JPH0542744A - Printer device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To ensure that an object is registered independently of source files in the overlay mode by registering source files based upon text data, image data and graph data overlaid and reading a pattern of data processed and developed on a bit map. CONSTITUTION:A central control part 19 controls a text data processing part 13, an image data processing part 14, a graph data processing part 15, an overlay data processing part 16, a bit map data processing part 17 and a printer interface part 18. That is, source files obtained by filing sets of data such as text, image and graph are processed in the overlay mode, and these registered overlaid files are processed in the text data, image data and graph data processing parts 13 to 15. Further, bit map data obtained by developing data on a bit map in the bit map data processing part 17 is read through a printer interface part 18, and is registered in an overlay form independently of the source files.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printer device capable of overlay registration of print data.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a conventional printer device disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1-269575. In the figure, 1 is a data source for generating print data composed of text data, image data, and graph data, and 2 is an input buffer for temporarily storing the print data input from the data source 1.

Reference numeral 3 is a central control unit for executing arithmetic control processing of the print data stored in the input buffer 2, and 4 is an external storage device for storing overlay data and the like under the control of the central control unit 3. Reference numeral 5 is a pattern storage device in which font patterns (dot patterns) for the character codes of each font used in the text data are stored.

Reference numeral 6 is a first image buffer for actually expanding the overlay data into a pattern, and reference numeral 7 is a second image buffer for expanding the actual print data stored in the input buffer 2 into a pattern.

Reference numeral 8 denotes a printer which receives the data superimposed and sent from the first and second image buffers 6 and 7 and prints out the data, and 9 is the printer 8 and the first and second printers. Image buffer 6,7
And a printer interface unit disposed between the printer interface and the printer interface with each other.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a file structure of the external storage device 4. In the figure, reference numeral 10 is a header section indicating where the corresponding overlay data file exists in a data area described later.

Reference numeral 11 denotes data such as a character code converted to an internal code of overlay data and a control instruction, a pattern of the character code used in the overlay data, and an end of file code (EO) indicating the end of the file.
F) and the like are the data area contained in each file.

Next, the operation will be described. The overlay data generated by the data source 1 is sent to the input buffer 2 and temporarily stored therein. This overlay data is read by the central control unit 3, and at that time, the central control unit 3 opens a new file in the external storage device 4 for registering the overlay data.

Next, the central control unit 3 first inputs the input buffer 2
It is identified whether the read data is a character code. If the read data is not a character code, the command is written in a new file opened in the external storage device 3 in advance.

If it is a character code, the character code is registered in the input code column of the code conversion table shown in Table 1 below.

[0011]

[Table 1]

Then, the character code is converted into an internal code and written in a new file opened in the external storage device 3, and the pattern of the character code is loaded from the pattern storage device 5 and written in the new file. The start address and the end address are set in the pattern address column of the code conversion table in Table 1.

[0013]

Since the conventional printer is constructed as described above, when registering overlay data, if the data is a character code, it is converted into an internal code and registered. At the same time, it is necessary to register the font pattern, and therefore, it is necessary to prepare an internal code in addition to the character code. Also, in order to secure a memory area for storing the internal code and the font pattern, an external storage There is a problem in that not only a large capacity is required for the device 4 but also the character code and the font pattern cannot be registered separately.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above problems, and a printer which can register a source file as it is in an overlay and can register an object in an overlay independently of the source file. The purpose is to obtain the device.

[0015]

In a printer device according to the present invention, a source file in which text data, image data, and graph data are filed is registered in an overlay, and the source file is processed by a text data processing unit and an image data processing unit. Section and the graph data processing section, and the bitmap data obtained as a result of being expanded on the bitmap by the bitmap data processing section is read via the printer interface section, and is overlaid independently of the source file. To be registered with.

[0016]

The printer device according to the present invention registers a source file of text data, image data, and graph data as an overlay by registering it as an overlay, and further processes the source file to develop it on a bitmap. By reading the created pattern and registering it in the overlay independently of the source file, it is possible to register the print data and the compressed data of the print pattern independently, and to realize a printer device that can be used appropriately for the business form. .

[0017]

【Example】

Example 1. An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In FIG. 1, 8 is a printer equivalent to that of the conventional printer, and 12 is an external storage device in which print data is stored.

Reference numeral 13 is a text data processing unit for performing data processing of text data in print data input from the external storage device, 14 is an image data processing unit for performing data processing of image data in the print data, and 15 is Reference numeral 16 is a graph data processing unit that performs data processing of graph data in the print data, and 16 is an overlay data processing unit that performs data processing of overlay data in the print data.

Reference numeral 17 denotes the text data processing unit 13, the image data processing unit 14, and the graph data processing unit 1.
5 is a bitmap data processing unit that expands the output of 5 on a bitmap, and 18 is a printer interface that is arranged between the overlay data processing unit 16 and the bitmap data processing unit 17 and the printer 8 to perform mutual interface. It is a department.

Reference numeral 19 controls the external storage device 12, text data processing unit 13, image data processing unit 14, graph data processing unit 15, overlay data processing unit 16, bitmap data processing unit 17, and printer interface unit 18. This is the central control unit.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the internal structure of the overlay data processing section 16. In the figure,
Reference numeral 21 is a main interface unit for interfacing with the central control unit 19, and 22 is an object data memory for storing the object data received by the main interface unit 19.

Reference numeral 23 is a decompressing process for the object data read from the object data memory 22 and is equivalent to the bit map data (data "1", "0" and the print pattern have a one-to-one correspondence). This is a decompression unit that outputs decompression data (meaning).

Reference numeral 24 is a buffer for temporarily storing the output of the expansion unit 23, and reference numeral 25 is an expansion data interface unit for interfacing with the printer interface unit 18.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the structure of the overlay data header. In the figure, 31 is a code indicating the start of overlay data, 32 is an overlay name indicating the name of overlay data, 33 is an overlay number indicating the registration number of overlay data, and 34 is a data format indicating the data format of overlay data. is there.

Reference numeral 35 is a processing flag showing a processing when the overlay data is stored in the external storage device 12,
36 is a character set I for defining the character set to be used when the overlay data is in the source file format.
It is D.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the structure of overlay data. In the figure, 41 is a header having various information of overlay data shown in FIG. 3, 42 is data which is the contents of overlay data, and 43 is an end code which indicates the end of overlay data.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the structure of the data 42 in FIG. 4 when the overlay data is composed of objects. In the figure, 51 is a code indicating that the following area is overlay data in an object format, 52 is object information such as horizontal size, vertical size, and data length, and 53 is the object itself. is there.

Next, the operation will be described. First, a method of registering overlay data will be described.

When a source file consisting of text data, image data, and graph data is registered in the overlay, this overlay data is called the source format.
In this case, print data to be output as overlay data is created using text data, image data, and graph data, and a source file is created.

The source file corresponds to the data 42 in FIG. The source file (data 42) can be registered in the overlay by adding the header 41 and the overlay end code 43 to the data 42.

The overlay data header 41 will now be described. The header 41 is configured as shown in FIG. 3, and the role of each block is as follows.

That is, the overlay start code 31 is a code that declares that the data from this code to the overlay end code 43 is overlay data, and the overlay name 32 stores the registered overlay data in the external storage device 12. It becomes the file name when storing.
The overlay number 33 is a different number assigned to the registered overlay data, and the overlay number 33 will be referred to when the print data is actually created.

The data format 34 is a flag for identifying the data format of overlay data. For example, 16
If the decimal number X “00” is defined as the source format and the others are defined as the object format, the data format 34 becomes X “0”.
In the case of 0 ", the data 42 in FIG. 4 is a source file composed of text data and the like, and the overlay data is in a source format.

When the overlay data is stored in the external storage device 12 when the overlay data is in the source format, the processing flag 35 stores the overlay data as it is or after performing data processing and compression processing and converting it to the object format. This is a flag that specifies processing to store. In addition,
It has no meaning if the overlay data is in object form.

The character set ID 36 is an ID number for designating the character set to be used when the overlay data is in the source format. Here, the character set is a set that gives conditions such as a character code being a JIS code and a typeface being Gothic, for example, to text data. Also in this case, if the overlay data is an object format, it has no meaning.

The method of registering the source file in the overlay has been described above. Next, the method of registering the object in the overlay will be described. To create overlay data in object format, first create a source file with text data, image data, graph data, etc., and when registering this in the overlay, use the header 4
The object type may be designated by the processing flag 35 in 1.

The central control unit 19 gives text data to the text data processing unit 13, image data to the image data processing unit 14, and graph data to the graph data processing unit 15 in order to register this source file as an overlay. The result of processing by the units 13 to 15 is read by the bitmap data processing unit 16 into a pattern developed on the bitmap via the printer interface unit 18,
An object is created by compression using a predetermined algorithm.

The structure of the overlay data in this object format is also as shown in FIG. 4 as in the case of the source format, but the data 42 is a code indicating that it is object data, as shown in FIG. 51, object information 52, and an object 53.

Next, a method of using the registered overlay data will be described. Refer to the overlay data in the header 41
The overlay number 33 in FIG. In the case of object-type overlay data, the central control unit 19 writes the object 53 in the data 42 among the overlay data read from the external storage device 12 to the object data memory 22 in the overlay data processing unit 16.

At this time, the central control unit 19 associates the start address of the object data memory 22 with the overlay number 33, and when actually printing, the central control unit 19
Shows the overlay number 33 as the object data memory 22
Overlay data processing unit 1
6 to indicate the overlay data.

When the overlay data processing unit 16 receives the head address of the object data memory 22 from the central control unit 19 and receives an instruction such as printing start, the decompression unit 23 reads the object data from the head address of the object data memory 22 and successively outputs it. Perform decompression processing. The result of executing the decompression process is temporarily stored in the buffer 24,
In response to a data request from the printer interface unit 18, the data is sent via the decompressed data interface unit 25.

On the other hand, when the overlay data is in the source format, the central control unit 19 reads the lease file in the data 42 among the overlay data, and the text data processing unit 13 sends the text data and the image data processing unit 1 to the lease file.
4, image data is provided to the graph data processing unit 15, and graph data is supplied to the graph data processing unit 15. A pattern obtained by expanding the processing result on the bitmap by the bitmap data processing unit 17 is read via the printer interface unit 18 and compressed. Create an object. The subsequent processing is the same as the processing of overlay data in the object format.

Example 2. Although the print data is input from the external storage device 12 in the above embodiment, the print data may be input from the host computer or the like.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the structure of such an embodiment, and the corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals as in FIG. 1 to avoid redundant description. In the figure, reference numeral 26 is a host computer for inputting print data, and 27 is a central control unit 19.
Is a channel interface installed between the host computer 26 and the host computer 26.

According to the printer device constructed as described above, the print data can be input from the host computer 26, so that the online processing is possible.

[0046]

As described above, according to the present invention, overlay registration is performed by declaring a source file of text data, image data, and graph data as an overlay, and further processing of the source file is performed. It is configured to read the pattern expanded on the bitmap and register the overlay independently of the source file.Therefore, it is not necessary to convert the special data format or code to obtain the overlay data, and it is normally printed. Overlay registration can be performed by the same procedure as for creating data, and it is not necessary to store print data and font patterns in the storage device at the same time, and a printer device that does not require a large-capacity storage device can be obtained. is there.

[Brief description of drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of an overlay data processing unit of the above embodiment.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a structure of a header of overlay data in the above embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a structure of overlay data in the above embodiment.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of object data in the above embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a conventional printer device.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing a structure of conventional overlay data.

[Explanation of symbols]

 8 printer 13 text data processing unit 14 image data processing unit 15 graph data processing unit 16 overlay data processing unit 17 bitmap data processing unit 18 printer interface unit 19 central control unit

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A text data processing unit that processes data of text data in print data input from the outside, an image data processing unit that processes data of image data in the print data, and A graph data processing unit for performing data processing of graph data, an overlay data processing unit for performing data processing of overlay data in the print data, an output of the text data processing unit, an image data processing unit, and a graph data processing unit. A bitmap data processing unit that expands on a bitmap, a printer that prints the output of the overlay data processing unit and the output of the bitmap data processing unit, and an arrangement between the overlay data processing unit and the bitmap data processing unit and the printer The printer interface that is used to interface with each other. The text data processing unit, the image data processing unit, the graph data processing unit, the overlay data processing unit, the bitmap data processing unit, and the printer interface unit are controlled by the face unit, and the text data, the image data, and the graph data are stored. The filed source file is registered in the overlay, the source file is the text data processing unit,
The bitmap data obtained as a result of being processed by the image data processing unit and the graph data processing unit and developed on the bitmap by the bitmap data processing unit is read through the printer interface unit and A printer device having a central control unit that registers in the overlay independently of the file.