JPH04143826A - Printing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To print the print information with preference regardless of the receiving order of these pieces of printing information and without wasting the print process under execution by saving and resetting the print information under processing into an auxiliary storage in consideration of the processing priority of the printing information. CONSTITUTION:When the printing information is inputted from one of two host computers H1 and H2 that has the higher priority while the printing information received from one of both computers H1 and H2, a transfer control means 2 decides the processing priority of those pieces of input printing information via the input/output means 3 and 4 and at the same time performs the control of saving/resetting transfer of the print information in processing to an auxiliary storage 9. Thus it is possible to carry out the print processing while changing the printing order according to the priority different from the input order or the print information. In such a manner, the print processing is quickly started and the precious time and forms can be saved without holding the print information that should be quickly processed in a printing device nor disusing the print information in processing.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a printing device that can receive print information such as a character, a figure, etc. from a plurality of transmitting devices.

[Prior Art 1] Conventionally, a printing device capable of receiving information from a plurality of transmitting devices is configured to sequentially process and print the received information according to the order in which the printing device receives the information.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, for this reason, even if print information that needs to be quickly processed and printed is received for a printing device that has already received one or more pieces of print information and has not yet finished processing and printing that print information, In order for print information to be processed and printed, the processing and printing of the print information that has already been received must be completed, or the print information that has already been received must be discarded. It takes a considerable amount of time, and in the latter case, there are problems such as the print output generated halfway is wasted.

This invention was made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and by saving and restoring the print information currently being processed in the auxiliary storage device while taking into account the priority regarding the processing of print information, it is possible to To provide a printing device capable of preferentially printing print information that must be quickly processed and printed without wasting print processing performed previously, regardless of the order of reception.

[Means for Solving the Problems] A printing apparatus according to the present invention includes an auxiliary storage means for saving/restoring print information currently being processed, and a priority processing order of print information inputted via an input/output means. The present invention is provided with a transfer control means for controlling evacuation transfer/return transfer of print information currently being processed in the auxiliary storage means while making a determination.

[Operation] In the present invention, when print information input from a host computer with a high priority occurs while processing print information transmitted from any host computer, the transfer control means inputs the print information via the input/output means. While determining the priority processing order of the print information to be processed, it controls the evacuation transfer/return transfer of the print information currently being processed to the auxiliary storage means, and changes the print order according to the priority order different from the print information input order. Enables print processing to be executed.

[Embodiment 1] Fig. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a printing apparatus showing an embodiment of the present invention, and P is a printer capable of receiving print information from two host computers, for example, a semiconductor laser. The printer is equipped with a printing section 1 that forms an image using the following methods. H1 and H2 are host computers (hosts) connected to the printer P by wire or wireless means, and output print requests to the printer P and print information including the priority of the print requests.

2 is a CPU which is a control unit, 3.4 is an input/output device for communicating with the outside, and 5 and 6 detect information regarding the priority of print information from the received print information and send it to the host computer. This print request notification device separates the fact that a print request has been received from H1 and H2 from the information regarding the character 1 graphic and notifies the CPU 2 with an interrupt signal of an interrupt level corresponding to the priority. Reference numeral 7 denotes a ROM, which transfers data related to the characters 5 and figures developed in the image buffer 8 to the auxiliary storage device 9 as needed, according to the information related to the characters 7 and figures transferred from the print request notification devices 5 and 6. , and stores a program (including procedures in a flowchart described later) for performing a series of processes such as returning and transferring data regarding characters 5 and graphics that have already been transferred to the auxiliary storage device 9 to the image buffer 8. CPU2 is this RO
Each part is comprehensively controlled according to the program stored in M7. 10.11 is a RAM (random access memory) and a stack used for temporary storage of the CPU 2.

In the printing apparatus configured as described above, when print information input from a host computer with a high priority occurs while processing print information transmitted from any host computer, the transfer control means (in this embodiment, the CPU 2 ) determines the priority processing order of print information input via the input/output means (input/output devices 3, 4) while the auxiliary storage means (
In this embodiment, the save transfer/return transfer of print information currently being processed to the auxiliary storage device 9) is controlled, and print processing is executed while changing the print order according to a priority order different from the print information input order.

Hereinafter, the printing information receiving processing operation in the printing apparatus according to the present invention will be specifically explained with reference to the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 2 to 4.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of a print information reception interrupt processing procedure in the printing apparatus according to the present invention. Note that (1) indicates a step.

First, in an initial state, the CPU 2 shown in FIG. 1 is waiting for an interrupt signal from the print request notification devices 5 and 6, that is, a print request from the host computers H1 and H2 (1).

Here, it is assumed that a low-priority print request is made by a host computer (hereinafter referred to as the "first-arriving host computer") in a state where there is no print request from either host computer H1 or H2.

In this case, an interrupt signal of a low interrupt level is sent from the print request notification device connected to the first-arriving host computer (hereinafter referred to as the "first-arrival print request notification device").
This occurs for PU2, and processing for the print request is started. Here, the processing of the CPU 2 starts according to the procedure shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of a print request processing procedure in the printing apparatus according to the present invention. Furthermore, (1)
~(7) shows each step.

First, CPtJ2 does not directly receive an interrupt signal that is lower than the interrupt level that has occurred, but puts it on hold.1) Furthermore, the priority of the print request from the first-arriving host computer is RAM1.
0 (2), and processing for the print request is started.

Characters transferred from the first print request notification device.

3) When the data related to the 9 characters and figures for one page is obtained (4), the printing section 1 is driven to print on the paper (5).

Next, it is determined whether there is print information from the first-arriving host computer 6) If YES, return to step (4); if NO, print the last page (6)
7) The interrupt processing is ended, and the processing of the CPU 2 is resumed from the state before the interrupt occurred.

During the above interrupt processing, if a print request is received from another host computer (hereinafter referred to as the "later host computer"), the print request connects to the later host computer. An interrupt signal is generated from a notification device (hereinafter referred to as a "later-arriving print request notification device"), but an interrupt signal generated from a later-arriving print request notification device is an interrupt signal from an earlier-arriving print request notification device. If the interrupt level is lower than that, the interrupt signal from the later-arriving print request notification device is suspended until the interrupt processing by the interrupt signal from the first-arriving print request notification device is completed, so that the processing shown in FIG. The print process for the print request from the later arriving host computer is suspended until the print process for the print request from the host computer is completed.

On the other hand, if the interrupt signal generated from the later-arriving print request notifying device has a higher interrupt level than the interrupt signal from the first-arriving print request notifying device, the interrupt signal from the later-arriving print request notifying device is not accepted immediately. , the CPU 2 starts the process shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a print request interrupt processing procedure in the printing apparatus according to the present invention. In addition,
(11 to (10) indicate each step.

First, the data related to the characters 9 graphics currently held in the image buffer 8 is saved and transferred to the auxiliary storage device 9.1)
The state of the CPU 2 related to the other character 1 graphics is saved to the stack 11 2), the interrupt signal lower than the interrupt level of the interrupt signal generated from the subsequent print request notification device is suspended 3), and the character 1 graphic information is stored in the image buffer. 4) Thereafter, print processing is started in response to a print request from a subsequent host computer.

In other words, when data related to 5 characters and 5 figures for one page is obtained (5), the printing unit 1 is driven to print on paper (6) Next, check whether there is print information from the first host computer. 71 If YES, return to step (5); if NO, print the last page (
8) When the printing process is finished, restore the state of the CPU 2 regarding the character 2 graphics saved in the stack 11. 9) Transfer the data regarding the character 9 graphics that was transferred from the image buffer 8 to the auxiliary storage device 9 to the image buffer 8 again. and (10
), resumes interrupt processing in response to a print request from the first arriving host computer.

In this way, even if you send print information that needs to be quickly processed and printed to a printing device that has already received one or more pieces of print information and has not yet finished processing and printing that print information. , processing of print information that has already been received,
Processing and printing are performed without waiting for printing to finish.

In the above embodiment, the explanation was given using a printing device to which two host computers, which serve as transmitting devices, can be connected as an example, but the interrupt level and the RAM 10. By providing a sufficient number of stacks 11, it is possible to connect two or more host computers, and it is possible to perform various interlace printing processes based on priority.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the print priority is included in the print information, but if the host computer and the printing device are connected wirelessly, the radio frequency used for information transfer and the print priority must be uniquely determined in advance. By doing so, it is possible to omit a device for detecting information regarding print priority in received print information from the print request notification circuit.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, the present invention includes an auxiliary storage means for saving/restoring print information currently being processed, and determining the priority processing order of print information inputted through an input/output means. However, since the auxiliary storage means is equipped with a transfer control means for controlling the evacuation transfer/return transfer of the print information currently being processed, it is possible to hold print information that needs to be processed quickly within the printing device, or to Processing can be started quickly without having to perform processes such as discarding the printed information inside, which has the effect of saving valuable time and paper.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention, FIG. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a print request processing procedure in the printing apparatus according to the invention. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a print request interrupt processing procedure in the printing apparatus according to the invention. In the figure, 1 is a printing unit, 2 is a CPU, 3 and 4 are input/output devices, 5 and 6 are print request notification devices, 7 is 80M, 8 is an image buffer, 9 is an auxiliary storage device, 10 is a RAM, 11 is a stack, P is a printer, and H1 and H2 are host computers. Figure P: Printer Figure Figure

Claims (1)

[Claims] In a printing apparatus having a printing mechanism and an input/output means for receiving print information from a plurality of transmitting apparatuses, an auxiliary storage means for saving/restoring print information currently being processed, and an input/output means for receiving print information from a plurality of transmitting apparatuses. A printing apparatus comprising: a transfer control means for controlling evacuation transfer/return transfer of print information currently being processed in the auxiliary storage means while determining a priority processing order of input print information.