JPH04308782A - Printing data processing method - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce a time from the completion of a printing data processing to the output of printing data to sufficiently reduce a printing operation time without changing a design. CONSTITUTION:A data processing part 32 converts data (a) transmitted from a host computer to printing data (b) and stores it in a printing data buffer 33. After the data for one page is transmitted, a one page completion data is inputted to the data processing part 32. At this time, a pick-up instruction (d) is outputted to a mechanical control part 36 controlling the operation of a paper supply part 38. On this instruction, the mechanical control part 36 starts the drive of the paper supply part 38. The paper supply part 38 starts a paper supply action. Simultaneously, the data processing part 32 starts such a printing processing as a rearrangement of the printing data stored in a printing buffer 35. When a sensor 5 detects the arrival of paper at a predetermined position, the printing data is outputted to a laser control part 37.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a print data processing method in a printing apparatus using electrophotography, such as a laser printer.

0002

[Background Art] When printing a document created on a host device using a printing device such as a laser printer, the conventional print data processing method involves transmitting data from the host device such as a host computer as shown in FIG. The generated data is read and analyzed, and based on this data, print data to be supplied to the printing unit is created. At this time, the data for one page is sent from the host device in random order for each row, so after the data for one page is sent after the data for one page is sent, the data may be rearranged or the laser beam may be Executes the process of creating print data composed of dot data for turning on/off (n102
, n103). After this print data processing is completed, a pickup command is output to the paper feed section (n104). The mechanical unit that receives this pickup command drives the paper feeding unit (n111, n112), and when the sensor installed in the conveyance path detects that the fed paper has reached a predetermined position, the controller A signal requesting transmission of print data is outputted to the printer (n113, n114).

[0003] Upon receiving this print data request, the controller outputs the print data created by print data processing to the mechanism section (n105, n106). The printing data is supplied to the printing section in the mechanical section, and the laser device is driven based on this printing data (n115, n116). The controller of the electrophotographic printer is n101 to n1 mentioned above.
06 is executed for each page, and as shown in FIG.
After the print data processing for the page is completed, paper is fed from the paper feed section, and the print data is printed on this paper in the printing section.

0004

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in the conventional print data processing method described above, a paper feed command is output to the paper feed unit after processing of print data for one page is completed. , paper feeding starts after one page's worth of print data is processed, so if you want to shorten the time required for printing processing, you can either shorten the distance from the paper feed section to the sensor or increase the paper transport speed. There was no choice but to speed up the printing process, and there were physical constraints due to the issue of placement space, and there was also a certain limit to the operating speed of polygon mirrors in the printing section, so there was a limit to reducing the printing processing time.

An object of the present invention is to perform print data processing in parallel during paper conveyance work, which requires a relatively long time, thereby eliminating design changes such as sensor placement locations and paper conveyance speeds. An object of the present invention is to provide a print data processing method that can sufficiently shorten printing work time without causing any problems.

[0006]

[Means for Solving the Problems] The print data processing method of the present invention outputs a request to a paper feed unit to start transporting paper when data for one page is input from a host device; Next, based on the input data, creation of print data to be supplied to the print section is started.

[0007]

[Operation] In this invention, paper feeding is started when one page of data is input from the host device, and printing is performed in parallel while the paper is being conveyed from the paper feeding section to the printing section. Data processing is performed. Therefore, the time required to output print data to the printing section after completing print data processing is shortened, and the overall print work time is shortened.

[0008]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a laser printer to which a print data processing method according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. Below the laser printer 1 is a paper feed cassette 2.
A plurality of sheets of paper 21 are stored inside the paper feed cassette 2. A part of the upper surface of the paper 21 in the paper feed cassette 2 faces the paper feed roller 3 , and the paper 21 located at the top is guided to the conveyance path 4 by rotation of the paper feed roller 3 . A photosensitive drum 7 is rotatably provided in the center of the laser printer 1, and a charger 8, a developing device 9, a transfer charger 11, and a cleaner 12 are provided around it. After the circumferential surface of the photoreceptor drum 7 is charged with a monopolar charge by these devices, it is irradiated with laser light from the laser device 16 to form an electrostatic latent image. This electrostatic latent image is visualized by a developer applied by a developing roller 10 of a developing device 9. This visualized developer image is transferred to the transfer charger 1.
The image is transferred onto the paper at a position opposite to 1.

A fixing roller 13 is provided on the left side of the middle stage of the laser printer 1, and heats the paper that has undergone the transfer process under a constant pressure. As a result, the developer image transferred onto the paper is melted and fixed on the paper surface. The paper 21 that has passed through the fixing roller 13 is discharged onto a discharge tray 16 via a conveyance roller 14 and a discharge roller 15 .

[0010] As the paper feed roller 3 rotates, the transport roller 4 also starts rotating, and the paper 21 fed from the paper feed cassette 2 reaches the registration roller 6 by the rotation of the transport roller 4. This registration roller 6 is connected to the photoreceptor drum 7.
The leading edge of the image formed on the surface of the paper 21 is made to coincide with the leading edge of the paper 21, and the movement of the transported paper 21 is temporarily regulated, and then rotation is started in synchronization with the rotation of the photosensitive drum 7. . A sensor 5 is provided on the front side of the registration roller 6, and the sheet 21 being conveyed is detected by this sensor 5.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the control section of the laser printer. Data a output from the host computer is sent to the data processing unit 32 via the interface 31.
Here, print data processing such as data rearrangement and conversion into dot data is executed, and the obtained print data b is temporarily stored in the print data buffer 33. The data processing section 32 outputs a print start command c to the print start control section 34, and the print start control section 34 receives the print start command c and outputs a pickup command d to the mechanical control section 36. Also,
Upon receiving the print data request signal e sent from the mechanical control section 36, it outputs a print start command f. The mechanical control section 36 outputs a drive signal g to the paper feeding section 38 including the paper feeding roller 3 and the transport roller 4,
Upon receiving this, the paper feed section 38 starts rotating the paper feed roller 3 and the conveyance roller 4. Further, the detection signal h of the sensor 5 is input to the mechanical control section 36. The mechanical control section 36 receives this detection signal h and outputs the aforementioned print data request signal e to the print start control section 34.

On the other hand, the print data converted into dot data in the data processing section 32 is stored in the print buffer 35 while undergoing predetermined rearrangement. Print buffer 35
This print data is then output to the laser control unit 37 at a predetermined timing, and the laser control unit 37 outputs drive data to the laser device 16 based on this print data. As a result, the surface of the photoreceptor drum 7 is irradiated with laser light to form an electrostatic latent image.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the control section of the laser printer. The data transmitted from the host computer is read and analyzed, and each line of data is converted into print data, which is dot data, and stored in the print data buffer 33 (n1). When the host computer outputs the one-page end data, a pickup command d is output to the mechanical control unit 36 (n2, n3). The mechanical control unit 36 that received this pickup command
The drive signal g is output to 8 to start driving the paper feed section (n
11, n12). On the other hand, after the pickup command d is output, the data processing unit 32 starts print data processing such as rearranging temporary data (n4).

Here, the paper 21 has been fed from the paper feed cassette 2 due to the start of the operation of the paper feed section 38, and the paper 21 has been fed from the paper feed cassette 2.
When the tip reaches the position of the sensor 5 and a detection signal h is output, the mechanical control unit 36 outputs a print data request e to the print start control unit 34 (n
13, n14).

Upon receiving this print data request, the print start control section 34 outputs the rearranged print data from the print buffer 35 to the laser control section 37 (
n5, n6). The laser control unit 37 that has received this printing data supplies it as drive data to the laser device 16, and drives the laser device 16, which is the printing unit (n1
5, n16). The data processing unit 32
When the output of print data from the host computer starts, the process returns to n1 and reads and analyzes the second page data transmitted from the host computer (n1).

As described above, in the laser printer 1, as shown in FIG. 4, print data processing is executed in parallel with the paper conveyance operation, and the print data processing is completed while the paper is being conveyed. Therefore, compared to the conventional printing method shown in FIG. 6, the time required to output the print data after the print data processing is completed can be shortened. In addition, since data reading and analysis processing are started at the same time after the output of print data from the print buffer 35 is started,
It is possible to significantly shorten the printing work time when printing data for a plurality of pages is continuously copied.

[0017]

[Effects of the Invention] According to the present invention, since print data processing is performed in parallel with the paper feeding operation, the paper reaches a predetermined position after the print data processing is completed, and the print data can be output. This has the advantage that the time required for printing can be shortened.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a laser printer to which a print data processing method according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control section of the laser printer.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of the control unit.

FIG. 4 is a timing chart of each signal.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure in a conventional print data processing method.

FIG. 6 is a timing chart of each signal when the conventional print data processing method is applied.

[Explanation of symbols]

1-Laser printer 16-Laser device 32-Laser processing section 37-Laser control section

Claims (1)

[Claims] Claim 1: When data for one page is input from a host device, a request to start transporting paper is output to a paper feed unit, and then the paper is supplied to a printing unit based on the input data. 1. A print data processing method characterized by starting the creation of print data to be printed.