinder the determination of the printing operation mode.

[0040]

As described above, according to the present invention, various printing operation modes of a printing apparatus can be determined at high speed, and an error state in which a control code for determining a printing operation mode does not match each printing operation mode can be obtained. providing a printing apparatus the resulting proper printing operation manner even if it is possible to select determined Ru can. In addition, this selected printing operation
If the number of control codes determined to be
By executing print processing when the value is less than the predetermined value,
Does not match the selected printing operation mode.
Even if a code is generated, extremely accurate and appropriate printing
It is possible to provide a printing device capable of producing such a printing device, and the effect obtained in the industry is great.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing an optical system and a driving system of a laser printer.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of an initial processing program.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram conceptually showing a comparison operation between a control code and a control code table.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a 4SEC interrupt routine.

[Explanation of symbols]

32 Control unit 34 Engine controller 36 Video controller 38 CPU 40 ROM 42 RAM 44 Host computer 46, 48, 50 Control code table 52 Control code counter 54 Error control code counter S7, S11, S15 Compare control code with control code table Judgment processing procedure S34 Processing procedure for judging the ratio between the number of error control codes of the smallest counter and the total number of control codes

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] A printing apparatus having a simulation function for simulating the operation mode of a plurality of printing apparatuses, and executing a printing operation in accordance with input printing information based on an operation mode of one printing apparatus selected in advance. A print information storage unit that stores the print information; a control code detection unit that detects a control code that determines a printing operation mode from print information stored in the print information storage unit; and the control code detection unit. Determining means for determining whether or not the detected control code matches each of the printing operation modes; provided in correspondence with each of the printing operation modes, and if the control code does not match each of the printing operation modes, Counter means for counting the determined code as an error control code; and
Detecting means for detecting a small counter means, and an error of the counter means detected by the detecting means
Determine whether the number of control codes is less than or equal to a predetermined value
Means and the number of the error control codes are determined by the determination means.
If it is determined that the value is equal to or less than the value,
Printing apparatus characterized by comprising a control means for executing a printing based on the printing mode of operation corresponding to the detected counter means I.