JPH04216263A - Picture recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To present the picture recorder to effectively utilize a memory area for a color component so as not to be actually used. CONSTITUTION:Based on printing color designation information in an inputted printing data, it is judged whether the memory area for the relevant color component is secured or not, and only when it is judged that the memory area is not secured, the memory area for the relevant color component is secured. Namely, by preventing the memory area for the not-designated color component from being secured, the memory areas more than needed are not secured.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus, and more particularly to an image recording apparatus that records an image on a recording medium based on input print data.

0002

[Prior Art] Conventional devices capable of printing in multiple colors are
Images of each color were superimposed and recorded on a recording medium such as recording paper. In a recording device, before recording, it is common practice to develop the image of each corresponding color in a frame memory reserved for each color in advance, and to perform the process of actually recording the image after all the images have been developed. be.

0003

However, in the conventional apparatus described above, even if the image to be printed consists of only one color, a frame memory area for unnecessary colors is secured. As a result, there is a shortage of work memory area that can be used for other purposes, which may result in functional limitations or a reduction in print processing speed.

[0004] The present invention has been made in view of such prior art, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an image recording apparatus that can effectively utilize memory areas for color components that are not actually used.

[0005]

Means for Solving the Problems In order to solve this problem, the image recording apparatus of the present invention has the following configuration. That is, in an image recording device that records a multicolor image on a recording medium by superimposing and combining images of multiple color components based on input print data, a print color specification command included in the print data is used. , a determining means for determining whether or not a memory area for developing a recorded image of the corresponding color component is secured; and control means for controlling to secure a memory area for the component.

[0006]

Embodiments Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. <Description of Device Configuration (FIG. 1)> FIG. 1 shows the block configuration of the printing device of this embodiment. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a main body of a printing apparatus that records images using ink of four colors C1 to C4 (yellow, magenta, cyan, and black in that order). 2 is a host computer that supplies print data to the printing apparatus 1 of this embodiment. The print data here is a string of commands, such as printing one character, drawing one line, specifying a color, etc.
It is assumed that all various settings, including designation of the print position, are performed using commands.

[0007] The printing apparatus 1 consists of the following components. 3 is a CPU that controls the entire printing apparatus 1; 4 is a reception buffer for temporarily storing print data input from the host computer 2; 5 is a processing procedure for the CPU 3 to control the printing apparatus itself. (including the program related to the flowchart of FIG. 2, which will be described later)
It's OM. Reference numeral 6 denotes a RAM used by the CPU 3 to hold various data during operation, which includes a work area 6a used when generating a print pattern, a work area size holding area 6b that holds the size of the work area, and a RAM for each color. A frame buffer pointer table 6c is provided that holds pointers to each frame buffer. Reference numeral 7 denotes a printer output unit that prints the print patterns generated and held in the frame buffer of each color secured in the RAM 6, and as described above, prints the print patterns of each color C1 to C4 on the same recording paper surface. By printing on top of the other colors, any color can be reproduced and printed. <Description of Processing Procedure (FIGS. 2 and 3)> The printing processing procedure in this embodiment having the above-described configuration will be explained based on the flowchart shown in FIG. 2 and the example shown in FIG.

When the device is powered on or reset, initialization processing is performed in step S1. Next, the process advances to step S2, in which data received from the host computer is read from the reception buffer 4. It is assumed that the reception of data from the host computer 2 and the storage of data into the reception buffer 4 are performed by an interrupt processing routine (not shown).

In step S3, it is determined whether the read data is a print/draw command. Printing/drawing commands here are commands for writing characters, commands for actually drawing lines, and shapes; commands for specifying character fonts, colors, printing positions, etc. are not printing/drawing commands. regarded as. If it is determined in step S3 that the command is not a printing/drawing command, the process corresponding to the command is executed in step S4, and the process returns to step S2.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S3 that the command is a print/draw command, the process advances to step S5. In step S5, the currently specified printing color is separated into four colors C1 to C4, and
It is recognized which color component of C4 should be used to generate the print pattern. In this way, once the color separation of the pattern to be generated by the printing/drawing command of interest is completed, the process moves to step S6 and subsequent steps.

First, in step S6, "1" is assigned as an initial value to a variable i (reserved at a predetermined address in the RAM 6) for specifying a color component. Then, in step S7, it is determined whether or not the color Ci exists in the result of the color separation. If there is not, the process advances to step S11 and “i
As long as <4" is satisfied, the variable i is set to "1" in step S12.
Increment and return to step S7. Step S7
Now, for each color component, it is simply determined whether or not the color obtained by color separation exists in step S5.

If it is determined in step S7 that the corresponding color component exists, a frame buffer (an area in which a print image of the corresponding color component is developed) corresponding to the color component is secured in the RAM 6 in step S8. Determine whether or not. Whether this is secured or not is determined by referring to the frame buffer table 6c shown in FIG. In the case shown, C1 and C4 are secured, and C2
The pointers C3 and C3 are "0", indicating that they have not been secured yet. Now, if it is determined that the frame buffer of that color is not secured, the frame buffer of that color is secured (frame buffer table 6c).
). The process proceeds to step S10, where an image based on the print/draw command is drawn on the frame buffer of the color component currently being focused on. When it is determined that the checks for all color components have been completed, the process returns from step S11 to step S2, and the above-described process is repeated.

The point to note here is that, for example, if the print data from the host computer 2 is intended only for color component C1, other color components C2 to C4
In this case, the determination at step S7 is always "NO". In other words, frame buffers for color components C2 to C4 are not secured. Similarly, for example, when print data of color components C1 and C2 is received, frame buffers for the other color components C3 and C4 are not secured.

[0014] In the above-described process, it may seem that the frame buffer once secured after the printer is powered on will not be released, but in step S4 the recording paper feed command or paper ejection command (actual recording operation) is Each time it is executed, the secured frame buffer is released. In the embodiment, the reception buffer 4 is stored in the RAM 6.
Although it was described separately from the
etc., these may be constructed using the same RAM. Therefore, in this case, in the case of print data intended for monochrome recording, only one frame buffer is secured, so there is an advantage that a relatively large receiving buffer capacity can be secured. That is, there is an advantage that the host computer 2 can be quickly released from print data output processing.

Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, the color component C1
Although the description has been given for the case of using four colors of ink, C4 to C4, similar processing is also possible in a printing apparatus that uses less than four colors or five or more colors of ink. As explained above, according to this embodiment, by securing and using the frame buffer for each color component that develops the image pattern to be printed, only when the pattern of that color is actually developed. It is no longer necessary to secure frame buffers for color components that are unnecessary for printing. Therefore, there is an effect that the area can be effectively used for other purposes.

[0016] This has the effect that the printing processing time can be shortened and the printing processing can be completed even when memory is small.

[0017]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to effectively utilize memory areas for color components that are not actually used.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an image recording apparatus according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining operations related to image recording in the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the contents of a frame buffer table in the embodiment.

[Brief explanation of symbols]

1 Printing device body 2 Host computer 3 CPU 4 Reception buffer 5 Program ROM 6 RAM 6a Work area 6b Work area size 6c Pointer table to frame buffer 7
Printer output section

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An image recording apparatus that records a multicolor image on a recording medium by superimposing and composing images of a plurality of color components based on input print data, wherein a print color designation command included in the print data is provided. a determining means for determining whether or not a memory area for developing a recorded image of a corresponding color component is secured based on the determination means; and a case where the determining means determines that the memory area for the corresponding color component is not secured; , and control means for controlling to secure a memory area for the color component.