JPH02277678A - Page printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To easily confirm the remaining capacity and the current using capacity by outputting the using state of a memory which stores data of printing patterns defined by a user to a recording paper in a predetermined format. CONSTITUTION:In the case where printing patterns such as characters, figures etc. defined by a user and stored in a RAM 42 are desired to be confirmed, as a confirming instruction is input from a host I/F 38 or a panel I/F 39, a CPU 37 retrieves each data area within the RAM 42, and detects the using number of bites and remaining number of bites in each area, and develops an image data indicating the form for printing the storing state preliminarily stored in a program memory 43 onto a bit map memory 41. Then, the CPU 37 develops the image data of the using number of bites and remaining number of bites into the form for printing the storing state. The developed image data is output to a recording part 22 through a recording part I/F 40.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a page printer that records images such as characters and figures on a page-by-page basis.

[Conventional technology]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is a page printer that records an image corresponding to image information inputted from image information generating means such as a host computer on a page-by-page basis on recording paper.

This page printer develops the image information input from the image information generating means in bitmap format in a bitmap memory, and transfers the developed information to the recording section, thereby recording an image corresponding to the input image information. be done.

Such page printers are equipped with a memory that stores data of print patterns such as characters and figures in shapes arbitrarily defined by the user, in addition to the print patterns of characters and figures built into the system.

The remaining capacity of this memory or the capacity used to date is
It is managed by the memory management means inside the device, and after reaching a predetermined usage capacity, new printing patterns will be rejected, or already registered printing patterns will be automatically replaced by new printing patterns. It is configured to be replaced by

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional page printer, there is no means for notifying the user of the used capacity or remaining capacity of the memory managed by the memory management means, making it troublesome to check the usage status. There have been problems such as the data of the print pattern defined when attempting to register it being wasted, and the print pattern that has already been registered being erased by mistake.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a page printer that allows users to easily check the usage status of a storage unit that stores print pattern data defined by a user.

[Means to solve the problem]

The page printer of the present invention has a storage means for storing data of a printing pattern of a shape arbitrarily defined by a user, and includes an input means for inputting a command for checking the usage status of the storage means, and an input means for inputting a command for checking the usage status of the storage means; The apparatus is characterized by comprising a control means for checking the usage status of the storage means based on a command from the means, and printing and outputting the results on recording paper in a predetermined format.

[Effect]

In the present invention, the usage status of a storage means for storing data of a print pattern defined by a user is printed and outputted on recording paper in a predetermined format. Therefore, it is possible to easily know the remaining capacity or the current used capacity of the storage means. In this case, even if there are many types of print patterns, all of them can be printed and output on the recording paper at once, so the time required for confirmation can be shortened.

〔Example〕

A detailed explanation will be given below, taking as an example the case where the present invention is applied to a laser printer.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an outline of the laser printer.

This device is a picture l#! A supply device 21, a recording section 22,
It consists of an mrA 23 that drives these, and a panel 24 through which an operator inputs recording operation instructions.

The image supply device 21 is provided with a host interface (1/F) connection terminal 26 that receives information for recording a predetermined image from a host computer, etc., and a LAN connection terminal 27 that connects to a local area network, etc. It is being The recording unit 22 is a device that records an image corresponding to image information on a recording paper 29, and receives image information 31 and operation commands 34 from the image supply device 21, and also receives synchronization pulses 32 and status for recording operation. The image supply device 21 is configured to output a signal 33 to the image supply device 21.

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the main parts of the recording section 22 shown in FIG. 1.

Here, the laser beam 52 emitted from the laser oscillator 51 passes through a polarizer 53 , a laser beam modulator 54 , and a polarizer 55 , is reflected by a polygon mirror 56 , passes through a lens 57 , and is directed to the outer periphery of a photosensitive drum 58 . It reaches the surface. Image information 31 (
The pit stream) is input to the laser beam modulator 54 from the terminal 61, and is modulated by the electro-optic effect, for example.
The plane of polarization of the laser beam passing through 4 is rotated according to the image information.

By this so-called electric shutter action, the black and white binary image information is converted into an optical on/off signal of a laser beam, and the outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 58 is irradiated with the optical on/off signal. The polygon mirror 56 is rotated at a constant speed by a motor 62.
After this laser beam 52 is reflected, it is scanned in the direction of an arrow 63 (this direction is referred to as the main scanning direction). That is, while one line of image information is converted into an optical bit string and irradiated in a direction parallel to the rotation axis 64 of the photosensitive drum 58, the photosensitive drum 58 is moved in the direction of the arrow 65 (this direction is referred to as the sub-scanning direction). Rotate to. In this way, an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the image to be recorded is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 58.

This electrostatic latent image passes through a developing device 66 as the photosensitive drum 58 rotates in the direction of an arrow 65. Here, toner is deposited in accordance with the electrostatic latent image. When the recording paper 29 is fed in the direction of an arrow 68 by a recording paper transport mechanism (not shown), the toner attached to the outer periphery of the photosensitive drum 58 is transferred onto the two recording papers by the action of the transfer device 69. The recording paper 29 is further fed in the direction of the arrow 68 and subjected to processing such as fixing, thereby obtaining a recorded matter.

Note that the laser beam 52 is scanned in the direction of an arrow 63 with a width exceeding both ends of the photosensitive drum 58. Therefore, the transfer timing of the image signal 31 is determined by detection pulses that detect the passage of the laser beam from the scan start sensor 71 and the scan end sensor 72.

The specific configuration of the image supply device 21 shown in FIG. 1 is shown in FIG. 3 using a block diagram.

This circuit connects a microprocessor (CPU) 37 connected to a CPU bus 36 and various interfaces (1/1).
F) 38-40, memories 41-46, and control blocks 47-48.

The interface includes a host I/F38 and a panel I/F38.
There are F39 and recording section 1/F40.

The host I/F 38 is a circuit that receives image information input from a host computer (not shown) in accordance with, for example, the R3232C standard. Further, the panel I/F 39 is a circuit that relays an instruction signal 39a input from the panel 24 (FIG. 1) operated by the operator. And recording section 1/F
Reference numeral 40 denotes a circuit for relaying signals such as those explained in FIG. 1, which are exchanged between the image supply device 21 and the recording section 22.

The memories include character pattern memories 44, 46, bitmap memories 41, and random access memories (RAM).
) 42 and a program memory 43°45. The character pattern memories 44 and 46 are so-called font memories, and are memories that store print patterns such as characters composed of dot matrices and line 7 figures. The bitmap memory 41 is connected to the recording section 22 (FIG. 1).
For example, one page of images to be recorded on two recording sheets is stored in bitmap format. RAM42
is used to temporarily store various data for the operation of the microprocessor 37 and information input from the host I/F 38. Also RAM4
2 stores the print pattern defined by the user. The program memories 43 and 45 store programs for the operation of the microprocessor 37.

Of these memories, the program memory 45 and the character pattern memory 46 are removable memories, and by replacing them as necessary, it is possible to use various types of programs and character patterns.

As a control block, a bitmap controller 47.
There is PTC48. The bitmap controller 47 is
This is a circuit that controls the access timing and address to the bitmap memory 41, and controls the image data formed in the bitmap memory 41 and the transfer to the recording unit 1/'F40. The PTC 48 is a known programmable timer counter and is a circuit that measures time, etc. ΔPI and generates timing signals.

In the above configuration, one or more pages of bone image information input from a host computer (not shown) are sent to the host I/O.
The data are sequentially stored in RAM 4.2 through F38.

This storage process is performed by the CPU 37 according to the program stored in the program memory 43.

The image information input from the host computer here is
This is vector data that represents a line segment of a character or figure by the coordinates of its starting point and end point, or by the coordinates of its center point and radius, and cannot be recorded as is. Therefore, the CPU 37 develops the vector data into bitmap image data in units of a predetermined amount, and stores the image data in the bitmap memory 41. The CPU 37 performs conversion into bitmap image data using a signal indicating the end of one page (for example, 16
Execute until you see the "FF" code (signal) on the display. In this case, character pattern memory 44.46
When a character code specifying one of the character patterns stored in is input, the character pattern corresponding to the character code is read from the character pattern memory 44, 46,
The data is developed in the bitmap memory 41. Here, CPU3
7 develops the image data in the bitmap memory 41 so that it has a size corresponding to the input recording paper size information prior to inputting the image information.

When one page of image data has been developed in the bitmap memory 41 in this way, the CPU 37 reads the status signal 33 (FIG. 1) of the recording section 22 through the recording section 1/F40, and the recording section 22 It is checked whether the recording operation is possible, and if it is possible, the operation command 3 is sent to the recording unit 22.
4 (Figure 1) is output. Therefore, when the status signal 33 as a response signal to the operation command 34 is returned from the recording section 22, reading of the image data from the bitmap memory 41 is instructed.

The bitmap controller 47 receives the synchronization pulse 3 from the recording section 22 when starting to read out the image data.
2 (FIG. 1) is read through the recording section 1/F 40, and each address of the vi/nodomap memory 41 is accessed in synchronization with the synchronization pulse.

That is, the synchronization pulse 32 is generated each time the laser beam 52 scans the photosensitive drum 58 in the main scanning direction, and the bitmap controller 47 generates the synchronization pulse 32.
The image data in the bitmap memory 41 is stored as 1 after a certain period of time (the time from when the scan start sensor 71 detects the laser beam 52 until it reaches the latent image formation start point on the photosensitive drum 58) after 2 is generated. It is read out in units of one main scanning line of the photosensitive drum 58 at a pixel period.

Therefore, image data for one main scanning line is serially outputted from the bitmap memory 41 at one pixel period.

This serial image data is input to the modulator 54 through the recording section 1/F40.

Thereby, the laser beam 52 is modulated by the image data and is irradiated onto the outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 58. The electrostatic latent image thus formed on the outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 58 is developed by a developing device 66 and then transferred and recorded onto the recording paper 29 by six transfer devices.

Next, the R A that stores the print pattern defined by the user
4th about the operation of printing out the usage status of M42
This will be explained with reference to the flowchart shown in the figure.

First, if the user wishes to confirm the printing patterns of characters, figures, etc. stored in the RAM 42, a confirmation command is input (step 100). This confirmation command is input from the host computer or panel 24.

When this confirmation command is input from the host I/F 38 or the panel I/F 39, the CPU 37 reads the line pattern data, gray pattern data, and the like stored in the RAM 42.
Each area of the external character data and form data is searched, and the number of used bytes and the number of remaining bytes of each area are searched (step 101).

Here, the line pattern data is data representing lines such as ruled lines, broken lines, and solid lines. Further, blur pattern data is data representing a pattern for filling in eyes, etc., external character data is data such as alphanumeric characters and kana characters, and form data is data representing a format such as a table.

When the CPU 37 detects the number of bytes used and the number of remaining bytes of these various print patterns, the CPU 37 develops image data indicating a format for printing the storage status in the bitmap memory 41 in order to print it out (step 102).
). Image data indicating the form in this case is stored in the program memory 43 in advance, for example.

Next, the CPU 37 develops numerical image data representing the number of bytes used and the number of remaining bytes, such as line pattern data, into a form for printing the storage status of the bitmap memory 41 (step 103).

Thereafter, a command to read the bitmap memory 41 is given to the bitmap controller 47 to read image data indicating the storage status of the character pattern memory 44 developed in the bitmap memory 41, and the recording unit I/F 4
Output to the recording unit 22 through 0 (step 104)
.

As a result, as shown in an example in FIG.
00 is recorded and output.

Therefore, by using this list 200, it is possible to easily check which type of print pattern area and how much area is currently left.

Here, regarding the line pattern data, the number of bytes used is shown collectively without distinguishing between solid lines and broken lines, but for example, as shown in the list 201 of another example in FIG. It is also possible to print out the number of bytes used for each line number representing the type. This makes it possible to check the number of bytes used in the RAM 42 for each type of line.

In the second embodiment, the usage status of the RAM 42 that stores the print patterns defined by the user is shown numerically, but it may also be displayed using a bar graph or the like.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, in the present invention, since the usage status of the storage means for storing the data of the print pattern defined by the user is configured to be outputted by printing on recording paper in a predetermined format, the remaining memory of the storage means is You can easily know how much capacity or current capacity is being used.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a laser printer to which the present invention is applied, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the main parts of the recording section in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the image supply device in FIG. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a specific configuration, FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a process for printing out the usage status of the storage means for storing printing patterns defined by the user, FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of print output, and FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing another example of print output. 21... Image supply device, 22... Recording section, 24...
・Panel, 29...Recording paper, 37...Microprocessor, 41...Bitmap memory, 44.46.
・Character pattern memory. Figure 2 Figure 4 Funeral map

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A page printer having a storage means for storing data of a print pattern having a shape arbitrarily defined by a user, comprising: an input means for inputting a command for checking the usage status of the storage means; A page printer comprising: control means for checking the usage status of the storage means based on a command from the means, and printing and outputting the results on recording paper in a predetermined format.