JPH0471881A - Recording apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To perform accurate page numbering in a series of next outputs without performing the operation input of a special recording apparatus due to an operator and emitting the count number of pages from an external data generating source by judging the intermission of the input of recording data from the external data generating source to automatically reset the counting of the number of pages. CONSTITUTION:A memory page number is reset, made incremental and reset by a CPU 4 to be controlled in reading. A timer part 7 counts a time until the timer set time preset through DO2 is elapsed when a timer start signal SO2 is outputted from the CPU 4 and generates an interruption signal to the CPU 4 when the set time is elapsed. The CPU 4 first sets the initial value of a page number to a number-of-page memory part 5 and subsequently sets a predetermined timer value to the timer part through DO2. This timer value is time setting judging the completion of the print-out of a series of memory data corresponding to the intermission degree of data input.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Industrial application field]

The present invention relates to a recording device that sequentially records input information on a recording medium page by page.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, recording devices such as laser beam printers that record various data input from an external information source such as a word processor or personal computer onto a recording medium such as paper have a function to output page by page. It is equipped. This type of recording device counts the number of pages of information input from an external information source, and edits and records the counted number of pages together with the input information.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve] However,
In the conventional example described above, the page count inside the printer remains not reset after a series of outputs is completed. Therefore, when a series of recording outputs is completed, the operator must either reset the recording device or issue a command from an external device to reset the page number or set the initial value. Therefore, the above operations are impossible or difficult unless the operator is familiar with the recording device or the external device.

[Means to solve the problem]

The present invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and includes the following configuration as a means for achieving the above-mentioned objects. That is, in a recording device that sequentially records input information on a recording medium page by page, there is an input means for accepting recorded information from an external information source, and a counter for counting the number of pages of recorded information input by the input means. a recording means for recording the number of pages counted by the counting means and recording information input from the input means on a recording medium;
A determining means for determining whether or not recorded information input by the input means is interrupted; and means for resetting or setting the number of pages counted by the counting means when the determining means determines that the recorded information input by the input means is interrupted. Equipped with

[Effect]

In the above configuration, in order to automatically reset the page count by determining a break in the input of recorded information from an external information source, it is possible to It is possible to provide a recording device that can perform correct page numbering in the next series of outputs without issuing a page count number from the source.

【Example】

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing the basic configuration of an embodiment according to the present invention, and FIG. 1 shows the function of a recording device that sequentially records input information on a recording medium in units of pages in this embodiment. ing. In the figure, 100 is an external information source such as a host computer, 101 is an input means for accepting recorded information from the information source 100, 102 is a counting means for counting the number of pages of recorded information input by the input means 101, and 103 is a counting means for counting the number of pages of recorded information input by the input means 101. Output control means for editing the number of pages counted by the counting means 102 and recording information input from the input means 101, distributing the pages, and recording and outputting the same on the recording medium 104;
05 is a determining means for determining whether or not the recorded information inputted by the input means 101 is interrupted; 106 is the determining means 10;
5 is a reset means for instructing the counting means 102 to reset the number of pages counted by the counting means 102 when it is determined that the input recording information in the input means 101 has been interrupted. A specific circuit configuration in which the device of this embodiment having the above functions is applied to a page printer will be described below with reference to the block diagram of FIG. 2. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 1 denotes a host computer which is an external recording information generation source, which generates information such as characters to be recorded and output, image data, control commands, etc., and inputs the generated information to the image generation device 2. 2 receives recorded information from the host computer 1, performs predetermined pagination, image editing processing, etc.
An image generating device outputs the converted video signal to the printing mechanism section 10 for recording output (printout); 10 is a printing device that receives the output image information image from the image generating device 2 in the form of a video signal and prints it out; This is the mechanical part. In the image generating device 2, reference numeral 3 denotes an interface circuit that controls the interface with the host computer 1, and includes a receiving buffer that temporarily stores data input from the host computer 1 and recording information. Further, when information such as character data, image data, control commands, etc. is input from the host computer 1, the interface circuit 3
It outputs an interrupt signal SQL notifying the CPU 4 of the input, and sends input information DOI such as data to the CPU 4. Reference numeral 4 denotes a central processing unit that performs overall control of the image generation device 2 of this embodiment, including analysis and editing of image data supplied from the host computer 1, in accordance with the control procedure shown in FIG. 3, for example, stored in the program storage unit 6. (hereinafter referred to as CPU)
, 5 is a page number storage unit that stores a page number (number of pages) to be edited next together with input information, and the stored page number is set, incremented, reset, and read out by the CPU 4. Reference numeral 6 denotes a program storage section for storing the above-mentioned programs, etc., and 7 is a timer section, which, when the timer start signal SO2 is output from the CPU 4, keeps time until the timer setting time preset through DO2 has elapsed. , when the set time has elapsed, an interrupt signal SO3 is generated to the CPU 4. An output page buffer 8 temporarily stores the edited image data sent from the CPU 4 and sends it to the printer interface 9 as a dot image when it reaches one page.
is a printer interface that converts the dot image recording information sent from the output page buffer 8 into a corresponding video signal and sends it to the printing mechanism section 10. The printout control of this embodiment having the above configuration will be explained below with reference to the flowchart of FIG. FIG. 3 shows an operation procedure centered on a page number reset operation in the CPU 4 of the image generation device 2 in this embodiment. First, in step S1, the CPU 4 sets "1", which is the initial value of the page number, in the page number storage section 5. Next, in step S2, a predetermined timer value is set in the timer section 7 by DO2. This timer value is a time setting that determines how much of a break in data input occurs before it is determined that printing out a series of recorded information has ended.The timer value is the optimum value that does not cause false detection of completion, taking into consideration the system configuration. Just set it. Then, in step S3, it is checked whether the operator issues an instruction to start output from an operation console (not shown) and data transmission from the host computer 1 has started. The CPU 4 controls the host computer 1 depending on whether or not the interrupt signal Sol from the interface circuit 3 is received.
We will check to see if data is being sent from. Data from host computer 1 is sent to interface circuit 3
When input to the CPU 4, this input data is temporarily stored in the reception buffer, and an interrupt signal Sol is output to the CPU 4. When the CPU 4 detects the interrupt signal SO1, the CPU 4 proceeds from step S3 to step S4, temporarily inhibits timer interrupts, and reads data from the reception buffer of the interface circuit 3 in step S5. Then, in step S6, the page number stored in the page number storage section 5 and the read data are edited, and sequentially stored in the output page buffer 8 in the form of a recorded dot image (.Then, in step S7 to determine whether the page is at the end (whether one page's worth of recorded image information has been stored in the output page buffer 8).If one page's worth of recorded data has not been stored yet, step Return to S3 and prepare for the next data input.Meanwhile, the recorded data for one page is stored in the output page buffer 8.
, the output image data of the page indicated by the stored page number in the page number storage unit 5 has been expanded in the output page buffer 8 together with the image information indicating the page number, and therefore the process starts from step S7. S
8, the contents of the page number storage unit 5 are incremented by 1 to advance the page number. Then, the image data in the output page buffer 8 is sent to the printer interface 9, where it is converted into a corresponding video signal. Then, the process returns to step S3 and prepares for inputting the next print data.On the other hand, if the print data from the host computer 1 has not arrived in step S3, the process proceeds from step S3 to step SIO. The CPU 4 presses the SO2 signal to the timer section 7 to instruct the timer section 7 to start timing, and also allows the timer section 7 to interrupt the timer.
In step S11, if there is no input of print data from the host computer 4 for the set time in the timer section 7, it is checked whether or not the timer section 7 has timed out, and if no timeout has occurred, the process proceeds to step S3. On the other hand, in step Sll, if no print data is input from the host computer 4 during the set time in the timer section 7 and the timer section 7 times out, the printout of the previous recorded data is not completed. Once the data has settled down, the next input data is all (new data, so the process returns from step Sll to step S1 and the recording is output again from the first page. With the above processing procedure, the data input from the host computer 1 When data for one case is output continuously and the data is not interrupted, the number of pages is counted sequentially, and the page number data can be edited and output at the same time as the input data.On the other hand, when the data for one case is output When the output is finished and the data is interrupted, this can be automatically determined and the number of pages can be reset, and when the next data is printed out, page numbering is performed again from the first page.

[Other Embodiments] In the embodiments described above, the timer unit 7 is automatically set to the timer value specified by the program by the CPU 4 in step S2, but the constructed system may cause data to be interrupted. Since they are different, it is also possible to configure the system so that a few selections or the value itself (such as 9 minutes per second) can be input from a panel provided in an image generator (not shown). By configuring in this way, it is even more versatile. This makes it possible to perform automatic numbering in all possible situations.Similarly, it is also within the scope of the present invention to configure the timer value to be set in the timer section 7 so that it can be set from the host computer. Conventionally, there has been an image output device that detects gaps in data and outputs pages that remain in the device without being ejected. If you set up the process, the last page will be output even if there is no command to end one page,
Of course, the number of pages can also be reset. Further, although a hardware timer is used in this embodiment, a software timer can also be used. Effects of the Invention As explained above, according to the present invention, the discontinuity in the input of recorded information from an external information source is determined and the page count is automatically reset. It is possible to provide a recording device that can perform correct page numbering in the next series of outputs without having to enter operating information on the recording device or issuing page counts from an external information source.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of an embodiment according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a specific circuit configuration in which the device of this embodiment having the functions shown in FIG. 1 is applied to a page printer, and FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing printout processing of the apparatus of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2. FIG. (CPU), 5... Page number storage section, 6... Program storage section, 7... Timer section, 8... C output page buffer, 9... Printer interface, 10.
...Printing mechanism section, 100...Information source, 101...
- Input means, ]02... Counting means, 103...
Output control means, 105...judgment means, 106...reset means. Patent applicant Canon Co., Ltd.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A recording device that sequentially records input information on a recording medium page by page, comprising an input means for accepting recorded information from an external information source, and the number of pages of recorded information input by the input means. a counting means for counting the number of pages, a recording means for recording on a recording medium the number of pages counted by the counting means and recorded information inputted from the inputting means, and a recording means for recording whether or not the recorded information inputted by the inputting means is interrupted. A recording apparatus comprising: a determining means for making a determination; and a resetting means for resetting the number of pages counted by the counting means when the determining means determines that input recorded information by the input means has stopped.