JP3722388B2 - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a fax machine, a scanner, a copier, or a multi-function machine , and can efficiently connect font data downloaded from a peripheral device by enabling connection with a peripheral device including at least one host device via a network. Therefore, the present invention relates to an image forming apparatus having a font manager having a function of transmitting specific data in held font data to a host apparatus .
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, the font manager has been adopted in many printers and the like due to the spread of DTP technology. By applying this font manager, by downloading the fonts possessed by the host, it is possible to use the host font data and perform the same printing as the host display. Also, in printers used on a network, it is becoming common to exchange font data from other peripheral devices.
[0003]
By the way, the font downloaded from the host or other peripheral device is normally placed in an external storage device such as a hard disk or floppy disk built in the system, and loaded onto the RAM when used to develop the font. The advantage of using an external storage device is that it can store a large amount of data, but has the disadvantage that the access speed during processing is slower than that of a semiconductor memory.
Therefore, in order to solve this problem, measures such as placing a font dictionary on the RAM are taken so that frequently used fonts can be drawn out immediately.
[0004]
As described above, the printer side possesses many fonts, and the host side has a function of grasping the fonts possessed by the printer by various methods in order to make full use of the fonts. As one example, there is an application that automatically extracts the names of all fonts that the printer has every time it connects to a printer on the network and manages the font table as a file. Such an application can provide a function that maximizes the range of fonts that can be used by the user in the current environment.
[0005]
As a prior art example having a technical field similar to that of the present invention, there is a “document processing apparatus” disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-174588 as an example of font handling in the case of having an external storage device. An example of a method for sharing font data between a host and a printer is "Character data output apparatus and method" disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-113964.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the above conventional example, at first glance, automatic printer font extraction can be said to be an effective function for both the user and the host system. However, at present, this function has a big problem.
[0007]
That is, the data extracted from the printer is stored in a specific area prepared on the host side, but the storage area naturally has a capacity limit. In addition, the font table area currently prepared by the application having this function has a fixed size, and if the printer side has too many fonts, the host side will overflow. At this time, not only the precious functions are useless, but also the entire system may be adversely affected.
[0008]
An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus having a font manager having an efficient automatic font extraction function.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a communication unit that is connectable to a peripheral device including at least one host device via a network and performs bidirectional communication with the host device. An apparatus for storing font data downloaded from the peripheral device by dividing the font data into a plurality of font data for one typeface; and registering means for registering the font data stored in the storage device in a buffer; Determination means for determining specific font data from among a plurality of font data stored in the storage device, and only the font data determined as specific font data by the determination means is buffered by the registration means And register the font data registered in the buffer by the communication means. It is characterized by having a font manager that makes it possible to transmit to.
[0010]
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to the first aspect, the font manager acquires the remaining capacity of the font data storage area in the host device, and the acquired font data in the host device. Means for checking whether or not the remaining capacity of the storage area is smaller than the amount of font data registered in the buffer by the registering means, and the remaining capacity of the font data storage area is registered in the buffer by the checking means. On the condition that it is checked that the font data amount is smaller than the specified font data amount, only the font data determined to be specific font data is transmitted to the host device.
[0011]
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to the second aspect, the font manager has the remaining capacity of the font data storage area equal to or greater than the amount of font data registered in the buffer by the checking unit. On the condition that is checked, an operation of transmitting all the font data registered in the buffer to the host device is performed.
[0012]
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to the second aspect, the font manager further comprises means for counting the frequency of use for each typeface of the font data downloaded from the peripheral device, and the host Until the remaining capacity of the font data storage area in the apparatus becomes equal to or larger than the amount of font data registered in the buffer by the registering means, the font data is registered in the buffer by the registering means in the order of use frequency counted by the counting means. The operation of transmitting all the font data registered in (1) to the host device is performed.
[0013]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Next, an embodiment of an image forming apparatus having a font manager according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 1 to 8, an embodiment of a font manager according to the present invention is shown. FIGS. 1 to 3 show configuration examples of a printer to which the font manager of the embodiment is applied, FIGS. 4 to 7 show operation examples, and FIG. 8 conceptually shows a configuration example of a typeface.
[0014]
FIG. 2 is an overall configuration diagram of internal functions in a laser printer main body of a printer which is a predetermined apparatus to which the font manager of the present embodiment is applied.
What is indicated by reference numeral 10 in the figure is a laser printer apparatus main body. In the apparatus main body 10, a photosensitive member 11 on a belt is provided substantially at the center. Around the photosensitive member 11, there are a charging charger 12, a developing unit 13, a transfer charger 14, and a cleaning device 15 in order in a driving direction indicated by an arrow in the figure. Further, an optical writing device 16 is provided above the developing unit 13. The sheet feeding cassette 17 storing sheets is detachably attached to the lower side of the apparatus main body 10 in the figure.
[0015]
Then, the sheet feeding roller 18 is rotated to feed the sheet from the sheet feeding cassette 17 in the direction of the arrow in the drawing, and is conveyed to the lower side of the photoconductor 11 by the registration roller pair 19 at a timing.
[0016]
The photoconductor 11 is driven in a clockwise direction indicated by an arrow. At this time, the surface of the photoconductor 11 is uniformly charged by the charging charger 12, and then the laser beam from the optical writing device 16 is irradiated to electrostatically charge the photoconductor unit 11. A latent image is formed. This latent image is visualized by toner when passing through the position of the developing unit 13. The visible image is transferred by the transfer charger 14 onto the upper surface of the sheet conveyed to the lower side of the photoconductor 11.
[0017]
Then, the image-transferred sheet is conveyed to the fixing device 20 and the transferred image is fixed by the fixing device 20. Then, the sheet exiting the fixing device 20 is conveyed in the face-down conveying path 21 by an FD / FU (face-down / face-up) switching solenoid claw 24, and the face-down discharge tray 22 by a face-down discharge roller pair 22. The recording image is discharged face down with the recording image down 23, or is directly discharged onto the face up discharge tray 25 with face up with the recording surface up.
On the other hand, the photoreceptor 11 after image transfer removes residual toner by a cleaning device 15.
[0018]
FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a circuit configuration example of a printer apparatus to which the present embodiment is applied.
In FIG. 3, 1 is a host computer that transmits and receives data, 2 is a laser printer body, 3 is a controller that performs image processing, 4 is an engine control board that controls the engine, and 5 is an engine that performs image formation.
[0019]
26 in the engine 5 is a laser writing unit including an LD (laser diode), a polygon motor, and the like, 27 is a sequence device group that controls the engine sequence of the fixing system / developing system / drive system, 28 is on the paper path, Sensors that check the sequence status.
[0020]
Reference numeral 31 in the laser printer 2 is an MPU that controls the entire engine by a program ROM program, a mode instruction from the operation panel, a command from the host, and the like. Reference numeral 32 denotes a memory (ROM) in which an engine control program is stored; 33, an input buffer memory (RAM) for input data serving as a work memory for the CPU; 34, an input / output interface (I / O) between the host computer and the controller; O) and 35 are operation panels.
[0021]
Reference numeral 41 in the engine driver 4 is a CPU that controls the entire engine 5 by a program, a mode instruction from the operation panel, and a command from the controller 3. Reference numeral 42 denotes a memory (ROM) in which a control program for the engine 5 is stored, 43 denotes a work memory of the CPU, an input buffer (RAM) for input data, and 44 denotes an input / output interface (I / O) between the engine and the controller. It is.
[0022]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a detailed configuration of a printer controller 100 corresponding to the controller 3 of the laser printer 2.
In FIG. 1, reference numeral 101 denotes a CPU that controls the entire controller according to a program stored in a program ROM 104, a mode instruction from a panel device, and a command from a host device.
An IC card 102 supplies font data and programs from the outside.
Reference numeral 103 denotes a non-volatile storage device that stores the contents of mode instructions from the panel device, and is an NVRAM.
A program ROM 104 stores a control program for the controller.
[0023]
A font ROM 105 stores font pattern data and the like.
A RAM 106 is used as a work memory for the CPU 101, an input buffer for input data, a page buffer for print data, a memory for download fonts, and the like.
Reference numeral 107 denotes an engine interface that communicates commands and statuses with the engine 108 and print data.
Reference numeral 108 denotes an engine that actually performs printing.
Reference numeral 109 denotes a panel interface that communicates commands and status with the panel device 110.
[0024]
Reference numeral 110 denotes a panel device that informs the user of the current printer status and gives a mode instruction.
A host interface 111 communicates with the host device 112, and is usually a Centro I / F or RS232C.
Reference numeral 112 denotes a host device that is an upper device of the printer.
Reference numeral 113 denotes a disk interface for communicating with the disk device 114.
A disk device 114 stores various data such as font data, programs, print data, and the like, and is a floppy disk device, a hard disk device, or the like.
[0025]
The printer configured as described above is configured assuming a printer device that handles a large amount of font data on a network. In this printer apparatus, the font manager of the present embodiment is applied to execute operations related to font management when handling font data. An example of the operation will be described below.
[0026]
<Operation example 1>
In the first operation example, when the font list in the printer is returned according to the request from the host, there is too much font data held by the printer, and it cannot be absorbed into the tray area prepared by the host device (app). Is considered. In such a situation, a font on ROM that is frequently used and a font that the user intentionally registers in the font dictionary are preferentially selected. This avoids wasteful transmission of a large amount of font data and overflow of the tray area that occurs unintentionally due to the wasteful operation.
[0027]
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the first operation example.
In FIG. 4, when a font extraction command is received from the host (S10), first, all the fonts in the ROM incorporated in the printer from the beginning are read (S11), and the font name is registered in the buffer in the printer (S12). Further, when there are fonts on the RAM (S13 / Yes), the fonts on the RAM are sequentially read (S14) and registered in the buffer (S15). At this time, fonts that are not registered in the RAM even if they are in an external storage device such as an HDD or FD are excluded.
[0028]
When registration in the buffer is completed (S14 / Yes), it is returned to the host as a “font list” (S16).
In addition, the dotted line frame A and * mark in a flowchart are for showing the diversion range and location to the operation example 4 mentioned later.
[0029]
In the above operation example 1, the reason why the host side (application) wants a list of font names held by the printer is to provide the user with a wide selection of font names, and the posted fonts can guarantee a comfortable use environment. Must be a thing. The reason is as follows.
[0030]
In the printer, the fonts on the ROM are incorporated in order to maximize the font development speed because they are frequently used. Further, fonts that are intentionally registered by the user in the dictionary are registered in the RAM in order to increase access efficiency in order to respond to user requests. For these two fonts, beautiful printing can be performed at high speed, so that it can be said that a comfortable use environment is guaranteed.
[0031]
However, the fonts registered in the external storage device have some problems in printing speed, and cannot always be used comfortably. This is because a font with a large amount of data may become very slow. Presenting a large number of such fonts to the user can be confusing. In this operation example 1, since only the font that can guarantee a comfortable use environment is notified to the host, the user can select all the fonts presented by the application with peace of mind.
[0032]
At the same time, there is an effect of avoiding overflow on the host side which has occurred due to a large amount of fonts that are not used very well, and shortening the host exclusive time by useless transmission operations.
[0033]
<Operation example 2>
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the second operation example. FIG. 8 is a diagram conceptually showing a configuration example of a typeface. Assume that a typeface is a typeface composed of three fonts as shown in FIG. In this way, there are not a few typefaces that are the same typeface but are divided into a plurality of fonts. A typeface composed of a plurality of fonts has a typeface name that controls them separately from each font name. Therefore, in the case of one font and one font, the font name and the font name are the same.
[0034]
If a font that controls multiple fonts is called a parent font, and each font that makes up the parent font is called a child font, only the parent font is required when selecting the font. It is the time of internal processing. The host also needs the name of the parent font when creating the output destination font table.
[0035]
In FIG. 5, a font extraction command is received from the host (S20), and font reading is started. While reading the font (S21), it is determined whether it is a parent font (S22). If it is a parent font (S22 / Yes), the font name is registered in the buffer in the printer (S23). The child font is skipped (S22 / No). When all the fonts have been read (S21 / Yes), the buffer is returned to the host as a “font list” (S24).
In addition, the dotted line frame B and * mark in a flowchart are for showing the diversion range and location to the operation example 4 mentioned later.
[0036]
In the second operation example, the Japanese font has much more characters and the amount of data included in one typeface than the European font. Therefore, it is divided into several fonts although it is the same typeface. Since the font divided into a plurality of fonts is originally one typeface, there is no problem at the font selection level in the printer as long as the parent font name which is a representative name is known.
[0037]
By the way, the reason why the host side (application) wants a list of font names held by the printer is to provide the user with a wide selection of fonts. In other words, it is enough to know what typefaces can be used and to indicate to the printer the typeface that you want to use.
[0038]
In the operation example 2, since the data extracted from the minimum information (parent font name) required by both the printer and the host can be prepared, the memory efficiency and the work efficiency can be improved. At the same time, it is effective in avoiding host-side overflow that has occurred due to a large amount of unnecessary child font names being transmitted, and shortening the host-occupied time due to unnecessary transmission operations.
[0039]
<Operation example 3>
FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the third operation example.
In operation example 3, when a list of fonts in the printer is returned in response to a request from the host (S36), there is too much font data held in the printer (S34 / No), and the host side (application) prepares for a tray area. In consideration of the case where it cannot be absorbed, only the parent font name required by the host is extracted (S33), and it is unwilling to send an unnecessary large number of child font names or for its useless operation. It is intended to provide a procedure for avoiding the overflow of the saucer area that also occurs.
[0040]
In FIG. 6, when the font list in the printer is returned according to the request from the host, the font data is transmitted from the printer side so that it cannot be absorbed into the saucer area prepared by the host side (application), and an unexpected overflow occurs. The cause of this is that unnecessary data is transmitted and the printer side has no limit on the amount of data to be transmitted.
In this operation example 3, a procedure for grasping the capacity limit of the data receiving side (host side) is provided as a measure of the amount of data transmitted by the printer side (S31).
[0041]
The operation example 3 has the following effects.
A disadvantage of the printer font automatic extraction function on the host side is that the mutual information exchange is not smoothly performed by this function. Since the upper limit of transmission data is clarified by this operation example 3, it is possible to limit the amount of data on the printer side, and the danger of inadvertently sending a large amount of data and overflowing the host can be avoided. Furthermore, data exchange between the host / printer can be expected to be smoother.
[0042]
<Operation example 4>
In the operation example 4, the flowchart of the operation example 3 is used.
The operation example 4 provides a means for obtaining the requested data while grasping the capacity limit of the data receiving side (host side) in advance by the means of the operation example 3 and avoiding the overflow by the suppression method according to the situation. is there.
[0043]
In FIG. 6, when a font extraction command is received from the host (S30), first, the size of the avoidance data tray area is confirmed to the host (S31). After that, all fonts are read (S32) and registered in the buffer (S33). As a result of comparing the size of the saucer and the size of the buffer from which all fonts have been extracted (S34), if the buffer size is larger (S34 / No), the method of Operation Example 1 or Operation Example 2 (Operation A in FIG. 4) (See operation B in FIG. 5), the font name is extracted again while suppressing (S35). At this time, the buffer size is checked at the location of the star of operation A / operation B so as not to exceed the capacity limit. When all fonts are read or the buffer size reaches the capacity limit, the buffer is closed and returned to the host as a “font list” (S36).
[0044]
The effect of the operation example 4 is that the upper limit of the transmission data in the operation example 3 becomes clear, and the operations of the operation examples 1 and 2 can be performed more effectively.
[0045]
<Operation example 5>
FIG. 7 shows a flowchart of the operation example 5.
This operation example 5 is an operation that is troublesome twice in the operation example 4 (after reading all fonts once, check the buffer size, and if there is a risk of overflow, re-suppress and re-read) Considering waste and the fact that the host wants only the parent font, it provides a means to obtain the requested data more efficiently.
[0046]
The font manager counts the frequency of use for each typeface used for the downloaded font and receives a font extraction command from the host (S40). First, the response data is received from the host and the size of the dish area is confirmed ( S41). Then, all the fonts in the ROM are read (S42) and registered in the buffer in the printer (S43). Thereafter, the parent font is registered in the buffer in the printer while confirming the use frequency and the buffer size for the downloaded font registered in the RAM and the external storage device (S44 to S48). When all the fonts are read or the buffer size reaches the capacity limit (S44 / Yes), the buffer is closed and returned to the host as a “font list” (S49).
[0047]
As an effect of the operation example 5, since the upper limit of transmission data is clarified on the printer side, fonts can be selected in order of use frequency, and request data is collected with a minimum amount of information. Data with a small size and a large amount of information can be prepared. Therefore, the receiving host can use the data and operate the font safely and effectively.
[0048]
【The invention's effect】
As is clear from the above description, the font manager of the present invention returns only the registered fonts when a built-in font extraction command for sending back a list of font names possessed by the host device is sent. It has the function to do. Therefore, with this function, in a situation where there is too much font data held by the printer and it cannot be absorbed into the saucer area prepared by the host device (application), fonts on the ROM and users that are frequently used It is possible to preferentially select a font that is intentionally registered in the font dictionary. As a result, it is possible to avoid wasteful transmission of a large amount of font data and overflow of the saucer area that occurs unintentionally due to the wasteful operation.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a circuit block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a printer controller of a printer apparatus to which an embodiment of a font manager of the present invention is applied.
FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view illustrating a configuration example of a printer apparatus to which the embodiment is applied.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a circuit configuration example of a printer apparatus to which the embodiment is applied.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an operation example 1;
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an operation example 2;
FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an operation example 3;
FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an operation example 4;
FIG. 8 is a diagram conceptually illustrating a configuration example of a typeface.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Host computer 2 Laser printer main body 3 Controller 4 Engine control board 5 (Printer) Engine 26 Laser writing unit 27 Sequence equipment group 28 Sensors 31 MPU
32, 42 Memory (ROM)
33, 43 Input buffer memory (RAM)
34, 44 I / O interface (I / O)
35 Operation panel 41 CPU
100 Printer controller 101 CPU
102 IC Card
103 NVRAM
104 Program ROM
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

Claims (4)

An image forming apparatus that can be connected to a peripheral device including at least one host device via a network and has a communication unit that performs bidirectional communication with the host device,
  Storage means for storing font data downloaded from the peripheral device by dividing it into a plurality of font data for one typeface;
  Registration means for registering font data stored in the storage device in a buffer;
  Determination means for determining specific font data from among a plurality of font data stored in the storage device,
  A font manager for causing only the font data determined to be specific font data by the determination means to be registered in the buffer by the registration means and transmitting the font data registered in the buffer to the host device by the communication means; An image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1.
  The font manager includes means for acquiring a remaining capacity of a font data storage area in the host device;
  Means for checking whether or not the acquired remaining capacity of the font data storage area in the host device is smaller than the amount of font data registered in the buffer by the registration means;
  Only the font data determined to be specific font data is sent to the host device on the condition that the checking means checks that the remaining capacity of the font data storage area is smaller than the font data amount registered in the buffer. An image forming apparatus characterized by performing an operation to perform the operation. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2.
  The font manager stores all font data registered in the buffer on the condition that the check means checks that the remaining capacity of the font data storage area is equal to or greater than the amount of font data registered in the buffer. An image forming apparatus that performs an operation of transmitting to the host device. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2.
  The font manager further comprises means for counting the usage frequency in units of typefaces for font data downloaded from the peripheral device,
  Until the remaining capacity of the font data storage area in the host device becomes equal to or larger than the amount of font data registered in the buffer by the registration unit, the font data is stored in the buffer by the registration unit in order of frequency of use counted by the counting unit. An image forming apparatus that performs an operation of registering and transmitting all font data registered in a buffer to the host device.

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