JPH03147863A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To load only the frequency used font data by interpreting whether font data stored in an external storage device can meet specified use frequency conditions and loading such font data stored in the external storage device into an internal storage device. CONSTITUTION:CPU 1 is equipped with a font card 11 and interprets whether it is connected to a font card interface 9. If CPU 1 interprets that the font card 11 is connected to the interface 9, it immediately detects the font number (i) of font data recorded in the font card 11. If the use frequency Hi of the font number (i) is higher than a reference use frequency Ho, CPU 1 interprets that the font data meets the specified use frequency conditions. Unless the font data is loaded in the internal storage device as yet, CPU 1 loads said font data in RAM 5 dedicated to such loading.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION <Industrial Application Field> The present invention relates to a printer, and particularly to a printer that performs a printing operation based on a command from a host device such as a computer printer or a word processor printer.

<Prior Art> There are printers that are connected to a host device such as a computer or word processor and generate characters in response to instructions from the host device.

Since this type of printer must generate characters of various types and sizes in response to commands, it usually has a built-in storage device that stores a plurality of types of font data.

In addition, in consideration of the possibility that a desired character cannot be created depending on the font stored in the built-in storage device, in order to compensate for this, a memory card with font data stored, an I
Some devices allow external storage media such as C cards and ROM cartridges to be attached, and others allow font data to be downloaded from a host computer.

Furthermore, in the devices described in JP-A-61-170781 and JP-A-61-170782, when an external storage medium in the form of a cartridge is installed in the printer, by giving a read command, the external storage medium can be read. A technique has been proposed that allows font data stored in a printer to be downloaded (copied) to a storage device built into a printer.

<Problems to be Solved by the Invention> In a conventional printer, in a configuration in which a specific font is added by installing an external storage medium on which font data is recorded into the printer, it is difficult to install one external storage medium. The number of fonts that can be added is limited (limited to l or a few fonts stored on the external storage medium), so if there are many users or if there are many fonts on one page, When performing printing, etc., there is a drawback that the external storage medium must be replaced frequently.

Of course, it is possible to increase the number of mounting mechanisms (slots) so that a large number of external storage media can be mounted at the same time.
This has the disadvantage of increasing the cost of the entire device.

Furthermore, since font data can only be read from an external storage medium while it is attached, there is also the disadvantage that if it is removed midway through, it becomes unusable.

Next, if a method of downloading necessary font data from a host device is adopted, the host device must be operated before downloading, which requires skill and effort.

On the other hand, although the techniques described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 61-170781 or No. 61-170782 do not have the above-mentioned drawbacks, it is difficult to store the external storage medium after it is installed in the printer. If you give a command to download the stored font data to the printer's internal storage device, or if there is no room to write new font data to the printer's internal storage device, you can download the data written to the storage device. It is necessary to perform operations such as giving a command to delete the data, which has the drawback that the operation is complicated and takes time.

This invention was made in order to eliminate the various drawbacks of conventional devices as described above, and allows necessary font data to be downloaded to the storage device built into the printer without any special operations. The purpose is to provide a printer with a

Means for Solving the Problems> The present invention can use a predetermined card-shaped or package-shaped handy external storage medium in which font data is stored, and the font data stored in the external storage medium can be used. The printer is capable of printing based on the above, and includes a storage medium mounting mechanism to which an external storage medium can be freely attached and detached, an internal storage means capable of storing arbitrary data, and responsive to the mounting of the external storage medium to the mounting mechanism, a determining means for determining whether or not the font data stored in the external storage medium satisfies a certain usage frequency condition; and in response to the determination that the determining means satisfies the usage frequency condition, the external storage medium and download control means for downloading font data stored in the printer to internal storage means.

Further, in the printer of the present invention, the determination means includes a counting means for counting the usage frequency for each font data, a storage means storing a predetermined reference value, and a storage means stored in an external storage medium. The present invention is characterized in that it includes a comparison means for detecting font data and comparing the count value of the counting means corresponding to the font data with a predetermined reference value stored in the storage means.

According to the present invention, when the external storage medium is attached to the attachment mechanism, the determining means determines whether or not the font data stored in the external storage medium satisfies a certain usage frequency condition. do.

This determination is performed, for example, by determining whether, among the frequency of use of each font data stored in the determination means, the frequency of use corresponding to the font data stored in the external storage medium is greater than a predetermined standard number of use. It depends on whether or not.

When the determining means determines that the usage frequency condition is satisfied, that is, when determining that the font data stored in the external storage medium is relatively frequently used font data, the download control means: The font data is automatically downloaded to the internal storage means.

Therefore, the user only needs to attach the external storage medium to the attachment mechanism without any operation.

<Embodiment> Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a controller of a printer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The printer controller is a CP as the center of control processing.
The CPU 1 is provided with a UI, and the CPU 1 is connected via a bus 2 to a program ROM 3 in which a CPU operating program is stored, and a font ROM 4 in which a plurality of types of font data are stored.
, a download RAM 5 for storing font data when it is downloaded from the outside, and a work RAM 6 into which data is written as necessary during data processing.
, an output RAM 7 for storing one page's worth of data processed printout data, a host interface 8, a font card interface 9, and a rewritable non-volatile memory 14 in which a predetermined reference frequency of use is set. A usage frequency counting RAM 16 equipped with a backup power source 15 is also connected.

For example, a host computer 10 is connected to the host interface 8 via a data transmission cable. Command data, font data, etc. are provided from the host computer 10 to the printer controller. The printer controller then performs a printing operation based on the supplied command data and the like.

The font card interface 9 is electrically coupled to the font card 11 when the font card 11 is installed in a font card installation mechanism (not shown), and the C
This is to allow the PUI to access the contents of the font card 11.

Furthermore, the output RAM 7 has a video interface 1.
A printer engine is connected via 2, and the print output data of the output RAM 7 is given to the printer engine 13 via the video interface 12, and the printer engine is driven to perform printing.

FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing an example of the control operation of the printer controller shown in FIG. 4, and shows a case where the CPUI determines whether or not the font card 11 is attached by polling processing.

Next, the control operation of the printer controller shown in FIG. 4 will be explained along the flow shown in FIG.

When the printer controller is powered on, the CPU
RAM5 for download, work RAM6, R for output
Initialization is performed to erase the contents of AM7, etc. (step Sl).

Next, the CPU 1 is equipped with the font card 11, and
It is determined whether or not the font card is connected to the multiface 9 (step S2).

When the CPU determines that the font card 11 is connected, the CPU immediately selects the font number i of the font data stored in the font card 11 (i.e., the identification number of the font data, and i varies depending on the font data. The font number i is usually stored in the header). Then, the content of the usage frequency count RAM 16 is detected and the corresponding font number i is detected.
Detects the usage frequency Hi and stores it in non-volatile memory 1.
It is compared with the usage standard number of times H0 set to 4. As a result, the usage frequency H1 of the font number i is the reference number H
If the number is 8 or more, it is determined that the font data satisfies a certain usage frequency condition (step S7).

In that case, it is then determined whether the font data has already been downloaded to the download RAM 5 (step S8).

As a result, if the font data has not been downloaded yet, the font data is stored in the download RAM 5.
(Step S9).

The processes of steps S7, S8, and s9 described above are performed for each font data when there are multiple types of font types stored in the font card 111.

Further, in step S7, if the font data stored in the font card 11 does not satisfy a certain usage frequency condition, and in step S8, if the font data has already been downloaded,
Font data is not downloaded.

After that, when processing data and command data are given from the host computer 1o (step S3), the CP
The UI processes the given data based on a predetermined font to create characters (Step S4). When the data processing for one page is completed (Step S5), the RA for output
The print output data of M7 is given to the printer engine 13 via the video interface 12 (step S6), and one page is printed. Then, the process returns to step S2.

In this embodiment, after the font data stored in the font card 11 is downloaded to the download RAM 5, even if the font card 11 is removed, the font data 1 stored in the download RAM 5 is Data processing can be performed based on

Therefore, it is not necessary to keep the font card 11 attached to the printer while the printer is processing data, so the font card 11 can be used in other printers.

Further, in this embodiment, it is determined whether or not the font data stored in the font card 11 has already been downloaded to the download RAM 5, and the font data is downloaded only when it has not been downloaded. Instead of making such a determination, the font data stored in the card may be downloaded immediately after determining that the font data satisfies a certain usage frequency condition. Normally, when the font card 11 is installed, it is when the user wants to use the font data stored in the card 11, so there is no problem in downloading the font data without making the determination in step S8.

2A and 2B are flowcharts showing a control example when the CPU 1 downloads the data of the font card 11 by interrupt processing in the printer controller of FIG. 4.

Next, the operation of the circuit in FIG. 4 will be explained along the flowcharts in FIGS. 2A and 2B.

When the printer controller is powered on, the CPU
performs initialization processing (step 511).

Next, the CPUI determines whether or not there is processing data given from the host computer 10, and if it is determined that there is processing data given from the host computer 10 (step 512), it processes the data. to create characters using a predetermined font (step 513).
. Then, step S1 is continued until the processing of one page is completed.
2 and step 313 are repeated, and when the processing of one page is completed (step 514), the processing data stored in the output RAM 7, that is, the print output data is outputted to the printer engine 13 via the video interface 12. 515) to cause printing to occur. Then, the process returns to step S12.

When the font card 11 is connected to the font card interface 9 while performing the processing of steps S12 to S15 described above, the CPU
The content of the font data stored in the font card 11 is detected, and whether or not it satisfies a certain frequency of use condition is determined.
In other words, it is determined whether HlaH or not (step 51
6). If the condition is satisfied, it is further determined whether or not the font data has been downloaded to the download RAM 5 (step 517).
). If the contents of the font data have not been downloaded, the font data is read from the font card 11 and downloaded to the download RAM 15 (step 518).

Thereafter, when the download of the font data is completed, the interrupt processing is finished and the original processing returns.

Interruption determination is made based on, for example, when the font card 11 is connected to the font card interface 9, a predetermined connector of the font card interface 9 is switched from on to off or from off to on.

In the case of interrupt processing, as in the case of polling processing, the font data is immediately downloaded without determining whether or not the font data stored in the font card 11 has already been downloaded to the download RAM 5. You may also do so.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing usage frequency counting operation control performed during data processing in step s4 of FIG. 1 and step 31B of FIG. 2A.

During data processing, when the cPUl determines that there is character data to be processed (step 521), the font data for creating that character is downloaded to the RAM 5 for downloading.
Step 522) Increment the usage counter Hi of font number i by 1° (step 523).

This counter increment process is performed at one character position. This is because when creating a document, for example, italic characters may be used partially in upright characters.

Note that in step S21, if the data is not character data but a command, processing corresponding to the command, such as drawing a ruled line or adding an underline, is performed (step 524). A counter for counting the number of uses is a RAM 16 equipped with a backup battery 15.
Since the font data is provided in the font, the contents will not be erased even if the printer power is turned off, and the next time the printer power is turned on, the usage frequency of the font data up to that point can be known for each font data.

Note that it is preferable to provide a reset switch (not shown) so that the count value of the usage frequency counting RAM 16 can be reset by pressing the reset switch.

Further, the predetermined reference number of times of use set in the non-volatile memory 14 can be changed to a desired number of times by rewriting the contents of the non-volatile memory.

In the above embodiment, a font card was used as an external storage medium for storing font data, but the present invention is not limited to a card-shaped storage medium, and a cartridge-shaped or package-shaped storage medium may also be used.

<Effects of the Invention> Since the present invention is configured as described above, the font data on the external storage medium is automatically downloaded by simply installing the external storage medium in which font data is stored in the printer. , the operator does not have to perform operations such as giving commands to download, and the printer can very easily utilize font data stored in an external storage medium.

In addition, the font data to be downloaded is limited to that which satisfies predetermined usage frequency conditions, so only frequently used font data can be downloaded, making it possible to effectively utilize the storage area of the internal storage means. can.

Furthermore, since the font data stored on the external storage medium is downloaded to the built-in storage device, there is no problem even if the external storage medium is removed after downloading, and one external storage medium can be used effectively by multiple printers. In addition, one printer can obtain various types of font data from a plurality of external storage media.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing an example of a control operation of a printer controller according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 2A and 2B are flowcharts showing other examples of control operations of the printer controller according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the counting operation of the usage frequency counter in one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a printer controller according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 1... CPU, 5... RAM for downloading, 9... Font card interface, 1
1... Font card, 14... Non-volatile memory,
16... Indicates a RAM for counting usage frequency.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A printer that can use a predetermined card-shaped or package-shaped handy external storage medium in which font data is stored, and that can perform printing based on the font data stored in the external storage medium. A storage medium attachment mechanism capable of attaching and detaching an external storage medium; an internal storage means capable of storing arbitrary data; a determining means for determining whether or not the font data being displayed satisfies a certain usage frequency condition; A printer comprising: download control means for downloading font data to internal storage means; 2. In the printer according to claim 1, the determining means includes a counting means for counting the frequency of use of each font data, a storage means storing a predetermined reference value, and an external storage medium. The present invention is characterized in that it includes a comparing means for detecting font data that is included in the font data and comparing the count value of the counting means corresponding to the font data with a predetermined reference value stored in the storage means.