JPH05104825A - Printer control device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a printer control device capable of selecting an optimal emulation from among printer control languages which control a printer using a divided printable character string. CONSTITUTION:A printer control device 21 is equipped with emulation programs corresponding to a printer control language which controls a printer using a divided printable character string. If data for printing consisting of this printer control language is received, CPU 31 selects one emulation and refers to its emulation execution table. Then if a significant character word is discovered, CPU 31 selects its emulation for processing data for printing. If not, CPU 31 selects emulations one by one sequentially and refers to their respective tables.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printer control device for printing data sent from a print information source such as a host computer, and more particularly to a printer using a delimited printable character string. The present invention relates to a printer control device that selects emulation based on data sent in a print control language for controlling the printer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 7 shows a general connection relationship between a host computer as an example of a print information source and a printer. The host computer 11 and the printer device 12 are connected by a communication cable 13, and image data and various control codes are transmitted through the communication cable 13. In the printer device 12, a printer control device 14 and a printing unit 15 as a printing mechanism are arranged. Printer controller 14
Is for developing an image for printing and for controlling printing of the printing unit 15.

In such a printing system, if the host computer 11 and the printer device 12 are manufactured by the same maker in the same era and both are sold as a set, they are supplied from the host computer 11. There is no particular problem when the printer device 12 prints the image data.

However, in reality, the host computer 1
In many cases, the manufacturers of 1 and the printer device 12 are not the same, or even those related to the manufacture of the same manufacturer have different dates of manufacture. Even in such a case, it is necessary for the printer control device 14 of the printer device to correctly decode the control code sent from the host computer 11 side and perform the printing operation.

Therefore, conventionally, there has been a printer apparatus in which a plurality of emulations and a changeover switch for these are arranged in a controller. In such a printer device, an appropriate emulation is selected by switching the switch depending on the type of the host computer of the connection destination.

However, in the printer device which switches the emulation by the switch as described above, it is necessary to operate the switch each time the host computer is changed, which is not only troublesome but also causes the printer device to malfunction if the switch operation is mistaken. There was a problem that printing could not be performed at all.

In order to solve such a problem, a printer device has been proposed in which the switching of emulation is automated. Among them, in the printing device disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1-314177, a plurality of emulations are arranged inside the device, and a control command code received from the outside is collated with these plural types of emulations. There is. Then, the most suitable emulation is automatically selected and the control command is converted.

Further, in JP-A-1-287727,
Similarly, a plurality of emulations are arranged inside the device. Then, the number of times these emulations are selected is stored in a non-volatile storage means, and the emulation having the maximum number of selections is selected in a predetermined case such as when the power is turned on. ..

[0009]

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1-3
In the printing apparatus described in Japanese Patent No. 14177, emulation is selected by identifying a control command in the printer control language. However, some printer control languages, such as Postscript, do not use such an identifiable special control command but perform control using only normal characters.
The printing device described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1-314177 cannot analyze the printing data transmitted in the printer control language using only such characters, and cannot select the optimum emulation. ..

On the other hand, in the apparatus described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1-287727, the emulation that has been used most so far is initialized, so that the printer is controlled by a certain printable character string. The initial setting of emulation can also be performed on the printing data transmitted in the printer control language. However, whether or not the selected emulation is optimal is a completely different matter, and when data of a language other than the most frequently used printer control language is sent, the emulation selection may be different. It had the drawback of being definitely wrong.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a printer control device capable of selecting an optimum emulation among printer control languages for controlling a printer by a certain printable character string.

[0012]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a data storage section for storing print data sent from a print information source such as a host device, and a plurality of emulation programs having no escape sequence. And an analysis processing means for selecting one of a plurality of emulation programs to analyze the printing data, and determining whether or not the analysis result of the printing data is appropriate at a predetermined time point. The printer control device is provided with a means and a switching means for switching the program to be executed when the determination means determines that it is not appropriate to another emulation program stored in the emulation program storage section.

That is, according to the first aspect of the invention, the print data sent from the print information source is analyzed using one of a plurality of emulation programs having no escape sequence. If it is judged that the printout content is meaningless as a result of analysis, it is possible to switch to another prepared emulation program and finally select the proper emulation. Let

According to a second aspect of the present invention, a language for controlling the printer by a data storage unit for storing print data sent from a print information source such as a host device and a delimited printable character string. When a predetermined portion of the print data stored in the emulation program storage unit storing at least a plurality of emulation programs corresponding to the above and the data storage unit are all composed of characters, the printer is provided with a delimited printable character string. Analysis processing means for selecting one of the emulation programs of the language for controlling the print data and analyzing the data for printing, determination means for determining the suitability of the analysis result of the print data at a predetermined time point, and this determination The program to be executed when it is determined that the means is not appropriate is the emulation program class. And switching means for switching to another emulation program for language to control the printer by stored delimited printable a string in part be provided in the printer controller.

That is, according to the second aspect of the invention, not only the emulation program corresponding to the printer control language having the control command in the emulation program storage unit but also the printer control for controlling the printer by a delimited printable character string. Some emulation programs corresponding to the language are stored, and the printer is controlled by a delimited printable character string when the specified part of the printing data stored in the data storage part is composed entirely of characters. It is determined as an emulation program for the language to be used. Then, at this time, one of the emulation programs is selected to analyze the data for printing, the analysis result is determined at a predetermined time point, and it is determined that the analysis result is not appropriate. In this case, a delimited printable character string is used to switch to another emulation program for the language for controlling the printer.

[0016]

EXAMPLES The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to examples.

FIG. 1 shows an outline of a circuit configuration of a printer control device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The printer control device 21 includes a plurality of host computers 23 such as workstations via communication cables 22.
_It is connected to ₁ to 23 _N and receives the data for printing. In addition, the printer control device 21
Is connected to a printer engine 24 for performing printing using the created print data. The printer engine 24 is composed of basic components as a laser printer. Then, the received print data is used to modulate the laser beam, and a photosensitive drum (not shown) is exposed and scanned to form an electrostatic latent image. The electrostatic latent image is developed by a developing device (not shown) to form a toner image. This toner image is transferred and fixed on a print sheet (not shown) and discharged as a printed sheet onto a tray (not shown).

The printer controller 21 includes a CPU 31 which is the center of various controls. The CPU 31 is connected to a ROM 33, a RAM 34, a non-volatile memory (NVM) 35, a network interface (I / F) unit 36, a panel control unit 37, a cartridge control unit 38, and an output interface unit 39 via a bus 32 such as a data bus. ing.

ROM (Read Only Memory)
A program for performing various controls of the printer control device 21 is stored in 33. A RAM (Random Access Memory) 34 has a role as a working memory for storing data temporarily required for the CPU 31 to execute various controls, and also for expanding image data. It also serves as a page memory and a reception buffer for storing the received printing data. Here, the image data is data sent to the printer engine 24 for printing.

Next, a non-volatile memory used in this embodiment.
The memory 35 is a rewritable nonvolatile memory.
This includes multiple emulation programs that are commonly used.
Ram and the choice of these emulation programs
Escape sequence table used for
Kun table is stored. Where the token and
Is a single string that is meaningful to the emulation.
Say rank. This memory is non-volatile, so turn off the power
The contents are also saved. Rewriting
Possible non-volatile memory is flash electrical erase
ROM (Flash E ²PROM) and electrically erasable ROM (E
²PROM) or hard disk storage device is typical
Is. In this embodiment, the flash electric erase ROM is not used.
It is used as volatile memory. Back by battery
The upgraded RAM may also be a non-volatile memory.
Can be used.

The network interface section 36 is prepared to serve as an interface for communication with the network. Network interface unit 3
6 takes in the data sent from the host computers 23 ₁ , ... 23 _N through the communication cable 22,
The CPU 31 is set to be ready for processing.
Although not shown in the figure, the network interface unit 36 includes a FIFO (first in first out)
A memory is arranged to absorb the difference in data transfer speed. The panel control unit 37 is connected to a control panel 41, and controls input / output of data with respect to various keys and a liquid crystal display. An emulation cartridge 42 is detachably attached to the cartridge control unit 38 as needed. Emulation cartridge 42
Is a memory that stores emulation programs used in addition to a plurality of emulation programs stored in the non-volatile memory 35 and their emulation tables. The emulation cartridge 42 is divided into several types, and it is possible to select the most suitable one corresponding to the print information source such as the host computer 23 ₁ , ... 23 _N to be used and to mount it on the printer control device. It has become.

FIG. 2 shows an emulation group A of a printer control language for controlling the printer by an escape code or other control code and a printable character following it, and the printer by a certain delimited printable character string. Assuming that the printer control language emulation group B is stored in the non-volatile memory 35 and the emulation cartridge 42, an outline of a processing procedure for selecting the emulation groups A and B is shown.

First, the CPU 31 clears the contents of a memory (hereinafter referred to as a file memory) for storing files in the RAM 34 (FIG. 1), and print data arrives from any of the host computers 23 ₁ to 23 _N. Then, store it in this file memory (step S10
1; Y), a predetermined amount of data stored in the head portion of the file memory, for example 100 bytes, is stored in the RAM 3
4 is stored in the reception buffer (step S10).
2). And this part is all letters "a", "b",
It is determined whether or not the character is a character such as "c", a tab character, and a sub-break character (step S10).
3). If it is composed only of printable characters, space characters, tab characters, and double-ended characters (return characters or line feed characters) (Y), emulation group B is selected (step S104). Then, the files received in step S101 are sequentially read into the work area of the RAM 34 and analyzed by one of the programs of the emulation group B (step S105). If no meaningful character string appears as a result of this analysis, analysis is performed by another program of the emulation group B.
In this way, when a meaningful character string does not appear in any of the programs of the emulation group B (step S106; N), it is determined that the emulation group is selected incorrectly and the other emulation group A is selected.
Is selected (step S107). When a meaningful character string appears (step S106; Y), the print data is sent to the printer engine 24 through the output interface unit 39 (step S108).

On the other hand, if code information other than printable characters, space characters, tab characters, and return characters (return character or line feed character) is stored in the receiving buffer in step S103 (N), emulation group A is selected (step S107). Emulation group A
If is selected, the files received in step S101 are sequentially read into the work area of the RAM 34, and analysis is executed by the optimum program in the emulation group A (step S109). Then, the print data obtained as a result is sent to the printer engine 24 (step S108).

In FIGS. 3, 5, and 6, the emulation group B corresponding to the printer control language for controlling the printer is selected by a certain printable character string delimited by the selection of the emulation group shown in FIG. It shows a procedure for selecting an appropriate emulation program in the above case.

First, in FIG. 3, the emulation execution table for the printer control language for controlling the printer by a certain printable character string delimited from the area corresponding to the reception buffer in the RAM 34 (FIG. 1) is cleared. (Step S201). Then, the emulation is set to the initial setting in the group B (step S202). In this embodiment, one of the following three can be selected as the emulation to be initialized. These selections are made by pressing a key (not shown) on the control panel 41.

(B) The emulation selected last time in the emulation group B.

(B) The emulation most frequently used so far in the emulation group B.

(C) Emulation specified by the operator this time in the emulation group B.

Among these, (a) is a logic based on the fact that the most recently used printer control language has a high probability of transmitting data. (B) is a logic based on a statistical point of view. In the case of (c), the fact can be utilized when the operator receives a telephone contact about the data to be transmitted in advance.

After the initial setting of the emulation is performed, the emulation section currently set in the emulation execution table is changed to "executed" (step S203).

FIG. 4 shows a part of the contents of the emulation execution table. The emulation execution table 10 is a table for the emulation group B corresponding to the printer control language for controlling the printer with a certain printable character string delimited as described above. The first to Mth emulations and their flags are entered here. Of these, the flag is the emulation execution table 5 in step S201.
When “1” is cleared, it becomes all “0”. In this figure, the state where the second emulation is initialized is shown, and the second emulation is performed by the step S203.
The flag for the emulation of is changed from "0" to "1". That is, when the flag is "0", it has not been executed yet, and "1" has already been executed.

When the emulation execution table 51 is changed in this way, the CPU 31 sets the pointer to the head position of the data stored in the file buffer (step S204). Then, the first byte of the data stored in the file buffer is read out, and the pointer is advanced to the position where the next reading is performed (step S205). Then, it is checked whether or not the read data corresponds to the delimiter defined by the second emulation as the current emulation (step S206). If not (N), this 1-byte data is stored in the reception buffer (step S207). And step S20
Return to 5 and repeat the same operation. In this way the second
If the delimiter character that defines the emulation is specified (step S206; Y), the character string stored in the reception buffer is used as a token in a meaningful character string unit (step S208). Then, it is searched whether the same token exists in the above-mentioned token table for the second emulation (step S209).

As a result, if there is a matching token in the token table (step S210; Y),
The token will be processed (step S21).
1). At this time, whether the token is a file end symbol indicating the end of the file (step S212) or an output command to the printer engine 24 (step S212).
Check two points of 213) again. And
If it is a file terminal symbol (step S21)
2; Y), the processing is ended (end). On the other hand, if it is an output command (step S213;
Y), and sends the processed print data to the printer engine 24 (step S219). Then, the contents of the page buffer provided for printing one page are cleared (step S215). Then, the contents of the reception buffer after processing are also cleared (step S216), and the process returns to step S205 to start the processing of the next page.

On the other hand, if the processed token is neither a file end symbol nor an output command (step S2)
13; N), the processing result is expanded in the page buffer (step S217). Then, the processed reception buffer is cleared (step S216), and similarly, step S216
We will return to 205. Thus, when the file terminal symbol finally appears (step S212;
Y), all the processing will be completed.

The case where the processing by the second emulation is smoothly performed has been described above. On the other hand, if the corresponding token does not exist in the token table of the second emulation in step S210 of FIG. 5 (N), the grammatical error due to the second emulation as the current emulation is displayed (step S21
8) After that, it is judged whether or not there is an unexecuted emulation in the emulation B group (step S219). In the emulation execution table 51 shown in FIG. 4, if there is an unexecuted flag “0”, it is determined to be present, and if not, it is determined not to be present. If it is determined that the file does not exist (N), a print execution error is displayed (step S210),
The process ends (end).

On the other hand, when it is determined that there is an unexecuted emulation in the emulation group B (step S219; Y), switching to the next unexecuted emulation is performed (step S).
211). As the logic for switching to the next order, the logic used for initial setting of emulation can be used similarly. When the switching is performed, the contents of the reception buffer are cleared (step S212) and step S203 of FIG.
Then, the same control as described above is performed.

In the embodiment described above, the selection method in the case where there are a plurality of printer control languages for controlling the printer by the escape code or other control code and the printable characters following it is not particularly described. For these, various selection methods already proposed can be used as they are.

In the embodiment, a printer control language for controlling the printer by an escape code or other control code and a printable character following the escape code and a printer control language for controlling the printer by a certain printable character string separated from each other. Although the emulation programs for both sides were prepared and these selections were made, in the printer control device that assumes that only the printer control language for controlling the printer is received by a certain delimited printable character string, the emulation Group A or emulation B
Of course, it is only necessary to perform the control described in FIGS. 3 to 6 without performing the work of selecting a group.

[0040]

As described above, according to the present invention, one of a plurality of emulations corresponding to a plurality of printer control languages for controlling a printer by a certain printable character string is selected. The data for printing is analyzed in this way, and if a meaningful character string is not found, another emulation is analyzed, and the data is analyzed sequentially to set the optimum emulation. Therefore, there is an effect that the emulation can be surely selected.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an outline of a circuit configuration of a printer control device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an outline of a processing procedure for selecting two emulation groups A and B.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a part of a control flow when an emulation group B corresponding to a printer control language for controlling a printer by a certain delimited printable character string is selected.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a part of the contents of an emulation execution table in the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing another part of the control flow when the emulation group B corresponding to the printer control language for controlling the printer by the certain delimited printable character string is selected.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the remaining part of the control flow when the emulation group B corresponding to the printer control language for controlling the printer by the certain delimited printable character string is selected.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a general connection relationship between a host computer as an example of a print information source and a printer device.

[Explanation of symbols]

21 ... Printer control device, 23 ₁ to 23 _N ... Host computer, 24 ... Printer engine, 31 ... CPU, 3
3 ... ROM, 34 ... RAM, 35 ... Non-volatile memory, 3
6 ... Network interface section, 42 ... Emulation cartridge, 51 ... Emulation execution table

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A data storage unit for storing print data sent from a print information source such as a host device, an emulation program storage unit for storing a plurality of emulation programs without an escape sequence, and the plurality of emulations. An analysis processing means for selecting one of the programs to analyze the printing data, a judging means for judging the suitability of the analysis result of the printing data at a predetermined time point, and this judging means being inappropriate. A printer control device comprising: a switching unit that switches a program to be executed when the determination is made to another emulation program stored in the emulation program storage unit. 2. A data storage unit for storing print data sent from a print information source such as a host device, and a plurality of emulations corresponding to a language for controlling a printer by a delimited printable character string. When the emulation program storage unit that stores at least the program and the predetermined portion of the printing data stored in the data storage unit are all composed of characters, a language for controlling the printer by a delimited printable character string is used. An analysis processing unit that selects one of the emulation programs and analyzes the printing data, a determination unit that determines whether or not the analysis result of the printing data is appropriate at a predetermined time point, and the determination unit A program to be executed when it is determined to be inappropriate is stored in the emulation program storage section. A printer control device, comprising: switching means for switching to another emulation program for a language for controlling the printer according to a stored delimited printable character string.