JPH03114763A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To facilitate printing with various types of fonts by providing a font management means for managing font data which is loaded in an internal memory by a down load means. CONSTITUTION:Even if font data to be used are stored in a plurality of font cartridges, the font data in each font cartridge to be used are previously assigned and loaded in an internal memory by down load means 26, 27. Thereafter, the font data is managed by a font management means 20. After that, subsequently these font data can be simultaneously used without the need for replacing a font cartridge.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention is provided with an optional font slot, and is capable of printing using font data stored in a font cartridge that is replaceably inserted into the slot. Regarding printers that can be used.

[Conventional technology]

Printers such as laser printers are equipped with an optional font slot in which a predetermined font (typeface,
Some devices allow you to insert a font cartridge that stores data (size, etc.) and print using that font data.

In such printers, various fonts can be used by replacing the font cartridge inserted into the optional font slot.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, with such conventional printers, except for resident fonts and fonts downloaded from a host system such as a computer, only the font data stored in the font cartridge inserted in the optional font slot can be used. When it is desired to use the font data stored in the font cartridge of the phono 1, it is necessary to replace the phono 1 to cartridge each time, which is a cumbersome operation.

Therefore, in order to solve this problem, it is possible to increase the number of optional font slots 1- into which font cartridges are inserted so that multiple font cartridges 1- can be inserted at the same time. This has the disadvantage that the printer becomes larger.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to easily enable the production of various phono devices.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a printer that is equipped with an optional font slot and is capable of printing using font data stored in phono 1 to cartridges that are inserted replaceably into the optional font slot. This device is provided with a download means for loading phono 1~ data from a font cartridge inserted into a font slot into an internal memory, and a font management means for managing at least the font data loaded into the internal memory by the download means. .

[For production]

With this configuration, even if the font data you want to use is stored in multiple font cartridges, you can specify the font data of each font cartridge you want to use in advance and load it into the internal memory using the download means. , the font data can be managed by the phono 1-management means, so after that, the font data from phono 1 to cursor
- Font data can be used simultaneously without replacing the ridge.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a laser printer embodying the present invention.

The printer controller 1 is an interface (I/F)
As a host 1 to system 2. Printer engine 3. and a host interface 5 for connecting the operation panel 4 respectively. Engine interface 6, panel interface 7, and microcomputer (CPU) 8. Resident character generator (font ROM)9. Program ROM10. and work memory (RAM) 1
1 and each optional font slot 14 for holding two font cartridges.

15.

The host interface 5 is an interface for transmitting and receiving data with the host system 2 such as an office computer, a personal computer, a word processor, an image editing processing device, etc., and can be configured with various parallel interfaces or serial interfaces depending on the host system 2. select.

The panel interface 7 is a signal for transmitting and receiving data or signals to and from the operation panel 4. The operation panel 4 has font data selection keys for selecting font data stored in phono 1 to cartridges 12 and 13, and font data selection keys for selecting font data stored in phono 1 to cartridges 12 and 13, and phono data from font cartridges 12 and 15. - A download request key for requesting execution of data loading is provided.

The resident character generator 9 stores data in the minimum number of phonos 1 necessary for this printer.

The program ROM 10 stores various processing programs for operating the CPU 8.

The work memory 11 is a large capacity random access memory, and mainly serves as an input buffer.

Page buffer, video buffer, path buffer.

Used as font file, system memory, and font management table memory.

Note that for each buffer, file, and table memory, a necessary amount of RAM area other than the area used as system memory is secured in advance and used.

To explain each buffer and file in the work memory 11 in detail, the input buffer is a buffer for temporarily holding data received from the host system 2 through the host interface 5, and the data is sequentially retrieved by the print software. , the page data is created in the page buffer by adding a source address where the data is actually stored, a destination address specifying where in the video buffer the video data is to be created, size information, etc.

Video data is generated on the video buffer using this page data, the phono 1 data of the phono 1 file, and the font data (source data) of the resident character generator 9.

The font file includes font data downloaded from the system 2 to the host 1 through the host interface 5, or a font cartridge 12 or 13.
The font data from is downloaded.

Path buffer is optional font slot 14.1
It controls the exchange of font data, data selection information, etc. between the printer controller 1 and the font cartridges 12 and 13 inserted in the printer controller 1.

The engine interface 6 sends and receives necessary control data, etc. to and from the printer engine 3, and the work memory 1.
The video data read from the video buffer No. 1 is sent to the printer engine 3.

Font data is stored in the font cartridges 12 and 13, and the font cartridges 12 and IES include, for example, Fourier 10. There are multiple font cartridges that store various font data such as Helvetian Force and Time Slow Man.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram for explaining the font management table in the work memory 11 of FIG. 2. As shown in FIG.

This font management table 20 is divided into areas for resident fonts, optional fonts, and download fonts.
The resident character generator 9. in FIG. The address (hereinafter referred to as (abbreviated as "starting address") is registered (stored) for each area.

That is, as shown in FIG.
Assuming that different font data (optional font data) 24 and 25 are stored in each of the font files in the work memory 11, and two types of font data (download font data) 28 and 27 are stored in the font file of the work memory 11, the resident font data For option fonts 21 to 23, three memory areas are assigned table numbers 1 to 3 in the font management table 20, and for option fonts 24 and 25, two memory areas are assigned table numbers 4 and 5, respectively. Furthermore, as for the download font data 26 and 27, the start addresses are stored in two memory areas respectively assigned table numbers 6 and 7.

In addition, the font file in the work memory 11 can store a plurality of font data in addition to the downloaded font data 2B and 27, or conversely, it is possible to delete unused font data from the font file. Therefore, the memory area of the font management table 20 (corresponding to table number 6 and later in this example)
will also increase or decrease accordingly.

Next, regarding the operation of this embodiment configured in this way,
A detailed explanation will be given with reference to FIG. 3 and subsequent figures.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the process performed by the CPU 8 of the printer controller 1 when a font cartridge is inserted.

This routine starts when the font cartridge 12 or 13 is inserted into the option font slot 14.15 in Figure 2, and first checks whether there is an unregistered font in the inserted font cartridge. It is determined whether font data other than resident font data or downloaded font data exists.

Then, if there is no unregistered font, the process ends, and if there is an unregistered font, the start address data of the font data is registered in the optional font memory area of the font management table 20, and the process ends.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the optional font loading process performed by the CPU 9 while the font cartridge is being inserted.

This routine is executed by the host system 2 or operation panel 4 (font data selection key, download request key).
starts when a font bushing command, that is, a selection of font data is made, and loading of the selected font data is requested. It is determined whether the optional font data is stored in the font cartridge 12 or 13 inserted into the font slot 14 or 15.

If it is a cartridge font, the font data is stored in the memory (font file in work memory 11).
If it is not loaded, an area corresponding to the selected cartridge phon 1- is secured on the work memory 11 so that the selected cartridge phon 1- can be stored therein.

Next, the font data selected from the font cars 1 to 12 or 13 is read out, loaded into the work memory 11, registered as a download font, and
The font management table 20 shown in the figure is updated.

That is, the start address data of the font data loaded into the work memory 11 is transferred from the memory area for option fonts to the memory area for download fonts, and the process ends.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the processing performed by the CPU 8 when the phono 1 is removed from the phono 1.

This routine uses option font slot 14.1.
The process starts when the font cartridge 12 or 13 is removed from 5, and it is first determined whether the head address data of the font data stored in the removed font cartridge is registered in the font management table 20.

If the font data is registered, it is determined whether or not the font data is loaded into the memory as a downloaded font. If it is not loaded, the start address data of the font data is retrieved from the optional font memory area of the font management table 20. Delete it and end the process.

Furthermore, if the font data has been loaded, the start address data of the font data has been transferred to the download font memory area rather than the option font memory area of the font management table 20, so the process ends immediately.

In this way, in this embodiment, even if the font data to be used is stored in multiple font cartridges, the font data for each font cartridge is specified in advance and loaded into the internal memory, and the font data is then stored in the internal memory. Since the font management table 20 enables management, the font data can be used at the same time without replacing the font cartridge.

Therefore, there is no need to replace font cartridges each time, or to increase the number of optional font slots so that a large number of font cartridges can be inserted at the same time.

Note that the present invention is applicable not only to laser printers but also to various printers such as wire dot printers and thermal printers.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the printer of the present invention, if the font data to be used is stored in multiple font cartridges, those data can be used at the same time even if the multiple font cartridges are not inserted at the same time. This makes it possible to easily print in various fonts.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 is a block diagram for explaining the font management table in the work memory 11 shown in FIG. 2, FIG. 2 is a block configuration diagram of a laser printer showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the process of loading an option font during insertion of a font cartridge from font car 1 to the printer, and Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the process of loading a font cartridge when a font cartridge is removed. FIG. 1...Printer controller 2...Host system 4...Operation panel 8...Microcomputer (CPU) 9...Resident character generator 10...Program ROM 11...Work memory 12.13... Font cartridge 14.15・Optional font slot 20・・Font management table 21 to 23・・Resident font data 24.25・・Optional font data 2B, 27
...Download font data m3 diagram Figure 5 - A only 6 Figure 4

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A printer that is equipped with an optional font slot and is capable of printing using font data stored in a font cartridge that is inserted replaceably into the optional font slot, comprising: 1. A printer comprising: download means for loading font data from a loaded font cartridge into an internal memory; and font management means for managing at least the font data loaded into the internal memory by the means.