JPH07248888A - Printer device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To realize the convenience of the shared environments of a printer to the maximum. CONSTITUTION:When it is detected that a communication procedure (1) is switched to a communication procedure (2) in a communication discrimination part 43, an interpretation information registration part 41 registeres the information of an interpretation means (2) in the area corresponding to the communication procedure (1) of an interpretation information storage part 40 at first. (Next, an interpretation information take-out part 42 registers the information of an interpretation means (2) in the area corresponding to the communication procedure (2) of the interpretation information storage part 40). Next, the interpretation information take-out part 42 reads information from the area corresponding to the communication procedure (2) of the interpretation information storage part 40, an interpretation selection part 45 selects an interpretation part (1) where an interpretation means (1) is stored and the automatic setting of the interpretation procedure (printer language) corresponding to a using communication procedure (communication protocol) is enabled.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printer device such as a page printer and, more particularly, to printer control thereof.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, a high-performance printer device such as a laser printer does not operate only with a single instruction system, but supports a variety of printer languages, plotter languages, or page description languages with one unit. Things that can be done are emerging. Also, as a so-called host interface that connects the printer device and the host computer, it can be directly connected to the network, supports multiple communication procedures (protocols), and can automatically determine the communication procedure to be used. Some things are coming out.

As a usage pattern of the printer device, a plurality of host computers on the network are used by switching various languages, and it is as if there are a plurality of printer devices, that is, a so-called shared use pattern. Is considered the most appropriate.

[0004]

By the way, in the above-mentioned usage form, assuming that the operator who uses each host computer wants to use a language different from the printer language currently used in the printer apparatus, It is necessary to perform a printer language switching operation from the operator panel of the printer device or to send a printer language switching command from the host computer.

However, the former greatly impairs the convenience of so-called shared use, and the latter is often impossible depending on the application software used.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a printer device which can maximize its convenience in a printer sharing environment.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is connected to a host device and is capable of receiving print data and control commands corresponding to a plurality of different communication procedures. In a printer device that prints out based on a control command and a control command, a communication procedure determining unit that determines the type of communication procedure in a receiving state, and a plurality of interpreting the received print data and control command based on a certain command system group The communication procedure is switched by the interpretation means, the interpretation information storage means that stores information for selecting one of the plurality of interpretation means corresponding to each of the plurality of communication procedures, and the communication procedure determination means. When this is detected, the information corresponding to the interpreting means selected at the time of the switching with respect to the communication procedure used before the switching is added to the interpretation information. Registration means for registering in the storage means,
An extraction unit that extracts information corresponding to a communication procedure used after switching from the interpretation information storage unit, and an interpretation selection unit that selects one of the plurality of interpretation units according to the information extracted by the extraction unit. It is characterized by having.

Further, when the valid information is not registered in the interpretation information storage means, it is characterized by comprising means for selecting a predetermined interpretation means.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that a means for registering information for selecting an arbitrary interpreting means from the input means is provided in the interpreting information storing means.

[0010]

In the printer device of the present invention having the above-mentioned structure, the communication procedure is automatically discriminated for each use even if it is connected to a plurality of host computers such as host computers and the communication procedures are different from each other. A printer language that interprets print data and control commands based on a certain command system group is selected, and those information items are registered.

If a valid printer language is not registered for the communication procedure to be used, by selecting a predetermined printer language corresponding to the communication procedure, problems such as error occurrence can be prevented. .

Also, by making it possible to register a desired printer language in advance for the communication procedure to be used, the user can always use the desired printer language.

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a schematic structure of a controller portion in the embodiment of the present invention. Reference numeral 1 is a controller which controls each constituent portion described later by received print data and a control command to generate image data. Reference numeral 2 is an engine which is a printing means for receiving image data from the controller 1 to form an image on a recording sheet, 3 is an operator panel which is an external input means for performing various function settings and various information display, and 4 is a controller 1
A plurality of host devices, such as a host computer, are connected to a plurality of disks (three are connected in this embodiment), and 5 is a floppy disk for storing various data such as font data, programs, print data, and the like. -A disk device such as a drive unit or a hard disk drive unit.

In the controller 1, reference numeral 10 represents the entire controller 1 by a program in a non-volatile program ROM 11 in which a control program for the controller 1 is stored, setting data from the operator panel 3, commands from the host device 4, and the like. CPU to control, 12 is an IC card that supplies font data and programs from the outside,
Reference numeral 13 is a non-volatile recording medium (NVRAM) for storing setting data from the operator panel 3, 14 is a non-volatile font ROM capable of rewriting stored contents such as font pattern data, and 15 is a work memory of the CPU 10. A RAM used as a receive buffer for input data, a page buffer for print data, a memory for download fonts, and the like.

Further, 16 is an engine interface (hereinafter, interface is abbreviated as I / F) for communicating command, status, and print data with the engine 2, and 17 is communicating command and status with the operator panel 3. The panel I / F, 18 is a host I / F that communicates with the host device 4, and 19 is a disk I / F that communicates with the disk device 5.

In the printer device having the controller 1 having the above-mentioned configuration, when the controller 1 receives the print data and the control command from one of the plurality of host devices 4 according to a predetermined communication procedure, the print data and the control command are received. Interpretation method for interpreting based on a certain command system group
It is converted into image data by (printer language), and the engine 2 prints (prints) based on this data.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the operator panel 3, and 21 shows various messages held as data in the program ROM 11 by the CPU 10 through the panel I / F 17, and various messages to the operator. The liquid crystal display section for displaying information of 22, 22 is a power indicator which indicates a power-on state in conjunction with a power section (not shown), 2
3 is an error indicator for notifying the operator of various errors detected by the controller 1 together with the liquid crystal display unit 21, 24 is whether the controller 1 can communicate with the host device 4 (online) or not (offline) Is an online indicator that indicates, 25 is a data-in buffer indicator that indicates whether or not unprinted data exists, 26 is an online key for switching the online / offline status of controller 1, 27 is a controller 1 is a mode key for shifting to an operation state (mode set operation) for changing various parameters defining the operation of 1 and 28 and 29 are increment keys for selecting various items during the mode set operation. Key and decrement key, 30 is an enter key for confirming the selection during the mode setting operation. Key 31 is in an off-line state, if the data not yet printed is present (data
(In-buffer indicator 25 lights up), feed key for printing the data, 32 is a test key for starting test printing in the offline state.
A key 33 is a reset key for returning the device to the initial state in the offline state.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing the configuration of the main part in the first embodiment of the present invention, in which 40 is a plurality (m types) of communication procedures.
An interpretation information storage unit that stores information of a plurality (n types) of interpretation means (printer languages) corresponding to information of (protocol), 41 is an interpretation information registration unit that stores information in the interpretation information storage unit 40, 42 Is an interpretation information extraction unit that reads information from the interpretation information storage unit 40, 43 is a communication procedure determination unit that determines a communication procedure in the receiving state from m types of communication procedures 44, and 45 is an n stored in the interpretation unit 46. It is an interpretation selection unit that selects one from the interpretation means of the type.

The interpretation information storage unit 40 and the interpretation information registration unit 4
1, interpretation information extraction unit 42, communication procedure determination unit 43, interpretation selection unit 4
5. The interpreter 46 is stored in the program ROM 11 as an execution code of the CPU 10. Of course, circuit means having the functions of the above-mentioned respective parts may be independently provided in the controller 1 of FIG.

The selection operation in the first embodiment is shown in FIG.
This will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, it is assumed that any one of the plurality of higher-level devices 4 is connected at a certain point in time and the communication procedure (1) and the interpretation means (2) are used. . Then, the communication procedure determination unit 43 causes the communication procedure (1) to start
Assuming that the switch to (2) is detected (of 101, 201
yes), first, the interpretation information storage unit 40
Information corresponding to the interpreting means (2) is registered in the area corresponding to the communication procedure (1) (102, 202).

Next, the interpretation information extraction unit 42 reads information from the area of the interpretation information storage unit 40 corresponding to the communication procedure (2) (103, 203). Since this information indicates the interpreting means (1) in the present embodiment, the interpreting section (1) in which the interpreting means (1) is stored is selected by the interpreting selecting section 45 (10
4, 204).

As described above, in the first embodiment, when a plurality of host devices 4 share a printer device using a plurality of communication procedures, a desired interpretation means is selected each time the printer device is used. It becomes possible to automatically use the desired interpreting means without operating the operator panel 3 or sending a command for selecting the interpreting means.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing the structure of the main part of the second embodiment of the present invention. The difference of the second embodiment from the first embodiment is that it is predetermined by the interpretation information extracting section 42. The point is that the information (default value) 50 indicating the determined interpretation means can be taken out.

The selection operation in the second embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 6 and the reference numerals (501 to 506) indicating the operation of FIG.

5 and 6, it is assumed that the communication procedure (1) and the interpreting means (2) are used at a certain point, as in the first embodiment. Then, assuming that the communication procedure discriminating unit 43 detects the switching from the communication procedure (1) to the communication procedure (2) (Yes in 501 and 601), first, the interpretation information registration unit 41 communicates with the interpretation information storage unit 40. Information corresponding to the interpretation means (2) is registered in the area corresponding to the procedure (1) (502, 602).

Next, the interpretation information extraction section 42 reads information from the area of the interpretation information storage section 40 corresponding to the communication procedure (2) (503, 603). Then, in the interpretation selection unit 45,
It is checked whether the read information indicates a valid interpreting means (504, 604), and if it is valid (yes of 604), the interpreting means (1) is valid in this embodiment. The interpretation selection unit 45 selects the interpretation unit (1) in which the interpretation means (1) is stored (505, 605).

However, when the effective interpretation means is not shown (no in 604), the interpretation information extracting section 42
Information 50 indicating a predetermined interpreting means is taken out, and the interpreting means corresponding to this information is selected by the interpretation selecting section 45 (506, 606).

As described above, in the second embodiment, even when the information indicating the effective interpreting means for the communication procedure to be used is not registered, it is possible to use the printer device without inconvenience such as error occurrence. Become.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory view showing the structure of the essential parts of the third embodiment of the present invention. The difference between the third embodiment and the first embodiment is that the mode on the operator panel 3 of FIG. By operating the key input unit 55, which is an input means such as the key 27, the increment key 28, the decrement key 29, the enter key 30, etc., it is possible to previously register the information indicating the desired interpretation means for the communication to be used. That is the point.

Other members in FIG. 7 are the constituent members of FIG. 1, and the same members are designated by the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart relating to the information registration operation of the third embodiment. When the key input unit 55 is instructed to input to the interpretation information storage unit 40 (801), the information for identifying the communication procedure is given. (m) is input (802), then information (n) for identifying the interpretation means is input (803), and the interpretation procedure is entered in the area corresponding to the communication procedure (m) of the interpretation information storage unit 40 according to these. Information indicating (n) is stored (804).

[0034]

As described above, according to the invention of claim 1, the printer device of the present invention is connected to a plurality of host devices using different communication procedures.
The desired interpretation information (printer language) can be used without requiring a special operation, which improves convenience.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, even if the information indicating the effective interpreting means for the communication procedure to be used is not registered, it can be used without any inconvenience such as an error.

According to the third aspect of the invention, the desired interpreting means can always be used by previously registering the information indicating the desired interpreting means for the communication procedure to be used.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of a main part of a printer device according to a first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart related to a selection operation of the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a controller portion of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of an operator panel.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of a main part of a printer device according to a second embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart relating to a selection operation of the second embodiment.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of a main part of a printer device according to a third embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of an information registration operation of the third embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Controller, 2 ... Engine, 3 ... Operator panel, 4 ... Host device, 10 ... CPU, 40 ... Interpretation information storage section, 41 ... Interpretation information registration section, 42 ... Interpretation information retrieval section, 43 ... Communication procedure determination section , 44… Communication procedure, 45…
Interpretation selection part, 46 ... Interpretation part, 50 ... Default value, 55 ... Key input part (input means).

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A printer device connected to a host device, capable of receiving print data and control commands corresponding to a plurality of different communication procedures, and performing print output based on the received print data and control commands. Communication procedure determining means for determining the type of communication procedure of the state, a plurality of interpreting means for interpreting the received print data and control command based on a certain command system group, and a plurality of communication procedures corresponding to each of the plurality of communication procedures Interpretation information storage means for storing information for selecting one of a plurality of interpretation means, and communication used before switching when the communication procedure determination means detects that the communication procedure has been switched. Registration means for registering in the interpretation information storage means information corresponding to the interpretation means selected at the time of switching to the procedure;
An extraction unit that extracts information corresponding to a communication procedure used after switching from the interpretation information storage unit, and an interpretation selection unit that selects one of the plurality of interpretation units according to the information extracted by the extraction unit. A printer device characterized by being provided. 2. The printer device according to claim 1, further comprising means for selecting a predetermined interpretation means when valid information is not registered in the interpretation information storage means. 3. The printer apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a unit for registering information for selecting an arbitrary interpreting unit from an input unit in the interpreting information storage unit.