JPH05233792A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce the burden of a controller and to unnecessitate the resolution conversion on the side of the controller even when an image forming device is connected to plural engines having different resolutions by enabling the resolution conversion and the smoothing processing corresponding to the resolutions of engines on the side of the engines. CONSTITUTION:The resolution conversion and smoothing processing are enabled on the side of an engine 6 by having a data line 5 transmitting the resolution information of the data within a controller 2 between the controller 2 and the engine 6, and having a memory B7 storing data to be transmitted from the controller 2, a smoothing processing means 8 converting this data into the resolution of the engine 6 and performing a smoothing processing and a memory C9 storing the converted data.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus using a laser exposure technique.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, printers using an electrophotographic process and a laser exposure technique have become widespread as output terminal devices such as personal computers.

A conventional image forming apparatus will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 9, in the conventional image forming apparatus, image input data from a computer is taken into a controller (image processing means) 19 in the printer body via a cable 18 and stored in a memory A20. Next, page data corresponding to the resolution of the engine (image forming means) 23 is created in the memory B21. When a print signal is input from the controller 19 to the engine 23 via the interface cable A22,
The engine 23 turns on motors such as the photoconductor 28 and the laser unit 26 to prepare for laser emission. Next, the engine 23 outputs a vertical synchronizing signal for starting printing to the controller 19. On the other hand, the controller 19 sends the page data to the engine 23, stores the data in the memory C24, then sends the data to the laser unit 26, and the laser light corresponding to the data is irradiated onto the photoconductor 28 to perform exposure. Be seen. Next, the developing device 25
To develop a visible image on the photoconductor 28,
The paper 31 is fed from the paper cassette 30, and the transfer device 2
9 is biased and the visible image is transferred to the paper 31. Next, the visible image is fixed on the paper 31 by the fixing device 32, and the printing is completed.

The operation of the image forming apparatus constructed as above will be described below. First, conversion of data in the controller 1a will be described with reference to Tables 1 and 2.

[0005]

[Table 1]

[0006]

[Table 2]

Table 1 shows the data in the memory A20 into which the image input data from the computer is initially stored. In this case, the data is 150 dpi. Next,
Data conversion according to the resolution of the engine 23 side (Table 2
In the case of, the data is expanded to 300 dpi. ) Is performed, and then the data in the memory B21 is transferred to the engine 23 side.

[0008]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional configuration, it is necessary for the controller side to perform data conversion from the data resolution to the engine side resolution. When a plurality of engines having different resolutions are connected to the controller, there is a problem that it is necessary to convert the data in accordance with the resolution of each output engine.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus that does not require data conversion in the controller and performs appropriate data conversion and smoothing on the engine side. To do.

[0010]

In order to achieve the above object, the image forming apparatus of the present invention has an interface cable for notifying the resolution of data between a controller and an engine and a resolution of the data having the data transferred to the engine side. From the engine to the resolution on the engine side and smoothing processing means for smoothing, and a memory for storing the converted data.

[0011]

According to the present invention, in the above-mentioned structure, the data conversion adapted to the resolution on the engine side in the controller becomes unnecessary.

[0012]

EXAMPLES An example of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8 and Tables 3 to 12.

As shown in FIG. 1, in the image forming apparatus of this embodiment, image data of an image as shown in FIG. 2 having a resolution of 150 dpi is fetched from a computer to a controller 2 in the printer body via a cable 1. , Are stored in the memory A3. Then, a part (two rasters) of the captured image data is shown in (Table 3).

[0014]

[Table 3]

Next, data is transferred from the controller 2 to the engine 6 through the interface cable A4,
The data is stored in the memory B7 in the engine 6. The data in this case are shown in (Table 4).

[0016]

[Table 4]

The resolution (150 dpi) of the data transferred to the engine 6 side is detected by the interface cable B5, the resolution is converted to 300 dpi (because the resolution of the printer is 300 dpi), and smoothing processing is performed by the smoothing processing means 8. Converted 30
The data of 0 dpi is stored in the memory C9 as shown in (Table 5).

[0018]

[Table 5]

When the image data from the computer has a resolution of 75 dpi, the memory A3 in the controller 2
Becomes as shown in (Table 6).

[0020]

[Table 6]

The contents of the memories B7 and C9 in the engine 6 are as shown in (Table 7) and (Table 8).

[0022]

[Table 7]

[0023]

[Table 8]

The contents of the processing of the smoothing processing means 8 are shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. As shown in FIG.
The data of 50 dpi is converted into the data of 300 dpi, and the data X and Y of 150 dpi are expanded to 300 dpi. [X is X, X1 (= X + (Y−X) /
2) and Y are Y and Y1 (= Y + (Z−Y) / 2). ] As shown in FIG. 4, the data of 75 dpi is 300
When converted to dpi data, 75 dpi data X,
Y is expanded to 300 dpi. [X is X, X1 = X +
(Y−X) / 4, X2 = X + 2 (Y−X) / 4, X3 =
X + 3 (Y−X) / 4, Y is Y, Y1 = Y + (Z−Y)
/ 4, Y2 = Y + 2 (Z−Y) / 4, Y3 = Y + 3 (Z
-Y) / 4). Next, the engine 6 sends data to the laser unit 11 to irradiate the photosensitive member 13 with laser light for exposure. Next, development is performed by the developing device 10 to form a visible image on the photoconductor 13. At the timing when this image is placed on the paper 16 from the photoconductor 13, the paper 16 is fed from the paper cassette 15 and transferred so that the visible image is transferred to the paper. Next, the fixing device 17 fixes the visible image on the paper 16 and the printing is completed. Figure 5
Shows a case where a plurality of engines having different resolutions are connected to the controller 2. For example, in the memory A3 of the controller 2, as shown in (Table 9),
When the data of 0 dpi is stored and the data of 150 dpi is sent from the controller 2 to the printer engine 6a of 300 dpi, the data is 300d in the engine.
It is expanded to pi and smoothed, and stored in the memory C9 as shown in (Table 10).

[0025]

[Table 9]

[0026]

[Table 10]

Next, from the controller 2 to 150 dpi
Data is sent to the printer engine 6b of 600 dpi, the data is expanded to 600 dpi in the engine,
Smoothed and stored in the memory C9 as shown in (Table 11).

[0028]

[Table 11]

Next, from the controller 2 to 150 dpi
Data is sent to the printer engine 6C of 1200 dpi, the data is expanded and smoothed to 1200 dpi in the engine, and the data is stored in the memory C9 as shown in (Table 12).
Stored in.

[0030]

[Table 12]

The operation of the image forming apparatus configured as described above will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. First, in step 1, image data is transferred from the host computer to the controller 2. The controller 2 detects the resolution of the data from the print data transferred in step 2. Controller 2 in step 3
Stores the image data in the memory A3. When the page data creation is completed, the controller 2 in step 4
A print signal is output to the engine 6. In step 5, the controller 2 determines whether printing is possible based on the information from the engine 6. If printable, engine 6 in step 6
Turns on each motor so that printing can be performed immediately.
Next, in step 7, the controller 2 checks whether or not it is a vertical synchronizing signal timing for starting data transfer. In step 8, the controller 2 outputs the image data and the resolution information to the engine 6 at the timing of the vertical synchronizing signal. In step 9, the engine 6 stores the transferred data in the memory B7. Next, in step 10, the engine 6 converts the data in the memory B7 in accordance with the resolution of the engine 6, performs smoothing processing means, and stores it in the memory C9. In step 11, the engine 6 sends the data in the memory C9 to the laser unit 11. Next,
In step 12, the laser is emitted from the laser unit 11 to expose the photoconductor 13. The portion exposed in step 13 is developed by the developing device 10. Transfer device 1 in step 14
The visible image on the photoconductor 13 is transferred onto the paper 16 by the method of 4. In step 15, the fixing device 17 forms a visible image on the paper 1.
Fix at 6. Next, in step 16, it is checked whether the paper 16 is discharged. When the paper 16 is discharged in step 17, the engine turns off each motor and finishes printing.

[0032]

As is apparent from the above embodiments, according to the present invention, since resolution conversion on the engine side is possible, it is possible to connect to a plurality of engines having different resolutions.
Further, it is possible to realize an excellent image forming apparatus that does not require resolution conversion corresponding to the resolution of the engine in the controller.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of page data of the same embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a resolution conversion of the same embodiment (from 150 dpi to 30)
0 dpi)

FIG. 4 is a resolution conversion of the same embodiment (from 75 dpi to 300)
dpi)

FIG. 5 is a connection diagram of a plurality of engines having different resolutions and a controller according to the embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of the same embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of the embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of the embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a conventional image forming apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 image processing means (controller) 3 memory A 4 interface cable A 5 interface cable B 6 image forming means (engine) 7 memory B 8 smoothing processing means 9 memory C

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A memory A, B means for storing image input data for image input data, comprising image processing means for printing and image forming means, and said image processing means side and said image processing means. An interface cable, which is provided on the forming means side and serves as a data line for indicating the resolution of image input data, is provided between the image processing means and the image forming means, and the resolution of the image input data by the data line is on the image forming means side The image forming apparatus has a means for performing resolution conversion and smoothing processing corresponding to the resolution of 1. on the image forming means side, and a memory C means for storing the data converted by the smoothing processing means on the image forming means side.