JPH07186460A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To merely mount a storage medium in a printer body and to use data by so controlling as to store or read data for the detachable medium when commands for storing or reading the data are detected. CONSTITUTION:A control unit 101 of a printer such as a laser printer inputs data from an information processor 201 through an input interface unit 202, and temporarily stores it by an input buffer 203. A control is executed by a CPU 208 according to a program in a ROM 205. On the other hand, a control signal is output to a page printer 212 through a frame buffer 210 and an output interface unit 211. When command for designating storing or reading of data input from an operating panel 207 is detected, storing or reading of the data for a memory card 206 is executed by the CPU 208.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printing device in which a memory card can be mounted.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional memory card that can be installed in a printing device cannot be rewritten, or at least requires a jig dedicated to writing, and writing can be performed while it is installed in the printing device. There wasn't. In addition, the data that can be registered in the memory card is limited to fonts and the like.

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional example, a writing jig (ROM writer, adapter, etc.) dedicated to writing data in the memory card is used.
Is essential for creating data, transferring data to jigs,
There is a problem that complicated and complicated operations such as writing processing and confirmation work are required. There is also a problem that there is a limit to what can be registered inside the card, and there is no freedom in using the card.

[0004]

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides an input means for inputting print data, storage of data in a removable storage medium, and reading of data from the storage medium. Detecting means for detecting an instruction command to be executed, and when the detecting means detects an instruction command for instructing storage of data, control is performed to store the print data input by the input means in a removable storage medium. And a control means for controlling to read the data from the storage medium when the detection means detects an instruction command for instructing to read the data.

[0005]

[Object] An object of the present invention is to register normal print data in a memory card so that a standard printed matter can be mounted on a memory card without newly transmitting data from the information processing device and a power source for the printing device can be attached. Printing is enabled only by turning on or performing a print instruction operation from the panel.

It is an object of the present invention to register macros and form overlays in a memory card so that they can be used at the same time when the power is turned on simply by mounting the memory card.

It is an object of the present invention to register font download commands in a memory card so that they can be used at the same time when the power is turned on.

It is an object of the present invention to register various environment setting commands in a memory card so that a printing environment unique to a user can be set when the power is turned on.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[Description of Laser Beam Printer (FIG. 2)]
Before describing the configuration of the present embodiment, the configuration of a laser beam printer to which the present embodiment is applied will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of a laser beam printer (hereinafter abbreviated as LBP) which is an example of a printing apparatus embodying the present invention. The LBP is a data source (not shown) (for example, information of a host computer or the like). Data such as a character pattern or a fixed form (form data) can be registered in a removable memory card mounted on the LBP main body by data from the processing device) or an instruction command. Figure 2
In FIG. 1, reference numeral 100 denotes an LBP main body, which inputs character information (character code) supplied from an information processing device (201 in FIG. 1) connected thereto, form information, or a macro command, and stores it in a memory in the device. At the same time, a corresponding character pattern, form pattern, or the like is created according to the information, and an image is formed on a recording paper, which is a storage medium. 207 is a switch and an LED for operation. LCD
An operation panel on which a display device is arranged, 101 is an LB
A printer control unit for controlling the entire P100 and analyzing character information and the like supplied from the information processing apparatus. The printer control unit 101 converts character information into a video signal having a corresponding character pattern and outputs the video signal to the laser driver 102.

The laser driver 102 is a semiconductor laser 10.
3 is a circuit for driving the laser beam 3, and the laser beam 1 emitted from the semiconductor laser 103 according to the input video signal.
Switch 04 on / off. The laser beam 104 is deflected in the left-right direction by the rotary polygon mirror 105 to scan the electrostatic drum 106. As a result, an electrostatic latent image having a character pattern is formed on the electrostatic drum 106. This latent image is developed by the developing unit 107 around the electrostatic drum 106 and then transferred to the recording paper. A cut sheet is used as this recording sheet, and the cut sheet recording sheet is stored in a sheet cassette 108 mounted on the LBP 100, taken into the apparatus by a sheet feeding roller 109 and conveying rollers 110 and 111, and then is stored on the electrostatic drum 106. Supplied. It also has a memory card mounting port (not shown) that can be mounted on the LBP body.

[Description of Printer Control System (FIG. 1)] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a control system of the laser beam printer shown in FIG.

The control system of this laser beam printer inputs the data 121 including the character code sent from the information processing device 201 which is the source of the print information, the external character font, the form information or the macro registration information. ,
The CPU 208 controls according to a program in the ROM 209 so as to print the document information and the like in page units. Reference numeral 202 is an input interface unit for inputting various information from the information processing apparatus 201, and 203 is an input buffer for temporarily storing various information input via the input interface unit 202. A character generator 204 includes a ROM that stores character pattern information for a character code included in normal text data or the like sent from the information processing apparatus 201 in the form of a character code, a read control circuit for the ROM, and the like. It also has a code conversion function of calculating the address of the character pattern corresponding to the code when the character code is input.

Reference numeral 205 denotes a RAM which is a work area of the CPU 208, and also stores external character fonts and form information sent from the information processing apparatus 201. Reference numeral 206 denotes a rewritable memory card that is rewritable while mounted in the mounting opening of the printing apparatus 100, and can write and read character codes, form information, external character fonts, printing environment setting commands, etc. sent from the information processing apparatus 201. it can. Two
Reference numeral 07 denotes an operation panel for manually operating the printing apparatus 100, which can also instruct writing and reading operations to the memory card 206.

Reference numeral 208 denotes a CPU for controlling the entire control system of the printer, which is the CPU 20 stored in the ROM 209.
The control program 8 controls the entire apparatus. Reference numeral 210 denotes a frame buffer that stores pattern information expanded into a character pattern or the like for at least one page corresponding to a print image. An output interface unit 211 generates a video signal corresponding to the pattern information from the frame buffer 210 and executes interface control with the page printer printing unit 212. Reference numeral 212 denotes a printing mechanism portion of a page printer which inputs a video signal from the output interface unit 211 and prints image information based on the video signal.

[Writing to Memory Card] The writing process to the memory card 206 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. CPU 208 is input buffer memory 2
The data 121 to be output from the printing apparatus 201 stored in 03 is fetched one by one (S32), and when it is determined that the data is a memory card write start command (S33), the data after this command (S34). ) Is written to the memory card 206 without conversion (S35). Also, the data may be processed at the same time (S35). This process is CPU
The step 208 of fetching the output data 121 from the input buffer 203 (S37) and the writing to the memory card (S35) are repeated until the memory card write end command is recognized (S38).

Another writing method is the operation panel 2
When the instruction for the memory card writing start operation is input from the operation panel 207, the output data 121 from the information processing apparatus 201 is written into the memory card 206 without conversion thereafter. This process is continued until a memory card write end operation is instructed from the operation panel 207 or a memory card write end command is recognized in the output data 121.

[Reading from Memory Card] The reading process from the memory card 206 is performed when the power of the printing apparatus 101 is turned on or when a memory card reading start operation is input from the operation panel 207. This is performed when the memory card 206 mounted in the memory card 206 is accessed and it is determined that appropriate data is written in the memory card 206 by the method described above. The data read from the memory card 206 is treated in the same manner as the data output from the information processing apparatus 201, and the CPU 2
08.

Further, the instruction of the reading process may be given by sending a command from the host computer.

A plurality of data may be registered by adding identification information when writing to the memory card. By doing so, if the identification information is input together when instructing the reading process from the memory card, desired data can be read from the plurality of data.

In the present embodiment, the printing device is not limited to the LBP, but may be a dot matrix, ink jet, bubble jet, LED printer or the like. It may be black and white or color.

As the memory card, an EEPROM card, a flash EEPROM card, a battery-backed SRAM card, or the like can be applied. Also, it does not matter if a plurality of memory cards can be mounted at the same time.

In the above embodiment, the data to be registered in the memory card is the data that is not converted, but it is also conceivable that the CPU 208 may perform some conversion processing on the data and register it.

[0025]

According to the present invention, a dedicated writing jig (ROM writer, adapter, etc.) is not required, and the same card can be rewritten a plurality of times for use, which is economical.

According to the present invention, a complicated and complicated operation using a jig is not required at the time of writing to the memory card, which is convenient for the user. Further, since writing can be performed by an instruction, it is possible to create a more convenient tool depending on the application correspondence on the information processing apparatus side.

According to the present invention, since there is no limitation on the contents that can be written in the memory card, it can be used as a personal memory card that can be used for flexible applications such as standard prints, downloads, macro overlays, and environment settings. .

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an LBP control system.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing the internal structure of an LBP.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a data writing process to a memory card.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An input unit for inputting print data, a detection unit for detecting an instruction command for storing data in a removable storage medium and reading data from the storage medium, and storing the data by the detection unit. When an instruction command for instructing is detected, the print data input by the input unit is controlled to be stored in a removable storage medium, and the instruction unit for instructing the reading of data is detected by the detection unit. In this case, the printing apparatus has a control unit that controls to read data from the storage medium. 2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the instruction command is included in print data input by the input unit. 3. The printing according to claim 1, wherein the printing device includes an operation panel capable of inputting the instruction command, and the detection unit detects the instruction command input by the operation panel. apparatus.