JPH0421592B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Technical Field of the Invention] The present invention has a graphic image generation means that generates a graphic image from parameters of graphic data, and develops a print image line by line on a line buffer and prints it out. The present invention relates to a printer control device used in a printer.

[Technical background of the invention and its problems] Conventionally, in processing devices such as word processors that handle characters and graphics, when printing images of characters, graphics, etc. on a printer, these printed images are printed on one page. There was one that was developed in units of page memory, and was sequentially taken out and printed out according to the printing operation. However, this type of print control means requires a large capacity page memory to store print images on a page-by-page basis, resulting in an economically disadvantageous configuration. Ta. Therefore, a configuration was realized in which graphic data is given as parameters and graphic images are developed on a row buffer. However, in conventional devices of this type, parameters of graphic data are written in a specific storage area (hereinafter referred to as parameter area) in units of pages, and parameters corresponding to the line position to be printed are written as a page unit. It was configured to read out and generate graphic images. However, in such a configuration, if the number of figures that can be printed on one page is not limited, a very large storage area must be allocated to the parameter area, and the storage capacity of the parameter area must be If you restrict it to a narrow range,
There was a problem in that the number of figures that could be printed was severely restricted.

[Object of the Invention] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and provides a graphic image generation unit that extracts parameters of a graphic to be printed from a specific storage unit (parameter area) that stores parameters of graphic data and generates a graphic image. In a printer comprising a character image generation unit that generates a character image from a character code, and a line buffer that stores print images line by line, the storage capacity of the specific storage unit is set within a narrow range. An object of the present invention is to provide a printer control device that is not restricted by the number of registered graphics that can be printed.

[Summary of the Invention] The present invention provides a method for each time printing of a predetermined dot width unit is completed.
The parameters corresponding to the graphic image developed in a row buffer are deleted from a specific storage section (parameter storage area), the parameters of the graphic data to be printed next are stored in the specific storage section, and the graphic data to be printed is stored. The parameters are set sequentially as the printing process is performed in units of a predetermined dot width.This allows printing even if the storage capacity of the specific storage section (parameter storage area) is set within a narrow range. There is no restriction on the number of registered figures, and therefore memory can be used effectively without impairing the figure printing function.

[Embodiment of the Invention] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration. In the figure, 10 is a processing device (hereinafter referred to as the upper device) that generates character and graphic data to be printed;
-CPU), 11 is a processing unit (CPU) that controls the entire printer control device, and 12 is a host device (H-
Transmission/reception interface unit (TR-I/F), 13, which transmits and receives various data to and from the CPU) 10.
is a character pattern memory for converting an input character code into a character image (character pattern) specific to that code. Reference numeral 14 denotes an internal memory having a control program storage area EA, a graphic image generation program storage area EB, and a graphic generation parameter storage area (hereinafter referred to as parameter area; EC). 15 is a line buffer for storing one line of image (dot pattern data) to be printed, and 16 is a transmission interface (T-I/F) for sending the image in the line buffer 15 to the printer 30.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the main control blocks in the above embodiment. In the figure, reference numeral 20 denotes a print execution control unit that receives various printing information received by the reception interface unit 12 and performs printing control including print image development control, print execution control, paper feeding control, etc. according to the commands; 20 is a print execution control unit 2
A character image generation section 22 generates a character image from the character code given by 1, and a graphic image generation section 22 generates a graphic image from the parameters of graphic data given from the print execution control section 20.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the above embodiment. In the figure, s is the range that can be printed in one printing operation, that is, the print head width (for example, 24 dots), and Pi and Pj are the parameters of each figure. The vertex position coordinate, LFi, is the line feed.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the parameter structure of the figure data set in the parameter area EC. In the figure, FE indicates the expanded state of the image (undeveloped/unexpanded/
PS
is pattern identification information indicating the type of figure, starting point
Y and the end points X and Y are the respective coordinate values of vertex position coordinates Pi and Pj indicating the development area of the figure.

Here, the operation of one embodiment will be explained with reference to the drawings.

The processing device 11 receives a print command from the host device 10 via the transmission/reception interface section 12, and when it is ready to print, it sends the print page to the host device 10 in order to receive the data of characters and graphics to be printed. Sends the above position data. When the host device 10 receives the position data from the processing device 11, it sends print data to the processing device 11 in a predetermined dot slice unit, for example, a 24-dot width unit according to the position. If a graphic parameter exists in the received print data, the processing device 11 sets the parameter in the parameter area EC of the internal memory 14, generates a graphic image according to the parameter, and develops it into dots on the line buffer 15. When the dot expansion of the parameters set in the parameter area EC is completed, the host device 10
The next position data on the page is sent to the page, and the next print data to be developed is received. The specific operation at this time will be explained below using the print format shown in FIG. 3 as an example. Here, we will take as an example a case in which a hatching pattern is synthesized as a figure in the character section of an arbitrary character and processed. It is specified using the vertex position coordinates Pi, Pj shown by, and is expressed, for example, as parameters P1, P2.

(1) Graphic (shading) parameters P1, P2, P
3. Set P4 in parameter area EC.

Parameters P1 and P of parameter area EC
2, graphic image generation unit 2 based on P3, P4
Generate a figure (shading) image by 2,
This is expanded into dots on the row buffer 15.

Confirm that all development state instruction flags FE attached to each parameter in the parameter area EC indicate the completed state.

(2) Execute LF1.

(3) Generate a character image by the character image generation unit 21 based on the character code (ABCDE),
After dotting this on row buffer 15,
Execute CR (start printing).

(4) Set graphic (shading) parameters P5 and P6 in parameter area EC.

Parameters P5 and P of parameter area EC
A graphic (shading) image is generated by the graphic image generating section 22 based on the image data 6, and is expanded into dots on the row buffer 15.

Confirm that the expanded state instruction flag FE attached to the parameter in the parameter area EC indicates the completed state.

(5) Execute LF2.

(6) Generate a character image by the character image generation unit 21 based on the character code (AIUE),
After dotting this on row buffer 15,
Execute CR (start printing).

(7) Graphic (shading) parameters P7, P8, P
9. Set P10 in parameter area EC.

Parameters P7 and P of parameter area EC
8, P9, and P10, the graphic image generating section 22 generates a graphic (shading) image, and develops this image into dots on the row buffer 15.

Confirm that all development state instruction flags FE attached to each parameter in the parameter area EC indicate the completed state.

(8) Execute LF3.

(9) The character image generator 21 generates a character image based on the character code (12345), develops it into dots on the line buffer 15, and then
(Start printing) Execute.

(10) Execute FF (line feed).

Here, after executing LF2, printing of all graphic (shading) parameters P1, P2, P3, and P4 has been completed. Therefore, the parameter area EC
Other graphic (shading) parameters P7, P8, P9, and P10 can be registered in that area. Therefore, in the above example, the parameter area EC only needs to have three graphic parameter storage areas, which allows the storage area of the parameter area to be set to a narrower range than in the conventional method. It becomes possible to print any number of figures without being restricted by the number of registered figures that can be registered.

In the above embodiment, the parameter setting process of the parameter area EC was taken as an example when applying shading as a graphic image to a character section of an arbitrary character, but it is not limited to the character section. ,
The parameter setting process of the parameter area EC according to the present invention can be applied even when hatching or other shapes are developed in an area according to the coordinate values (X, Y) indicating the coordinates of the shape development position of the parameters. The same applies to the maximum number of registered shapes when shapes to be expanded include, for example, circles, ellipses, sectors, diagonal lines, etc. In this case, as an example of processing, a control means may be provided to fill and replace the data in the parameter area EC once printing of one figure is completed.

[Effects of the Invention] As described in detail above, according to the present invention, the graphic image generation unit generates a graphic image by extracting parameters of a graphic to be printed from a specific storage unit (parameter area) that stores parameters of graphic data. In a printer comprising: a character image generation unit that generates a character image from a character code; and a line buffer that stores a print image in units of lines,
Each time printing of a predetermined dot width unit is completed, parameters corresponding to the graphic image developed in the line buffer are deleted from the specific storage section, and parameters of the graphic data to be printed next are stored in the specific storage section. By setting the parameters of the figure data to be printed sequentially in accordance with the printing process in units of a predetermined dot width, it is possible to print figures that can be printed even if the storage capacity of the specific storage unit is set within a narrow range. Accordingly, it is possible to provide a printer control device that is not limited by the number of registered objects and can effectively utilize memory without impairing the graphic printing function.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The figures show one embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall hardware configuration, and Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing the overall hardware configuration.
The figure is a control block diagram, Figure 3 is a diagram showing a printing example,
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure in the parameter area EC. 10... Upper device, 11... Processing device, 12...
...Transmission/reception interface section, 13...Character pattern memory, 14...Internal memory, 15...Line buffer, 16...Transmission interface section, 20...
Print execution control unit, 21...Character image generation unit,
22...Figure image generation section, 30...Printer, EC...Parameter area.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A character image generation unit that generates a character image from a character code, and a specific memory that stores a predetermined number of graphic data parameters that define a graphic type and the printing position and area of the graphic. a graphic image generation unit that extracts the parameters of the graphic to be printed from the storage unit and generates a graphic image, and a character image generated by the character image generation unit and a graphic image generated by the graphic image generation unit. After a line buffer developed as a print image and a graphic image according to the parameters of the graphic data stored in the specific storage unit are developed on the line buffer, the parameters corresponding to the developed graphic image are converted into the parameters corresponding to the developed graphic image. means for erasing the parameters of the graphic data to be printed next from the memory section and storing them in the specific memory section; A printer control device characterized by sequentially setting parameters.