JP3470295B2 - Printer with scanner - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printer with a scanner comprising a printer and an image scanner connected to the inside or outside of the printer. 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an image forming apparatus with a scanner,
In general, data read by a scanner is loaded into an application and combined with print data from a device other than the scanner in the application. In other words, the image composition seen in digital copy etc.
Image data (or read data) from the host is developed on a video random access memory (VRAM), and read data (or image data) to be combined is written into the VRAM from above to create write data.
This is achieved by sequentially transferring data from the RAM to the image forming unit. In a printer, when it is desired to print in a font other than the font (font) which the printer has internally,
Download from a higher-level device or supply from a font cartridge (or card) attached to a printer or a disk device has been mainly used. When it is desired to fill a polygon, font, or the like with a pattern, it is usually performed using a fill pattern having the pattern inside. However, there are many types of fill patterns inside. Not something
When a figure other than these patterns is filled, the fill pattern is registered from an external host device (host device). [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2-140796 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2-181784 [0006] However, in the above-mentioned conventional printer, the fill pattern is not used. Creating the data to register the data takes a lot of effort,
Generally, there is a problem that it is difficult for an operator. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems. A pattern to be filled, including a pattern written by hand or the like, can be simply and easily added to a document created by a user.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a printer with a scanner capable of reliably embedding. In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a character code and a control frame transmitted from a host device.
Printer that receives data such as
And an image connected to the inside or outside of the printer.
Printer with scanner equipped with a scanner
Information that identifies the fill pattern and the corresponding
A frame line for reading the attached fill pattern, and the inside of the frame line
Fill pattern printed with fill pattern written on
A format that allows the printer to print the format paper for registration.
Mat paper print control means, and the image scanner
Read and input the printed format paper from
Fill pattern when drawing a figure with the filled fill pattern
Registration means for registering in the storage unit as
And means for fill shapes with fill pattern data registered by said designated registration means have
It is characterized by that . Further, identification information is added to the fill pattern data to be registered by the registration means, a range of image data input from the image scanner which can be recognized as a fill pattern is specified, and the fill pattern to be registered by the registration means is specified. A means for designating an enlargement or reduction rate of data, a means for inverting black and white of fill pattern data to be registered by a registering means, and a format sheet for causing the engine to print out a format sheet representing a range recognizable as a fill pattern By providing print control means, the format paper print control means has means for adding identification information using characters for an optical character reader to the format paper, and the printed format paper is read by an image scanner. From the image data input by reading the identification information by an optical character reader for the character may be provided with means for automatically adding identification information to the fill pattern data to be registered. Therefore, according to the present invention, image data input from an image scanner is registered in a storage unit as fill pattern data for drawing graphics, and a figure is formed using the registered fill pattern data. Since the file can be filled, there is an effect that the filled pattern including the pattern written by handwriting or the like can be embedded in a document created by the user. In the above case, if identification information is added to the fill pattern data to be registered, a plurality of types of fill pattern data can be registered, which is more effective. Also, by making it possible to specify a range that can be recognized as a fill pattern in image data input from the image scanner, fill pattern data of various sizes can be registered. Further, if the enlargement or reduction ratio of the fill pattern data to be registered can be designated, the pattern data can be registered with an arbitrary size, and the fill pattern data to be registered can be inverted between black and white. By doing so, even when registering the fill pattern data using a copy of a certain figure, for example, it is not necessary to worry about the monochrome configuration. If the printer engine can print out a format sheet representing a range that can be recognized as a fill pattern, the fill pattern data can be registered using the sheet. Can be visually confirmed by the user, and setting can be facilitated. The identification information by the characters for the optical character reader is added to the format paper, and the printed format paper is read by an image scanner, so that the identification information by the characters for the optical character reader is obtained from the input image data. If the identification information is automatically added to the fill pattern data to be read and registered, a plurality of fill pattern data can be registered at one time. Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a printer with a scanner according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, 100 is a controller (printer controller), 1
01 is CPU, 102 is IC card, 103 is NVRAM, 104
Is a program ROM, 105 is a font ROM for storing font pattern data and the like, 106 is a RAM, 107 is an engine I / F, 108 is an engine, 109 is a panel I / F, 11
0 is a panel device, 111 is a host I / F, 112 is a host device, 115 is a scanner I / F, and 116 is a scanner device. Reference numeral 113 denotes a disk I / F, and 114 denotes a disk device, which is an external storage device for storing various data such as font data, programs, and print data, such as a floppy disk (FDD) or a hard disk (HDD). is there. Normally, the printer controller 100 creates image data in accordance with print data or a control command from the host device 112, transfers this data to the engine 108, and prints out the data. At this time, the print data sent from the host device 112 is sent as a character code or a control command. These include polygon drawing commands, font printing commands, and character codes following them. In some cases, these commands include control commands for filling polygons and fonts with patterns. When the fill pattern processing is to be performed with these patterns, it is necessary to specify the fill pattern in some form before performing the fill pattern processing. A common method is to specify an ID (identification information) for each fill pattern, specify a fill pattern using this ID, and fill a polygon or font with a pattern using a fill pattern control command. There are many things to do. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation by the user when registering the fill pattern in this embodiment and the processing by the CPU 101 in FIG. First, the scanner device 116 is set to a fill pattern reading mode by a command from the host device 112 or an operation signal from the panel device 110, and the ID of a fill pattern to be registered is set (S10). After that, the paper on which the fill pattern created by the user is drawn is passed through the scanner, so that the CPU
101 registers the fill pattern (S11, S1).
2). That is, by causing the scanner device 116 to read the fill pattern on the paper, an ID (index) is added to the input fill pattern data and stored in the storage unit. Here, the RAM 106 as the storage unit, NVRA
M103 or a disk device 114 as an external storage device is conceivable. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a printing process performed by the CPU 101 using the fill pattern. First,
It is checked whether or not a fill pattern mode setting command has been received from the host device 112 (S20). If it has not been received, it is left as it is. If it has been received, it is received from a command from the host device 112 or an operation signal from the panel device 110 or the like. After selecting the ID and setting the fill pattern mode (S21), it is checked whether a drawing command for characters, polygons, and the like has been received from the host device 112.
(S22). If a drawing command for a character, a polygon, or the like has not been received, the process returns to the first step (S20) and the same processing as described above is repeated, and if received, the fill pattern data of the ID set from the storage unit is received. After the reading (S23), the character and the polygon are drawn by the character code (S24), and if not in the fill pattern mode, the pattern fill processing is performed on the character and the polygon in the fill pattern mode. Exit
(S25, S26). By the way, it is possible to specify a range that can be recognized as a fill pattern, but this can be realized by specifying a range that the printer controller 100 reads into the scanner device 116. The range to be read needs to be set in advance by an operation signal from the panel device 110 or a command from the host device 112 or the like. In addition, the pattern fill data input from the scanner device 116 is enlarged or reduced in the work area of the RAM 106 and stored in the storage unit, so that a pattern of an arbitrary size can be printed when actually performing the pattern fill. Can also. Further, by inverting the white and black pits of the pattern fill data input from the scanner device 116 and storing them in the storage unit, it is possible to print as a pattern in which white and black are inverted when actually performing the pattern fill. it can. The range in which the fill pattern can be recognized as described above can also be specified by using a special pattern registration format sheet. That is, the CPU 101 of the printer controller 100 causes the engine 108 to print a format sheet representing a range that can be recognized as a fill pattern for registering a fill pattern according to a command from the host device 112 or an operation signal from the panel device 110. It is assumed that when an image is read by the scanner device 116, the format sheet has a mark such as a mark that can be determined to be a sheet for pattern registration. The user draws (or attaches a designed pattern) the user wants to register on the format sheet, sets it on the scanner device 116, and then issues a command from the host device 112 or the panel device 1
The reading operation is started by the operation signal from 10.
Accordingly, the CPU 101 causes the scanner device 116 to read the set format sheet, and registers the input fill pattern data within the specified range in the storage unit. On the other hand, an ICR using characters (OCR characters) for an optical character reader is written on a format sheet for registering a fill pattern.
It is also possible for the printer controller 100 to cause the engine 108 to print out the sheet with D added as the format sheet. Then, by causing the scanner device 116 to read the format paper, the ID of the OCR character is read from the input image data, and it is determined which ID the fill pattern data is to be registered. It is possible to add an ID. Therefore, it is possible to draw a plurality of fill patterns on one format sheet and register them collectively in the storage unit. FIG. 4 shows a print example of a format sheet for registering a fill pattern. This format paper includes
A fill pattern 501, a frame line 502 indicating a range that can be recognized as the fill pattern, a format sheet discriminating marker 503, and identification information (ID
= 4) is printed. Figure 5 shows this fill pattern 5
FIG. 5 shows a print example in which a figure is filled using 01, and a pattern is filled with a small “R” character for each of the character shown in FIG. 5A and the rectangular figure shown in FIG. 5B. Is being applied. The embodiment in which the present invention is applied to the printer control device in the laser printer has been described above.
The present invention is not limited to this, and can also be applied to a facsimile machine with a printer function or a printer control device in a multifunction machine that connects or incorporates an image scanner. The present invention has the following effects as apparent from the above embodiment. That is, according to the printer with a scanner of the present invention, the image data input from the image scanner can be used as the fill pattern data. Therefore, for example, a fill pattern can be easily created even with handwritten characters, and the quality of a document can be improved. it can.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a controller of a printer with a scanner according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a printing process using a fill pattern by a CPU according to the present embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a print example of a format sheet for registering a fill pattern according to the present embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a printing example when a figure is filled using the fill pattern described above. [Description of References] 100: Controller, 102: IC card, 103: Non-volatile video RAM (NVRAM), 104: Program RO
M, 105: Font ROM, 106: RAM, 107 ...
Engine interface, 108… Engine, 109…
Panel interface, 110… Panel device, 111…
Host interface, 112 ... Host device, 113 ...
Disk interface, 114… Disk device, 1
15: Scanner I / F, 116: Scanner device, 501
… Fill pattern, 502… Frame line, 503… Format paper discrimination marker

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (31) Priority claim number Japanese Patent Application No. 4-299808 (32) Priority date November 10, 1992 (1992.1.10.10) (33) Priority claim country Japan (JP) (72) Inventor Toru Nagatsuma 1-3-6 Nakamagome, Ota-ku, Tokyo Inside Ricoh Company, Limited (72) Inventor Kazuyuki Shimada 1-3-6 Nakamagome, Ota-ku, Tokyo Inside Ricoh Company Limited ( 72) Inventor Takamasa Hayashi 1-3-6 Nakamagome, Ota-ku, Tokyo Ricoh Co., Ltd. (56) References JP-A-4-51657 (JP, A) JP-A-4-15352 (JP, U) (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B41J 5/44 B41J 5/30 H04N 1/387

Claims (1)

(57) Claims: 1. A character code sent from the higher-level device, and a printer for receiving data such as control commands perform a predetermined printing, which is connected to the inside or outside of the printer Printer with a scanner equipped with an image scanner
Information that identifies the fill pattern and
Frame line for reading the filled pattern, and
Fill pattern registration with printed fill pattern
Format that allows the printer to print
Sheet print control means, and the format printed from the image scanner
Draw a figure with the fill pattern input by scanning paper
To register in the storage unit as a fill pattern when performing
And the registration means specified using the identification information
Fill figures using registered fill pattern data
A printer with a scanner.