JPH07125336A - Printing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enhance the throughput of the whole while reducing the idle state of a printer engine by providing printing means the number of which is less than that of pattern developing means and a first selection means selecting the connection of both means. CONSTITUTION:When pattern developing processing is completed, a pattern developing controller 21a asserts an output request signal wire to perform an output request. A printer controller 23 receives an output request signal to assert a receiving signal wire to inform the reception of the output request. The pattern developing controller 21a negates the output request signal wire to wait until the receiving signal wire is negated by the printer controller 23. The printer controller 23 performs the indication of the connection to a frame buffer 22a to an input destination changeover switch 24 through a control wire 29 and the indication of the connection to a sorter 27a to an output destination changeover switch 26 and transmits the pattern read from the frame buffer 22a to a printer engine 25.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printing system, and more particularly to a printing system for expanding a control command and a character / symbol code from a host computer into a corresponding font pattern for printing.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in this type of printing system, one pattern development controller is connected to one printer engine. Printer engines are typically several times more expensive than pattern expansion controllers. on the other hand,
The pattern expansion capability of the pattern expansion controller cannot keep up with the maximum printing speed of the printer engine.
The engine was usually left idle to wait for the pattern to complete. Also, recently, support for scalable character sets has become commonplace, and the idle time is getting longer and longer. Therefore, general users have to purchase a plurality of expensive printing systems in order to improve the efficiency of printing work.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention eliminates the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art. The object of the present invention is to reduce the idle state of the printer engine as much as possible and improve the overall throughput. It is to provide a printing system.

[0004]

In order to achieve the above object, a printing system of the present invention is a printing system for expanding a control command and a character symbol code from a host computer into a corresponding font pattern for printing. A plurality of pattern expanding means, a printing means less than the pattern expanding means, and a first selecting means for selecting a connection between the pattern expanding means and the printing means. Further, a plurality of paper ejection means corresponding to the number of the host computers and a second selection means for selecting a paper ejection destination corresponding to the connection of the first selection means are provided.

[0005]

In such a structure, each pattern expanding means expands the pattern only for the received data, notifies the printer means of the completion of the expansion when the expansion is completed, and waits for the completion of the reading of the expansion pattern to proceed to the next page. Start deployment. On the other hand, when the printer means detects the development end signal from the pattern developing means, it performs the printing process while selecting the input destination selecting means and the paper discharge destination selecting means.

[0006]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a printing system according to an embodiment. In the figure, reference numerals 11, 12, 13 denote host computers for transmitting print data, control commands, etc., which are connected to the outside of the printing apparatus 2. Reference numeral 2 denotes the entire printing apparatus, and 21a, 21b, and 21c are pattern development controllers, each of which has a CPU, a work RAM, and a ROM in which a program, a font pattern, and the like are written. Reference numerals 22a, 22b and 22c respectively denote frame buffers used by the pattern developing controller, and the developed patterns are written therein. 23
Is a CPU, RAM, R as well as a pattern development controller
A printer controller implementing an OM, a printer engine, an input destination changeover switch 24,
The discharge destination changeover switch 26 is controlled. Reference numeral 24 denotes an input destination changeover switch controlled by the printer controller 23, which is used for the frame buffers 22a, 22b, 22.
Select either c.

A printer engine 25 is a printer engine.
The pattern transferred via the controller 23 is recorded on the paper as a permanent visible image. Reference numeral 26 denotes a paper discharge destination changeover switch controlled by the printer controller 23, which is connected to any of the sorters 27a, 27b, and 27c. 27a, 27b, and 27c are selected by the discharge destination changeover switch 26 in the discharge sorter. In this embodiment, the output for the data transmitted from the host computer 11 is output to the sorter 27a, and the data from the host computer 12 is output to the sorter 27b. The data from the host computer 13 is controlled so as to be discharged to the sorter 27c. 28 is a pattern development controller 21a, 21b,
A group of control lines connecting 21c and the printer controller 23, the details of which will be described with reference to FIG. Reference numeral 29 is a control line for the printer controller 23 to control the input destination changeover switch 24 and the output destination changeover switch 26.

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the control line group 28 of FIG. 1 in detail. 28aR, 28bR, and 28cR are the pattern development controllers 21a, 21b, and 21c, respectively, that the printer controller 23 indicates the end of the pattern development. Request signal line for notifying the user, and also 28aA, 28b
A and 28cA are reception signal lines indicating that the printer controller 23 has received an output request from the pattern development controllers 21a, 21b, and 21c, and are held in an asserted state until the output of the page is completed.

FIG. 3 shows a pattern development controller 21a,
21b and 21c are operation sequence diagrams of the printer controller 23. FIG. For simplification of the description, the case where the pattern development controller 21a finishes the pattern development will be described below, but the operation of the pattern development controllers 21b and 21c is also the same. First, when the pattern development processing is completed in step S1, the pattern development controller 21a asserts the output request signal line 28aR in step S2 to make an output request to the printer controller 23. Upon receiving the output request signal, the printer controller 23 asserts the reception signal line 28aA in step S3 to notify that the request has been received.

Then, the pattern development controller 21a
Negates the output signal line 28aR in step S4 and causes the printer controller 23 to accept the reception signal line 2aR2.
Wait until 8aA negates. On the other hand, the printer
In step S5, the controller 23 instructs the input destination changeover switch 24 to connect to the frame buffer 22a through the control line 29, and at the same time instructs the output destination changeover switch 26 to connect to the sorter 27a. Following this connection processing, the pattern read from the frame buffer 22a in step S6 is transferred to the printer engine 25.

The printer engine 25 operates in step S7.
The pattern transferred in step S8 is printed out on paper, and the output paper is discharged to the connected sorter 27a in step S8. When these output processes are completed, the printer controller 23 negates the reception signal line 28aA in step S9 and notifies the pattern development controller 21a that the output process is completed. When the acceptance signal line 28aA is negated by the printer controller 23, in step S10 the pattern development controller 21a
Starts the expansion process for the next page.

FIG. 4 shows a pattern development controller 21a,
21b and 21c are flowcharts for explaining the operation, and FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the printer controller 23, and these programs are written in the ROM mounted in each controller. Hereinafter, the details will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. Here, for simplification of description, only the case where the pattern development controller 21a finishes the pattern development will be described.

In FIG. 4, when the pattern development controller 21a finishes the pattern development, this program is executed. First, in step S31, the output request signal line 28
Assert aR and make an output request to the printer controller 23. Next, the process proceeds to step S32 to check the state of the reception signal line 28aA, and if asserted, the process proceeds to step S33 to negate the output signal line 28aR. Further, the process proceeds to step S34, and the reception signal line 2
Loop until 8aA is negated. When the reception signal line 28aA is negated, the development of the next page is started.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing the operation of the printer controller 23, which is a program executed when the page is not output, that is, in the idle state. First, in step S41, the output request signal line 2
Check the states of 8aR, 28bR, 28cR. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the pattern development controller 21a makes an output request, so the output request signal line 28aR is asserted. In step S42, the acceptance signal line 28aA is asserted to notify the pattern development controller 21a that the request has been accepted. Next, in step S43, the input destination changeover switch 24 is instructed to connect to the frame buffer 22a via the control line 29. At the same time, the output switch 26
Also instructs to connect to the sorter 27a. Step S44
Then, the pattern developed in the frame buffer is read and transferred to the printer engine 25. The printer engine 25 prints the transferred pattern on paper and outputs it. The output paper is discharged to the connected sorter 27a. When the output process is completed, the process proceeds to step S45, the acceptance signal line 28aA is negated, and the pattern development controller 21a is notified that the output is completed.

In the present embodiment, the printing apparatus connected to a plurality of host computers has been described. However, by replacing the pattern developing controller with a facsimile receiving apparatus and using a telephone or an exchange as a data source, one printer can be used. Therefore, it can be easily inferred that the facsimile receiver has a plurality of lines. As explained above,
By connecting multiple pattern expansion controllers and printer controllers that control their output to a single printer engine, the data transmitted from multiple data sources can be expanded at the same time It becomes possible to print out sequentially from, and it becomes possible to efficiently use an expensive printer engine.

The present invention may be applied to a system composed of a plurality of devices or an apparatus composed of a single device. Further, it goes without saying that the present invention can be applied to the case where it is achieved by supplying a program to a system or an apparatus.

[0017]

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a printing system in which the idle state of the printer engine is minimized and the overall throughput is improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a printing apparatus of this embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a control line group 28 of FIG. 1 in detail.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an operation sequence of a pattern development controller and a printer controller.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an operation of a pattern development controller.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the printer controller.

[Explanation of reference numerals] 11, 12, 13 Host computer 2 Printer main body 21a, 21b, 21c Pattern development controller 22a, 22b, 22c Frame buffer 23 Printer controller 24 Input destination changeover switch 25 Dot printer section 26 Paper output destination changeover Switch 27a, 27b, 27c Sorter 28, 29 Control line group 28aR, 28bR, 28cR Output request signal line 28aA, 28bA, 28cA Reception signal line

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A printing system for expanding a control command and a character symbol code from a host computer into a corresponding font pattern for printing, and a plurality of pattern expanding means, and a printing means less than the pattern expanding means, A printing system comprising: a pattern developing means and a first selecting means for selecting a connection between the printing means. 2. A plurality of paper ejection means corresponding to the number of said host computers, and a second selection means for selecting a paper ejection destination corresponding to the connection of said first selection means. The printing system according to claim 1, wherein: