JPH04205345A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To heighten processing efficiency by evading the transmission awaiting state of a connected host computer, etc., from occurring by storing data inputted from the outside in a second data storage means when an area provided at a first data storage means is filled. CONSTITUTION:When an I/F control part 3 inputs the data from the host computer 2, an interruption processing part 6 stops the host computer 2 by rising a BUSY1 signal, and stores the data in a first buffer 4. When a counter OUTCTR1 is updated and difference between a counter IHCTR1 arrives at a prescribed limit value, full of buffer occurs, and a timer 9 is set as stopping the host computer 2, and the full flag of the first buffer 4 is set. Meanwhile, when the full of buffer occurs in the first buffer 4 at the time of inputting the data, input data is stored in a second buffer 5, and a counter 0UTCTR2 is updated similarly as the first buffer 4. Thereby. it is possible to accelerate the processing efficiency by evading the transmission awaiting state of the connected host computer from occurring.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Object of the Invention] (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a laser printer.

(Prior Art) Generally, an image forming apparatus such as a laser printer is equipped with a manual buffer that sequentially stores host data sent from a connected host combination coater, and processes the data sequentially based on the data stored in the manual buffer. conduct.

By the way, when such processing becomes complicated, a large amount of host data may be manually input into the input buffer during processing, leading to a buffer full state. In this case, on the image forming apparatus side, control is performed to prohibit input of host data until there is space in the input buffer. Therefore, the host computer enters a state of waiting for transmission.

However, depending on the O8 of the host computer, if the state of waiting for transmission continues for a certain period of time or more, it is assumed that an abnormality has occurred at the destination and the transmission is stopped. in this case,
On the image forming apparatus side, even if the input buffer becomes empty after that, the series of host data that had been transmitted up to that point can no longer be received. Therefore, data including data that has been processed once must be retransmitted from the beginning from the host computer side. This results in wasteful efforts such as having to resend documents and reprinting documents that have already been printed out.
There was a problem in that the processing efficiency was significantly reduced.

(Problem to be Solved by the Invention) As described above, in conventional image forming apparatuses, when the input buffer becomes full, the host computer enters a waiting state for transmission. There was a problem in that the data including the data was retransmitted from the beginning, resulting in a significant drop in processing efficiency.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus that avoids the transmission waiting state of a connected host computer or the like and improves processing efficiency.

[Structure of the Invention] (Means for Solving the Problems) In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides first and second data storage means each having an area for storing externally input data; a detection means for detecting a full state and a full state of the area of the first data storage means; The input data is stored in the second data storage means, and when the detection means detects that the area of the first data storage means is in a non-full state, the data input from the outside is stored in the second data storage means. and control means for controlling the first data storage means to store the data.

(Function) In the present invention, when the area of the first data storage means becomes full, data inputted from the outside is stored in the second data storage means. As long as the storage means is not fully occupied, the occurrence of a transmission waiting state in the connected host computer, etc. can be avoided, and processing efficiency can be improved.

(Example) Hereinafter, details of embodiments of the present invention will be explained based on the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a restem according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which numeral 1 indicates a laser printer and numeral 2 indicates a host computer connected to the laser printer 1. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 2, the I/F control unit 3 in the laser printer 1 is an I/F that stores data input from the host computer 2 in a first or second buffer 4.5.
1 stored in the first or second buffers 4 and 5 each time a data request is made from the interrupt processing unit 6 and the central processing unit 7.
The data sending unit 8 sends data to the central processing unit 7, and the timer interrupt unit 10 performs processing for inputting host data at fixed time intervals when the timer 9 times out when the buffer is full.

The central processing unit 7 includes a data processing unit 11 and a page development unit 1
2, which analyzes data, performs page editing, and transfers the page-edited data to image data to be transferred to the engine control unit 14 via the image transfer unit 13.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a parallel I/F used in this embodiment as an example of a host interface.

Also, FIG. 4(a) shows the timing of normal data transmission and reception, FIG. 4('b) shows the timing of data transmission and reception when the buffer is full, and FIG. 4(c) shows the timing of timer 9 when the buffer is full. This shows a state in which host data is input in synchronization with timeout.

The operation of this embodiment will be explained below based on the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 5 to 7.

The 1/F control unit 3 receives 5TR from the host computer 2.
An interrupt occurs at the falling edge of the OBE O signal and data is input.

Then, the interrupt processing unit 6 raises the BUSY l signal to stop the host computer 2 (S501), inputs data, and stores it in the first buffer 4 (S502).

Here, the first buffer 4 is managed by a counter 0 to TCTRI that has the address of the area where data was last stored, and a counter that has the address of the area 17 that stored the next data to be transferred to the central processing unit 7. This is done by having INCTR1. That is, counter 0LTCTh' l
is updated every time data is input, counter INCTR1 is updated every time data is sent out, and when the last address of the first buffer 4 is reached, it is updated to the next first address in a ring buffer format. There is.

Then, when inputting data, the counter 0UTCTRL is updated, and when the difference with the counter INCTRI reaches a predetermined limit value, the buffer becomes full (S503), and while the host computer 2 is stopped, the timer 9 is set, and the first Set buffer 4 full club (BFI)
(S504).

If the buffer is not full, turn off the BLISY 1 signal
.

12, and requests the next data from the host computer 2 (5505).

On the other hand, when the first buffer 4 is already full at the time of data input (BFI-1), the input data is stored in the second buffer 5 (5) and the counter 0UTCTR2 similar to the first buffer 4 is set. Update (S507).

After this, when the second buffer 5 becomes full (3508), the full flag of the second buffer 5 (BF2
) is set (5509), and the host computer 2 is then stopped until the buffer 4 of the section 1 is full.

Next, when the full flag (BF2) of the second buffer 5 is not set (S 6
01),! 1 Turn off the USYI signal, turn on the ACK signal (S[102), and host computer 2
Set timer 9 at the same time as making a data request to
603).

Further, the data sending section 8 sends data every time there is a data request from the central processing section 7, and updates the counter INCTR1 (S701).

Here, if the first buffer 4 is full, the difference between the counter INCTRL and the counter 0UTCTRL is checked, and if the difference is smaller than a predetermined limit value, the first buffer 4 is released from the buffer full state (S70
2). At this time, when there is data in the second buffer 5, that is, the counter 0IJTCTR2 and the counter INCT
When R2 is not equal (S703), all data in the second buffer 5 is sequentially transferred to the first buffer 4.
704), and simultaneously updates the counter 0UTCTRI (
5705). Then, at the end of the transfer, the counter of the second buffer 5 is reset (counter 0UTCTR-counter 1NCTR2) L,, if BF2-1, this is cleared and the timer 9 is turned off (S706).

In this way, the laser printer of the present embodiment is configured so that unless the second buffer 5 becomes full due to the functions realized by the interrupt processing section 6, timer interrupt section 10, and data sending section 8, the laser printer connected to the host computer The occurrence of the transmission waiting state in step 2 can be avoided.

[Effects of the invention: Explanation 1. According to the present invention, when the area of the first data storage means becomes full, data input from the outside is stored in the second data storage means. As long as the data storage means does not become full, it is possible to avoid the occurrence of a transmission waiting state in the connected host computer, etc., and improve processing efficiency.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a system according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of an I/F control unit not shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. Figures 4(a) to 4(a) are diagrams showing the parallel I/F used in the example.
c) is a waveform diagram showing the timing of the signals shown in FIG. 3, and FIGS. 5 to 7 are flowcharts showing the operation of this embodiment. ], ... laser printer, 2 ... host computer, 3 ... I/F control unit, 4 ... first buffer, 5
. . . second buffer, 6 . . I/F interrupt processing unit,
7... Central processing unit, 8... Data sending unit, 9...
Timer, ]S0: Timer interrupt unit, 11: Data processing unit, 12: Page development unit, ]S3: Image transfer unit, 14: Engine control unit. Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 5 ELECT 1 (a) (b) SELECT 1 (e) Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 6

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) First and second data storage means each having an area for storing externally input data, and a detection means for detecting a full state and a full state of the area of the first data storage means. When the detection means detects that the area of the first data storage means is full, the data input from the outside is stored in the second data storage means, and the detection means and control means for controlling the data inputted from the outside to be stored in the first data storage means when a full release state of the area of the data storage means is detected. Image forming device.