JPH07172033A - Output device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make an error or a status known without using an expensive LCD, by a method wherein the error of an output device is detected, a display pattern corresponding to the detected error through a detected display pattern control method, through which a person is informed of the error discriminatively. CONSTITUTION:An error decision part 7 in a data processing part applies an error signal of a control sensor 13 or a printing part 6 to an LED lighting pattern producing table 8. The LED display patterns corresponding to the errors each are decided, an LED driver 9 is started, a person is informed of generation of the errors within a printer and kinds of the errors by LEDs 10, 11 through a data transmitting and receiving part 3. Then an error printing contents producing table 12 either deliver information of message print outputting printing contents corresponding to the error signal to the printing part 6 or allows the information to display to a CRT of an information processing device 1 based on an error signal decision result delivered to the error printing contents producing table 12 through the error decision part 7.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an output method in an output device for generating and outputting output information based on input information input from an information processing device such as a host computer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional system configuration diagram shown in FIG. 11, an output device 102 such as a printer receives input information including a character code and a control code from an information processing device 101 such as a host computer.
000, output information such as bitmap data is generated based on the input information, the output information is converted into a video signal and the like and output to the printing unit 105 such as a printer engine. The printer controller 1000 receives the input information including the character code, the control code and the like from the information processing apparatus 101 such as the host computer, and the bitmap data and the like based on the input information received by the data transmitter / receiver 103. Of the data processing unit 104 which generates the output information of the above, converts the output information into a video signal or the like, and outputs the video signal to the printing unit 105.

Further, the printer controller 2000 is
Detects the failure of the printing unit 105 and the output device 102 as a whole,
A message indicating that the failure has occurred is displayed on the LCD or the like of the operation unit 3000 of the output device 102.

[0004]

However, in the prior art,
In order to convey the status message of the output device 102 to the user, an expensive L
There was the problem of having to install a CD.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems. In order to inform the user of the error and status of the output device, the error and status can be detected by another method without using an expensive LCD. It is an object of the present invention to provide an output method in an output device notified by.

[0006]

The output device of the present invention which achieves the above object has the following constitution. That is, a method of outputting an output device that generates and outputs output information based on input information input from an information processing device, wherein an error of the output device is detected and the error is identified by a display unit of the output device. In order to notify the outside as much as possible, a selection step of selecting a display pattern control method corresponding to the detected error from the plurality of display pattern control methods corresponding to the error, and the selection step selected in the selection step. And a control step of controlling a display pattern on the display unit based on the display pattern control method to notify an error in the output device to the outside in a distinguishable manner.

[0007]

In this structure, in order to detect an error of the output device and notify the error to the outside so that the display device of the output device can identify the error, the error is detected from a plurality of display pattern control methods in the display device corresponding to the error. A display pattern control method corresponding to an error is selected, and based on the selected display pattern control method, a display pattern on the display means is controlled so that an error in the output device can be notified to the outside in a distinguishable manner. To do.

[0008]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Before describing the configuration of this embodiment, the configurations of a laser beam printer and an inkjet printer suitable for applying this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. Needless to say, the printer to which the present embodiment is applied is not limited to the laser beam printer and the inkjet printer, and may be a printer of another printing method.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing the structure of a first output device to which the present invention can be applied, for example, a case of a laser beam printer (LBP).

In the figure, reference numeral 1500 denotes an LBP main body, which inputs and stores print information (character codes, etc.), form information, macro commands, etc. supplied from an externally connected host computer, and also those information. A corresponding character pattern, form pattern, or the like is created according to the above, and an image is formed on a recording paper or the like that is a recording medium.
Reference numeral 1501 is an operation panel on which switches for operation and LED indicators are arranged, and 1000 is an LBP main body 15
00 is a printer control unit for controlling the whole and analyzing character information and the like supplied from the host computer.
The printer control unit 1000 mainly converts character information into a video signal of a corresponding character pattern and outputs it to the laser driver 1502. The laser driver 1502 is a circuit for driving the semiconductor laser 1503, and switches on / off the laser light 1504 emitted from the semiconductor laser 1503 according to the input video signal. The laser light 1504 is oscillated in the left-right direction by the rotary polygon mirror 1505 to scan and expose the electrostatic drum 1506. As a result, an electrostatic latent image having a character pattern is formed on the electrostatic drum 1506. This latent image is developed by a developing unit 1507 arranged around the electrostatic drum 1506 and then transferred to a recording paper. A cut sheet is used as the recording sheet, and the cut sheet recording sheet is LBP15.
The paper is stored in a paper cassette 1508 mounted on paper No. 00, is taken into the apparatus by a paper feed roller 1509, a conveyance roller 1510, and a conveyance roller 1511, and is supplied to the electrostatic drum 1506. Further, the LBP main body 1500 is provided with at least one or more card slots (not shown), and in addition to the built-in font, an optional font card,
Control cards with different languages (emulation cards)
Are configured to be connected.

FIG. 2 is an external view showing the configuration of a second output device to which the present invention can be applied, for example, the case of an ink jet recording device (IJRA).

In the figure, a spiral groove 5004 of a lead screw 5005 that rotates via driving force transmission gears 5011 and 5009 in association with forward and reverse rotations of a drive motor 5013.
The carriage HC that engages with is a pin (not shown)
And is reciprocated in the directions of arrows a and b. An inkjet cartridge IJC is mounted on the carriage HC. A paper pressing plate 5002 presses the paper against the platen 5000 in the carriage movement direction. Reference numerals 5007 and 5008 denote photocouplers, which function as home position detection means for confirming the presence of the carriage lever 5006 in this area and switching the rotation direction of the motor 5013. Reference numeral 5016 is a member that indicates a cap member 5022 that caps the entire surface of the recording head, and 5015 is a suction unit that sucks the inside of the cap, and performs suction recovery of the recording head through the opening 5023 in the cap. 5017 is a cleaning blade, which is a member 5
019 enables movement in the front-back direction. Reference numeral 5018 denotes a main body support plate that supports the above 5017 and 5019. Fifty
Reference numeral 12 is a lever for starting suction for suction recovery, which moves in accordance with the movement of the cam 5020 that engages with the carriage, and the driving force from the driving motor is movement-controlled by a known transmission means such as clutch switching. .

The capping, cleaning, and suction recovery are configured such that when the carriage comes to the home position side area, desired processing can be performed at the corresponding positions by the action of the lead screw 5005. It suffices if it is configured so as to perform the desired operation.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the control configuration of the second output device shown in FIG.

In the figure, reference numeral 1700 is an interface for inputting a recording signal, 1701 is an MPU, 1702 is a ROM for storing a control program executed by the MPU 1701 and host print information, and 1703 is a DRAM for storing various data (recording signal, The recording data supplied to the head) is saved. A gate array 1704 controls the supply of output data to the recording head 1708, and includes an interface 1700, an MPU 1701, and a DRAM 17.
It also controls the transfer of data between 03. 1710 is a carrier motor for carrying the recording head 1708;
Reference numeral 09 denotes a conveyance motor for conveying recording paper, 1705 denotes a head driver for driving the recording head, 1706 denotes a motor driver for driving the conveyance motor 1709, 17
A motor driver 07 drives the carrier motor 1710.

When input information is input from the host computer 100, which will be described later, through the interface 1700 in the recording apparatus thus configured, the input information is output between the gate array 1704 and the MPU 1701 for printing. Is converted to. Then, the motor drivers 1706 and 1707 are driven, and the recording head is driven according to the output information sent to the head driver 1705 to execute printing.

The MPU 1701 is an interface 1
Communication processing with a host computer 100 described later is possible via 700, and is configured to be able to notify the host computer 100 described later of memory information and resource data regarding the DRAM 1703 and host print information in the ROM 1702. As will be described later, it is configured to detect an error inside the output device and display on the display means (not shown) that the error has occurred, or to print out the error avoidance method.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram for explaining the configuration of the printer control system showing the first embodiment of the present invention. Here, a laser beam printer (FIG. 1) will be described as an example. As long as the functions of the present invention are executed, the present invention can be applied to a single device, a system including a plurality of devices, or a system in which processing is performed via a network such as a LAN. It goes without saying that the invention can be applied.

In the figure, reference numeral 1 is an information processing device such as a host computer for transmitting input information such as a character code and a control code to an output device such as the printer 1500 shown in FIG. It is equipped with a keyboard and CRT. An output device 2 such as a printer 1500 receives input information from the information processing device 1 via the bidirectional interface 200, generates output information based on the input information, and outputs the output information. Printer 1
The printer control unit 1000 includes the above-described printer control unit 1000, the above-described laser driver 1502 to the printing unit 6 including the conveyance roller 1510, and the above-described operation unit 1501. The printer control unit 1000 includes a data transmission / reception unit 3 and a data processing unit 4, which will be described later, and receives input information from the information processing apparatus 1 via the bidirectional interface 200 and instruction information from the operation unit 1501, and the printer 1500. The data transmission / reception unit 3 which transmits the status in the information processing device 1 and the operation unit 1501 and output information is generated based on the input information received by the data transmission / reception unit 3, converted into a video signal, and output to the printing unit 6. In addition, by detecting an error in the printing unit 6 or an error in the printer control unit 1000, the information processing apparatus 1 can be operated via the data transmitting / receiving unit 3.
And a data processing unit that outputs error information to the operation unit 1501 and outputs the content (a method for avoiding an error or a failure) to the printing unit 6. The data processing unit 4 is a CP
It is composed of U, ROM, and RAM, and the ROM is a control program of the CPU shown in the flowcharts of FIGS. 6 and 9 described later, a look-up table described later, and an LED described later.
A lighting pattern table 8, an error print content generation table 12 to be described later, an LED driver that is a program to control light emission of an LED to be described later, and output information is generated based on input information received from the information processing apparatus 1 or shown in FIG. It stores a font pattern and the like used when generating output information. The RAM is also used to temporarily store a work area and data. The printing unit visibly outputs to a recording medium such as paper based on the video signal converted from the output information generated by the printer control unit 1000. For example, a text (hereinafter referred to as a message print) in which a method for avoiding an error or a failure detected by the printer control unit 1000 and contents regarding a status message are described is printed out.

FIG. 5 is a diagram for specifically explaining the data processing unit 4 shown in FIG.

In the figure, reference numeral 7 denotes an error signal (error of ROM checksum test, failure of RAM test, failure of NVRAM self-diagnosis (not shown), etc.) input from the controller sensor 13 and a printing unit 6. The error signal (paper jam, no toner, no paper, etc.) input from each sensor of No.1 and other error signals input from other sensors inside the printer are discriminated, and the result is determined by the LED lighting pattern generation table 8 and the error print content. Occurrence table 1
Output to 2. The LED lighting pattern generation table 8 is
The lighting (display) pattern of the LED corresponding to each error is determined by referring to the look-up table shown in FIG. 6 based on the error signal judgment result input from the error judgment unit 7. A display example will be described later. Then, the LED driver 9 is activated based on the determined lighting (display) pattern control method, and the LED 1 is transmitted via the data transmitting / receiving unit 3.
The LED 0 and the LED 11 are controlled to be turned on or off to notify the user that an error has occurred in the printer 1500 and the type of the error. In addition, the error print content generation table 12 refers to the lookup table having the address map shown in FIG. 6 based on the error signal determination result input from the error determination unit 7, and thereby the print content corresponding to the error signal ( For example, the information of the message print for outputting the messages 500 and 600 shown in FIG. 7 is output to the printing unit 6 to be printed out or displayed on the CRT of the information processing apparatus 1. The printing unit 6 prints out a message as shown in FIG. 7 using the font pattern stored in the ROM or the RAM.

FIG. 8 is a schematic flow chart showing a control program of the CPU in the case of performing LED turn-off (display) control and message printing corresponding to each error signal judged by the error judgment section 7, which is stored in the ROM. ing.

The operation of the data processing unit 4 (CPU) will be described below with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

The printing unit 6 after the printer 1500 is turned on.
Alternatively, in response to an error signal input from the controller sensor 13 or the like, the LED is turned off (displayed) (step S1), and the error signal from the printing unit 6 is used to determine whether or not the message printing can be performed by the printing unit 6. Based on the determination (step S2) and the message print is possible, the process shown in FIG.
Message print information such as an error avoidance method corresponding to the error signal input from the controller sensor 13 or the printing unit 6 shown in (1) is generated and output to the printing unit 6 (step S3). In addition, in step S3, the message printing unit 6
A message may be displayed on the CRT of the information processing apparatus 1 via the data transmission / reception unit 6 while being printed out.
Alternatively, the message may be displayed on the CRT of the information processing device 1. If it is determined in step S2 that the printing unit 6 does not operate normally, the message print information cannot be printed out by the printing unit 6, so the message printing information is displayed on the CRT of the information processing device 1 via the data transmitting / receiving unit 3 (step S
4) It is determined whether or not a power OFF command for the printer 1500 has been input (step S5). If a power OFF command has been input, the power is turned off, the processing is terminated, and the power is turned on.
If no FF command is input, the process returns to step S1 and the above steps are repeated.

FIG. 9 specifically explains step S1 (LED display control processing) of the flowchart shown in FIG.
It is a flow chart which shows a control program of CPU,
It is stored in ROM. In addition, in this embodiment, the LED
Uses two LEDs each having two light emitting portions of green and red for one display window, and when two light emitting portions simultaneously emit light, the LED is configured to display orange. In addition, although the LED is described using two LEDs of two colors, three or more LEDs may be used, or any number of LEDs may be used.
There may be four or more.

After the power of the printer 1500 is turned on, the printing section 6
Alternatively, it is determined whether or not an error signal is input to the error determination unit 7 from the controller sensor 13 or another sensor (step S10). If an error signal is input, the error signal is output to the printing unit 6 If the error signal is from the printing unit 6, it is predetermined to notify the engine error in order to notify the engine error to the outside as shown in FIG. One of the LEDs is displayed in green and the other is displayed in red based on the LED display control method (step S1).
2). If it is determined in step S11 that it is not an engine error, it is determined whether or not it is a controller error (step S13). If it is a controller error, in order to notify the controller error to the outside as shown in FIG. In order to notify the controller error to the outside as shown in 10, LED based on the LED display control method predetermined for notifying the controller error.
One is controlled to be displayed in green and the other is displayed in orange (step S
14). If it is determined in step S13 that the error is not the controller error, the error is other error.
In order to notify other errors to the outside as shown in 0,
LE that is predetermined to notify other errors
Based on the D display control method, both LEDs are displayed and controlled in red (step S15). If it is determined in step S10 that the error signal is not input, in order to notify the outside that the printer 1500 is in the power-on state, if the error signal is from the printing unit 6, as shown in FIG. To notify the outside of the power on state
Based on a predetermined LED display control method for informing the state, one of the LEDs is turned green and the other is turned off to perform display control (step S16). Although not shown in the flowchart of FIG. 9, it is predetermined to notify the power OFF state in order to notify the outside that the printer 1500 is in the power OFF state as shown in FIG. It is also possible to perform display control by turning off both of the LEDs based on the LED display control method. Further, although not shown in the flowchart of FIG. 9, as shown in FIG. 10, in order to notify the outside that the printer 1500 is performing data processing, it is predetermined to notify that data processing is being performed. Both LEDs can be controlled to be displayed in green based on the LED display control method. Therefore, according to the present invention, even in cases other than the error and status shown in FIG. 10, the internal state (error, status) of the printer is notified to the outside by controlling the display pattern of the plurality of LEDs as described above. It goes without saying that you can do it.

Further, in the flow chart shown in FIG.
After the display control of D is performed to notify the error or status inside the printer to the outside, a message is printed out by the printing unit 6 in step S3, or the message is printed out together with the information transmitting / receiving unit 6 via the data transmitting / receiving unit 6. 1 CRT
Although the message is displayed and output on the screen, the message printing on the printing unit 6 and the display output on the CRT of the information processing device can be selected based on the input of the selection instruction information from the operation unit 1501 or the command from the information processing device. You may do it. For example, due to the combination of the above-mentioned instruction information or command, the user obviously makes an error such as a door open,
A message print can be canceled for the one that is found to be defective, and an error avoidance method and status information can be displayed on the CRT of the information processing device. Further, the printer 1500 does not use a display device such as an LCD to reduce the cost by the above-mentioned instruction information or command, and the error and the status of the printer 1500 can be identified by the LED display control as described above. However, by displaying the specific contents, error avoidance method, etc. on the CRT of the information processing apparatus connected via the bidirectional interface,
It is possible to further reduce the cost of the output device by transferring the role of the LCD of the operation unit in the conventional output device to the CRT of the information processing device.

[0028]

As described above, according to the present invention, in order to detect an error of the output device and notify the error to the outside so that the error can be identified by the display device of the output device, the display device corresponding to the error can be used. A display pattern control method corresponding to the detected error is selected from a plurality of display pattern control methods, and the display pattern on the display means is controlled based on the selected display pattern control method to detect the error on the output device. The noticeable notification to the outside has an excellent effect that the cost of the output device can be reduced.

Further, the error avoidance method can be printed out by an output device, or the error avoidance method can be displayed and output on a display such as a CRT of an information processing device connected through a bidirectional interface. It has an excellent effect.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a first output device to which the present invention can be applied.

FIG. 2 is an external view showing a configuration of a second output device to which the present invention can be applied.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a control configuration of a second output device shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a printer control system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

5 is a block diagram for specifically explaining the configuration of the data processing unit 4 shown in FIG.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a lookup table that is referred to when determining an LED control method corresponding to an error.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an output result of a message such as an error avoidance method.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an operation of the data processing unit 4.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a specific operation of the data processing unit 4.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an LED pattern corresponding to each error and status.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a configuration of a conventional printer control system.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Information processing apparatus 200 Bidirectional interface 3 Data transmission / reception section 4 Data processing section 6 Printing section 1000 Printer control unit 1500 Printer 1501 Operation section

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. An output method in an output device for generating and outputting output information based on input information input from an information processing device, wherein an error of the output device is detected, and the error is displayed on the output device. A step of selecting a display pattern control method corresponding to the detected error from a plurality of display pattern control methods for the display means corresponding to an error, in order to notify the outside in a manner identifiable by means, Based on the selected display pattern control method, by controlling the display pattern in the display means,
And a control step of externally and audibly identifying an error in the output device. 2. The control step controls the display pattern of the display means composed of a plurality of LEDs based on the display pattern control method selected in the selection step to externally identify the detected error. The output method according to claim 1, wherein the notification is made possible. 3. The output method according to claim 1, wherein in the control step, the detected error is notified by the display means, and a method for avoiding the error is printed out. 4. The output method according to claim 1, wherein the control step causes the CRT of the information processing apparatus to display and output the error avoidance method via a bidirectional interface. 5. The CRT of the information processing device, wherein the control step is a method of avoiding the error based on a command from the information processing device or instruction information from an operation unit of the output device via a bidirectional interface. 2. The output method according to claim 1, wherein it is possible to control whether to perform a display output on the screen or a method for avoiding the error to print out on the output device. 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the printout of the error avoidance method is stopped in response to the input of the command or the instruction information for prohibiting the printout of the error avoidance method. The output method described.