JPH0671803B2 - Printer - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printing device such as a liquid crystal printer or a laser beam printer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, a function of performing the same printing on a specified number of sheets by specifying the number of copies in a printing device such as a liquid crystal printer or a laser beam printer (copy printing function)
A device having is proposed. In a printer having this function, when a specific command is input from the host device together with page data corresponding to one page of paper, image data based on the page data is created and written in the frame memory, and then synchronized with the conveyance of the paper. Image data is printed on paper, and a plurality of identical images are created by repeating this printing process for a specified number of sheets. By using this function, the page data is not output from the host device each time an image is printed on one sheet of paper, and the above printing can be performed by sending the page data once, thus speeding up the printing process. This is a convenient function because it can be achieved.

[0003]

[Problems of the prior art] When continuous printing is performed using the above-described copy printing function, a mistake existing in page data is confirmed by checking an image on a sheet discharged from the printer. There is. Therefore, while confirming the image formed on the paper, the paper on which the same image is formed is ejected one after another, and when a mistake is found in the page data, a large amount of paper that requires image correction is displayed. It has been ejected.

Further, even if an error occurs in one of the page data input for a plurality of pages, conventionally it is not possible to erase only the page data including the error and input the correct page data of the erased portion. All entered page data must be deleted once. Therefore, all the page data including the page data to be corrected had to be input again.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a printing apparatus capable of eliminating unnecessary printing on paper and efficiently performing copy printing. To do.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a printer having a copy print mode in which print data input from a host device is converted into image data and image data of the same page is repeatedly printed out a plurality of times. Control means for interrupting the printing operation once the printing on the first paper is completed in the copy printing mode, and whether the control means continues or cancels the printing processing on the second and subsequent papers during the interruption of the printing operation. And an instructing means for instructing.

[0007]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram of the printing apparatus of this embodiment. In the figure, the printer 1 is a CPU (central processing unit)
2, host interface (hereinafter referred to as host I / F) 3, reception buffer 4, RAM 5, ROM 6, operation unit 7, page buffer 8, image data generation unit 9, image memory 10, printer interface (hereinafter referred to as printer I / F) 11) and a printing unit 12.

The host computer 13, which is an external host device, is a circuit that outputs print data such as character codes and control data to the host I / F 3. CPU2 is R
Each part is controlled according to the program stored in the OM 6. For example, the character code or control data output from the host computer 13 via the host I / F 3 is temporarily stored in the reception buffer 4, and the above-mentioned character code or control data stored in the reception buffer 4 is read out to a predetermined circuit. Output. For example, the character code is converted into address data described below and output to the page buffer 8, the control data is read out to the CPU 2, and the corresponding processing is performed.
Further, the CPU 2 receives the pattern data based on the page data written in the page buffer 8 as will be described later in accordance with the key operation signal from the operation unit 7 and outputs the pattern data to the printer I / F 11.
It is also output to the printing unit 12 via the control unit to perform printing on only one sheet (sample printing process).

The operation unit 7 has a plurality of keys, and a key operation signal for executing the above-described sample printing process can be output to the CPU 2 by pressing a predetermined key among them. Further, in the above-mentioned sample printing process, when the printing of the remaining number of sheets is designated as will be described later in detail, it is performed by pressing a predetermined key of the operation unit 7. Further, the number of copies can be designated by pressing a key on the operation unit 7.

The page buffer 8 has an area for storing page data of, for example, 6 pages (increased and decreased according to the print amount of one page) converted into A4 size paper, and each page area is analyzed by the CPU 2. The character code is converted into address data for reading the pattern data in the image data generator 9, and the control data is converted into data write control data for the image memory 10 and stored. The address data and control data stored in each page area correspond to the data for one page of paper.

The image data generator 9 is a circuit for storing pattern data of characters corresponding to a character code and reading the pattern data with the address data corresponding to the above-mentioned character code read from the page buffer 8. The image memory 10 is a memory for storing the pattern data read from the above-mentioned image data generator 9. The printing unit 12 is composed of a printing mechanism and a printing circuit for printing the above-mentioned pattern data on the paper, and is configured to print on the paper according to the above-mentioned pattern data.

In the printing apparatus 1 having the above-mentioned configuration, the processing operation will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. It is assumed that the address data and control data based on the print data output from the host computer 13 are written in the page buffer 8 in advance.

First, the CPU 2 determines whether or not the number of copies is designated by operating the operation unit 7 (step (hereinafter referred to as S) 1). This determination may also be made by determining whether the print data output from the host computer 13 includes a copy number designation command for continuously printing the same data on a plurality of sheets.
If the number of copies is not specified (S1 is N), the process for printing on only one sheet is executed (S).
2). In this process, as described above, the print data written as the address data in the first page area of the page buffer 8 is read out, converted into the pattern data by the image data generator 9 and written in the image memory 10, The printing unit 12 prints this pattern data on one sheet of paper.

After that, it is determined whether the page data of all pages in the page buffer 8 has been output, and if the page data of all pages has not been output, the page is updated (S3 is N, S4), and the above-described processing (S1) is performed. To S3) are sequentially repeated to print the pattern data based on each page data for each sheet.

On the other hand, if the number of copies is designated (S
1 is Y), the CPU 2 determines whether or not a key operation signal for executing the sample print processing is output from the operation unit 7 (S5). The key operation signal is a signal output to the CPU 2 by pressing a specific key provided on the operation unit 7 as described above, and the CPU 2 outputs the specified copy when the key operation signal is not input. The same pattern data for the number of sheets is output to the printing unit 12, and an image of the same pattern data is created on the designated number of sheets of paper (S5).
Is N, S6). After that, similarly to the above, it is determined whether the page data of all pages in the page buffer 8 has been output, and if the page data of all pages has not been output, the page is updated (S3 is N, S4), and the above-described processing (S1) is performed. To S3) are sequentially and repeatedly executed to print an image based on each page data on a sheet for each designated number of sheets.

On the other hand, if the key operation signal for designating the sample print is input (Y in S5), the CPU 2 thereafter executes the sample print processing. In this process, first, the page data of the first page in the page buffer 8 is output to the image data generation unit 9, and the corresponding pattern data is written in the image memory 10. After that, image memory 1
The pattern data written in 0 is output to the printing unit 12,
Printing is performed on one sheet (S7). By this processing, the paper on which the above-mentioned pattern data is printed is ejected from a paper ejection unit (not shown) of the printer 1, and the operator confirms the image printed on this paper. If the operator determines that there is no error in the page data, he or she depresses the specific key of the operation unit 7 to designate the printing of the remaining number of sheets, and the same pattern is printed on the number of sheets obtained by subtracting 1 from the designated number of copies. Data is printed (S8 is Y, S9). By this processing, an image based on page data having no error can be printed on the designated number of sheets.

When an error is found in the image data by the above-mentioned confirmation, the operator does not specify the printing of the remaining number of sheets (N in S8), and the CPU 2 determines whether the printing of the remaining pages is designated. Yes (S10). The remaining page print designation is executed when the operator decides to print the next page data without printing the erroneous page data and presses the specific key of the operation unit 7 (S10 is Y). In this case, processing (S3, S4)
Is executed and the processing for the next page is performed in the same manner as described above. Then, after the printing processing on the paper is completed by the processing of the next page and thereafter, for example, all the data is erased and only the corrected page data is rewritten, and the printing processing can be similarly performed.

Further, the operator can cancel not only the erroneous page data but also all the page data, and in this case, it can be performed by allowing a predetermined time to elapse without designating the remaining pages (N at S10). , S11 is Y, S12). However, in this case, by switching the switch 7a provided in the operation unit 7, it is possible to update to the next page processing as described above without canceling all the data after the lapse of a predetermined time.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, when the same data is printed on a plurality of sheets of paper, only one sheet is sample-printed by designating the sample print (S1 → S5 → S7). ), If the data is correct, the remaining number of sheets can be printed (S7 → S8 → S).
9) If there is an error in the data, the data can be canceled and the printing of the data for the next page can be executed (S7).
→ S8 → S10 → S3 → ...). At this time, a process of canceling all data is executed (S7 → S8 → S1).
0 → S11 → S12) can also be selected. By performing the processing in this way, it is possible to avoid waste such as printing erroneous page data on a sheet and to perform efficient copy printing processing.

[0020]

As described in detail above, according to the present invention, since an error in data is confirmed for each page and printing is performed on the remaining paper, unnecessary printing processing can be prevented.

Further, it also saves paper. Furthermore, if the page data is rewritten after printing error-free data on the specified multiple sheets, the transfer time of the data from the host device can be shortened compared to the case of rewriting all page data as in the past, which is efficient. Copy printing processing can be realized.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram of a printing apparatus according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the printing apparatus according to the present exemplary embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 printing device 2 CPU 6 ROM 7 operation unit 8 page buffer 12 printing unit

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A printer having a copy print mode in which print data input from a host device is converted into image data, and image data of the same page is repeatedly printed out a plurality of times, wherein in the copy print mode, the first sheet of paper is printed. A control means for interrupting the printing operation once the printing is completed, and an instruction means for instructing whether to continue or stop the printing processing on the second and subsequent sheets during the interruption of the printing operation by the control means are provided. Characteristic printing device.