JPH02175167A - Printer controller - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To eliminate the need for a data-erasing process at the time of expanding bit-mapped data for a new page and enable a high-speed throughput of printing by sequentially erasing parts of stored data which parts are outputted to a printer. CONSTITUTION:An expanding means 11 expands bit-mapped data for one page to be printed, into a storage means 12, according to instructions from a controlling means 16. After the expansion is finished, the controlling means 16 instructs an output means 13 to output the bit-mapped data to a printer 14, and simultaneously instructs a sequential erasing means 15 to sequentially erase from the storage means 12 the data having been outputted to the printer 14. Thus, the contents of the storage means 12 are completely erased at the time when outputting of the bit-mapped data for one page is finished. Therefore, when a different page is to be printed subsequently, the expansion of the different page can be started immediately.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to printer control devices for word processors, workstations, and the like.

Prior Art FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a conventional printer control device. Reference numeral 21 denotes a developing means for developing one character, one figure, one stroke, etc. into bitmap data, and is connected to a storage means 22 for storing bitmap data. 23 is an output means for outputting the stored bitmap data to a printer;
It is connected to a storage means 22 and a printer 24. Reference numeral 26 denotes a control means for controlling the expansion means 21 and the output means 23.

Next, the operation of the above conventional example will be explained. Deployment means 21
In accordance with instructions from the control means 26, bitmap data for one page to be printed is developed in the storage means 22. When the bitmap data for one page has been developed into the storage means 22, the control means 26 instructs the output means 23 to output the bitmap data for one page to the printer 24, and outputs the bitmap data for one page. The means 23 outputs one page worth of bitmap data stored in the storage means 22 to the printer 24. When printing a different page subsequently, if the storage capacity of the storage means 22 is insufficient for two pages, one
After the output of one page's worth of bitmap data is completed, the control means 26 instructs the expansion means 21 to erase the contents of the storage means 22, and the expansion means 21 erases the data for one page. After that, start developing the different pages that follow.

In this way, the conventional printer control device described above can also output a different page by erasing the previous bitmap data before starting development of the next page.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, in the above-mentioned conventional printer control device, when the capacity of the storage means is insufficient, the data of the previously developed part is erased and then a new page is developed as a bitmap, so that the data deletion ends. There is a problem in that it is not possible to start developing a new page until the end of the process, and high-speed printing throughput cannot be achieved.

The present invention is intended to solve these conventional problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an excellent printer control device that can achieve high-speed printing throughput by reducing data erasing time.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a developing means for developing two characters, one figure, one image, etc. into bitmap data, a storage means for storing the bitmap data, and a storage means for storing the bitmap data. an output means for outputting the stored bitmap data to the printer; a sequential erasing means for sequentially erasing the data of the part of the stored bitmap data that has been output to the printer; and a data of the part of the stored bitmap data that has finished being output to the printer. A control means is provided for controlling the means for sequentially erasing the data.

Effects The present invention has the following effects due to the above configuration.

Among the data stored in the storage means, the data outputted to the printer by the output means is immediately erased by the sequential erasing means, so when a new page is developed into a bitmap, it is not necessary to perform data erasing processing again. do not.

Embodiment FIG. 1 shows the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 11 denotes expansion means, which is connected to storage means 12. 13 is an output means, which is connected to the storage means 12 and the printer 14. Reference numeral 16 denotes a sequential erasing means, which is connected to the output means 13 and the storage means 12. Reference numeral 16 denotes a control means, which controls the expansion means 11, the output means 13, and the sequential erasing means 16.

Next, the operation of the above embodiment will be explained. Deployment means 11
In accordance with instructions from the control means 16, bitmap data for one page to be printed is developed in the storage means 12. When the bitmap data for one page has been developed in the storage means 12, the control means 16 instructs the output means 13 to output the bitmap data for one page to the printer 14.

The operation up to this point is the same as the conventional example. In this example,
The control means 16 instructs the output means 13 to output one page, and at the same time, the control means 16 sequentially instructs the erasing means 16 to output one page from the printer 1.
4 to sequentially delete the data that has been outputted from the storage means 12. Therefore, at the time when the output of one page's worth of bitmap data is finished, the contents of the storage means 12 are all erased. Next, when a different page is subsequently printed, since all the contents of the storage means 12 have been erased by the sequential erasing means 15, development of the following different pages is immediately started.

In this way, according to the above embodiment, bitmap development of a different subsequent page can be started immediately without executing the process of erasing the data of the previous page.

Effects of the Invention As is clear from the above embodiments, the present invention eliminates the need to perform data erasing processing again when bitmap development is performed on a new page, and reduces the time from the end of printing the previous page to the end of development of the new page. This has the effect that it is possible to reduce the amount of printing and achieve high-speed printing throughput.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram in an embodiment of the present invention,
FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a conventional example. 11... Expansion means, 12... Storage means, 13...
Output means, 14... Printer, 15... Sequential erasing means, 16... Control means.

Claims (1)

[Claims] A means for developing characters, figures, images, etc. into bitmap data, a means for storing the bitmap data, a means for outputting the stored bitmap data to a printer, and a means for outputting the stored bitmap data to the printer. What is claimed is: 1. A printer control device characterized in that it is equipped with means for sequentially erasing data in a portion that has been deleted, and is capable of achieving high-speed printing throughput.