JPH0373894B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Technical Field of the Invention] The present invention relates to a cue printing method suitable for an information processing apparatus equipped with a printer that prints out print data.

[Prior art and its problems]

When printing out the results of processing using this type of information processing device from a printer, there are times when it is desired to reprint a certain printed portion or omit printing of a certain printed portion. However, in order to enable such processing, a flow for inquiring the operator's intention regarding the above-mentioned processing had to be incorporated into the program in advance.
Moreover, the above-mentioned processing is permitted only in a flow (routine) for inquiring the operator's intention, and it is difficult to make a decision during printing. In other words, it is not possible for the operator to immediately perform the above-mentioned processing upon seeing the currently printed content.

[Purpose of the invention]

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to reprint previously printed portions or omit undesired portions according to the operator's specifications during the printing operation of a series of print data. To provide a cue printing method that allows immediate printing.

[Key points of the invention]

In the present invention, a print memory is provided in which a series of print data is stored in units of logic blocks designated by the user, and a designation operation means can be used to arbitrarily specify the beginning of a desired logic block during printing. Furthermore, the present invention includes an address controller that accesses the print memory and outputs the print data to the printer, and a head address stored in the print memory of the designated logical block in response to a cue designation from the designation operation means. The controller is equipped with a means for setting in the controller, and when a specification is made by the above-mentioned specifying operation means, by jumping from the part currently being printed to the above-mentioned specified logical block,
It is possible to reprint a portion that has already been printed or to omit printing of a certain portion of print data.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 shows the configuration of the main parts of an information processing device such as an office computer or a word processor. 11 is a printer, and 12 is a print memory in which print data printed out from the printer 11 is stored in logical block units. be. This logical block is determined by the user when creating a print program, and is delimiter data arbitrarily delimited by the user in a series of print data. In this embodiment, a block code for identifying the logical block is attached to the beginning of each logical block (delimited data). 13 is an address controller for controlling access to the print memory 12, and 14 is a print address table. The print address table 14 is a correspondence table between the storage start address of each logical block in the print memory 12 and the corresponding block code. The print address table 14 is updated by a CPU (not shown) when print data is stored in the print memory 12.

15 is a keyboard. The keyboard 15 has SKIP keys in addition to well-known keys such as character keys and number keys.
key and a BACK key (both not shown). The SKIP key and the BACK key are a type of function key for specifying the cue of the preceding logical block and subsequent logical block, respectively, of the logical block currently being printed out. 16 is the SKIP key,
Detects when the BACK key is pressed
SKIP/BACK key detection circuit, 17 is a print address search circuit. Print address search circuit 1
7 is the storage start address in the print memory 12 of the logic block specified by the operator (in this embodiment, the logic block before or after the logic block currently being printed out) according to the detection result of the SKIP/BACK key detection circuit 16. It has a function of checking the address controller 13 (print address counter, not shown).

Next, the operation of one embodiment of the present invention will be explained with reference to the flowchart of FIG. Now print memory 1
2. Block code 000 as shown in Figure 3.
It is assumed that print data consisting of several logical blocks each labeled with (=0), 001 (=1), 002 (=2), etc. is stored. The storage start addresses in the print memory 12 of each logical block to which block codes 000 (= 0), 001 (= 1), and 002 (= 2) are assigned are addresses 000, 100, and 200, respectively. (See print address table 14 in Figure 1). Therefore, by the access control of the address controller 13, 000 of the print memory 12 is
Print data is read out in order from the address and output to the printer 11. This will block the block code.
The data is printed out from the printer 11 in order from the first data of the logical block 000 (in this example, it is a character string indicating "block code 000").
In this way, as shown in FIG. 4, the logic block with block code 000 is printed out, and part of the leading data of the next logic block, that is, the logic block with block code 001 (in this example, "block code 001") is printed out. "Block" in the character string shown
) is printed out (corresponding to the position indicated by the symbol Δ in Figure 4), the operator selects the corresponding logic block (logic block with block code 001).
on the keyboard 15 to omit the printing of
It is assumed that the SKIP key was operated.

Key input information (code) from the keyboard 15
is guided to the CPU and SKIP/BACK key detection circuit 16. The SKIP/BACK key detection circuit 16 detects whether the SKIP key has been operated based on the key input information.
Furthermore, it is determined whether or not the BACK key has been operated. As shown in the flowchart of FIG. 2, if the determination of whether or not the SKIP key has been operated is YES (step S1),
SKIP/BACK Signal SKIP from key detection circuit 16
is output. As a result, a search is activated for the print address search circuit 17 (step
S2). First, the print address search circuit 17 reads the address being accessed (printed) from the address controller 13 (print address counter, not shown) (step S3). Next, the print address search circuit 17 checks which of the storage start addresses registered in the read address print address table 14 (in the print memory 12) is located between the storage start addresses (step 1).
S4). Based on the result of this investigation, the print address search circuit 17 searches the print address table 17 for the storage start address of the next block of the logical block currently being printed (step S5).
Now, assuming that the address read from the address controller 13 is address 150, this address is located between the storage start addresses 100 and 200 registered in the print address table 14, and as is clear. Address 200 is the next logical block (in this example, the logical block with block code 002) of the logical block currently being printed (the logical block with block code 001).
It is determined as the storage start address of . Next, the print address search circuit 17 causes the address controller 13 (print address counter) to set the storage start address of the next logical block obtained in this way (step S6). As a result, the address controller 13 sequentially accesses the print memory 12 from the address set by the print address search circuit 17, that is, the storage start address of the next logical block (step S7). The specified logical blocks (in this example, the logical block with block code 002) are read out from the print memory 12 in order from the first data, and the printer 1
1 is output. As a result, the specified logic block is printed out in order from the beginning (step
S8). Therefore, the block code is 001 (=1)
In this embodiment, the operator presses the SKIP key at the time when a part of the first data of the logical block ("block" in the character string indicating "block code 001") is printed out. By operating this key, printing of the subsequent data of the logic block with block code 001 (=1) is omitted, and as shown in FIG. 4, the next logic block, block code 002, is
Skip to the printout of the logical block (=2). Then, if the SKIP key or BACK key is not operated after that, block code 003 (=3) will be issued.
Each logic block is printed out sequentially as shown in the following. In addition,
In Fig. 4, the reason why several characters in the logic block of block code 001 (=1) are printed even after the SKIP key is pressed is because of the delay in the operation of the print address search circuit 17, etc. This is because several characters are read out from the print memory 12 before the storage start address of the logical block is set in the address controller 13.

Next, a brief explanation will be given of the case where the logic block preceding the logic block currently being printed out is again printed out. First, the operator operates the BACK key on the keyboard 15 when reprinting is required. In this case, SKIP/BACK key detection circuit 1
The determination of whether the BACK key has been operated in step S9 (step S9) results in a YES determination.
SKIP/BACK Signal BACK from key detection circuit 16
is output. As a result, a search is activated for the print address search circuit 17 (step
S10). However, the print address search circuit 17
Processes similar to steps S3 and S4 (steps S11 and S12) when operating the SKIP key are performed. Next, the print address search circuit 17 searches the print address table 14 for the storage start address of the logic block preceding the logic block currently being printed out (step S13). After that, steps S6 to S8 described above are executed, and BACK
The logic block preceding the logic block that was being printed out to the key operator is again printed out. If the SKIP key and BACK key are not operated thereafter, the subsequent logic blocks are printed out sequentially. By the way, if a key other than the SKIP key or BACK key is operated,
Signal SKIP from SKIP/BACK key detection circuit 16,
Of course, BACK is not output and the above-described process is not executed. In this case, the CPU executes processing based on the key operation (step S14).

In the above embodiment, when it is desired to omit the data currently being printed out, the data is skipped to the next logical block, or when the previous logical block is desired to be printed out again, it is assumed that the data is printed backwards. It goes without saying that the logic block before and after the logic block being printed may be printed, or a desired logic block may be printed. In this case, it is preferable to provide the keyboard 15 with a cue key.
In other words, if the operator wants to immediately jump from the logic block currently being printed to the beginning of a desired logic block and start printing from that desired block, he or she first operates the cue key and then prints out the desired logic block. Key in the block code shown. The SKIP/BACK key detection circuit 16 has a function to detect that the cue key has been operated, and when it detects the cue key operation, it outputs a signal to that effect and a block code that is subsequently input. is output to the print address search circuit 17. As a result, the print address search circuit 17 searches the print address table 14 to find the storage start address (in the print memory 12) corresponding to the designated block code. By setting this storage start address in the address controller 13, it becomes possible to print out from the target logic block.

Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, the case where the print table 14 is provided which is a correspondence table between the storage start address of a logic block in the print memory 12 and the corresponding block code is provided. If so, it is also possible to search the print memory 12 to find the storage head address of the designated logical block (however, the processing speed will be lower), and in this case, the print address table 14 is not needed. Furthermore, when using the print address table 14, it is not necessarily necessary to attach block codes to logical blocks.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described in detail above, according to the present invention, during the print output operation of a series of print data, while checking the print output contents in particular, it is possible to reprint already printed parts or skip undesired parts and print them. The printing operation can be arbitrarily specified with a simple operation, and the specified contents can be executed immediately.

Therefore, according to the present invention, () Saving printing time () Improving printing efficiency () Diversification of processing can be achieved.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a block configuration diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a flowchart for explaining the operation, Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the contents of the print memory, and Fig. 4 is a diagram of the print output contents. It is a figure showing an example. 11...Printer, 12...Print memory, 13
... Address controller, 14 ... Print address table, 15 ... Keyboard, 16 ...
SKIP/BACK key detection circuit, 17...Print address search circuit.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In an information processing device equipped with a printer that prints out print data, there is a print memory in which the print data is stored in logical block units designated by the user, and a print memory that accesses this print memory to output the print data to the printer. an address controller; a designating operation means for arbitrarily specifying the cueing of the desired logic block during printing; and means for setting in the address controller, so that when a designation is made by the designation operation means, the logical block currently being printed jumps to the designated logical block, and printing continues from the beginning of the designated logical block. This is a cue printing method that is characterized by the following.