JPH05318845A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enhance printing capacity by providing a plurality of external connection interface parts and a plurality of external character font memories corresponding thereto, judging whether an input is sent from any external connection interface part and storing the input in the corresponding external character font memory. CONSTITUTION:Printing data sent from an external device 30 or 31 are inputted to a processor 4 via a first and second external connection interfaces 1, 2 and a receiving buffer 3. The processor 4 judges whether the sent data are the printing data supplied from either of the external devices 30, 31. A correspondent memory is selected from a first and second external character font memories 5, 6 on the basis of the judged result and the sent data are stored thereto. For example, while the printing data sent form the external device 30 are received, the second external connection interface 2 is regulated to a busy state until processing is completed. The printing data of the external device 30 are thoroughly stored in a font memory 7 or an image memory 8. When the printing data are sent to a printing mechanism part 20, the busy state of the external device 31 is released.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printing device,
The present invention relates to a printing apparatus that has two external connection interface units and can connect different external apparatuses to each other to print data from two external apparatuses.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A printing device such as a page printer is often used as one of output devices of an information processing system. Among them, there are two external connection interface units, each of which has a different external interface. There is a printing device that can connect the devices and print data from two external devices.

In recent years, in many cases, a special character other than the character built in the printing device is created by an external device, and the created character is included in the print data for printing.

In such a case, the conventional printing device stores special characters other than the characters built in the printing device, that is, the external character data, in the external character font memory provided in the printer, and the external character font memory. The printing operation is performed by referring to the same as the normal font memory that stores the internal characters.

However, since the external character font memory of the conventional printing apparatus capable of connecting two external devices does not individually correspond to the two external devices, external character data is input from the first external device. For this reason, when switching from the second external connection interface unit to the first external connection interface unit, the external character font memory is first cleared and then the external character data input from the first external device is stored in the external character font memory. Has been adopted.

[0006]

In the conventional printer as described above, when receiving data from an external device, when receiving at an external connection interface part different from the external connection interface part that has been received so far, Since the external character font memory is once cleared, it has the drawback that it is necessary to send the external character data again from the external device.

[0007]

A printer according to the present invention comprises a plurality of external connection interface sections, a plurality of external character font memories corresponding to the plurality of external connection interface sections, and a plurality of the external character font memories. The external connection interface unit determines which external connection interface unit has input external character data, and stores it in the corresponding external character font memory of the plurality of external character font memories.

[0008]

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

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing the operation of the embodiment of FIG.

In FIG. 1, external devices 30 and 31 are provided.
Respectively connect to the first external connection interface section 1 and the second external connection interface section 2 of the printing apparatus 11 and supply the printing apparatus 11 with printing data including external character data. The reception buffer 3 transmits the print data received by the first external connection interface unit 1 or the second external connection interface unit 2 to the processor 4. The processor 4 processes the print data transmitted from the reception buffer 3 and controls the operation of other parts in the printer 11, and outputs the print data to the print mechanism unit 20.
The first external character font memory 5 corresponds to the first external connection interface unit 1 and stores the external character data sent from the external device 30. Second external character font memory 6
Corresponds to the second external connection interface unit 2 and stores the external character data sent from the external device 31. When the print data including the external character data is input from the external device 30 or 31, the processor 4 stores the external character data therein in the corresponding external character font memory, and then transmits the external character code for referencing the external character data. When it is received, the external character data of the external character code is read from the corresponding external character font memory, and the drawing instruction is given to the printing mechanism unit 20. The font memory 7 is a memory that stores a character font of a character built in the printing device 11, and the image memory 8 is a memory that stores data to be printed by the printing mechanism unit 20 as image data. The operation unit 10 is where an instruction given to the processor 4 is input.

Next, the printing device 11 configured as described above.
The operation will be described with reference to FIG.

When the print data is sent from the external device 30 or 31, the processor 4 judges which of the external devices 30 or 31 the print data is sent (step 41), and the processor 4 sends the print data to the corresponding external device. Either the corresponding first external character font memory 5 or the second external character font memory 6 is selected.

When print data is sent from the external device 30, the print data is temporarily stored in the reception buffer 3 through the first external connection interface section 1.
At this time, the external device 31 connects the printing device 11 to the external device 3
Since the second external connection interface unit 2 is in the busy state because 0 is used, print data cannot be sent.

The print data temporarily stored in the reception buffer 3 includes the external character data and the external character code. The processor 4 analyzes the received print data and stores the external character data therein in the first external character font memory 5 in a state in which the external character code can be recognized (step 42).
Subsequently, the processor 4 stores the print data in the image memory 8
Draw on. At this time, the printer 1 is included in the print data.
When the code of the character that 1 has built in,
The character font corresponding to the character code is read from the font memory 7 and drawn in the image memory 8.

When the drawing of the character fonts for all the characters of the received print data in the image memory 8 is completed (step 44), the processor 4 sends the data in the image memory 8 to the printing mechanism section 20 for output printing. Let

When the reception of all the print data sent from the external device 30 is completed, the processor 4 releases the busy state of the second external connection interface section 2 and can receive the print data from the external device 31. To

When print data is sent from the external device 31 in this state, the processor 4 sets the first external connection interface unit 1 to the busy state and selects the second external character font memory 6 as in the case described above. Yes (Step 4
3). The following operation is the same as the above case.

When the external character data stored in the first external character font memory 5 or the second external character font memory 6 is reused by the external device, it is sufficient to send the external character code of the external character data. You don't need to send the character font again. The processor 4 can draw the character font in the image memory 8 by referring to the corresponding external character font memory according to the external character code.

[0019]

As described above, the printing apparatus of the present invention is provided with two external character font memories corresponding to each of the two external connection interface units, and external characters sent from the two external devices. By storing the data in the corresponding external character font memory, it is possible to save the previously received external character data even when the external connection interface unit for receiving is switched. Therefore, there is no need to send the external character data again, and the printing ability can be improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the embodiment shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 1st external connection interface section 2 2nd external connection interface section 3 Reception buffer 4 Processor 5 1st external character font memory 6 2nd external character font memory 7 Font memory 8 Image memory 10 Operation part 11 Printing device 20 Printing mechanism part 30-31 External device 41-44 steps

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁵ Identification code Office reference number FI Technical display location G06F 3/12 B G09G 5/22 9061-5G

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of external connection interface units, a plurality of external character font memories corresponding to each of the plurality of external connection interface units, and any external connection interface of the plurality of external connection interface units. And a control unit for determining whether external character data has been input from a unit and storing it in a corresponding external character font memory of the plurality of external character font memories. 2. Two external connection interface units,
The two external character font memories corresponding to each of the two external connection interface units, and which external connection interface unit of the two external connection interface units input the external character data is determined to determine whether the external character data is input. A printing device, comprising: a control unit for storing the corresponding external character font memory among the individual external character font memories.