JPH05193195A - Printing control device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a printing control device reduced in the number of semiconductor memory devices and capable of performing large-sized printing of high resolving power and high image quality at a high speed. CONSTITUTION:Segment data converting means 401, 402, 403 converting the figure data received from a computer to segment data having a position and length in a raster direction and a raster image data converting means 406 converting the converted segment data to raster image data are provided.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a print control device,
In particular, the present invention relates to an improvement of a print control device for expanding the data into raster image data in a printing device for printing data created by a computer or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a printer device (printing device) of this type, a capacity of one page of two-dimensional raster image data to be printed is assigned to a semiconductor memory device in a print control device and sent out from a computer. Based on the data such as the character code, raster image data is expanded in the storage area. Here, the raster image data refers to image data created to correspond to individual pixels included in the print width for one line. After the completion of the expansion, the printing mechanism of the printer device is started, and the expanded raster image data is output to the printing mechanism to print one page.

[0003]

However, in recent years,
Since the amount of raster image data for one page has increased remarkably due to the higher resolution and higher image quality of the printer device, not only the device price rise due to the increase of the semiconductor storage device cost but also the power consumption and the semiconductor Due to restrictions such as electric driving capability and the upper limit of the amount of data that can be handled by the CPU, it has become impossible to actually manufacture a printer device. Furthermore, when it is desired to print a large print output, the capacity of the semiconductor memory device has been increased.

Further, it takes a very long time to develop raster image data in such a huge semiconductor memory device (memory). For example, when printing an A4 size printout, 1 bit of data is required for each pixel like a conventional monochrome laser printer, and if the resolution is about 12 pixels / mm, the required semiconductor memory device is 1 It was about megabytes. However, with an output size of A0, a resolution of 12 pixels / mm, and 16.7 million colors per pixel (24 bits / pixel), at least 500 megabytes of memory are required, which dramatically increases the cost and development time of the device, making it practical. It was not possible to make a device that could be used.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it is possible to reduce the amount of semiconductor memory devices and perform printing control capable of high-speed printing of large size, high resolution, and high image quality. The purpose is to provide a device.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, a print control apparatus of the present invention is a print control apparatus for converting graphic information data created by a computer or the like into raster image data for printing. Line segment data conversion means for converting the graphic information data received from the etc. into line segment data having a position and length in the raster direction, and the line segment data converted by this line segment data conversion means to raster image data. And a raster image data conversion means.

[0007]

In the print control device, the line segment data converting means receives the graphic information data from the computer or the like and sequentially stores the graphic information data in the storage device while converting it into the line segment data. The raster image data conversion means converts the line segment data stored in the storage device into raster image data. Printing is performed based on this raster image data.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a print control apparatus of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. First, FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of an external connection of an embodiment of the print control apparatus.

As shown in FIG. 1, the external connector 101 of the computer 100 and the first interface connector 3 of the print control device 300 enable the exchange of print commands between the computer 100 and the print control device 300.
01 is connected by the first cable 401. In addition, the print control device 300 to the inkjet printer 2
The second interface connector 302 of the print control device 300 and the interface connector 201 of the inkjet printer 200 are connected by the second cable 402 so that raster image data corresponding to one line can be sent to 00.

Next, referring to FIG. 2, the print control device 3
The configuration of 00 will be described in more detail. As shown in FIG. 2, the first interface connector 301 to which data is input from the computer 100 is connected to a first interface circuit 303 that receives the data. Similarly, a second interface circuit 350 is connected to the second interface connector 302 so that data can be transmitted. A first bus 313 is connected to the other ends of both interface circuits so that data can be exchanged with the first CPU 305. The first bus 313 has a first dynamic memory 306 for storing data and a hard disk drive 30.
9, a third interface circuit 307 for interfacing with the second CPU 310, and a dual port memory 3 having two ports for communicating with a second CPU 310 described later and capable of accessing the same memory cell from both ports.
A first port 08 and a DMAC 314 for direct memory transfer between these devices are connected.

On the other hand, the second bus 312 of the second CPU 310.
A second port of the dual port memory 308 and a second dynamic memory 311 for storing data are connected to the. In FIG. 2, various control signals such as an address bus and a chip select signal are not shown.

The configuration of the second interface circuit 350 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, a data input terminal of a first-in first-out memory device (hereinafter, referred to as FIFO) 351 is connected to a first bus 313 so that data can be written from the first CPU 305 or the like. A driver 352 for outputting data to the second interface connector 302 is connected to the data output terminal of the FIFO 351. A receiver 353 is provided to receive the ready signal from the second interface connector 302 and input it to the control circuit 354. The FI
A control circuit 354 is provided to generate a read signal 359 of the FO 351 and a data clock signal 356 output to the second interface connector 302 via the driver 352.
Clock signal 360 for controlling the timing of 54
A clock generation circuit 355 for generating the clock signal is provided. The empty flag 357 of the FIFO 351 is input to the control circuit 354.

Next, the ink jet printer 200
The configuration will be described in detail with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, the interface connector 201 receives the input data and data clock signal 221 from the FIFO2.
A data input terminal 05 and a receiver 202 for inputting to the interface control circuit 204 are connected. A driver 203 for outputting a ready signal 220 generated by the interface control circuit 204 is connected to the interface connector 201. In order to prevent the overflow of the FIFO 205, the full flag signal 22 of this FIFO 205
3 is connected to the interface control circuit 204. To write data to the FIFO 205,
A write signal 222 is connected from the interface control circuit 204.

At the data output end of the FIFO 205, CP
A bus 230 is connected so that the U206 can read the data, and the dynamic memory 20 for storing the data is also provided so that the bus 230 can exchange the data with each other.
7. First data memory 2 for storing print data described later
09, second data memory 210, third data memory 21
The first and fourth data memories 212 are connected to each other. The data output terminal of the first data memory 209 is connected to the first head control circuit 213 so that the print data 224 can be sent out, and the read signal 228 of the data read control circuit 208 controls the read of the print data 224. It is connected to the data memory 209.

On the other hand, in the first head control circuit 213, the head control signal 229 is connected to the ink jet head 251, so that the ink ejection amount from the nozzle 256 can be controlled, and the ink pump (not shown) is connected to the ink jet head 251. So that the ink is supplied from the pipe 2
60 is connected. Second to fourth data memory 21
Also in the case of 0, 211, 212, the first data memory 2
They are connected in the same way as from 09. Each of the pipes 260 to 26 is provided in each of the inkjet heads 251 to 254.
For example, four color inks of black, yellow, magenta, and cyan are supplied via 3.

The four ink jet heads 251 to 251
A drum 269 on which a paper 264 is wound so as to face 254.
Is rotatably arranged around a shaft 265, and an encoder 266 capable of sending a rotation timing signal to the data read control circuit 208 is attached to the shaft 265. A belt 268 for transmitting the rotation of the motor 267 is stretched around the shaft 265. The four inkjet heads 251 to 254 are arranged on one bed (not shown) and are configured so as to be movable integrally in the axial direction of the drum 269.

Next, a series of printing operations of the print control apparatus 300 having the above configuration will be described with reference to FIGS.
The first CPU 305 (see FIG. 2) is the computer 100.
When the command group to be printed is received from, the command group is first stored in the hard disk drive 309. At this time, since the command group is received without being interpreted, the computer 100 can be released from communication quickly, and since it is stored in the hard disk drive 309, the capacity of the dynamic memory 306 for storing the command group can be reduced. When all the command groups from the computer 100 (see FIG. 1) are input, the first CPU 305 writes, in the dual port memory 308, a command instructing the second CPU 310 to interpret this command group.

On the other hand, when the second CPU 310 receives the command, it sends the command group to the hard disk drive 30.
The command for instructing the first CPU 305 to be written in the dual port memory 308 is written in the dual port memory 308 so as to be read from the memory 9 in the dual port memory 308. When the command group is written in the dual port memory 308, the second CPU 310
Starts its interpretation and stores the result in the second dynamic memory 311.

The interpretation procedure will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. FIG. 5 shows a functional block diagram of command group interpretation and print data expansion. As shown in FIG.
Command interpreting unit 40 forming "line segment data converting means"
1, the command execution unit 402, the command dictionary unit 403, and the print data expansion unit 406 forming the “raster image conversion unit” are on the second dynamic memory 311 (see FIG. 2) and are sequentially executed by the second CPU 310. .. Here, the command interpreting unit 401 decomposes the incoming command group into one by one, checks whether the incoming command group is a valid command in the command dictionary 403, and executes the command execution in the work area 404. The command group that has arrived under the control of the unit 402 is interpreted and line segment data is created.

The command group to be interpreted includes "vector data" represented by figures such as straight lines and circles and coordinate values thereof, and "bit image data" obtained by scanning a photograph with an image scanner device or the like and digitizing it. "It is included. The command group written in the dual port memory 308 is decomposed into commands one by one by the command interpreting unit 401, and the command dictionary 403 examines whether or not the commands are valid. Command execution unit 402
Is a work area 40 in the second dynamic memory 311.
While using 4 as a temporary buffer, "vector data" is converted into line segment data, and "bit image data" is separated from the command group and written in the hard disk drive 309. The position information of the converted line segment data and bit image data is stored in the line segment data storage unit 405. The line segment data storage unit 405 is dispersedly present in the second dynamic memory 311 and the hard disk drive 309 as described later.

FIG. 6A shows the data structure of the line segment data stored in the line segment data storage unit 405 (see FIG. 5).
FIG. 6A shows the storage state in the second dynamic memory 311, and when the data in the second dynamic memory 311 overflows, as shown in FIG. 6B, the line segment data auxiliary buffer of the hard disk drive 309. It is stored on 507.

As shown in FIG. 6A, one line segment data D includes an image flag bit 501 for discriminating between "vector data" and "bit image data", and a starting point position 502 for starting the existence of data. , Is represented as line segment data having four fields of an end point position 503 at the end of the existence of data and a color value 504 that defines a color such as red or green. The line segment data D is stored in the line segment data buffer 505 divided for each raster in the order of interpretation. Further, the buffer management information 506 holds the use efficiency of the line segment data buffer 505 and the position of the empty area, and the auxiliary buffer management information 508 shows connection information indicating whether the line segment data can be written in the line segment data buffer 505. Hold.

FIG. 7A shows an example of the order relation on the second dynamic memory 311 of the figure to be output. As shown in FIG. 7A, the bit image data 601, such as a photograph, the rectangle 602 and the circle 603 corresponding to the vector data are arranged in the order of command generation, and the new figure (for example, the circle 603) is the old figure ( For example, since the bit image data 601) is overwritten,
Underlying graphic (eg bit image data 601)
Does not appear to be transparent. Here, I _s indicates the image start point position of the bit image data 601, I _e indicates the image end point position, and I _c is the image ID indicating the appearance order of each bit image data. Also, C _s
Is the starting point position of the circle 603, C _e is the ending point position, and C _c is the color value of the circle. Furthermore, R _s is a rectangle 60
2 is the starting point position, R _e is the ending point position, and R _c is the rectangular color value.

FIG. 7B shows line segment data 604 of the various figures in a given raster i. Figure 7
As shown in (B), in the case of “vector data”, taking the circle 603 as an example, since the same color value C _c is continuous from the start point C _s to the end point C _e , the data is held by the line segment data. If so, the storage capacity can be reduced. On the other hand, in “bit image data 601”, there is a low possibility that dots having the same color value will continue. Therefore, the amount of data increases when converted into line segment data. In order to solve such a problem, the image flag bit 501 is used in this embodiment.
(See FIG. 6A), only the position information in which the bit image data is arranged and the image ID (code Ic) are recorded in the line segment data D, and the bit image data is held separately. That is, the line segment data is held in the semiconductor storage device (second dynamic memory 311) and the bit image data is stored in the external storage device (hard disk drive 30).
9) Separate and hold. By separating in this way, "vector data" and "bit image data" can be held efficiently, there is no need to specially treat bit image data until the expansion of print data, which will be described later, and processing is simplified. To help.

Further, when the figure to be interpreted becomes n times in the vertical and horizontal directions, a method having a storage device for one page (conventional method) requires a capacity of n times the square, but the method of the present embodiment. Then, it is possible to suppress the capacity increase of n times, which is the increase of the raster number.

FIG. 8 shows a schematic flowchart of a method of storing line segment data. First, the buffer management information 506 that holds the use efficiency of the line segment data buffer 505 (see FIG. 6) and the position of the empty area is referred to (step S70).
1), it is determined whether the line segment data can be written in the line segment data buffer 505 (step S702). If writing is impossible due to the buffer full, reference is made to the auxiliary buffer management information 508 that holds the usage efficiency of the line segment data auxiliary buffer 507 (see FIG. 6B) and the connection information with the line segment data buffer 505 ( Step S703),
Part of the contents of the line segment data buffer is transferred to the line segment data auxiliary buffer 507 (step S704), and the auxiliary buffer management information is updated (step S705). Then
The line segment data is written to the line segment data buffer 505 (step S706), and the buffer management information is updated (step S707). The line segment data auxiliary buffer 507
Are arranged on the hard disk drive 309, and in step S705, the data transfer rate can be maximized by making the data transfer unit an integral multiple of the hard disk sector length. Normally, the cost per bit of memory capacity is 1 / the hard disk of semiconductor memory.
It is about 100, and by using a semiconductor memory and a hard disk together and optimizing a data transfer unit, a large-capacity, low-cost buffer can be realized without a significant decrease in speed.

When the above interpretation is completed for all command groups, the second CPU 310 causes the dual port memory 3
A command is issued to 08 to notify that printing is started.
Upon receiving the command, the first CPU 305 causes the second interface control circuit 350 to send the inkjet printer 20.
Write the data that becomes the 0 start command. If the ready signal 358 is true, the second interface control circuit 350 reads the above data from the FIFO byte by byte and sends it to the second interface connector 302, and at the same time sends a data clock signal pulse by pulse. The interface control circuit 204 in the inkjet printer 200 fetches the data into the FIFO 205 in synchronization with the data clock signal. In the above operation, the FIFO 351 in the print control device 300 becomes empty or the FIFO 20 in the inkjet printer 200 becomes empty.
It will not be interrupted until 5 is full. Further, the interface control circuit 204 uses the FIFO 205
The CPU 206 is informed that the data is input to the. When the CPU 206 sequentially reads the data and recognizes that it is a start command, the mechanism control circuit (not shown) starts the motor 267 and rotates the drum 269.

Subsequently, the second CPU 310 makes the first CPU 3
A command is issued to 05 to read the first print data.
The print data is created by reconstructing the “vector data” stored in the line segment data buffer 505 and the line segment data auxiliary buffer 507 and the “bit image data” stored in the hard disk drive 507. The reconfiguration procedure was previously transferred to the second dynamic memory 311 to interpret the command group,
It is executed by the second CPU 310.

Next, a method of structuring print data will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10. FIG. 9 is a flowchart of the configuration of print data, and FIG. 10 is a buffer on the second dynamic memory 311 for configuring print data, which includes a line buffer 801, a dot flag row 802, and a dot counter for storing print data. It consists of 803.
Here, the dot flag column 802 exists in the number corresponding to all the dots in the raster, and is set to ON when writing is performed in the corresponding dots. The dot counter 803 is a counter that counts the number of written dots in the raster.

A method for forming one raster into "print data" will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. First, the line buffer 801, the dot flag row 80
2. Initialize the dot counter 803 (step S9
01). Then, it is checked whether or not there is "line segment data" in the corresponding raster (step S902). If there is no line segment data, the process ends, and if there is, one data is read (step S903). The line segment data is read from the latest one to the oldest one. That is, the reading is performed in "reverse order".
The starting point position of the read line segment data is set in the dot position pointer (step S904). Here, it is checked whether or not the dot counter and the print width are equal (step S
905), if equal, ends.

Next, the dot flag corresponding to the current dot pointer is checked (step S906), and if it is on, the process jumps to step S912. The image flag of the line segment data is checked (step S907), and if it is ON, the bit image data is expanded (step S908), and the bit image data is written in the corresponding dot of the line buffer (step S910). If it is not bit image data, the color value of the current line segment data is written in the line buffer (step S909).
Next, the dot counter is updated, the dot flag is set to ON (step S911), and the dot position pointer is updated (step S912). If the dot position counter is equal to the end point position of the line segment data, step S90
If not equal to 2, the process returns to step S905 (step S913). As described above, step S902 and step S9 are performed to expand the print data of “line segment data”.
There are two end conditions, 05, but step S902 is a case where line segment data is lost in the corresponding raster,
This is a normal termination condition.

In step S905, when the dot counter becomes equal to the print width, that is, the writing is completed for all the dots in the line buffer, but the "line segment data" remains. In this state, the remaining line segment data is hidden under the new line segment data like a rectangle 602, and the need for expansion is eliminated. Therefore, unnecessary processing is not performed, which contributes to speeding up the expansion processing. Although not described in detail, step S902 and step S90
In 8, data is read from the hard disk drive 309. In step S902, the necessary line segment data is read from the line segment data auxiliary buffer in step S902.
At 908, the bit image data separated from the line segment data is read.

The first CPU 305 (see FIG. 2) stores the expanded data in the dynamic memory 207,
The DMAC 314 is instructed to write the expanded data to the second interface circuit 350. The capacity of the dynamic memory required at this time is at least the data amount for one raster, and can be remarkably reduced as compared with the case where one page of expanded data is stored. DMAC314 is F
When the IFO 351 becomes full, the writing is suspended and the FIFO
When O351 becomes empty, writing is started again. While this direct memory transfer is suspended, the first CPU 305 transfers the next line segment data to the second CPU 310.
It is possible to transfer the data to the side from the hard disk drive 309, and it is also possible to store the expanded data in another area of the dynamic memory 207. Further, since the second CPU 310 can continue the expansion work regardless of whether the bus 230 is in use, high speed processing is possible. DMAC314
When the expanded data is written to the FIFO 351 by
The data is sent to the inkjet printer 200 and is sent to the CPU as in the case of the sending of the start command.
206 temporarily stores the data in the dynamic memory 207.

Further, the CPU 206 sequentially stores only the cyan data component for one raster in the data memory 212, and when the storage is completed, issues a command to the data read control circuit 208 to print for one raster. When the data read control circuit 208 receives the command, the data read control circuit 208 synchronizes with the output signal of the encoder 266 and synchronizes with the data memory 21.
The contents of 2 are sent to the fourth head control circuit 216. The fourth head control circuit 216 determines the drive amount based on the data and drives the head 254. The head 254 ejects an ink amount corresponding to the driving amount onto the paper 264. By this ejection, one cyan raster image is printed on the paper 264 on the drum 269. The CPU 206 then moves the head in the axial direction for one raster, and repeats the above operation for the next one raster image of cyan. Then, when the head 253 comes to the first cyan raster position, the same thing is repeated with respect to the magenta and cyan data. If the required data is not in the dynamic memory 207, it waits until the data is input.

The above operation is repeated for yellow and black, and the printing of the raster is stopped sequentially from cyan until the end of the print data.
Full color printing can be performed on the 64. At this time, the capacity required for the dynamic memory 207 in the inkjet printer 200 is the sum of the memory capacities stored for printing the intervals between the heads, which is extremely smaller than the raster image memory for one page. It is possible to obtain the same printed matter with the memory amount.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, but various applications are possible. For example, the printing device may be a sublimation type thermal transfer system, or a magneto-optical disk device or a tape drive device may be used instead of the hard disk drive.

[0037]

As is clear from the above description,
According to the present invention, instead of expanding the data on the raster image memory for one page, the print command is first converted into "line segment data having a position and a length", and printing is performed while sequentially expanding the data. Therefore, the required memory amount can be remarkably reduced, and thus a print control device capable of obtaining a printed matter with high definition and high image quality can be configured at low cost. Further, by performing the development at the same time as the printing, it becomes possible to print quickly.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a connection between a print control apparatus and the outside according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a print control apparatus according to the exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an interface control circuit in the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an internal block diagram of the inkjet printer in the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a functional block of a procedure of interpreting a command group and expanding the print data in the above embodiment.

6A and 6B are diagrams showing a data structure stored in a line segment data storage unit in the embodiment.

7 (A) and 7 (B) are diagrams showing an example showing the order relationship of the target figures in the above-described embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an outline of a method of storing line segment data in the embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart for forming one raster into print data in the above embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a buffer for forming print data in the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

100 ... Computer 200 ... Inkjet printer 300 ... Print control device 401 ... Command interpretation unit (line segment data conversion unit) 402 ... Command execution unit (line segment data conversion unit) 403 ... Command dictionary unit (line segment data conversion unit) 404 ... Work area (line segment data conversion unit) 405 ... Line segment data storage unit 406 ... Print data expansion unit (raster image data conversion unit)

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Hiroyuki Sasaki 15-1 Naeiro-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya, Aichi Brasa Industry Co., Ltd. (72) Kosuke Fukaya 15-15 Naeyo-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya, Aichi No. 1 Brother Industry Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Atsushi Kawai 15-1 Naeshiro-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya-shi, Aichi Prefecture

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A print control device for converting graphic information data created by a computer or the like into raster image data for printing, wherein the graphic information data received from the computer or the like is a line segment having a position and a length in the raster direction. A print control device comprising: a line segment data conversion unit for converting the line segment data; and a raster image data conversion unit for converting the line segment data converted by the line segment data conversion unit into raster image data.