JPH04141461A - Page printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent the generation of a drawing error by controlling a page printer so that printing is performed at the printing speed printable on one page of paper calculated from the quantity of image data when it is discriminated that the image data from a host apparatus can not be printed on one page of paper at set predetermined printing speed. CONSTITUTION:When the image data sent from a host apparatus is stored in a data buffer 2, a drawing quantity limit judging part 8 calculates the quantity of the data stored in the data buffer 2 on the basis of the data from a drawing part 3 to judge whether the data can be normally printed on one page of paper. When the data is judged to be incapable of being normally printed, this state is informed to a printing speed calculating part 9 and printing speed is calculated by the printing speed calculating part 9 so as to be capable of normally printing the data on one page of the paper. The printing speed is transmitted to a printing speed control part 11 through a printing speed transmission part 10 and the printing speed control part 11 controls the printing speed in a printing part 7 so as to set the same to the calculated printing speed. Even when drawing speed is changed by the quantity of the image data, it is prevented that the drawing speed becomes slower than the printing speed and the generation of a drawing error can be prevented.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Technical Field The present invention relates to page printers, and particularly to hand (Band) printers.
) The present invention relates to printing speed control of a page printer that executes drawing of image data on a buffer and printing on paper in parallel.

Conventional technology Conventionally, in a page printer, an image for one page of paper is formed in advance in a buffer memory before printing is executed. However, since the buffer memory is expensive, a punt buffer with a smaller capacity than the buffer memory is used. is used.

When the image is formed in this band buffer and it becomes full, one dot (・In order to form an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum for each line, image data is transferred from the band buffer to the printing section using a video interface etc.) started sending out
By sending image data to the printing section, the next image is sequentially formed in the memory that becomes empty.

Here, the drawing speed for forming an image on the band buffer is determined by the amount of image data, whereas the printing speed for printing on paper and the speed at which one image is formed via the video interface are determined by the amount of image data.
The transfer speed at which the image is sent to the printing unit for each line is constant.

With conventional page printers, the printing speed for printing on paper remains constant regardless of the amount of image data, whereas the drawing speed for forming an image on the band buffer changes depending on the amount of image data. However, if the drawing speed is slower than the printing speed, a drawing error occurs and printing becomes impossible.

Additionally, it is possible to delay the occurrence of this drawing error by adding optional memory, but there is a limit to how much it can delay the occurrence of this drawing error, and the disadvantage is that it becomes expensive. .

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to eliminate the drawbacks of the conventional printers as described above, and provides a page printer that can prevent the occurrence of drawing errors and can print normally even if there is a large amount of image data. With the goal.

Structure of the Invention The page printer according to the present invention includes a determining means for determining whether or not image data from a host device can be printed on one page of paper at a preset printing speed, and a determining means for determining whether or not image data from a host device can be printed on one page of paper at a predetermined printing speed; a calculation means for calculating a print speed that can be printed on one page of paper; and a control means for controlling printing to be performed at the printing speed calculated by the calculation means when the determination means determines that printing is not possible. It is characterized by having.

Embodiment Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, an interpreter 1 interprets image data sent from a host computer or other host device (not shown) according to a predetermined command sequence, and stores the interpreted data in a data buffer 2.

The drawing unit 3 forms an image to be printed on paper from the data stored in the data buffer 2 in a band buffer 4.

When the band buffer 4 is filled with images formed by the drawing section 3, the image data sending section 5 sends the image data in the band buffer 4 to the engine control section 6 dot line by dot line.

The engine control section 6 sends the image data received from the image data sending section 5 to the printing section 7, and the printing section 7 prints the image data on paper (not shown).

The drawing amount limit judgment unit 8 receives information on the data stored in the data buffer 2 from the drawing unit 3 before the drawing unit 3 starts creating an image for one page of paper,
Determine whether the page can be printed correctly.

That is, the drawing amount limit determining unit 8 determines whether the data stored in the data buffer 2 exceeds the maximum number of characters that can be printed on one page of paper at normal printing speed, and if the maximum number of characters is exceeded, It is determined that printing cannot be performed normally.

When the drawing amount limit and boundary determining unit 8 determines that the data stored in the data buffer 2 cannot be printed normally, the printing speed calculation unit 9 determines whether the data stored in the data buffer 2 can be correctly printed on one page of paper. Calculate the printing speed so that it is possible.

That is, the printing speed calculation unit 9 sets the drawing speed calculated by the following equation as the printing speed.

Drawing speed - (normal drawing speed) x [(normal maximum number of characters that can be printed on one page) / (number of characters printed on one page)] The printing speed calculated by the printing speed calculation section 9 is transmitted via the printing speed transmission section 10. and is transmitted to the printing speed adjustment section 11.

The printing speed adjustment section 11 controls the speed of the printing section 7 so that it becomes the printing speed calculated by the printing speed calculation section 9.

That is, in the printing section 7, the rotational speed of the photosensitive drum (not shown) and the scanning speed of the laser beam are adjusted under the control of the printing speed adjustment section 11 so that the printing speed calculated by the printing speed calculation section 9 is achieved. Ru.

When the printing speed adjusting section 11 adjusts the speed of the printing section 7 to the printing speed calculated by the printing speed calculating section 9, it notifies the drawing section 3 that printing preparation is completed.

As a result, the drawing section 3 performs the above-described operation, and the printing section 7 prints the image data from the host device.

At this time, even if the printing for one page is completed, if there is image data for the next page, the printing section 7 prints the print calculated by the printing speed calculation section. If there is no image data for the next page,
The printing speed of the printing section 7 is returned to the original printing speed.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of one embodiment of the present invention. The operation of an embodiment of the present invention will be explained using FIGS. 1 and 2.

When the image data sent from the host device is stored in the data buffer 2 (step 21 in FIG. 2), the drawing amount limit determining unit 8 uses the information from the drawing unit 3 to
The amount of data stored in the printer is calculated (step 22 in FIG. 2), and it is determined whether the data can be normally printed on one page of paper (step 23 in FIG. 2).

When the drawing amount limit determining unit 8 determines that the data can be normally printed on one page of paper, it notifies the drawing unit 3 of this fact.

The drawing unit 3 forms an image to be printed on paper from the data in a band buffer 4.
The image data formed is sent to the printing section 7 via the image data sending section 5 and the engine control section 6.
The image data is printed on paper.

On the other hand, when the drawing amount limit determining section 8 determines that the data cannot be printed normally, it notifies the printing speed calculating section 9 of this fact, and the printing speed calculating section 9 makes sure that the data can be normally printed on one page of paper. The printing speed is calculated (step 24 in FIG. 2).

The printing speed calculated by the printing speed calculation section is transmitted to the printing speed adjustment section 11 via the printing speed transmission section 10 (
Step 25 in FIG. 2), the printing speed adjustment section 11 is
The printing speed is controlled so that the printing speed becomes the printing speed calculated by the printing speed calculating section 9 (step 26 in FIG. 2).

As a result, the printing section 7 receives the image formed in the band buffer 4 by the drawing section 3 and sent via the image data sending section 5 and the engine control section 6 at the printing speed calculated by the printing speed calculating section. The data is printed on paper (step 27 in Figure 2).

At this time, even if printing for one page is completed in the drawing section 3, it is determined whether or not there is image data for the next one page (
Step 28 in Figure 2) When it is determined that there is image data for the next page, printing in the printing section 7 is performed at the printing speed calculated by the printing speed calculation section (Step 28 in Figure 2). Steps 22-27).

However, if it is determined that there is no image data for the next page, the printing speed of the printing unit 7 is returned to the original printing speed (step 30 in FIG. 2).

In this way, when the drawing amount limit determining unit 8 determines that the image data sent from the host device cannot be normally printed on one page of paper, the printing speed adjusting unit 11
By controlling the printing speed so that it becomes the printing speed calculated by the printing speed calculating section 9, the printing speed at the printing section 7 can be changed according to the amount of image data. Even if the speed changes, the drawing speed does not become slower than the printing speed, and it is possible to prevent drawing errors from occurring.

Therefore, even if there is a large amount of image data, printing can be performed normally, and the versatility of the printer can be improved.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, when it is determined that image data from a host device cannot be printed on one page of paper at a predetermined printing speed set in advance, By controlling printing to be performed at a printing speed that allows printing on one page of paper, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of drawing errors, and there is an effect that even if there is a large amount of image data, it is possible to print normally.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the invention, and FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the embodiment of the invention. Explanation of symbols of main parts 2...Data buffer 3...Drawing section code-0 4...Band buffer 7...Printing section 8...Drawing amount Limit judgment section 9...Print speed calculation section 11...Print speed adjustment section

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) A determining means for determining whether or not image data from a host device can be printed on one page of paper at a preset printing speed;
A calculating means for calculating a print speed at which printing can be performed on a page, and a control means for controlling printing to be performed at the printing speed calculated by the calculating means when the determining means determines that printing is not possible. A page printer featuring