JP3145460B2 - Print data transfer control method - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a print data transfer control method.
More particularly, the present invention relates to a method for controlling transfer of print data from a main device to a printer device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When an output from a main unit such as a workstation, a personal computer, or a word processor is printed by a dot printing printer,
For images and graphics, or CG (character generator) patterns that are not mounted on the printer device, they are developed into print patterns on the main unit, and the data is transferred to the printer device using a data transfer command (image command). The device performs editing and printing.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of transfer print data for one line in the related art. The numbers 1 to 24 in the vertical direction correspond to the print pin numbers of the printer device. 1 to M in the horizontal direction indicate a case where one row is divided into M units ( here, the size of one unit is 1 byte).

[0004] Now, a thick line in the portion surrounded by the printing de <br/> over data in FIG. 8 (e.g., print dot pattern of horizontal ruled lines),
When transferring from the main unit to the printer, the print data by the conventional data transfer command needs to correspond to all the print pins of the printer.
(1) to D to (24 M) becomes the transfer data, the data amount is a total of 24 M bytes.

[0005]

The conventional method of controlling the transfer of print data from a main unit to a printer has the following problems.

Compatible with all print pins of printer devices
Print dot pattern data to be sent ,
The amount of transfer data becomes enormous, the development time on the main unit side,
All of the interface time for data transfer and the editing time on the printer side are increased.

As a result, the printing performance of the printer cannot be improved, the load factor of the system increases, and the printing performance of the printer cannot be sufficiently exhibited.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems and reduces the development time on the main unit, the interface time for transferring data from the main unit to the printer, and the editing time on the printer. It is an object of the present invention to provide a data transfer control method capable of realizing the above, in particular, a transfer control method of print data from a main unit to a printer.

[0009]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a basic configuration of the present invention. In the figure, 10 is a main unit, 11 is a code buffer, 12 is a new data transfer command creation unit, 13
Denotes a transfer buffer, 20 denotes a printer device, 21 denotes a print buffer, and 22 denotes a print pattern buffer.

The main unit 10 includes a code buffer 11, a new data transfer command creation unit 12, and a transfer buffer 1.
3 is provided. The new data transfer command creation unit 12
Only a necessary portion of the print data for one line composed of a plurality of units having a predetermined size and held in the code buffer 11 is fetched, developed in a bitmap memory, and read in the vertical direction of the print dot pattern. Based on the expansion information and black-and-white information indicating whether the number of print dots is greater than the number of non-print dots, expand the non-print skip in the horizontal direction for each unit.
Horizontal relative tab to indicate that the data to be transferred is print dots
Black-and-white information, Yu indicating whether the pattern or a non-printing dot pattern
Unit size information indicating the size of the knit , print dots
Create a new data transfer command consisting of a vertical direction start dot position location you good <br/> beauty dots in the vertical direction of the longitudinal direction expand the scope of the pattern, it is set in the transfer buffer 13.

The printer device 20 includes a print buffer 2
1 and a print pattern buffer 22. The printer device 20 stores a set of blocks composed of a new data transfer command sequence transferred to the print buffer 21 into one.
Decodes block by block, horizontal relative tab, black and white information, unit
The print data is developed in the print pattern buffer 22 based on the size information, the vertical start dot position, and the vertical dot number.

[0012]

In the print data transfer control method according to the present invention, a specific control code or parameter is added to the data transfer command, and the print data is only the data of the pins actually printed by the printer device. The amount has been reduced.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the transfer print data of the present invention. The numbers 1 to 24 in the vertical direction correspond to the print pin numbers of the printer device. 1 to M in the horizontal direction represent one row
The figure shows a case where the data is divided into M units (1 byte width ).

Similar to the conventional example shown in FIG. 8, when the print data (for example, a horizontal ruled line) surrounded by a thick line is transferred from the main unit to the printer, the print data by the data transfer command of the present invention is used. Is only the pin data actually printed by the printer device.
Transfer data from (1) to D (12 M ) becomes 12 M bytes.

[0015] to transfer the same print data, because required a 24 M bytes in the conventional example shown in FIG. 8, according to the printing data transfer control method according to the present invention, requires only data of 1/2 Will be.

When the horizontal ruled line has a width of 1 dot, 1/24
Data amount.

[0017]

EXAMPLES Hereinafter, using the print data transfer control method <br/> according to the present invention, transfers the print data from the main device to the printer, the process until deployed to print data specific to a printer explain.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of print data on the main unit. This example shows a case in which one line of print data of 24 dots by 2176 dots is composed of 68 units (UN) having a size of 24 dots by 32 dots. 8 dots (1 byte) as the basic unit
Then, when the size information of each unit is represented by an N value, N = 4.

In addition to the above, the size of the unit can be 24 dots vertically × 8 dots horizontally and 24 dots vertically × 16 dots horizontally. In that case, the N values are N = 1 and N, respectively.
= 2.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a basic processing sequence on the main unit side. The basic processing on the main unit will be described with reference to FIG. The new data transfer command creator 12 stores the vertical 24
Only the necessary print portion of one line of print data of dot × width 2176 dots is fetched and developed in the bitmap memory, and the development range of print dots in the vertical direction and the number of print dots are larger than the number of non-print dots. Creates development information consisting of black-and-white information indicating whether or not this is the case.

Here, the development range of print dots in the vertical direction
Is the print pin number in the configuration of the transfer print data in FIG.
Area where print dots in the vertical direction represented by symbols exist
And expressed as the vertical start dot position and vertical dot number.
It is.

[0022] determines the new data transfer command creation portion 12 units of minutes of the print data taken from code buffer 11, whether or not repeated the following process. If the process is completed, the process proceeds to If the processing is in progress, the process proceeds to

A check range is set from the development information. It is determined whether there is print data in the unit. If Yes, the process proceeds to. If No
Proceed to processing.

The new data transfer command creation unit 12
From the expansion information, a new data transfer command using the black and white information, the N value (unit size information), the vertical start dot position, and the vertical dot number as parameters is created and set in the transfer buffer 13.

When the same designation as the previously processed unit continues, only the N value is added.

The new data transfer command creation unit 12
Since there is no print data in the unit, a horizontal relative tab is set in the transfer buffer 13. Horizontal relative tab
Is a tab that indicates non-print skip in the horizontal (horizontal) direction
It is.

The same horizontal relative table as the previously processed unit
If the blanking specified consecutive, only the addition of the parameters. Update the pointer to the next unit.

The main unit 10 transmits the new data transfer command set in the transfer buffer 13 to the printer 20.
Transfer to Next, with reference to FIG. 5 and FIG. This is a process when the check range is the entire range, such as a reverse character.

When the check range is the entire range, it is determined whether or not the number of print dots is equal to or less than the number of non-print dots. Y
If es, the process proceeds to. If No, the process proceeds to.

The new data transfer command creation unit 12
If the number of print dots is less than the number of non-print dots, print
In order to transfer the dot pattern, a new data transfer command is created from the development information using the black information, the N value, the vertical start dot position, and the vertical dot number as parameters, and is set in the transfer buffer 13.

When the same designation as the previously processed unit continues, only the N value is added. The new data transfer command creator 12 changes the number of print dots to non-print dots.
If not, transfer the non-printing dot pattern.
For this purpose, a new data transfer command using the white information, the N value, the vertical start dot position, and the vertical dot number as parameters is created from the development information, and set in the transfer buffer 13.

If the same designation as the previously processed unit continues, only the N value is added. Next, processing on the printer device side will be described.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of print data on the printer side. In this example, one line of print data of 24 dots vertically × 2176 dots horizontally is composed of m = 1 to 68 new data transfer command strings.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a basic processing sequence on the printer side. The basic processing of the printer will be described below with reference to FIGS. Printer device 2
It is determined whether or not the following processing has been repeated for 0 as many as the number of blocks of the print data transferred to the print buffer 21. If the processing is completed, the processing ends. During processing,
Processing proceeds to

The printer device 20 decodes a set of blocks composed of a new data transfer command sequence transferred to the print buffer 21 one block at a time, and uses a horizontal relative tab,
The print data is developed in the print pattern buffer 22 based on the black and white information, the unit size information, the vertical start dot position, and the vertical dot number.

The pointer is updated to the next block.

[0037]

According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce all of the development time on the main unit, the interface time for data transfer, and the editing time on the printer, thereby reducing the load factor of the system. It becomes possible.

Therefore, the printing performance of the printer device can be sufficiently exhibited.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a basic configuration of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of transfer print data according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of print data of a main device.

FIG. 4 is a view showing a main device side basic processing sequence.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a main device side related processing sequence.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of print data on a printer device side.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a basic processing sequence of the printer device.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of conventional transfer print data.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 10 main unit 11 code buffer 12 new data transfer command creation unit 13 transfer buffer 20 printer 21 print buffer 22 print pattern buffer

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G06F 3/12

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] To 1. A printer apparatus from the body unit, the print dot
Units of a predetermined size developed into a pattern
A print <br/> data transfer control method for transferring print data for one line consisting of Tsu DOO, main unit, the printing of one line comprising a plurality of units that the predetermined size Only the necessary part of the data is fetched and expanded in the bitmap memory, and the expansion information consisting of the expansion range of print dots in the vertical direction and black and white information indicating whether the number of print dots is greater than the number of non-print dots is obtained. Create, based on this deployment information, one unit at a time,
Horizontal relative tab for instructing the interlaced non-printing in the horizontal direction, the rolling
The data to be sent is a print dot pattern or non-print dot pattern.
Black and white information indicating whether over emissions, by creating a unit size unit <br/> preparative size information indicating a data transfer command comprising a longitudinal starting dot position and the longitudinal dot number of the printing dots deployment range, transferred to the printer device, a printer device, data transfer graphics transferred from the main unit
Decode command, horizontal relative tab, black and white information, unit
A print data transfer control method characterized by expanding print data in a print pattern buffer based on size information, a vertical start dot position, and a vertical dot number.