JPH04250085A - Page printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To completely eliminate a possibility that a host device may judge a printing completion with unprinted data remaining in a memory to ensure the printing of all the data by a method wherein a residual paper amount in a hopper part is monitored, and when the paper residual amount is reduced, the host device is informed of this information. CONSTITUTION:Data from a computer 1 as a host device is temporarily accumulated in a reception buffer part 3 of a page printer 2. The contents of the data are stored in a page buffer part 4 per page correspondingly to a printing state. In accordance with an instruction from the computer 1, the action of a printing engine 5 is started and, simultaneously, the contents of the page buffer part 4 are printed on paper supplied from a hopper part 6 one by one. In this case, a residual paper amount in the hopper 6 is monitored by a residual paper amount monitor 7 using a light transmitting state or the like. When the residual paper amount is reduced to be less than the maximum page number of data which can be accumulated in the reception buffer 3, a residual amount reduction is judged. This information is transmitted to the computer 1 through a signal line 8.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a page printer that prints data from a host device one page at a time onto one sheet of paper.

0002

[Prior Art] A page printer stores data transferred from a host device such as a computer in a buffer memory, stores the contents of this data one page at a time in correspondence with the printing state, and stores the data in a hopper section. The contents of the page memory are printed on sheets of paper that are fed one by one from the page printer, and after all data has been transferred to the page printer, the host device receives a response from the page printer indicating that this has been successfully performed. If so, it is determined that printing has also been completed.

Furthermore, the presence or absence of paper in a page printer is detected immediately before the start of printing for each page, and this information is reported to a host device in response to detection of no paper.

0004

[Problem to be Solved by the Invention] However, since the host device determines that printing is complete when all data has been transferred, it does not determine that printing is complete even if it receives information that there is no paper after this. On the other hand, unprinted data is accumulated on the printer side, and if the operator accidentally turns off the power to the printer, the unprinted data will disappear.

[0005]

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to prevent unprinted data from disappearing, the present invention monitors the remaining amount of paper in the hopper section in the above-mentioned page printer, and when the remaining amount of paper decreases. A paper remaining amount monitoring device is provided to report this information to a host device.

[0006]

[Operation] Therefore, before the paper runs out completely, a decrease in the remaining amount of paper is detected and this information is given to the host device, so the host device can predict the occurrence of unprinted data.
You can deal with this freely.

[0007]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be explained in detail below with reference to the block diagram of FIG. 1 showing an embodiment.

In the figure, a page printer (hereinafter referred to as PRT) 2 connected to a computer (hereinafter referred to as CMP) 1 as a host device includes a reception buffer unit (hereinafter referred to as RBF) 3 having a buffer memory, a capacity 1 Page buffer unit (hereinafter referred to as PBF) 4 having page memory for pages
, the print engine section (hereinafter referred to as PEG) that actually performs printing
) 5. Hopper unit that accumulates and supplies paper (hereinafter referred to as
HOP) 6 and a remaining paper amount monitoring device (hereinafter referred to as PVD) that monitors the remaining amount of paper in HOP 6 based on the thickness of the accumulated paper, etc.
)7 is provided.

[0009] Here, the data from CMP1 is R
This content is temporarily stored in BF3, and this content is further stored in PBF4 in correspondence with the print status for each page, and then
As PEG5 starts operating in response to a command from MP1, the contents of PBF4 are printed onto the sheets of paper supplied one by one from HOP6, and this operation is repeated one page at a time. There is.

Note that the contents of RBF3 are such that data is repeatedly transferred from CMP1 in response to the occurrence of a blank, and after all data has been transferred, a response signal is sent from PRT2 to CMP.
1, the data transfer is completed, and operations after PBF4 are performed asynchronously.

On the other hand, the PVD 7 monitors the remaining amount of paper in the HOP 8 based on the state of light transmission, etc., and the remaining amount is determined by the RB.
If the number of pages of data that can be stored in F3 is less than the maximum number, it is determined that the remaining amount has decreased, and this information is sent to C by turning on signal line 8.
MP1 reports.

[0012] Upon receiving this information, the CMP 1 transfers up to the data currently being transferred, then cancels further data transfer, displays an alarm, etc., and remains in this state until the signal line 8 is turned off. If the signal line 8 is turned off by supplying paper to the HOP 6, data transfer is resumed.

[0013] Therefore, it is prevented that the CMP 1 determines that printing is completed while unprinted data remains in the RPF 3 and PBF 4, and it is ensured that all data is printed.

[0014]

[Effects of the Invention] As is clear from the above explanation, according to the present invention, the amount of paper remaining in the hopper section is monitored and a decrease in this amount is reported to the host device, so that unprinted data can be transferred to the page printer. This completely eliminates the possibility that the host device will judge that printing has been completed while the data remains in the memory of the printer, making it possible to reliably print all of the data, which has a remarkable effect on page printers for various uses.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Computer 2 Page printer 6 Hopper part 7 Remaining paper amount monitoring device

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a page printer that receives data transferred from a host device and prints each page of this data onto sheets of paper supplied one by one from a hopper section, the printer monitors the amount of paper remaining in the hopper section and prints the data one page at a time. A page printer comprising a paper remaining amount monitoring device that reports this information to the host device when the remaining paper amount decreases.