JPH02194977A - Apparatus for forming of image - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To print data for a plurality of pages on one printing medium by developing a dot pattern of several pages based on a printing dot density set by setting means in a memory, and forming an image with image forming means in the set dot density. CONSTITUTION:When a 4-page simultaneous printing mode is designated by an operation panel 112, its information is stored in a predetermined address in a RAM 110. Printing data received thereafter is sequentially stored in a page buffer memory 105, and a CPU 109 waits for reception of data of 4 pages and then edits as one data. In this case, the data corresponding to each page is so edited as to dispose it in a predetermined region of a bit map memory 107. Thereafter, a character pattern is generated based on edited data, and developed in the bit map memory 107. Then, the data in the bit map memory 107 is output to a printer 114.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, and more particularly to an image forming apparatus that receives and prints page-by-page data.

[Prior Art] Normally, a printing device receives a character symbol code output from an external host computer (including a word processor, a personal computer, etc.) and generates a corresponding character pattern using its own character font ROM. death,
Printing is performed based on the character pattern.

In particular, for page printers that receive and print print data page by page, the character symbol pattern corresponding to the input character symbol code is printed on each page according to the specified print position, font, character size, character, and line pitch. It is expanded and edited in memory in units, and printed using a printing mechanism.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, when the print data output from the host computer is not final, in other words, even when it is only necessary to confirm the output content, similar printing is usually not possible. It is necessary to go through a process.

For example, if the object to be printed is a list of programs under development that requires immediate changes and the amount of data to be printed is large, it may be difficult to print the contents of each page one by one on printing paper. The problem remains that not only is paper wasted, but the time required to complete printing cannot be ignored.

The present invention has been made in view of such prior art, and includes:
The present invention aims to provide a printing device that can print multiple pages of print data on a sheet of print media.

[Means for solving the problem] Solve this problem. Therefore, the present invention includes the configuration shown below. That is, in an image forming apparatus that receives and prints data in units of pages, there is a memory capable of developing a dot pattern, a setting means for setting the print dot density, and a number of pages according to information set by the setting means. and an image forming means for forming an image of the dot pattern developed in the memory according to the print dot density set by the setting means.

[Operation] In the configuration of the present invention, dot patterns for the number of pages based on the print dot density set by the setting means are developed in the memory. Then, the image forming means forms an image based on the set dot density.

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

Explanation of the device configuration (Fig. 1). FIG. 2) FIG. 1 shows the configuration of the printing apparatus of this embodiment.

In the figure, 101 is a host computer that outputs print data, and 102 is a printing device of this embodiment. The printing device 102 includes a print control section 103 that processes print data and a printing section 114 that actually performs printing.

104 is a host interface that controls the reception of data from the host computer 101; 105 is a page buffer memory that can store at least four pages of received print data and performs page editing; and 106 is a dot corresponding to each data code. This is a CGROM that stores matrix type character patterns. 107 is a bitmap memory that is an image memory that develops print data as dot data, and can develop dot image data for 4 pages. It has capacity. 108
109 is a printer interface that serially outputs the data in the bitmap memory 107 to the printing unit 114 and controls the printing unit 114; 109 is a printer interface that controls each device and transfers data in the print control unit 103 This is a CPU that performs editing, expansion of dot data, etc.

Reference numeral 110 is a RAM used as a work area for the CPU 109, and reference numeral 111 is a program ROM that stores the operation processing procedure of this CPU 109 (a program related to the flowchart of FIG. 5, which will be described later). 112 is an operation panel for inputting commands for the printing device from the outside;
A system bus 3 connects various components within the print control unit 103.

The specific structure of the printing section 114 is shown in FIG.

In the figure, 201 is a control circuit that sequentially controls the entire printing unit 114, 202 is a laser oscillator that generates laser light based on a signal modulated by print data from the control circuit 201, and 203 is a laser oscillator that generates laser light. This is a polygon mirror that reflects laser light on its side surface and sweeps it onto the photosensitive drum 205. A motor 204 rotates the polygon mirror 203 at several or continuously different rotational speeds based on the control of the control circuit 201 (instructions from the CPU 109 for print control). 20
5 is a beam detector that detects the timing of laser scanning and generates a horizontal synchronization signal.

<Explanation of Outline of Print Processing (FIGS. 3 and 4)> The outline of printing in this embodiment with the above-described configuration will be described below.

First, an overview of normal printing will be explained with reference to FIG.

When print data is sent from the host computer 101, the CPU 109 takes in the data via the host interface 104. Each time the CPU 109 receives data, it transfers the data to the page buffer memory 105 and stores it. . In parallel with this, the CPU
I09 reads the stored data, and if the read data is a control code, it interprets the command and edits one page of print data in the page buffer memory 105 in a predetermined format. Also CP
U109 reads one page of already edited print data one after another, and selects a font in CGROM 106 based on the font and size specified at that time. Then, a character pattern corresponding to the character code of the editing result is generated, and the character pattern is developed in an area corresponding to one page in the bitmap memory 107 (the shaded area in the figure). After completing development of a predetermined number of lines from the beginning, the CPU 109 connects the printer interface 10.
8 and issues control signals such as print start and vertical synchronization signals to the printing section 114, starting the printing section 114, and
The data in the bitmap memory 107 is transferred to the data buffer inside the printer interface lO8. The printer interface 10B receives this transferred print data (
The dot information) is output as a serial signal to the printing section 114 in synchronization with the horizontal synchronizing signal sent from the printing section 114. As a result, the shaded area in the bitmap memory 107 is printed on the printing paper 30. Thereafter, the next edited print data is similarly developed into the bitmap memory and printed out.

In the above, the predetermined number of lines is the number of lines obtained by dividing one page into several parts, or the number of lines for one page. This is a method of developing the next block into the bitmap memo (memo) 107 in time for the printing timing of the next block during printing by the printing unit 114 through the interface 108. This method starts printing after

In the case of this device, the latter is adopted, but the former may also be adopted.

Next, an outline of the four-page simultaneous printing process in this embodiment will be explained with reference to FIG.

When the control circuit 201 in the printing unit 114 receives the print driver 1-density specification frame sheet via the printer interface 108, it controls the motor 204 so that the polygon mirror 203 rotates at a speed corresponding to the dot density. If the speed is constant, by increasing the rotation speed of the polygon mirror 203, the printing density in the paper transport direction can be increased. In this state, the dot density in the horizontal scanning direction becomes smaller, so the printer interface 10
By increasing the clock frequency of the image signal output from 8 until it matches the printing density in the paper transport direction, it is possible to increase the pixel density. In other words, reduced printing is performed.

In other words, by doubling the rotational speed of the polygon mirror 203 and quadrupling the clock of the image signal, all the image data in the bitmap memory 107 (for one page of four pages) is data) can be printed on one page of printing paper.

Now, when the four-page simultaneous printing mode is designated from the operation panel 112, information to that effect is stored at a predetermined address in the RAM 110. The print data received thereafter will be sequentially stored in the page buffer memory 105, but the CP [109] waits until the data for 4 pages is received and edits it as one data. conduct.

At this time, the data corresponding to each page of 5 is as shown in the figure.
The data is edited so as to be placed in a predetermined area of the bitmap memory 107. Thereafter, a character pattern is generated based on the edited data and developed in the bitmap memory 107. After that, the data in the bitmap memory 107 will be output to the printing unit 114, but first, the data in the bitmap memory 107 will be output to the printing unit 114 via the printer interface lo8.
A command to change the print dot density is sent to 14 to make the print dot density twice the normal density. Here, "doubling" means doubling the number of pixels for a constant width, such as 480 dpi versus 240 dpi. Hereinafter, the CPU 109 sequentially outputs the data in the bitmap memory 107 to the printer interface 108. do. As a result, it becomes possible to generate fine characters in the image and print four pages on one sheet of paper 40.

<Explanation of Processing Procedure (FIG. 5)> The above-described processing of the CPU 109 will be explained according to the flowchart of FIG. 5.

The following description assumes that the instruction for normal printing or four-page simultaneous printing from the operation panel 112 has already been stored as a parameter at a predetermined address in RAMll0, and that the received print data has also been stored in the page buffer 105. do.

First, in step S1, the parameters of RAMll0 are referred to, and in the next step s2, it is determined whether or not simultaneous printing of four pages is instructed.

If it is determined that a four-page simultaneous print instruction has been issued, the process proceeds to step S3, where the print data for four pages are edited together, that is, as one page. and,
A character pattern corresponding to the edited data is generated in step S4 and developed in the bitmap memory 107. Thereafter, in step S5, the printing unit 114 is instructed to double the printing dot density as usual, and in step S6, printing processing is started.

Further, if the determination in step S2 is "NO", that is, if normal printing is selected (normal printing is selected as the initial state when the power is turned on), the processing from step 87 onwards is performed, step S7 Now, edit the page,
In step S8, the character pattern is expanded into the bitmap memory 107. Then, in step S9, the printing section is instructed to set the dot density to normal, and printing is started in step S6.

Explanation of other embodiments (Figs. 6 and 7) In the above-mentioned embodiment, when printing four pages simultaneously, data for one page of four pages is
Although the page data has been edited once, it is not limited to this.Here, as shown in FIG. We will explain the case where the image is expanded to a predetermined position.

That is, the pattern data corresponding to the first page is expanded according to the (x,y) coordinates of the bitmap memory 107. The second page is developed by shifting to the right by one page width. That is, a constant X corresponding to the paper width is added to the X coordinate of the second page data. Similarly, for the third page, the length Y of one page of paper is added to the X coordinate, and for the fourth page, both x and y are added to obtain the expanded result shown in the figure. After this, the first
By printing this at twice the resolution as in the embodiment described above, four pages are printed out on one sheet of paper.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of the above-described processing. In this case as well, the contents of the instruction from the operation panel 112 are stored as parameters at a predetermined address in RAMll0, and the received data has already been stored in the page buffer memory 105.
Assume that it is stored in .

First, in step SIO, the print data stored in the page buffer memory 105 is edited for each individual page.

Then, in step Sll, it is determined whether or not the four-page simultaneous printing mode held in RAMll0 is selected, with reference to the parameters, and in step S12.

If simultaneous printing of four pages has been instructed, the process advances to step S13; otherwise, the process advances to step S16.

In step S13, the pattern for the data of each page after editing is developed in the bitmap memory 107 allocated to each page. Then, the process proceeds to step S14, where a command is sent to the printing unit 114 to double the print dot density, and the printer interface 1
A reference pixel clock (not shown) when outputting from 08 is set to match the printing density, and printing is performed in step S15. Also, if four pages are not printed simultaneously, step S1
6, the pattern corresponding to one page of edited data is developed at a predetermined position in the bitmap memory 107, and in step S17, the print dot density during normal printing is set in the printing unit 114. instruct them to become Then, in step S15, actual printing processing is performed.

As explained above, according to this embodiment, by setting the printing dot density higher than that during normal printing, it is possible to print data for a plurality of pages on one page.

In the embodiment, the instruction as to whether or not to print four pages at once was manually given using the operation panel 112, but it goes without saying that the instruction may be given using a control code from the host computer. However, if you use the instruction from the operation panel, the print data itself will not be changed in any way.
Extremely convenient.

In addition, the method of developing the bitmap memory is shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 6 to make the explanation easier to understand, but any method may be used as long as it can be reproduced as an output image.
Furthermore, if there is sufficient timing, the unprinted portion of the page can be expanded during printing, so that the capacity for four pages can be eliminated.

In addition, the bitmap memory 107 has sufficient capacity,
If the printing unit 114 can print at three times the normal dot density, information for nine pages can be output on one sheet of printing paper, so four pages can be printed simultaneously as in the example. It is not limited to.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, data for multiple pages can be printed on one print medium.

In particular, when manually setting multiple pages of data to be printed on a single storage medium, it is extremely convenient as there is no need to make any changes to the data itself that is output from the outside. .

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a block configuration diagram of the printing device in the embodiment, Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the specific structure of the printing section in the embodiment, Fig. 3 is a diagram for explaining the outline of normal printing, and Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the specific structure of the printing section in the embodiment. Figure 5 is a flowchart of print control in the embodiment. Figure 6 is a diagram explaining the outline of simultaneous four-page printing in another embodiment. FIG. 7 is a print control flowchart in the process outline of FIG. 6. In the figure, lot... host computer, 102...
Printing device, 103... Print control unit, 104... Host interface, 105... Page buffer memory, 106... CGROM, 107... Bit map memory, 108... Printer interface, 109
...CPU, 110...RAM, 111...Program ROM% 112...Operation panel, 113...
- System bus, 114... Printing section, 201... Control circuit, 202... Laser oscillator, 203... Polygon mirror 204... Motor, 205... Horizontal synchronization detector, 206... It is a photosensitive drum. Patent applicant: Canon Co., Ltd. Figure 2 Figure 4 Figure 6 Figure 5 Figure 7

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) An image forming apparatus that receives and prints page-by-page data includes a memory capable of developing a dot pattern, a setting means for setting print dot density, and a number of pages according to information set by the setting means. and an image forming means for forming an image of the dot pattern developed in the memory according to the printing dot density set by the setting means. image forming device. (2) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the setting means is a manual setting mechanism.