JPH01196625A - Recording device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To cause the record processing of a host computer to be speedy and efficient by once storing recording data in a storing means with a switching means, reading the data from the storing means and recording the data with a recording means. CONSTITUTION:A recording device equips a storing means 11 to store the recording data, a recording means 10 to execute the recording on a recording medium based on the recording data and the switching means to receive the recording data and to output the data with switching to the storing means 11 or the recording means 10. The recording data to be received in the switching means are switched to the storing means side and the recording data to be received from the host computer are once stored in the storing means 11, read from the storing means 11 at a recording time and recorded on the recording medium by the recording means 10. Accordingly, even when recording operation is interrupted, the output processing of the recording data can be executed without interrupting the processing of the host computer. Thus the record processing of the host computer can be made seedy and efficient.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a recording device that is connected to, for example, an output channel of a general-purpose computer, receives recorded data, and prints on a recording medium such as recording paper. It is.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, in a recording device such as a printer connected to a channel of a host computer, when a failure etc. is detected during printing and the recording operation stops, a status of a device intervention request is sent to the channel of the host computer. is transmitted to interrupt data output from the channel, and when the failure is recovered and recording operation is restarted, data subsequent to the interrupted data is recorded.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in the conventional example described above, if the recording operation is interrupted due to a failure etc., data transfer from the channel is also interrupted. You may have to start over. Also, even if the interrupted recording operation is resumed after the failure is recovered,
Since the process currently being executed continues until the data transfer from the channel is completed, there is a problem in that the end of the process is delayed.

The present invention has been made in view of the above conventional example, and even if the recording operation is interrupted due to a failure, for example, the recording data is continuously received from the host computer and the data is stored in the storage unit. It is an object of the present invention to provide a recording device that can quickly execute a recording process of a host computer by recording data stored in a storage unit when the recording operation is restarted.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above object, the recording device of the present invention has the following configuration. That is, a recording device that receives recording data from a host computer and records it on a recording medium, comprising a storage means for storing the recording data, a recording means for recording on the recording medium based on the recording data, and switching means for receiving the recording data and switching to and outputting it to the storage means or the recording means.

[Function] In the above configuration, the recording data received from the host computer is switched to the storage means side by the switching means, the recording data received from the host computer is temporarily stored in the storage means, and when recording, the recording data is transferred from the storage means. It operates so that it can be read out and recorded on a recording medium by the recording means.

[Embodiments] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[Description of Printer (FIG. 1)] FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing the schematic configuration of the printer of the embodiment and the connection between the printer and the host computer.

In the figure, 100 is a host computer that outputs print data to a printer 103, and this print data is output via a channel 101 of the host computer 100. The printer interface unit 102 performs interface control of various control signals between the host computer 100 and the printer 103, sends various data on the signal line 104 to the printer via the signal line 105, and handles interrupts from the printer 103. It inputs requests and outputs interrupt requests to channel 101.

In the printer 103, 10 is a control unit that controls the printer 103, and its schematic configuration is shown in FIG. The switching section 12 switches the print data from the printer interface section 102 and sends it to the control section 10 or the magnetic disk 11 according to instructions from the control section 10 . 13
is a print unit that performs printing etc. on recording paper.

[Description of the configuration of the control unit (Fig. 2)] Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the control unit 10 of the printer unit 103. Parts common to those in Fig. 1 are indicated by the same symbols, and their explanations are omitted. do.

In the figure, reference numeral 4 denotes a human output section that performs human output control with the switching section 12, and inputs print data and the like from the switching section 12 via a signal line 7. 1 is a CP that controls the control unit 10
At tJ, various controls are executed based on the control program stored in the ROM2. A RAM 3 is used as a work area for the CPU and temporarily stores recording data and various data input via the switching unit 12.

5 is an interface unit that performs input/output control of various data between the print unit 13 that performs recording such as printing and the control unit 10; 6 is a disk that performs input/output control between the magnetic disk 11 and the control unit 10; In the interface section, cput
Records stored on the magnetic disk 11 under the control of
Print) Read the data. A disk interface section 9 performs data input/output control between the magnetic disk 11 and the switching section 12, and records the received and recorded data sent from the switching section 12 onto the magnetic disk 11.

With the above configuration, print data sent from the host computer 100 is normally printed by the print unit 13 of the printer 103.

During this printing, if an abnormality such as out-of-paper occurs in the printing section 13, the printing section 13 stops the printing operation and notifies the control section 10 of the occurrence of the abnormality through the signal line 15.

The control unit 10 thereby outputs the switching signal 14 to the switching unit 12. When the switching section 10 receives this switching signal 14, it switches the print data manually input from the host computer 100 to the magnetic disk 11 side, transfers it, and sequentially stores it on the magnetic disk 11 via the disk interface section 9. In this way, the host computer 100 . The received data continues to be stored on the magnetic disk 11 while continuing to receive data from the host computer 100 until the job is completed.

Then, when the host computer 100 finishes the job (when it receives a predetermined amount of print data),
The printer 103 transmits the device termination status via the printer interface unit 102. Thereafter, when the next job is output, the status of the device intervention request is sent to the host computer 100. As a result, a channel interrupt occurs in the host computer 100, and data output to the printer 103 associated with job execution is stopped.

Note that in this case, the job is not stopped until the transfer processing of the currently running job is completed, and after the transfer is completed, a device interrupt request is output to the other subsequent jobs to stop them. If the capacity of the magnetic disk 11 is large,
Data transfer from the host computer may be stopped after recording data corresponding to a plurality of jobs is received and stored on the magnetic disk.

When the fault in the print unit 13 is recovered and printing is resumed, the CPU 1 uses the disk interface unit 6
Print data is read from the magnetic disk 11 via the interface section 5 and output to the print section 13 for printing.

In addition to this, for example, if you want to execute another job while a long job is being executed, you can use the keyboard (not shown) to press the magnetic disk 1 until the currently executing job is finished.
1, and when the storage is completed, another print job is printed using the normal printing method, and after this job is completed, the suspended job is read from the magnetic disk 11 and executed. , other print jobs can be inserted and executed between long jobs.

Furthermore, using an instruction unit such as a keyboard (not shown), the print process currently being executed is interrupted and transferred to the magnetic disk 11, and the print process is transferred to the host computer 100 or printer 103.
After turning off the power for a few hours, you can print the rest of the print by giving instructions again from the instruction unit.

[A Description of Operations (FIG. 3)] FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the printer of the embodiment, and a program for executing this process is stored in the ROPA 2 of the control unit 10.

First, when print data is received from the host computer 100 in step S1, the control unit 1
0 RAM3. When a predetermined amount of data (for example, one page) is stored in the RAM 3, step S
In step 3, it is checked whether printing can be executed by the print unit 13. Step S when printing
Proceeding to step 9, print data is output to the print unit 13 and a print operation is executed.

If printing is not executed in step S3, step S
4, the switching signal 14 is output to the switching unit 12, and the print data transmitted from the host computer 100 is stored on the magnetic disk 11. In step S5, it is checked whether a predetermined amount of data corresponding to the job currently being executed in the host computer 100 has been received and stored on the magnetic disk 11. When the predetermined amount of data has been received, the process proceeds to step S6 and the host computer 100 sends a status signal to This causes an interrupt to occur in the channel 101 of the host computer 100, and the transmission process from the host computer 100 ends.

In step S7, it is checked whether the printing unit 13 is capable of printing, and if the printing unit 13 is able to print, the process proceeds to step S8, where the print data is read from the magnetic disk 11 and output to the printer unit 13, and the print data is transferred to the magnetic disk 11. Executes printing processing of the stored print information.

[Description of the control unit of another embodiment (Fig. 4)] Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the control unit in the page printer system of another embodiment, and parts common to those in Fig. 1 are given the same symbols. and their explanation will be omitted. Here, the configuration is such that printing is executed every time one page is input.

Reference numeral 40 denotes a disk interface unit that controls output between the system bus 47 and the magnetic disk 11. This unit stores print data from the host computer 100 on the magnetic disk 11, reads print data from the magnetic disk 11, and outputs it to the print unit 13. It is output to. 4
Reference numeral 1 denotes a CPU that controls the entire control section, and includes a ROM that stores a control program, a RAM that is used as a work area for the CPU, and the like.

Reference numeral 42 indicates an input interface section for controlling the output of the printer interface section 102;
This is a buffer memory 43 that stores image data, print data, etc. for pages. , 44 is a dot pattern generator which inputs code information and outputs corresponding pattern data. An image memory 45 stores image data to be actually printed or imaged.

The image data in the image memory 45 is output to the printer section 13 via the printer interface section 46 to form an image.

The operation will be explained based on the above configuration. Print data is input from the human interface section 42 and stored in the buffer memory 43. At the same time, the data (code) already stored in the buffer memory 43 is developed into a pattern by the dot pattern generator 44 and stored in the image memory 45. The image data in the image memory 45 is sent from the printer interface section 46 to the print section 13 and printed.

If printing is interrupted for some reason, the print data input from the input interface section 42 is stored on the magnetic disk 11 via the disk interface section 40. Then, when printing is resumed, the stored print data is read from the magnetic disk 11 and stored in the buffer memory 43. Then, the print section 13 prints the image in the same manner as a normal printing operation.

As explained above, according to this embodiment, when the print operation is interrupted, the received print job data is stored in a mass storage medium such as a magnetic disk without interrupting the data reception operation, so that the host Job interruption and loss of print data in the computer channel can be prevented.

Further, by instructing to print other jobs preferentially while a long job is being executed, time-sharing printing of jobs can be performed without changing the processing on the network.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the present invention, even if the recording operation is interrupted, the output processing of the recorded data can be executed without interrupting the processing of the host computer, so that the processing on the host computer can be performed quickly and efficiently. It has the effect of being able to be executed efficiently.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the general configuration of the printer of this embodiment and its connection with a host computer, Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the schematic configuration of the printer control section, and Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the print processing of the printer of the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a control section of a printer according to another embodiment. In the figure, 1-CPU, 2-ROM, 3-RAM. 4... Input/output section, 5... Interface section, 6.
9... Disk interface unit, 10... Control unit, 11... Magnetic disk, 12... Switching unit, 13
...Print section, 14...Switching signal, 100...
Host computer, 101... Channel, 102...
. . . Printer interface unit, 103 . . . A printer. )-'L24

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claim] A recording device that receives recording data from a host computer and records it on a recording medium, comprising: a storage means for storing the recorded data; and a recording device that records on the recording medium based on the recorded data. comprising a recording means and a switching means for receiving the recorded data and switching to the storage means or the recording means for outputting the recorded data; the switching means temporarily stores the recorded data in the storage means and reads it from the storage means; A recording device characterized in that the recording device is capable of recording by the recording means.