JPH06199019A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make high-speed expansion in a bit map possible in conversion of code information from an external unit into bit map information by a method wherein addresses in a recording part and font information currently in use are registered for every page in a table. CONSTITUTION:Code information from an external unit received with a host interface is stored in a storage part 6 and the code information is expanded into a bit map by operation of a CPU 1 and is plotted in a page buffer 4. A head code address in every page and font currently in use are kept in a page control table 3, and the bit map information is sent to a recording part 7 after completion of bit map expansion for one page. After sending-out of the bit map information, overwriting on the said bit map information is allowed, and while bit map expansion for the next page is carried out, completion of printing on the preceding page is waited. In the case where the printing becomes unsuccessful, reference is made to the information stored in the storage part 6 and information about the said page in the table 3, and the bit map information is reproduced.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printer device having a page buffer, and more particularly to a printer device for controlling the page buffer and for reading and writing information between a plurality of pages.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a printer, image data to be output is temporarily stored in a buffer memory in page units, and when printing, the data in the buffer memory is sequentially read and converted into a bit map pattern. The image is recorded or printed, and new data is written in the buffer memory.

However, if a failure occurs for some reason before the printing of the image for one page is completed, even if the contents of the buffer memory are read again and printing is re-executed, one of the contents of the buffer memory will be lost. The copy is overwritten with new data, so normal printing is not performed. For this reason, there is a problem in that it is necessary to send the data of the image that has failed to be printed again from the host device to the buffer memory of the printer device, and it takes time to recover from the failure.

As a conventional printer apparatus for solving this problem, as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2-181220, until it can be confirmed that the print information for one page is normally printed, Some prohibit overwriting the page buffer.

[0005]

However, as described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2-181220, when overwriting the page buffer is prohibited until it is confirmed that the printing is normally performed, A printer having only a page buffer for one page cannot expand the image of the next page until the print information is normally printed, which causes a problem of increasing the print work time for a plurality of pages.

It is possible to increase the capacity of the page buffer in order to solve this problem, but this leads to high cost. In addition, it is wasteful to prepare a large-capacity page buffer due to an infrequent occurrence failure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a printer apparatus which controls a recording unit with a minimum buffer without increasing a printing work time.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention stores code information sent from an external device in a storage unit, converts the code information into bitmap information, and then stores the code information in a recording unit. In a printer device that sends out and prints bitmap information, when converting the code information into bitmap information, a table in which the address of the storage unit and the information of the font used are registered for each page. Further, when the bitmap information is not printed normally, a means for referring to the information in the table and generating the bitmap information again is provided.

[0009]

When the code information is converted into the bitmap information, the address of the storage unit and the information of the font used are registered in the table for each page. When the bitmap information is not printed normally, the information in the table is referred to and the bitmap information is generated again. As a result, the bitmap can be expanded at high speed by using the information of the table written last time when expanding the bitmap.

[0010]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The features of the present invention will be specifically described below based on embodiments with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the printer device of the present invention. 1 is a CP that controls the whole
U (Central Processing Unit), 2 is a system memory for storing font information and the like, 3 is a page management table for registering various kinds of data necessary for developing code data into a bitmap, and 4 is bitmap data The page buffer, 5 is a host interface for receiving information such as code data from an external device (not shown), 6 is a storage unit for storing the received data, and 7 is bitmap data in the page buffer 4. A recording unit 8 prints an image based on the image, and a display unit 8 displays a message or the like indicating the operating state of the printer. The blocks are connected to each other via a bus. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the data structure of the page management table used in the printer device shown in FIG. The document ID (identification code) 9, page number 10, code address 11, code size 12, font 13, bitmap address 14, bitmap size 15, etc. are registered in the page management table, as will be described later.

First, the basic operation of the printer device shown in FIG. 1 will be described.

Code information received by the host interface 5 from an external device (not shown) is stored in the CPU 1
Is held in the storage unit 6. The CPU 1 performs bit map expansion of the code information in the storage unit 6 and draws it in the page buffer 4, holds the head code address of each page and the font used in the page management table 3, and stores the bit map of one page. After the expansion is completed, the bitmap information is sent to the recording unit 7. After sending, the corresponding bitmap information is allowed to be overwritten, the bitmap of the next page is developed, and the end of printing of the previous page is waited for. When the printing fails, the cause of the failure is displayed on the display unit 8, and when the bitmap information of the previous page is overwritten, the information stored in the storage unit 6 and the table 3 are displayed.
By reproducing the bit map information by referring to the information of the corresponding page, the recording unit 7 is controlled by the minimum buffer without increasing the printing work time due to the shortage of the capacity of the page buffer 4.

Next, details of the operation of the above-described printer device will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

The CPU 1 monitors whether data is sent from the outside to the printer device (S1), and if it is sent, the host interface 5 receives the information sent from the external device, and the storage unit Store in 6. Here, the storage unit 6 may be external to the printer device,
In that case, the external device transmits to another external device including the storage unit 6, and the printer device accesses through the host interface 5. Document I, which is uniquely assigned to the document when this information is received
D (identification code) 9 is assigned (S2).

As for the information sent from the external device, which is held in the storage unit 6, the necessary size of the page buffer 4 is secured, and its start address and size are set to the bit map address of the page management table 3 shown in FIG. 14 and the bitmap size 15, the document ID 9, the page number 10 in the document, the code address 11 at the beginning of each page of the information sent from the external device, and the font 13 used. Register in page management table 3. Here, registration is performed for each page, but it is also possible to register for each page and for each document.
The required size of the page buffer 4 can be known from the control code sent before the print data or the data designated from the user interface.

The CPU 1 draws in the page buffer 4 according to the information in the storage unit 6 while referring to the font information in the system memory 2. The font 13 is data representing the type of font, and the font information is actual bitmap data. When the bitmap information of one page is drawn in the page buffer 4, the bitmap information is sent to the recording unit 7 and the code size is calculated from the address of the information sent from the external device at the end of the page in the page management table 3. The code size 12 is registered (S3).

After the data transmission from the page buffer 4 to the recording unit 7 is completed, the overwriting of the area storing the bitmap information of the portion of the page buffer 4 where the printing is completed is permitted and the printing from the recording unit 7 is completed. Wait for notification (S
4).

When the print end notification is confirmed, the information about the page is deleted from the page management table 3 (S
5). Here, it is supposed to delete every page, but there is no problem even if all pages are deleted after one document is completed. In addition, regarding the information stored in the storage unit 6 and sent from the external device, the information of the corresponding page is set to 1
It is also possible to delete each page.

When the printing is not normally performed, it is determined whether or not the drawing area in the page buffer 4 used for sending has been already overwritten by a bitmap for each page of the page management table 3. The address 14 and the bitmap size 15 are checked (S6). If not overwritten, the data is retransmitted to the recording unit 7 according to the address shown in the page management table 3 (S7). If it has been overwritten, an attempt is made to newly secure the required size of the page buffer 4 (S8). If it can be secured, the drawing is performed again in the same manner as described above with priority over the processing of other pages. When the page bitmap information is drawn in the page buffer 4, the bitmap information is sent to the recording unit 7 (S
9).

When the required size of the new page buffer 4 cannot be secured, the processing of other pages currently using the page buffer is forcibly terminated and the page management table 3
Is initialized, the page buffer is released (S10),
After that, the same processing as step 9 (S11) is performed. Although processing of other pages is forcibly terminated here, it is only necessary to secure the necessary page buffer size, so it is possible to release only the last processed page and secure the necessary page buffer again. is there.

If the printout is not normal,
It may be possible that an operator needs to repair the machine. In such a case, the reason why the repair work is necessary, the repaired place, etc. are displayed on the display unit 8 to manage the repaired condition, and at the same time, necessary processing such as bitmap expansion is performed until the re-sending is possible. It is possible to easily carry out processing of other pages continuously.

Here, it is confirmed whether or not all pages of the document sent from the external device have been printed (S12), and the information sent from the external device and stored in the storage unit 6 after the printing is confirmed. Also, the information in the page management table 3 can be overwritten (S13). In the above embodiment, 1
The print data for pages is made overwritable after being sent to the recording unit 7. However, for example, a configuration in which one page is divided into a plurality of blocks and each block can be overwritten at the end of sending is the same. It can be easily realized by means.

The location of the failure can be known by arranging a plurality of paper sensors along the paper transport path of the recording unit 7 and detecting the timing at which the paper passes. Further, the reason why the repair work is necessary, the repair location, and the like can be determined from the output of the paper sensor. The fault display means has the same structure as that used in a normal copying machine and will not be described in detail.

As described above, the printer device of this embodiment stores the code information sent from the external device in the storage unit 6 via the host interface 5, and outputs this information to the recording unit 7. The CPU 1 is provided with a function of continuously holding the storage unit 6. Further, when converting the code information into bitmap information, the storage unit 6 is provided for each page.
The CPU 1 is provided with the function of registering the address and the information of the font used in the table 3. When the bitmap information is retransmitted after the bitmap information is deleted, the information stored in the storage unit 6 and the table 3 are stored.
The CPU 1 is provided with the function of referring again to the information on the corresponding page and generating the bitmap information again. Further, when the bitmap information has to be retransmitted due to a paper jam or the like, the CPU 1 has a function of displaying the cause on the display unit 8 and generating bitmap information again from the information of the storage unit 6.

[0026]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Since permission to overwrite the page buffer can be issued at the end of sending to the recording unit, it is not necessary to wait for the recording paper to be discharged, and the page buffer can be used effectively. In addition, when converting the information sent from the external device to bitmap information again, by using the information registered in the table when it was previously converted to bitmap information, only the necessary pages can be converted into bitmap information at high speed. Can be converted. Further, while the operator's work such as paper jam is required and the machine is waiting for the work, the expected next process can be performed, so that the printing work time can be shortened.

[Brief description of drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a data structure of a page management table used in the printer device shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the printer device.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... CPU, 2 ... System memory, 3 ... Page management table, 4 ... Page buffer, 5 ... Host interface, 6 ... Storage unit, 7 ... Recording unit, 8 ... Display unit, 9 ... Document I
D, 10 ... page number, 11 ... code address, 12 ...
Code size, 13 ... Font, 14 ... Bitmap address, 15 ... Bitmap size

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A printer device in which code information sent from an external device is stored in a storage unit, the code information is converted into bitmap information and then sent to a recording unit to print the bitmap information, When converting the code information into bitmap information, a table in which the address of the storage unit and the information of the font used is registered for each page, and when the bitmap information is not printed normally, A printer apparatus, further comprising: a unit that refers to the information in the table and generates bitmap information again.