JPH03117987A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve the convenience of use by repeatedly forming a hardware copy picture based on picture data stored in a storing means each time the operation of reprint designating means is executed. CONSTITUTION:A printer is composed of a bit-map system data processing part 3, print engine 4, which forms the hardware copy picture by using a well- known electronic photographing process due to laser exposure, and accessory equipments such as an external paper feeding unit 5 or a sorter 6. On a control panel 44, a pause key 901 to temporarily stop print operation, and a REPEAT key 902 to reprint a picture for one page (one piece of paper) finally printed are arranged together with various display lamps 910-918 to show the state of a print system PS. Each time the operation of a reprint designating means 102 is executed, the hardware copy picture is repeatedly formed based on the picture data stored in a storing means 32. Thus, the plural pieces of the hardware copy pictures with the same contents can be easily obtained.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a printer device that forms a hard copy image based on image data, and is used as an output device of a combiator system.

[Conventional technology]

2. Description of the Related Art A printer device that forms (prints) a hard copy image based on image data input from a data processing device such as a computer or a word processor is often used as a standard output device for computer systems.

In particular, printer devices called page printers that use an electrophotographic process, such as laser printers, can achieve high-speed, high-quality recording (printing), and can easily process graphic images by adopting a bitmap method. As a result, its uses are rapidly expanding.

Now, in various applications using a printer device, there are cases where it is desired to print multiple copies of the same hard copy image.

In such cases, the number of copies to be printed is generally set on the data processing device side, but with expensive printers equipped with a numeric keypad for setting the number of copies, the number of copies to be printed is set on the printer side. be exposed. After setting the number of copies to be printed, the image data is transferred from the data processing device to the printer device, and the printing operation based on the same image data is repeated in the printer device.

In such printing of multiple sheets, there are printers configured such that the same image data is sequentially transferred from the data processing device to the printer for each print, and printers configured such that the same image data is transferred sequentially from the data processing device to the printer device for each print, and the printer that is configured to transfer the same image data sequentially from the data processing device to the printer device for each print. There is a printer device that is configured to print a plurality of sheets by repeatedly scanning a bitmap memory that is drawn using image data that has been transferred only once.

When the set number of copies have been printed, the image data stored in the printer device is erased.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

-m, the printer device continuously prints the set number of sheets. Therefore, if the print result is not the desired one, for example, if there is an inconvenience in the layout of the image on the paper, multiple sheets of paper will be wasted.

In particular, page printers operate at high speeds, so even if you look at the results of printing the first page and stop printing midway through, a considerable number of pages will be printed during that time.

Therefore, there is a problem in that the operator feels uneasy when attempting to set the desired number of prints from the beginning.

To solve this problem, even if you ultimately want to obtain multiple images, first print just one for confirmation, and if the print result is what you want, continue printing the remaining images. According to this, when printing mail items such as invitations, it is possible to check the positioning of the postcard or envelope and the image by printing the first page. I can do it.

However, in conventional printer devices, as mentioned above, the image data is erased from inside the printer device once the preset number of prints is completed, so it is necessary to retry the image data after setting the remaining number of prints. , it is necessary to transfer image data from the data processing device to the printer device. In other words, in conventional printer devices, when attempting to obtain multiple hard copy images of the same content with desired print results, after checking the print results of the first page, the data associated with printing the remaining number of pages is There is a problem in that the operator has to wait an extra amount of time for transfer, making it inconvenient for the operator to use.

In addition, if the printer device is not equipped with a means for setting the number of sheets, the number of sheets can be set by keyboard operations on the data processing device side, as described above, but at this time, the data processing device has a When software for setting the number of copies is not incorporated, there is a problem in that only an operator who is familiar with special control instructions (commands) can set the number of copies to be printed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above-mentioned problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a printer device that can easily obtain a plurality of hard copy images with the same content through easy operation, and is convenient for the operator. There is.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a printer device that forms a hard copy image based on image data, and is provided with a storage means for storing at least one page of image data and a reprint designation means. , characterized in that each time the reprint designating means is operated, a hard copy image is repeatedly formed based on the image data stored in the storage means.

[For production]

The storage means stores at least one page of image data.

By operating the reprint designation means, a hard copy image is repeatedly formed based on the image data stored in the storage means.

〔Example〕

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

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a printing system PS using a laser printer P capable of drawing graphics.

In the figure, a print system PS is a general-purpose data processing device 1 such as a computer or a word processor device.
, a file buffer 2 that temporarily stores data output from the data processing device 1 via a bus B1, and a laser printer P.

The laser printer P includes a bitmap type data processing section 3, a print engine 4 that forms a hard copy image using a well-known electrophotographic process using laser exposure, and accessory devices such as an external paper feed unit 5 and a sorter 6. An operation panel 44, which will be described later, is provided above the print engine 4.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the operation panel 44.

The operation panel 44 includes various indicator lights 910 to 918 indicating the status of the printing system PS, as well as a Bose key 901 for temporarily stopping the printing operation and for reprinting the image of the last printed page (one sheet). A REPEAT key 902 is arranged for this purpose.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control section of a laser printer P.

The data processing unit 3 includes a bitmap control unit 30, a RAM (BM-RAM) 32 serving as a bitmap memory, and a BM
- It is composed of a bitmap writing section 31 that draws on the RAM 32, and a font section 33. Connection with the print engine 4 is made through a bus B3 for control data (number of sheets, accessory control, etc.) and a bus B4 for image data.

The print engine 4 is mainly composed of three control sections. First, the interface control section (IFC) 40 processes control data from the bitmap control section 30, controls the timing of the entire print engine 4 through the operation panel system, and the internal bus B5. An interrupt timer is provided to determine the timing of interrupt processing.

The electrophotographic control section 41 controls the electrophotographic processing section 45 in accordance with data sent from the interface control section 40 through the internal bus B5.

The print head control unit 42 receives the image data and I that are sent from the bitmap writing unit 31 via the bus B4.
Print head section 43 according to the signal from FC40
control the laser exposure. Note that the external paper feed unit 5 and the sorter 6 are connected to the IFC 4 through the internal bus B5.
Controlled by 0.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the bitmap control section 30.

The bitmap control unit 30 has a data processing device interface 308 and R- for communication with the data processing device I.
buffer 304 , first information processing section 320 that converts code data input from data processing device 1 into intermediate code data suitable for drawing in BM-RAM 32 , P-RAM 305 that stores intermediate code data, drawing in BM-RAM 32 It is composed of a second information processing section 330 that performs control, etc., a bitmap writing section interface 306, and a print engine interface 307.

The first and second information processing units 320 and 330 each include a processing device including a microcomputer, a ROM for storing programs, a RAM for storing various flags, and an interrupt timer for setting the timing of interrupt processing.

The R-buffer 304 is provided to desynchronize communication between the processing program of the first information processing section 320 and the data processing bag f1.

The print engine interface 307 provides job information such as the number of prints and JO information such as print commands.
Bll11B commands are exchanged with the print engine 4 interface via bus B3.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the bitmap writing section 31.

The functions of the bitmap writing section 31 can be roughly divided into BM-RA.
Drawing function to M32 and BM-RAM3 when printing
2 and a function of outputting the dot data to the print engine 4.

The function of drawing to the BM-RAM 32 is further divided into two parts: drawing of figures such as lines and circles performed by the graphic image writing section 316, and drawing of figures such as lines and circles performed by the font image writing section 3.
0 consisting of font (character) drawing performed by 11
Both are performed according to the intermediate code data sent from the bitmap control unit 30 through the bitmap control unit interface 317, but most of the processing in the graphic image writing unit 316 is performed by analyzing parameters in the intermediate code data and drawing it in the BM-RAM 32. On the other hand, most of the processing of the font image writing section 311 is to draw a font image read from the font section 33 through the font section interface 314 into the BM-RAM 32 according to intermediate code data.

On the other hand, the data output function during printing is performed by the print head control unit interface 315. That is, from the bitmap control unit 30 to the interface 31
When receiving the print start signal sent via the bus B4, the print head control unit 42 of the print engine 4 starts printing according to the synchronization signal sent via the bus B4.
- Outputting the data in the RAM 32 to the print head control unit 42.

The operation of the laser printer P will be explained below based on the flowchart.

FIG. 6 is a main flowchart showing the general operation of the first information processing section 320.

When the power is turned on and the program starts, initial settings are performed in step #1.
04 and the data stored in P-RAM 305 are initialized (cleared).

Subsequently, in step #2, in preparation for generating intermediate code data, font attributes are read from the font unit 33. The font attributes are read here by the drawing of the BM-RAM 32 controlled by the second information processing unit 330. This is to achieve desynchronization with the generation of intermediate code data.

Next, in step #3, it is checked whether there is an area in the P-RAM 305 where no data is stored,
If yes, in step #4, the R-buffer 304
Check whether data is stored in .

Received data is stored in the R-buffer 304 asynchronously with the generation of intermediate code data by a reception interrupt process activated by the data processing device interface 30B when data is transferred from the data processing device 1. The received data is sent to the IFC for controlling the print engine 4.
Related code, JOBm control: 2-1' (PAGEEJE
CT, etc.), format control code, and image data (character data and graphic data).

If YES in step #4, in step #5, the received data read from the R-buffer 304 is converted into intermediate code data and written to the P-RAM 305.
Here, the reason why the received data is not directly drawn in the BM-RAM 32 but stored in the P-RAM 305 as intermediate code data is because the next image cannot be drawn in the BM-RAM 32 while the image of the previous page is being output. However, depending on the font pattern and font size, BVRAM3
This is to improve throughput by calculating the drawing address for page 2 as preprocessing while outputting the previous page. Although the information in the P-RAM 305 is not in a direct image format, it can be said that it has been temporarily edited for drawing in the BM-RAM 32.

Thereafter, in step #6, other processing such as trouble recovery processing is executed, and the process returns to step #3.

FIG. 7 is a main flowchart of the second information processing section 330.

First, internal initialization (step #21) and BM-RAM
32 clear (step #22) and step #
In step #23, various flags are initialized. Specifically, in step #23, the BMWRITE flag, which is set to "1" when drawing to the BM-RAM 32 is started, is set to "1".
The EPEND flag is reset to "0" and is set to "1" when an EXPEND signal indicating completion of exposure in the electrophotographic process is input from the print engine 4.

After executing these processes, in steps #24 to #27, (BM-R
It performs processing for drawing the AM 32 and causing the print engine 4 to start a print operation.

That is, in step #24, it is checked whether the BM-RAM 32 is in the process of drawing, and if no, in step #25, it is checked whether intermediate code data is stored in the P-RAM 305.

If no in step #25, that is, P-RAM3
05, the intermediate code data is sequentially read out from the P-RAM 305 in step #26. When all the intermediate code data is read out, the P-RAM 305 becomes empty.

Subsequently, in step #27, intermediate code processing is executed, and then the process returns to step #24.

While steps #24 to #27 are repeatedly executed, each time the above-mentioned interrupt timer times up, a print engine interrupt process, which will be described later, corresponding to a signal from the I Fe 20 is executed.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of intermediate code processing in step #27.

In step #31, the BMWRITE flag is set to “0”.
”, and if YES, the BM-RAM 32 is cleared in step #32.

If no in step #31, the BM-RAM32
Since this is a case where drawing has started for BM-
The RAM 32 is not cleared and the process moves to step #33.

In step #33, it is determined whether the intermediate code data read from the P-RAM 305 is character data,
If it is character data, the font data is read out based on the intermediate code data and the font image writing unit 3 reads out the font data based on the intermediate code data.
11 (step #34), and proceeds to step #35.

In step #35, the BMWRITE flag is set to “O” again.
If yes, the BMWRITE flag is set to "1" in step #36, and the process returns to the main routine.

On the other hand, if the above step #33 is NO, it is determined in step #37 whether or not the intermediate code data is graphic data, and if it is graphic data, the intermediate code data is transferred to the graphic image writing unit 316.
(step #38), and proceed to step #35.

In this manner, when the intermediate code data corresponds to image data, the intermediate code data is sequentially sent to the bitmap writing section 31. As a result, the bitmap writing section 31 sequentially advances the drawing of the BM-RAM 32.

In step #39, it is determined whether the intermediate code data is IFC-related data, and if YES, the intermediate code data is output to the IFC 40 (step #40
).

In step #41, it is checked whether the intermediate code data is a code requesting paper feeding, that is, a PAGEEJECT code indicating a break between each page of data.

If the answer is YES in step #41, then in step #42, a print start-up process (to start printing) is executed based on one page's worth of data drawn in the BM-RAM 32.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart of the print startup process in step #42.

First, in step #51, the print head control unit interface 315 is set to print mode to enable printing.

Next, in step #52, a signal PRNCMD, which is a control signal for starting printing, is output to the IFC 40.

As a result, the print head control unit interface 31
5 and bus B4, the dot data drawn in the BM-RAM 32 is transferred to the print head control unit 4 in synchronization with clock pulses from the print head control unit 42.
2 are sequentially output.

Then, in the print engine 4, the photoreceptor is exposed.

In step #53, wait until the EPEND flag becomes "1", set the EPEND flag to r□, and step #53.
54), the BMWWRITE flag is set to "0" (step #55).

In conventional printer devices, the BM-RAM 32 is cleared at the end of exposure for one page and prepared for drawing the next page, but the laser printer P of this embodiment
Even after the exposure is completed, the storage state of data in the BM-RAM 32 is maintained until step #32 described above is executed.

In other words, in the laser printer P, while the power is turned on, image data corresponding to the latest print is always available in the BM.
- It will be stored by RAM 32.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart of print engine interrupt processing.

First, in step #61, input processing for accepting and accepting signals from the I Fe 20 is performed.

Next, in step #62, it is checked whether the signal EXPEND has been input, and if YES, step #62 is performed.
Proceed to step 63 and set the EPEND flag to rl.

If NO in step #62, it is checked in step #64 whether a signal RE PEAT ON indicating that the RE PEAT key 902 has been pressed has been input.

If step #64 is YES, step #65 is
Check the PEND flag and see if the EPEND flag is “1”.
”, in step #66, print startup processing,
That is, the processes of steps #51 to #55 described above are executed. As a result, the print engine 4 executes a print operation based on the dot data stored in the BM-RAM 32.

Therefore, in the laser printer P, the operator R
By simply pressing the EPEAT key 902, a hard copy image with the same content as the last printed hard copy image can be obtained.

If the EPEND flag is not rl in step #65, the process in step #66 is not performed. In other words, the operation of the R E P EAT key 902 during exposure is ignored.

If no in step #64 above, step #67
Then, it is checked whether any other signal has been input, and if yes, other processing corresponding to the input signal is executed (step #68).

FIG. 11 is a flowchart of system timer interrupt processing executed by the IFC 40.

This routine is executed every time the interrupt timer provided in the I Fe 20 times out.

First, in step #81, a display is performed on the operation panel 44, and then, in step #82, input processing is performed to receive and accept signals from the operation keys of the operation panel 44.

Next, in step #83, REPEAT key 9
Check whether 02 is turned on.

If YES in step #83, it means that the operator wishes to reprint the last printed hard copy image, and in this case, in step #84, the signal REPEAT ON is activated. is output to the bitmap control section 30.

Thereafter, in step #85, other processing is performed, including processing for controlling the accessory device and processing for notifying each part that the pause key 901 has been turned on.

In the embodiment described above, the intermediate code data is P-R
The explanation has been made assuming that when read from AM305, it is erased inside P-RAM305, but P-RAM
305 also holds intermediate code data corresponding to the last page, and depending on the print result, for example, in order to correct misalignment between the paper and the image, reprinting is performed based on the held intermediate code data. BM before printing
- The RAM 32 may be redrawn.

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to the present invention, it is possible to easily obtain a plurality of hard copy images of the same content through easy operations, and it is possible to provide a printer device that is convenient for the operator to use.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control unit of a laser printer, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a printing system using a laser printer capable of graph ink drawing, and FIG. 3 is a plan view of the operation panel. FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the bitmap control section, FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the bitmap writing section, and FIGS. 6 to 11 are flowcharts showing the operation of the laser printer. 32...BM-RAM (storage means), 902...R
EPEATE key (reprint designation means), P... Laser printer (printer device y1). Figure 9 Figure 9

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) A printer device for forming a hard copy image based on image data, comprising a storage means for storing at least one page of image data and a reprint designation means, and the printer apparatus comprises: a storage means for storing at least one page of image data; and a reprint designation means. A printer apparatus characterized in that a hard copy image is repeatedly formed based on the image data stored in the storage means each time the printer is used.