JPH03268A - Paper feed control device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To eliminate interruption of printing process due to runout of paper and thereby shorten time required for printing work by starting at a specified time interval a status holding device which holds information on a paper setting status and a paper feed status, a function selection device which selects a function to start or end paper feed and a function instruction device which instructs the device. CONSTITUTION:If there is any paper feed device which remains unchecked among other paper feed devices following the initialization of a storage area, procedures to be taken are decided based on information from a status control table. If paper supply runs out in the paper feed mode, a function command device 15 is instructed to command any appropriate paper feed device to stop. If any one of the paper feed devices is operative after it had paper running out of stock previously but is actually not feeding paper with paper set in position, the function command device 15 is instructed to command any appropriate paper feed device to start. If one paper feed device is checked, all the paper feed devices are checked, and any required procedures are decided based on the check results after completion of the checking.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a paper feed control device, and particularly to a paper feed control device that controls a plurality of paper feed devices.

[Conventional technology]

When a conventional printing device detects that paper is running out, the printing process is interrupted only by turning on a paper-out notification lamp or by outputting a warning message to a display device from a computer connected to the printing device. When the operator recognizes that paper is out due to a lamp or a warning message, it is necessary to set paper in order to continue the printing process. Once the paper is set, the printing device resumes the printing process.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

In the above-described conventional printing apparatus, printing processing is not performed between the time when paper runs out and the paper is set, so the time required for printing increases. This is due to the fact that conventional printing apparatuses only have a single paper feeding device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a paper feed control device that controls a plurality of paper feed devices, eliminates interruptions in printing processing due to paper shortage, and shortens the time required for printing.

[Means to solve the problem]

The paper feed control device of the present invention is a printing device that prints continuous forms, and includes: a state collection unit that collects information on a paper set state and a paper feed state from the paper feed device; and a state holding unit that holds the collected information. device determining means for determining the device to start or end paper feeding from the collected information; device instructing means for instructing the device to start or end paper feeding; and a fixed time for starting each of the above means at regular time intervals. and an interval activation means, and is configured to control a plurality of paper feeding devices.

〔Example〕

Next, the present invention will be explained with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of one embodiment of the present invention.

In the figure, the paper feed control device 1 is composed of a regular interval starting means 11, a state collecting means 12, a state holding means 13, a device determining means 14, and a device instructing means 15.

The fixed time interval starting means 11 starts time measurement in response to an external starting instruction, and issues a collection instruction to the state collecting means 12 at fixed time intervals. Furthermore, time measurement is terminated by an external stop instruction.

The status collecting unit 12 collects the status of the paper feeding device 2 by the regular interval starting unit 11, and writes the collected status in a status management table 131 created in the status holding unit 13.

FIG. 2 is a detailed diagram of the state management table 131. The state management table 131 has an entry for each paper feeding device 2 and the number of paper feeding devices 2. The contents of the entry are the device serial number, set state, and feeding state. The set status indicates whether the paper is out of paper or is set. 0 is set when paper is out, and 0 is set when paper is set.
1 is set. The feeding state indicates whether the paper is not being fed or the paper is being fed; 0 is set if the paper is not being fed, and 1 is set if the paper is being fed.

The device determining means 14 refers to the state management table 131, determines the device to be controlled, and instructs the device instructing means 15.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the processing of the device determining means 4. In the same figure, initial setting of the storage area is performed in step A1, and then, in step A2, it is determined whether all paper feeding devices have been checked.

If there is a device that has not been checked, step A3゜A
4. In A5, the process to be performed is determined based on the information in the state management table. When the paper is out and the paper is being fed, steps A8 and A9 are performed, and the device instruction means 15 is instructed to stop the corresponding paper feeding device. If there was a device that had previously run out of paper and was feeding the paper, and if paper was set but not feeding the paper, the process of step A13 is performed, and the device instruction means 15 is instructed to feed the corresponding paper. Instructs to start the device.

When the check of one paper feed device is completed, the process returns to step A2 and the check process is repeated.

When all the paper feed devices have been checked, the process proceeds to step A16, and based on the result of the check process, it is determined that the process should be performed in line 5.

When all □ devices are out of paper, a paper out warning process is performed in step A17. If there was a device in which paper was set but the paper was not being fed, the process of step A18 is performed and the device instruction means 15
to instruct the corresponding paper feeding device to start. Note that if there is a device that has paper set and is feeding the paper, no instructions are given to the device.

The device instructing means 15 instructs the paper feeding device instructed by the device determining means 14 to start and stop paper feeding.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, by controlling a plurality of paper feeding devices, the present invention eliminates interruptions in printing processing due to paper shortages as long as the paper is set in advance, thereby reducing the time required for printing. effective.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a state management table, and FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the device determining means. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1...Paper feed control device, 2...Paper feed device, 11...Regular interval activation means, 12.
...Status collecting means, 13...Status holding means, 14...Device determining means, 15...
Device indicating means. Agent Patent Attorney Susumu Uchihara Diagram Z

Claims (1)

[Claims] In a printing device that prints continuous forms, there is a status collection unit that collects information on the paper setting status and paper feeding status from the paper feeding device, a status holding unit that retains the collected information, and a status collection unit that collects information on the paper setting status and paper feeding status from the paper feeding device, a status holding unit that retains the collected information, and a status collection unit that collects information on the paper setting status and paper feeding status from the paper feeding device, and a status holding unit that holds the collected information and starts or starts paper feeding from the collected information. A plurality of apparatuses comprising: a device determining means for determining a device to be terminated; a device instructing means for instructing a device to start or end paper feeding; and a fixed interval starting means for starting each of the means at fixed time intervals. 1. A paper feed control device that controls two paper feed devices.