JPH05147766A - Control device for image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a control device for printer, in which the control part judges the sort of the recording sheet corresponding to the fed size value through input of the sheet size value from the input part. CONSTITUTION:A control device includes an operation panel 10 from which the length of recording sheet used is input, a controller 20 equipped with a CPU 21 which judges the sort of the recording sheet corresponding to the size value input from the panel 10 through searching among the data stored in a ROM 22, and a printer control part 40 equipped with a CPU 41 which reads out of a ROM 42 the control data corresponding to the sort obtained from the judgement by the controller 20 and which controls a printer engine 50 on the basis of the read control data.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a laser printer, LE
The present invention relates to a control device of an image forming apparatus for controlling image formation in an image forming apparatus such as a D (light emitting diode) printer, a liquid crystal shutter printer, an inkjet printer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a printer device having an operation panel which is an input unit.

The printer device 1 can be fed by inserting a detachable paper feed cassette 2 capable of detecting the size of the recording paper stored by a sensor and an operator inserting recording paper of various sizes. Manual feed port 3
And an operation panel 10 having a liquid crystal display and an input switch for inputting the type of recording paper fed from the manual paper feed port 3.

When an image is formed on the recording paper housed in the paper feed cassette 2 in the printer device 1 having the above-described structure, the printer controller (not shown) uses a signal from the sensor corresponding to the recording paper size. , The type of recording paper is determined, and the control data corresponding to the size of the recording paper is used to determine the timing to start conveying the recording paper in the printer device, monitor the occurrence of jams in the recording paper, and the image forming area on the recording paper The printer device 1
To control.

On the other hand, with respect to the recording paper fed from the manual paper feeding port 3, the control device cannot automatically determine the size of the recording paper, and the data corresponding to the size of the recording paper must be set. Therefore, the printer device 1 cannot be controlled. Therefore, the operator is
The type of recording paper, such as A
By inputting 3, A4, postcard, etc., the type of recording paper is input and set in the control device.

[0006]

In recent years, there have been many demands for the same printer 1 to form images on various types of recording paper. For example, some printer apparatuses 1 capable of forming an image on a recording sheet up to A3 size are configured to form an image on the recording sheet shown in Table 1 below.

[0007]

[Table 1]

The operator sets the type of recording paper in the control device by inputting the type of recording paper as described above through the operation panel 10. However, if the recording paper is A4 or B4 size, which is commonly used,
Although the operator can easily recognize the type of the recording paper, in many cases, the type of the recording paper is not known even if the size of the recording paper is known for the less frequently used ones. Also,
Even if the operator recognizes the types of recording paper, the work of inputting the corresponding recording paper type from the input switch for displaying various types of recording paper as described above is complicated. Further, the input switch for displaying and inputting various kinds of recording papers requires a large installation space and requires many contacts. Therefore, it becomes a factor of increasing the size of the apparatus and increasing the cost.

The object of the present invention is to solve the above problems by inputting the dimension value of the recording paper from the input section.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a control device for a printer that determines the type of recording paper corresponding to the input dimension value.

[0010]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a control unit for controlling a printer for forming an image on the recording paper according to control data corresponding to a type indicating the size of the recording paper. In a control device of a printer having a storage unit in which the control data referred to by the control unit is stored in association with the type, the control unit is input by inputting the dimension value of the recording paper from the input unit. It is also characterized in that the type of recording paper corresponding to the dimension value is determined.

Further, groups of a type corresponding to a group of recording sheets on which an image can be formed by common control data in the printer are divided into blocks in the storage unit, and control is performed corresponding to each block. It is characterized in that it is configured to store data.

[0012]

According to the above means, the operator inputs the dimension value of the recording sheet from the input section, and the control section for judging the type of the recording sheet corresponding to the input dimension value allows the operator to set the dimension value of the recording sheet. By inputting, the type can be set in the control unit.

Further, groups of a type corresponding to a group of recording sheets on which an image can be formed in the printer by common control data are divided into blocks in the storage unit, and the control data is stored in association with each block. By doing so, the amount of control data stored in the storage unit can be reduced.

[0014]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

In the following drawings, members corresponding to those described with reference to FIG. 2 are given the same reference numerals to simplify the description.

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

Reference numeral 10 is an operation panel having a liquid crystal display and input switches, 20 is a controller for controlling the entire printer system, and 30 is a host computer for editing image data and outputting it to the controller 20. Also, 40
Is a printer control unit that controls the printer engine 50. The operation panel 10, the host computer 30, and the printer control unit 40 described above are connected to the controller 20 via a serial communication path, and send and receive various data.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory view of the operation panel of this embodiment.

The operation panel 10 includes a liquid crystal display 11
And an input key 12 such as a numeric keypad, and a liquid crystal display
Various comments are displayed at 11 according to the operation panel display data output from the controller 20.

When the operator feeds the recording paper from the manual paper feed port 3 of the printer device 1, the operator inputs the lengths in the vertical direction and the horizontal length of the set recording paper in accordance with the comments on the liquid crystal display 11. By operating 12, the data of the recording paper size to be set in the controller 20 can be input.

The controller 20 is the operation panel 10
Based on the set recording paper size data, which is the length and width of the recording paper input from, a search for determining the type of recording paper having the size is performed. R of controller 20
An OM (read only memory) 22 stores a table of data on the types of standard recording paper on which images can be formed and the length and width data corresponding to the recording paper of that type.
The CPU 21 sequentially compares the set recording paper size data and the data in the ROM 22 and determines the type of the standard recording paper having the size most approximate to the set recording paper size data. Table 2 below shows an example of the data of the types and lengths of recording sheets stored as a table in the ROM 22.

[0022]

[Table 2]

The type of recording paper determined by the controller 20 is output to the CPU 41 of the printer controller 40. The CPU 41 of the printer control unit 40 is a printer engine
To control 50, control data corresponding to the recording paper type is read from the ROM 42.

In the ROM 42 of the printer controller 40, the types of recording paper are classified into a plurality of groups, the types of the same group are stored in the same block, and the control data is stored in association with each block. .. This is because it is possible to output a control signal to the printer engine 50 based on the same control data and control the printer device 1 to perform image formation for recording paper of a relatively similar size. It is intended to standardize.

As a method of classifying the types of recording paper, generally used is a method in which recording papers of a size larger than A4 size are used as one group, and recording papers of A4 size or less are set as one group. ..

In the control device of the printer having the above-mentioned structure, the manual paper feed port 3 is operated by the operation panel 10.
Since the controller 20 automatically determines the type of the recording paper by inputting the lengths of the recording paper to be fed from the two directions, even if the operator does not recognize the type of the recording paper to be used, the recording is performed. You can set the paper type. In addition, the type of recording paper is the operation panel
Since it is set by inputting the length of the recording paper from 10, even if the number of types of recording paper that can be set is increased, the type can be set by the conventional input key 12 such as the numeric keypad,
It is possible to prevent the operation panel from increasing in size and the number of contacts to increase, and it is possible to prevent the apparatus from increasing in size and cost.

In addition, the types of recording paper set in the ROM 42 of the printer control unit 20 are classified into a plurality of groups, and the control data is stored in association with the groups, whereby RO
Since the amount of control data stored in the M42 can be reduced, the storage capacity of the ROM 42 can also be reduced and the cost of the device can be reduced.

[0028]

As described above, according to the present invention,
By inputting the dimension value, the control unit that determines the type of recording paper corresponding to the input dimension value allows the operator to set the type in the control unit by inputting the dimension value of the recording paper. Even if you do not recognize the paper type, you can set the type, and sort the groups of types that correspond to the groups of recording paper that can form an image by common control data into blocks in the storage unit and support each block. By storing the control data in this manner, the amount of control data to be stored can be reduced, so that the capacity of the storage unit can be reduced and the increase in cost can be suppressed, and as a result, the scale of the device can be increased. It is possible to provide a printer control device capable of forming images on various types of recording paper.

[Brief description of drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an example of a printer device including an operation panel.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of an operation panel in this embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Printer device, 10 ... Operation panel, 11
… Liquid crystal display, 12… Input keys, 20… Controller,
21, 41 ... CPU, 22, 42 ... ROM, 40 ... Printer control unit, 50 ... Printer engine.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A control unit for controlling a printer for forming an image on the recording paper and control data referred to by the control unit are associated with the type by the control data corresponding to the type indicating the size of the recording paper. In a control device of a printer including a storage unit that is stored, by inputting a dimension value of recording paper from an input unit, the control unit determines the type of recording paper corresponding to the input dimension value. An image forming apparatus control apparatus having the above-mentioned configuration. 2. A group of types corresponding to a group of recording sheets on which an image can be formed by common control data in the printer is divided into blocks in the storage unit, and control is performed in association with each block. The control device for an image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control device is configured to store data.