JPH04357057A - Printer interface - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To adjust whole density or color balance by controlling not only the ON/OFF of a dot but also a dot shape at the time of printing-out. CONSTITUTION:An image processing part 102 receiving the command given form a computer 1 through a command interface 101 develops image data on an image memory 103 according to the command. A dot shape control part 107 determines a dot shape to be printed out according to the input of the command from an operation part 108 and a dot ON/OFF control part 106 performs the ON/OFF control of the image data developed on the image memory 103 according to the dot shape from the dot shape control part 107 in synchronous relation to a video lock under the control of a printer interface 104.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printer interface that develops image data according to a given command on an image memory and supplies the developed image data to an image forming means. The present invention relates to a printer interface that supplies image data to an image forming means that forms an image according to an image processing command in a language or the like.

0002

[Prior Art] Conventionally, printouts in image processing apparatuses that handle page description languages, etc. are based on image data developed on an image memory, and are specified at a predetermined position on a printing medium during actual printout. The only control was whether to hit a colored dot or not.

0003

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, the above-mentioned conventional examples have the disadvantage that the expected density or color balance may not be obtained due to differences in the material of the printing medium or variations in the device itself. there were. Alternatively, if the print data is given in 8 bits, for example, and the maximum data of the 8 bits, ``FF'' data, is supplied to the printer, the printer will take care of ink, toner scattering, fixing failure, etc. It was not uncommon for this to occur.

These problems can similarly occur in electrophotographic printers and inkjet printers.

[0005]

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention has been made for the purpose of solving the above-mentioned problems, and has the following configuration as a means for solving the above-mentioned problems. That is, it is a printer interface that develops image data according to a given command on an image memory and supplies the developed image data to an image forming means, and controls the dot shape formed by the image forming means. A control means is provided.

[0006] For example, the control means controls the dot shape formed by the image forming means in accordance with a given command. Alternatively, the image forming means is a copying machine, and the control means controls the dot formation when the copying machine is operated as a printer from a printer interface.

[0007]

[Operation] With the above configuration, when printing out, not only dot on/off control but also dot shape is controlled, thereby making it possible to adjust the overall density or color balance.

[0008]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block configuration diagram of an embodiment of the present invention, in which a computer 1 receives an image processing command such as a page description language created by a computer 1, develops target image data on an internal image memory, This is an example in which the present invention is applied to an image processing device that prints a developed image on paper or OHP film.

In FIG. 1, 1 is a computer that outputs image processing instructions such as a page description language to the image processing apparatus 100 of this embodiment, 100 is an image processing apparatus of this embodiment, and 200
is a laser beam printer. Note that the following explanation will be based on an example in which an image forming process is performed in accordance with an image processing command from the computer 1 and is printed out. However, the present invention is not limited to a printer, and the computer 1 includes an image reading device ( A scanner) may be connected, and the image data read by the image reading device may be subjected to predetermined processing by the computer 1 and then printed out by the printing mechanism shown in FIG. It is naturally within the scope of the present invention to be applied to copying machines in this way.

In the image processing device 100, 101 is a communication interface that receives commands from the computer 1, 102 is an image processing section, 103 is an image memory for storing image data developed by the image processing section 102, and 104 is an image memory. According to the image data sent from 103,
Dot O to the dot ON-OFF control section 106
A printer interface unit outputs a signal instructing N-OFF, 105 is a print position control unit for controlling the position of the medium to be printed, and 106 is a dot ON unit for controlling dot on/off (ON-OFF).
-OFF control; 107 is a dot shape control section for controlling the shape (size, etc.) of dots to be printed; and 108 is an operation section for inputting various operation instructions.

The image processing unit 102 includes, for example, a port IC 152 using a high-speed CPU 151 shown in FIG. 2, and a ROM 15.
3. Work RAM 154, read/write register 155
, a cache memory 156, etc., and has a circuit configuration for performing high-speed image processing. Each of these components may be composed of individual ICs or a dedicated image processing chip. Here, the configuration is such that each time an image processing command is received from the communication interface unit 101, the command is processed and the image is developed into the image memory 103 corresponding to a raster image.

[0012] Dot ON-OFF control section 106
, dot shape control section 107, and printer 20
The relationship with 0 is shown in FIG. Dot shape control section 1
07 has the role of changing the size of the dot, and a triangular wave generator generates a triangular wave from the video clock signal 213 from the printer 200, and this generated triangular wave signal is determined according to the operation input from the operation unit 108. It is compared with the density VR setting value that determines the printout density, converted into a dot signal having a shape according to the operation input, and sent to the laser driver IC of the print position control section 105. Note that this determines the width of the print dot, and the direction of the print dot is determined by the print position control section 105 based on the count value of the counter that counts the video clock signal 213, and the count value of the counter is determined by D. /A conversion and feed it to the laser driver 211 to control the lateral direction, and also output it to the printing material position controller to control the photoreceptor 212.
It is configured to perform longitudinal position control in the vertical direction.

Note that the configuration of the dot shape control section is not limited to that shown in the drawings, and various other configurations are possible.
For example, if a triangular wave is not used, a configuration may be used in which an upper limit value is simply determined for the given data, and various configurations may be used.

FIG. 4 shows the operation of this embodiment having the above configuration.
This will be explained below with reference to the flowchart. The communication interface 101 of the image processing device 100 of this embodiment is as follows:
In step S1, it is monitored that the computer 1 sends an image processing command according to a predetermined protocol. When the computer 1 sends an image processing command, the communication interface unit 101 proceeds to step S2, receives this image processing command, and converts it into a command that can be easily processed by the image processing unit 102 at the next stage. Then, the image processing instruction converted in step S3 is sent to the image processing section 102. Image processing section 10
2, the communication interface unit 10 is sequentially connected in step S4.
1 performs image processing according to the image processing command received from 1. In the following step S5, it is checked whether information indicating the end of the image processing command has been received from the computer 1, and if the information indicating the end of the image processing command has not been received, the process returns to step S2 and the next image processing command is executed. receive.

On the other hand, upon receiving information indicating the end of the image processing command, the process proceeds to step S6, where the image processing section 102 stores the image memory 103 in the printer interface section 104.
Sends information to start outputting raster image data expanded to. The printer interface section 104, which has received this output start information, waits for the printout preparation to be completed in step S7, and when the printout preparation is completed, the printer interface section 104 proceeds to step S8.
The transmission permission information is sent to the image processing unit 102 via 4. When the image processing section 102 receives this transmission permission information, it outputs the data on the image memory 103 in the form of a raster image to the printer interface section 104 in synchronization with the video clock signal from the printer 200 in step S9. At this time, the printer interface unit 104 outputs a start signal to start sending raster image data to the print position control unit 105 for controlling the position of the medium to be printed, and the print position control unit 105 outputs the start signal. The printing position is controlled in synchronization with the video clock signal from the printer 200 from the time of reception. Further, the printer interface section 104 controls the dot ON-OFF control section 1 according to the image data sent from the image memory 103.
A signal instructing dot ON/OFF is output to 06. In the example of FIG. 3, if a dot exists, it will be "0", and if it does not exist, it will be "1".

At this time, the dot shape control section 10
In step 7, the density VR is changed in accordance with the dot shape control signal outputted from the operation section 108, and the size of the dot is changed. By arbitrarily controlling this density VR according to the operation instructions from the operation unit 108, the laser driver 211 can be driven with the dot size adjusted by the operation unit 108, and a dot of a desired size can be printed. can.

Color balance can be controlled by inputting instructions from the operation unit 108 for the overall density during printing or, in the case of color, the size of dots for each color. As explained above, according to this embodiment, when printing, not only dot on/off control is performed, but also
The dot shape can also be controlled, and the overall density or color balance can also be adjusted.

[0018]

[Other Embodiments] FIG. 5 shows a second embodiment of the present invention. In the first embodiment described above, an example was explained in which the dot shape is controlled in accordance with instruction input from the operation unit 108. However, this dot shape control is
The system is not limited to inputting instructions only from 08, but may be configured to be automatically controllable.

For example, as shown in FIG. 5, a paper feed sensor that detects the level of the recording material in the paper feed section of the printer, a sensor that detects the type of recording material such as whether the recording material is paper or an OHP sheet, or The configuration includes a paper feed sensor 109 that is a sensor that detects information such as paper whiteness, and the paper feed sensor 109 is a sensor that detects information such as paper whiteness.
The dot size can be determined based on this information. In this case, the dot shape corresponding to the detection result may be stored in advance, and even if it remains unchanged, the dot shape corresponding to the detection result may be specified in advance by a computer, or
Any method may be used, such as inputting an instruction from a keyboard (not shown) or the like.

[0020] By controlling in this way, it is possible to automatically print out an optimal dot shape depending on the properties of the recording material. For other image processing methods, see
Since this is the same as the first embodiment described above, detailed explanation will be omitted. FIG. 6 shows a third embodiment of the present invention. Third
In this embodiment, the dot shape can be specified each time by a computer or the like via a communication interface. In this case, the communication interface section 101' is configured to be able to discriminate and receive dot shape designation information from a computer, etc., and the dot shape control section 107' performs dot shape designation information according to the dot shape information received by the communication interface section 101'. The dot shape may be configured to be controllable.

FIG. 7 shows a detailed configuration example of this dot shape control section 107'. In FIG. 7, the dot shape information received from the communication interface 101' is D/A.
The converter 71 converts it into a corresponding analog signal and the comparator 7
3, and the other terminal of the comparator 73 receives a triangular wave from a triangular wave generator 72 that generates a triangular wave based on the video clock signal 213. And comparator 7
3, it is sufficient to binarize it into a dot on/off signal.

With this configuration, the size of the dots to be printed can be specified via the communication interface section 101', and the density and color balance can be set from the computer before sending the image processing command. can. FIG. 8 shows a fourth embodiment according to the present invention. In the fourth embodiment, an instruction to change the size of a dot may be incorporated into an image processing instruction as density information, and the shape of an output dot may be controlled in accordance with this density information.

In this embodiment, the dot shape control section 107' can be used instead of the dot ON/OFF control section, and the dot ON/OFF control section is omitted. In the fourth embodiment, in accordance with density information sent from the image processing section 102 to the printer interface section 104, information corresponding to the dot shape control section 107' is sent from the printer interface section 104. The dot shape is determined using a similar configuration.

[0024] With the above configuration, the size of the dot can be changed by image processing commands sent from the computer, and the density can be simply controlled by the computer when binary output is performed. In order to output beautiful images such as photographs, it is also possible to output multiple values within a predetermined area. FIG. 9 shows a fifth embodiment according to the present invention. In the fifth embodiment, the case where the printer section of a copying machine is used is limited.

In the normal mode, the scanner 111 reads the original according to the copy designation from the operation unit 108'.
After performing various image processing, the processed image data is output to the image selector 110. In normal mode, image selector 1
10 outputs the above-described processed image data to a dot shape control section 107', where it forms pixels of multivalue gradation. When the external device input mode is set by inputting an instruction from the operation unit 108', a REMOTE signal is input to the image selector 110. Note that at this time, density data that can be arbitrarily set from the operation unit 108' is stored in the density register 109. Therefore, when the external device input mode is set, the communication interface 101
Data subjected to image processing by the image processing unit 102 from the computer is stored in the image memory 103 as a bitmap.

When the data read from the image memory 103 is "1", the density data stored in the density register 109 is output to the image selector 110, and when it is "0", the data "00" is output to the image selector 110. It is output to the selector 110. That is, a dot-shaped binary image output corresponding to the density data stored in the density register 109 can be obtained.

The concentration register 109 stores the memory contents (
This prevents the setting density data from being deleted. Since the density register 109 retains previously set data in this way, even if various settings are made in the normal mode in which it operates as a copying machine, the previously set density settings will not be affected in any way. I don't give it either.

Further, in the above explanation, the density register 109 has a different configuration, but in reality, the operation section 10
8' or a part of the RAM with a backup function provided in the scanner 111 may be allocated. Furthermore, switching between the normal operation mode in which the copying machine operates and the external device input mode is not limited to inputting instructions from the operation unit 108', but can also be specified from the computer via the communication interface 101. When transmitting image data, an instruction may be given when connecting to a computer.

In this embodiment, when data is supplied from the printer interface 104 to the dot shape control circuit 107', the data set in the density register 109 is output, and the output from the scanner 111 is sent to the dot shape control circuit 107'. When supplying to ', it is output as is. Therefore, even if high-level image data "FF" is given from the outside, for example from a computer, a signal with a lower level can be automatically output to the printer, preventing toner scattering and fixing as described above. Defects can be prevented.

It should be noted that the present invention may be applied to a system made up of a plurality of devices or to a device made up of one device.

It goes without saying that the present invention can also be applied to a case where the present invention is achieved by supplying a program to a system or device.

[0032]

As explained above, according to the present invention, toner scattering and poor fixing can be prevented by not only controlling dot on/off but also changing the dot shape during printout. This can be prevented, or the overall density and color balance can be changed.

[0033] Furthermore, it is possible to cope with different materials of the printing medium, and it is also possible to match the density and color balance to the print output level of other image processing apparatuses.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

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

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the detailed configuration of the image processing section in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a dot ON-OFF control section 106, a dot shape control section 107, and a dot shape control section 107 in the first embodiment.
FIG.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing operation control in the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a detailed block diagram of a dot shape control section that enables digital control in the third embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a block configuration diagram when applied to a printer section of a copying machine according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Computer, 101 Communication interface unit, 102
Image processing unit, 103 Image memory, 104 Printer interface unit, 105
These are a print position control section, 106 a dot ON-OFF control section, 107 a dot shape control section, 108 an operation section having a density adjustment VR or color adjustment VR function, 109 a density register, 110 an image selector, 111 a scanner, and 200 a printer.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A printer interface that develops image data according to a given command on an image memory and supplies the developed image data to an image forming means, the printer interface comprising:
A printer interface comprising a control means for controlling a dot shape formed by the image forming means. 2. The printer interface according to claim 1, wherein said control means controls the dot shape formed by said image forming means in accordance with a given command. 3. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the image forming means is a copying machine, and the control means controls the dot formation when the copying machine is operated as a printer from a printer interface. interface.