JP4068705B2 - Device control apparatus and method - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for controlling computer peripherals.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In a general computer system in which peripheral devices such as printers and scanners are connected to a host computer, a program called a device driver or device monitor specific to each peripheral device is installed in the host computer, and these programs are executed by executing these programs. The host computer can control each peripheral device and monitor its state (hereinafter, in this specification, this type of program is generically referred to as a “device driver” and is equivalent to a computer that executes the device or an equivalent computer) Hardware that demonstrates these functions is called a “device controller”).
[0003]
By the way, with the development of communication networks in recent years, software revisions that operate on a host computer can be performed very easily by transferring files through communication lines. The device driver is no exception. Therefore, the late version of the device driver, which improved the initial version of the device driver and corrected the bug, is distributed to the users from the peripheral manufacturer's server, for example, via the Internet. .
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
On the other hand, even in the same software, the firmware in the ROM mounted on the peripheral device cannot be rewritten by the above simple method. Therefore, even if improved firmware is developed, it cannot be easily provided to the user. In particular, if there is a bug in the firmware, it is almost troublesome to replace the ROM to correct it even though it is not essential to the function of the printer (for example, a minor bug in a special mode). Must be forced on the user.
[0005]
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to allow peripheral firmware to be substantially improved or modified in a suboptimal manner that is simpler than ROM replacement.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
When the device control apparatus according to the present invention creates a control command for a device, if the device has a part with a predetermined attention version, the content of the predetermined control command is different from the case where the device has a part with another version. Has the function to change to different contents. For example, if the device is equipped with a cautionary version ROM that contains firmware with a bug found, the control command may be rewritten to use another firmware that can replace the firmware in the ROM. The bug can be substantially eliminated. Or, if the replacement part of the device is changed to a new version, if it is better to slightly modify the firmware of the device, better results can be obtained by changing the parameter or data of the control command, In some cases, the same effect as when the firmware is substantially modified may be obtained. In such a case, the present invention can cope with the change of the device driver on the device control apparatus side without changing the ROM of the device.
[0007]
Preferably, the device control apparatus can further have a function of inquiring of the version of a part of the device. As a result, it is possible to automatically check the version of the target device such as ROM, change the command if it is a caution version, and normally create a command if it is not a caution version.
[0008]
The device driver for operating the computer as the device control apparatus of the present invention can be installed in the computer through various media such as disk storage and semiconductor memory. The most effective method is to load the computer through the communication network. It is a method to do.
[0009]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 shows the overall configuration of an embodiment of the present invention.
[0010]
A printer 3 is connected to the host computer 1. The host computer 1 has a printer driver 5, and the printer driver 5 can perform bidirectional communication with the printer 3. The printer 3 interprets a print command sent from a print engine 9 for actually printing an image on paper, a paper feed mechanism 11 for sending paper to the print engine 9, and a printer driver 7. And a controller 7 for driving the print engine 9 and the paper feed mechanism 11. The controller 9 is a microcomputer and has a ROM 13 in which firmware for operating the microcomputer 9 is written. The firmware in the ROM 13 includes many programs for various processes performed by the controller 7, for example, command interpretation, image rendering, halftoning, paper feed control, error processing, status management, etc. Only three types of paper feed control programs, ie, a normal paper feed program 15A, an envelope paper feed program 15B, and a postcard paper feed program 15C are shown as examples.
[0011]
The printer driver 5 includes a GUI unit 21 and a command generation unit 23. The GUI unit 21 provides a GUI to the user and determines printing conditions such as color / monochrome, paper size, paper type, resolution, and print page according to the user settings on the GUI. The command generation unit 23 generates a print command for causing the printer 3 to print the document data to be printed passed from the application through the OS under the printing conditions determined by the GUI unit 21. To the OS to send to.
[0012]
When generating a print command, the command generation unit 23 inquires of the printer 3 about the version (firmware version) of the ROM 13 and various parts, and if the version is a predetermined one, It has a function to change the content to another content. This command change function can be used for the purpose of substantial improvement of firmware in the printer ROM 13 or bug correction. For example, it is assumed that a bug is found in the postcard feeding program 15C in the ROM 13 of the specific version “01.00”, but it has been found that if the envelope feeding program 15B is used instead, the postcard feeding can be performed without any problem. In this case, the new printer driver 5 is requested to supply envelopes instead of postcards to the printer 3 having the ROM 13 of the version “01.00” even if the paper type of the printing condition is postcards. By providing a command change function that creates a command to be executed, bugs can be substantially solved. Alternatively, when using a new special printing paper released after a certain period, it is found that the image quality is improved by slightly changing the ink dot gain according to the program in the existing version of the ROM 13. In that case, the new printer driver 5 can set the new printing paper in the GUI unit 21 and, when the paper type of the printing condition is the new paper, It is possible to provide a function of changing the parameters of the print command or the image data so as to change the dot gain to a value suitable for the paper. Alternatively, it is assumed that when a new version of ink released after a certain period is used, the image quality is improved by slightly changing the color conversion table in the existing version of the ROM 13. In this case, the new printer driver 5 can obtain the same result as that obtained by changing the color conversion table to the one suitable for the paper for the existing version of the printer 3 equipped with the new version of the ink cartridge. It is possible to provide a function for changing parameters of the print command or image data.
[0013]
FIG. 2 shows a processing flow of the printer driver 5 and the printer 3 (controller 7) when performing printing.
[0014]
First, the printer driver 5 inquires of the printer 3 about the versions of the ROM 13 and other components (for example, the ink cartridge described above) (step S1). When the version answer is received from the printer 3 (S8), the printer driver 5 stores the version information (S2). Next, the printer driver 5 determines printing conditions according to the setting on the GUI of the user (the default setting if there is no setting) (S3). Thereafter, when a print execution command is input from the user, the printer driver 5 enters a command generation process. First, it is checked whether or not a predetermined attention version is included in the version information acquired from the printer 3. For example, in the example of the postcard feeding bug described above, the version “01.00” of the ROM 13 is the caution version. In the example of the new printing paper described above, all existing ROM versions at the time of release of the printing paper are caution versions. In the example of the new ink cartridge described above, the combination of each of all existing ROM versions at the time of release of the new cartridge and the version of the new cartridge is the attention version.
[0015]
If there is no such attention version in the version information, the printer driver 5 normally creates a print command according to the determined printing condition as it is (S5), and sends it to the printer 3 (S7). On the other hand, if the caution version is included in the version information, the content of the predetermined command is changed to the predetermined alternative content using the command change function corresponding to the caution version (S6). For example, in the above-described example, if the ROM 13 version is “01.00”, the postcard feeding command is changed to an envelope feeding command, or the ROM version is an existing version at the time of release of new printing paper. If there is, change the parameter or image data of the related command to change the dot gain, or the ROM version is an existing version at the time of new ink cartridge release and the cartridge version is the new version In this case, the parameter of the related command or the image data is changed so as to substantially change the color conversion table. Various methods can be used for changing the command. For example, you can create a command using the normal print command creation algorithm and change it, or if you only need to read the print conditions as in the case of a postcard feed bug, replace the print conditions. Then, a normal print command creation algorithm may be executed, or another change command creation algorithm independent of the normal print command creation algorithm may be executed. Thus, after the changed print command is created, it is sent to the printer 3 (S7).
[0016]
The printer 3 interprets the print command from the printer driver 5 and executes printing (S9). In the case of the changed print command, the printer 3 operates accordingly. For example, the envelope feed program 15B is used instead of the postcard feed program 15C having a bug even at the time of postcard printing. Since the printer 3 operates in such a manner as to change slightly, a desired print result can be obtained.
[0017]
FIG. 3 shows a modification of the above-described embodiment.
[0018]
In this modification, when a specific error frequently occurs on the printer 3 side due to, for example, a firmware bug, the printer driver 5 learns the fact and automatically changes the print command so as to eliminate the error. It is a thing. That is, the printer driver 5 further includes a printer monitor unit 27 and a command change table 25. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the command change table 25 describes the above-described attention version and the change contents of the corresponding command. The command generation unit 23 refers to this to change the above-described command. The change function can be demonstrated. The printer monitor unit 17 is a resident program, for example, and has an error monitoring function of the printer 3 as one function of monitoring the status of the printer 3 as needed. The printer monitor unit 17 counts the number of occurrences for each error content corresponding to the version information of the printer 3 every time an error that occurs during printing by the printer 3 is detected by the error monitoring function. (Or occurrence frequency) exceeds a predetermined threshold value, a table update function for adding (or rewriting) command change contents to change the print command in a direction to eliminate the error have.
[0019]
FIG. 5 shows a processing flow relating to error monitoring when the printer monitor unit 27 and the printer 3 (controller 7) execute printing (step S9 in FIG. 2).
[0020]
When an error occurs (S11), the printer 3 notifies the printer driver 5 of the error content (S12), and enters predetermined error processing (for example, printing stop) (S13). Upon receiving an error notification from the printer 3, the printer monitor unit 27 of the printer driver 5 presents an error message corresponding to the error content to the user (S14), and corresponds to the version information of the printer 3 and the error content. The error counter is incremented by 1 (S15). Thereafter, the printer monitor unit 27 checks whether or not the error count or frequency exceeds a predetermined threshold (S16). If the error count or frequency exceeds the threshold, the version information corresponding to the error counter and the error are eliminated. The change contents of the print command to be registered are registered in the command change table 25 (S17). For example, if the number of postcard feeding errors in the printer 3 with ROM version “01.00” exceeds the threshold, as shown in FIG. 4, the ROM version “01.00” as the caution version is displayed. The change contents for changing the paper to envelope feeding are registered in the change table 25. Thereafter, for the printer 3 with the ROM version “01.00”, the envelope feeding command W can be performed during postcard printing, so that feeding can be performed without any problem.
[0021]
The present invention can be implemented in various forms other than the above embodiment. For example, the present invention can be applied not only to a printer but also to various peripheral devices such as an image scanner and a disk drive.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a processing flow of the printer driver 5 and the printer 3 (controller 7) when performing printing.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a modification of the embodiment of FIG.
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a command change table.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a processing flow related to error monitoring when printing is performed by the printer monitor unit 27 and the printer 3 (controller 7) (step S9 in FIG. 2).
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Host computer 3 Printer 5 Printer driver 7 Controller 13 ROM
15 Firmware 21 Command generation unit 23 GIU unit 25 Command change table 27 Printer monitor unit

Claims (8)

A device control device for controlling a device by a control command,
A command generator for generating the control command for the device;
A monitor unit for monitoring an error of the device;
A command change table in which the version information of the firmware of the device and the change contents of the control command for resolving the error of the device are registered correspondingly;
Based on the frequency of error occurrence of the device, the monitor unit changes the content of a command to change the content of a predetermined control command for eliminating the error corresponding to the version information to a predetermined alternative content. Register in the command change table ,
When the command generation unit generates the predetermined control command, the command control unit changes the content of the predetermined control command to the predetermined alternative content with reference to the command change table. apparatus. 2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the monitor unit includes a counter that counts the number of errors of the device, and registers the command change content in the command change table when the counter exceeds a threshold value. Control device. A command generator for generating a control command for the device;
A monitor unit for monitoring an error of the device;
Means for generating a command change table in which the version information of the firmware of the device and the change content of the change content of the control command for eliminating the error of the device are registered correspondingly;
With
Based on the frequency of error occurrence of the device, the monitor unit changes the content of a command to change the content of a predetermined control command for eliminating the error corresponding to the version information to a predetermined alternative content. Register in the command change table ,
When the command generation unit generates the predetermined control command, the command control unit changes the content of the predetermined control command to the predetermined alternative content with reference to the command change table. A computer-readable recording medium on which a program for causing a computer to function as an apparatus is recorded. The monitor unit includes a counter that counts the number of errors of the device, and registers the command change contents in the command change table when the counter exceeds a threshold value. The recording medium according to claim 3, wherein a program for functioning is recorded and is readable by a computer. A device control method for controlling a device by a control command,
Command generating means for generating the control command for the device;
Monitoring means for monitoring the device for errors;
Generating a command change table in which a control command for resolving the error corresponding to the version information of the firmware of the device is registered;
The command generating means generates the control command with reference to the command change table;
Based on the frequency of occurrence of errors in the device, register command change contents in the command change table so as to change the contents of a predetermined control command corresponding to the version information to predetermined alternative contents. And steps to
A device control method , comprising: when generating the predetermined control command, changing the content of the predetermined control command to the predetermined alternative content with reference to the command change table . The monitoring means counting the number of errors of the device;
The device control method according to claim 5, further comprising a step of registering the command change content in the command change table when a counter exceeds a threshold value. A device control system comprising a device controlled by a control command and a device control device that controls the device,
A command generator for generating the control command for the device;
A monitor unit for monitoring an error of the device;
A command change table in which the version information of the firmware of the device and the change contents of the control command for resolving the error of the device are registered correspondingly;
Based on the frequency of error occurrence of the device, the monitor unit changes the content of a command to change the content of a predetermined control command for eliminating the error corresponding to the version information to a predetermined alternative content. Register in the command change table ,
When the command generation unit generates the predetermined control command, the command control unit changes the content of the predetermined control command to the predetermined alternative content with reference to the command change table. system. The device according to claim 7, wherein the monitor unit includes a counter that counts the number of errors of the device, and registers the command change content in the command change table when the counter exceeds a threshold value. Control system.

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