JP3179695B2 - Image forming apparatus and control method thereof - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and a control method thereof.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a printing apparatus having a plurality of emulations, when print data transmitted from a higher-level device (such as a host computer) is received, one emulation is selected and the selected emulation is operated. Analyze the print data by using and print bitmap data.

Here, there is a problem in which emulation is selected. Until now, a method of using a printer set on an operation panel or the like, a method of printing by examining the contents of received print data, and the like are described. The determination is made by using one of the automatic emulation switching methods for determining which emulation to use on the device side.

[0004] From an operational point of view, it is clear that the latter automatic switching method is desirable. Automatic switching is determined by examining the contents of print data of a certain size at the head of the job. Here, if the start of the job is not clear, the printing apparatus is in an idle state (that is, when there is a blank interval between receiving print data and receiving the next print data). The received data is recognized as the data at the head of the job.

In general, it is determined whether or not a control code unique to each emulation is included based on the print data (fixed size) at the head of the job. There are several levels of determination. . For example, judgment level 3
The steps are as follows: (1) The code specific to the emulation was included (2) It is likely that the emulation was used (3) If none of the above was applied, select the default emulation It is conceivable that the emulation is determined by sequentially analyzing at the stage.

[0006]

Here, there is no problem when a reliable determination is made as in (1). However, as a result of the determination based on the fixed size at the head of the print data, for example, if the determination cannot be made at the determination level of (1), the determination must be made at the determination level of (2) or (3). However, there is a possibility that an incorrect emulation is selected, and this possibility is particularly high in the emulation determined at the judgment level in (3).

If an incorrect emulation is selected, it goes without saying that normal printing cannot be performed. However, meaningless printing is performed, and in some cases, it is noticed only after the printing is completed, Recording paper may be wasted.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and a process for determining which emulation is to be used for a printing process is performed not only at the start of a print job but at a necessary time. The present invention aims to provide an image forming apparatus and a control method thereof, which can reduce the waste of a recording medium such as recording paper and perform printing of a print job as normally as possible by performing the processing appropriately as needed. is there.

In order to solve this problem, for example, the image forming apparatus of the present invention has the following configuration. That is, an image forming apparatus that has a plurality of emulation functions and forms a visible image on a predetermined recording medium based on a print job sent from a higher-level device, analyzes received print data, and Judgment means for judging emulation, selection means for selecting a corresponding emulation based on the judgment result of the judgment means, and whether an analysis error has occurred when print data is analyzed according to the emulation already selected. Detecting means for detecting whether or not an analysis error has occurred in the detecting means,
Control means for energizing the determination means.

An image forming apparatus according to another aspect of the invention has the following configuration. That is, an image forming apparatus that has a plurality of emulation functions and forms a visible image on a predetermined recording medium based on a print job sent from a higher-level device. The apparatus includes a determination unit that determines emulation, a selection unit that selects a corresponding emulation based on a determination result of the determination unit, and a setting unit that sets an energizing timing of the determination unit.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 8 shows a sectional configuration of a printing apparatus (laser beam printer = LBP) according to the present embodiment.
This LBP can register a character pattern and a fixing format (form data) from a data source (not shown) (an upper device such as a host computer).

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 100 denotes an LBP main body, which inputs and stores character information (character code), form information, macro instructions, and the like supplied from an externally connected host computer, and also stores such information. , A corresponding character pattern, form pattern, or the like is created, and an image is formed on recording paper as a recording medium. Reference numeral 300 denotes an operation panel on which switches for operation and an LCD display are arranged, and 101 denotes an LBP 100
This is a printer control unit that totally controls and analyzes character information and the like supplied from the host computer.
The control unit 101 mainly converts a character pattern corresponding to character information into a video signal to convert the character pattern into a video signal.
Output to 2. The laser driver 102 is the semiconductor laser 1
A circuit for driving the semiconductor laser 103 switches on and off a laser beam 104 emitted from the semiconductor laser 103 according to an input video signal. The laser beam 104 is swung right and left by a rotary polygon mirror 105 and scans an electrostatic drum 106. As a result, an electrostatic latent image such as a character pattern is formed on the electrostatic drum 106. This latent image is developed by a developing unit 107 around the electrostatic drum 106 and then transferred to a recording sheet. A cut sheet is used as the recording paper. The cut sheet recording paper is stored in a paper cassette 108 mounted on the LBP 100, taken into the apparatus by a paper feed roller 109 and delivery rollers 110 and 111, and Supplied. Then, the toner image adhered on the electrostatic drum 106 by the developing device 107 is transferred to the conveyed recording paper. Thereafter, the recording paper is conveyed toward the fixing device 112, where the toner is fixed, and finally discharged by the discharge roller 113 to the outside.

FIG. 1 mainly shows the internal configuration of the printer control unit 101 in the embodiment.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 2 denotes a CPU, for example, a microcomputer or the like, which controls the peripheral devices and circuits of this embodiment via a CPU bus 2a according to a program stored in a ROM 3 or the like. I have. Reference numeral 4 denotes a timer, which is used to set a time for activating emulation determination means, which is one of the features of the embodiment, at time intervals (details will be described later). 5 is R
AM is used as a work area of the CPU 2.
The RAM 5 has an input buffer 5a for temporarily storing data sent from the host, a page buffer 5b for storing print data as an intermediate code after print data analysis processing, and an emulation control table 5c. The contents of the emulation control table 5c can be set by a control command from the panel 300 or the host. The communication control unit 6 manages communication processing with the host, and corresponds to bidirectional communication in the present embodiment. An output unit 7 outputs an image signal to the printer engine unit shown in FIG. Panel 8
Is used to set and display various information.

FIG. 2 is an example showing the structure of the emulation control table 5c used in the description of the embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, there are five elements as setting items. "Currently selected emulation name"
Stores the currently selected emulation name (or information for specifying the name). The “printing device status” indicates the status of the printing device of the present embodiment, and includes, for example, an idle status indicating that there is no data to be processed and a page open or closing status indicating whether there is a page being processed. And the like. The “emulation determination unit activation timing” stores information indicating when emulation determination is performed. For example, the content is that a print data analysis error is detected, the start of each page is started at the time interval set in the timer 3, or the like. “Emulation determination manual activation interval time” stores the time set in the timer 3 when activation is specified at time intervals in the “emulation determination means activation timing”. The “operation when an abnormality is detected by the emulation determination unit” indicates a subsequent operation when the result determined by the emulation determination unit activated at the activation timing is different from the currently selected emulation name. It stores operations such as calling, switching emulation automatically, letting the operator select emulation, and what to do with the page currently being processed.

FIGS. 3 and 4 are examples of the contents of the emulation control table 5c used in the description of the embodiment of the present invention, similarly to FIG.

Hereinafter, the operation of the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the control flowcharts of FIGS. 5, 6, and 7. When print data is received from the host computer via the communication control unit 6, an interrupt signal is generated for the CPU 2, and the CPU 2 performs processing for storing the received data in the input buffer 5a. Since the interrupt processing is as described above, no explanation will be necessary.

First, in step S501, it is determined whether there is print data received in the input buffer 5a. If data has not been received, the same steps are repeated to wait for print data. If it is determined that print data has been received, the process proceeds to step S502, and it is determined whether the received data is a control code. If the received data is a control code, the process proceeds to step S510. To step S503.

When the process proceeds to step S510, it is determined whether the control code indicates the start of a job. If the job has not been started, the process proceeds to step S511, and it is checked whether the job is to be ended. If not, the flow advances to step S509 to perform processing of the corresponding control code. If it is determined in step S511 that the control code indicates the end of the job, the process advances to step S513 to perform a job end process. Of course, if the page is currently open, the page is closed, the closed state is set in the printing device status item of the emulation control table 5c, and the image output processing of the page is performed.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S502 that the received data is not a control code, the process proceeds to step S5.
Proceeding to 03, the printer device status item in the emulation control table 5c is checked. If it is in an idle state, that is, a state in which no data to be printed has been received from the host up to that point, the process proceeds to step S601 (FIG. 6). Note that the processing shown in step S601 and thereafter is also performed when the control code in step S510 described above indicates that a job has started.

The operation will be described below with reference to the flowchart of FIG. Note that the processing described in this flowchart is the first emulation determination processing at the start of a job, which has been conventionally performed.

First, emulation determination processing is started in step S601. In step S602, the emulation name determined as a result of step S601 is set in the item of the currently selected emulation name in the emulation control table 5c. In step S603,
The switching processing to the emulation determined in step S601 is performed.

With the above, the emulation determination and the emulation switching processing at the time when print data is first received when the printing apparatus status of the emulation control table 5c is idle or the head of the job by the control code of the job start is completed. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S504 in FIG.

In step S504, the printer status is checked in the emulation control table 5c to determine whether page open processing has already been performed. The page open status is shifted to when data relating to actual printing is received. An intermediate code is generated while analyzing data received from the host, and the result is written to the pay buffer 5b.

When a page break command or a control command indicating the end of a job is found in the print data, or when data received from the host does not arrive for a certain period of time, the page currently being processed is closed and image development is performed. The actual printing sent from the output unit 7 to the printer unit is performed.

If the page is in a closed state in step S504, a page open process is performed in step S512. If the page has already been opened in step S504, print data analysis processing is performed in step S505.

In step S506, it is checked whether an analysis error has been detected. If no analysis error has been detected, the result of the analysis in step S507 is written to the page buffer 5b. In step S508, it is checked whether there is any unanalyzed print data in the input buffer 5a. If there is, the process returns to step S505 to continue the print data analysis process. In step S508, if there is no print data in the input buffer 5a, the process returns to step S501 and waits for data reception from the host.

If a print data analysis error is detected in step S506, the process proceeds to step S701.
The process proceeds to (FIG. 7). Hereinafter, description will be given according to the flowchart of FIG.

Needless to say, the processing after step S701 is processing when an analysis error is detected during the print data analysis processing.

In step S701, the term of the emulation determination means activation timing in the emulation control table 5c is checked. If it is not specified that a print data analysis error has been detected, the flow advances to step S708 to perform a print data analysis error process using a predetermined method.
To step S507.

On the other hand, if the activation timing of the emulation determination means is at the time of detecting a print data analysis error in step S701, the process proceeds to step S702, where the data stored in the input buffer 5a and determined as the analysis error is read. Emulation determination processing is performed based on the data before and after that.

In step S703, as a result of the determination in step S702, if the result is the same as that of the currently selected emulation name in the emulation control table 5c, the flow advances to step S708 to perform analysis error processing. If it is determined in step S703 that the emulation name is different from the currently selected emulation name, that is, if the emulation determined in step S521 is incorrect, the process proceeds to step S704, and a new determination is made in the item of the currently selected emulation name in the emulation control table 5c. Change the emulation name. Next, step S70
Then, if the page is currently open, it is closed, and the printing device state of the emulation control table 5c is closed. Similarly, information about the page currently being processed in the page buffer 5b is deleted. Next, the process proceeds to step S706, and a process of switching to the emulation obtained in step S702 is performed. In step S707, a retransmission request is issued to the host in order to have the print data retransmitted from the top of the page being processed.

After performing the above processing, the process returns to step S501 in the flowchart of FIG. 5, and waits for retransmission of print data from the host.

As described above, conventionally, emulation is determined only by the data at the head of a job. In this embodiment, when an analysis error occurs, it is determined which emulation should be selected. Since it is possible to switch to the emulation, it is possible to normally print at least the subsequent pages. In addition, as described above, by having an interface capable of bidirectional communication with the host computer and issuing a request for resending print data of a page for which analysis has failed, printing of a page for which analysis has failed can be performed normally.

<Second Embodiment> In the first embodiment described above, a resend request is made to the host for the page currently being processed in step S707 of FIG. If the print data from the beginning of the page being processed remains (if it has not been overwritten by the next data), the print data resend request is not sent to the host, and after the processing of step S706, step S52 is performed.
4, the process may proceed to step S512 to perform the page open process and then perform the print data analysis process.

For this purpose, the address position of the head data of each page is separately stored, and when the next data is overwritten at that position, the addresses are sequentially invalidated so that the address can be easily confirmed. it can.

<Third Embodiment> FIG.
In the flowchart of FIG. 5, the emulation switching process is automatically performed when the emulation that has been already selected does not match as a result of the re-determination at the time of detection of the print data analysis error. It may be a call. In this case, an error is notified to the host, and the next operation is selected by the user.
The options are "cancel the job currently being processed" or "designate emulation from the host and instruct the printing device to send, so that the printing device performs emulation switching processing based on the instruction from the host",
Alternatively, it is conceivable to say "set using the operation panel of the printing apparatus".

The operation specifications after the above-described print data analysis may be set in advance from a host, a panel of a printing apparatus, or the like.

<Fourth Embodiment> In the above-described embodiment, the start timing of the emulation determination means has been described as the time when a print data analysis error is detected. However, as shown in the emulation control table of FIG. It may be a method of starting.

By doing so, it is possible to omit unnecessary processing performed up to the point of error detection. However, if the analysis is performed on a page basis, the printing process is not performed until the analysis is completed, so that, for example, for a print job of only one page, the time until the output is completed is slightly delayed. In addition, when printing a plurality of pages, only the whole is shifted in time, and the printing interval between pages is not so affected. However, it is desired that the capacity of the input buffer 5a be sufficiently ensured.

<Fifth Embodiment> In the above-described embodiment, the start timing of the emulation determination has been described as the point of time when a print data analysis error is detected. However, the emulation determination means is controlled at certain time intervals as in the emulation control table of FIG. It may be a method of starting. In this case, it is necessary to appropriately set the timer 4 to be interrupted at the time interval based on the time set in the section of the emulation determination means activation interval time of the emulation control table 5c.

The various settings in the above-described second to fifth embodiments may be selected from the host computer or the operation panel and set necessary parameters (for example, time intervals).

As described above, according to the embodiment of the present invention, the emulation determination is simply performed based on the print data portion received first in the idle state, in other words, based on the print data portion at the beginning of the job. Rather, the emulation judgment is performed when a print data analysis error is detected or at the timing of each page or at a fixed time interval, so that even if the first emulation judgment is incorrect, image output that prevents wasteful output where the print result is not guaranteed Since the apparatus can be provided, it is possible to eliminate waste of paper and time for the user.

Although the embodiment has been described with reference to a laser beam printer, the present invention is not limited to this, and other methods, such as an LED printer,
Needless to say, an inkjet printer or the like may be used.

Even if the present invention is applied to a system composed of a plurality of devices (for example, a host computer, an interface device, a reader, a printer, etc.), an apparatus composed of one device (for example, an information processing device with a built-in printer) Etc.).

[0047]

As described above, according to the present invention, the process of determining which emulation is to be used for the printing process is not performed only at the start of the print job, but is performed as needed at the necessary time. Thus, it is possible to eliminate waste of a recording medium such as recording paper and to print a print job as normally as possible.

[0048]

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a printer control unit according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing one state of a data structure of an emulation control table in the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing one state of a data structure of an emulation control table in the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing one state of a data structure of an emulation control table in the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a control procedure according to the embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a control procedure according to the embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a control procedure according to the embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional configuration diagram of a printer according to the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 CPU 2a CPU bus 3 ROM 4 timer 5 RAM 5a input buffer 5b page buffer 5c emulation control table 6 communication control unit 7 output unit 8 operation panel

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Junichi Takano 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Inc. (56) References JP-A-5-104826 (JP, A) JP-A-5 -104825 (JP, A) JP-A-6-67822 (JP, A) JP-A-4-12876 (JP, A) JP-A-9-30089 (JP, A)

Claims (10)

(57) [Claims] [Claim 1 further comprising a plurality of emulation function, an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium based on print data sent from an external device, analyzes the print data, a plurality of emulation Determining means for determining which of the above is to be executed; setting means for setting a condition of a start timing of the determination by the determining means; selecting an emulation function according to the determination result of the determining means; Switching means for switching to the set emulation function, and the condition set by the setting means being satisfied.
Judge whether or not the above condition is satisfied,
An image forming apparatus comprising: a control unit that starts a determination by the determination unit. 2. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said setting means can set a condition such that said determination means is activated at a timing when an error is detected during analysis of said print data. apparatus. 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the setting unit is configured to determine a solution of
Article as the determination means is activated at a timing analysis
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that can be set matter. Wherein said setting means, the image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that to set the conditions in accordance with input from the operation panel of the image forming apparatus. Wherein said setting means has set the conditions
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the condition is set in accordance with a command for the image forming apparatus. 6. A method for controlling an image forming apparatus having a plurality of emulation functions and forming an image on a recording medium based on print data sent from an external device, comprising the steps of: A determining step of determining which one of the emulation functions to execute, and a condition for activating the determination by the determining step
A setting step for setting, select the emulation function according to the determination result of said determining step, and a switching step of switching to the selected emulation function, which is set to start the determination by the determination step
Judge whether or not the condition is satisfied.
If the condition is satisfied,
And a control step of activating the control method. 7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the determining step is started at a timing when an error is detected during the analysis of the print data.
7. The control method according to claim 6 , wherein various conditions can be set. 8. A timing for analyzing a head portion of a page.
Can set the condition so that the judgment step is started.
The method according to claim 6, characterized in that that. 9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the condition is set in accordance with an input from an operation panel of the image forming apparatus.
The control method according to any one of claims 6 to 8 . 10. The method of claim 6乃, characterized by setting the condition in response to a command for setting the condition
9. The control method according to any one of to -8.