JPH07256951A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To facilitate handling, and improve the maintenance by providing an auxiliary storing device having an execution file of an additional emulation program stored in the form of a file capable of being controlled by a printer language in storing an additional emulation. CONSTITUTION:In a controller part 12, the execution program of a data converting program (an additional emulation program) is stored in an auxiliary storing device 13, and for use, it is executed in the form of being loaded in RAM 3. Although, in the auxiliary storing device 13, character style information is stored in the form of being controlled by a fundamental file within the main body fundamental program, the additional emulation program is also stored in the same file as the character style information, and then it is made controllable by utilizing a file controlling method of the main body fundamental program. In this way, the control of file storing, elimination, addition, retrieval and so forth can be done in use of a command based on the printer language of the fundamental program of a host device 9.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, when an execution program of an additional emulation program is stored in an auxiliary storage device inside an image forming apparatus, the execution program storage area and the font data storage area are clearly defined inside the auxiliary storage device. And is stored in the execution program storage area by a file method conforming to the format of the operating system used in the image forming apparatus.

[0003]

As described above, in the conventional case, when storing in the auxiliary storage device in the image forming apparatus, the storage format can be managed by the operating system depending on the CPU used in the image forming apparatus. In order to store, add, search, and delete files in order to store files, the host device 50 stores a maintenance-dedicated program, additional emulation data, command operators, etc., as well as a dedicated device as shown in FIG. And a dedicated interface was indispensable.

As shown in FIG. 5, font information (font data) is also stored in the auxiliary storage device, for example, the hard disk 51, in addition to the execution program. This font information is stored in the emulation program to be executed. Since it is stored in a manageable file format, files of different management formats will be mixed in the auxiliary storage device.
It is necessary to clearly distinguish the execution program area a from the data storage area b in order to avoid the interference of both data, but the capacity of the data storage area b differs considerably depending on each user of the image forming apparatus. It was difficult to determine the capacity of each of the execution program area a and the data storage area b.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus capable of facilitating the handling when storing the additional emulation and improving the maintainability and effectively utilizing the storage capacity of the auxiliary storage device. .

[0006]

An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a main body operating in a predetermined printer language and an execution of an additional emulation program when the additional emulation is used in a filter format for the main body printer language. An auxiliary storage device that stores files in a file format that can be managed in the printer language of the main body.

According to another aspect of the present invention, in an image forming apparatus, a main body that operates in a predetermined printer language and an additional emulation program when using additional emulation in a filter format for the printer language of the main body are the main body basic programs of the main body. And an auxiliary storage device comprising a non-volatile storage means that is stored in a file format that can be managed by the management method used.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus, wherein a main body that operates in a predetermined printer language and an additional emulation program for using additional emulation in a filter format for the main body printer language are provided in the main body printer language. The auxiliary character storage device comprises a non-volatile storage means for storing the additional character typeface information file in a file management method using a file management command in a printer language in the same format.

[0009]

According to the image forming apparatus of the present invention, the main body that operates in a predetermined printer language and the execution file of the additional emulation program when the additional emulation in the printer language of the main body are used in the filter format are provided in the main body. Since it has an auxiliary storage device that is stored in a file format that can be managed by the printer language of, the execution file of the additional emulation program can be managed based on the printer language of the main body, and the handling and maintenance when using the additional emulation in the filter format are possible. It is possible to improve the sex. Further, since only a single file format exists in the same auxiliary storage device, the storage capacity of the auxiliary storage device can be effectively utilized.

According to another aspect of the image forming apparatus of the present invention, the additional emulation program is stored in a file format which can be managed by the management method used by the main body basic program of the main body, in the auxiliary storage device which is a non-volatile storage means. Therefore, it is possible to manage the storage, deletion, addition, retrieval, etc. of the files of the additional emulation program by using the command based on the printer language of the main program of the host device, improving the operability and maintainability. Can be achieved. Further, since only a single file format exists in the same auxiliary storage device, the storage capacity of the auxiliary storage device can be effectively utilized.

According to another aspect of the image forming apparatus of the present invention, the additional emulation program is stored in the auxiliary storage device including the non-volatile storage means in the printer language in the same format as the additional character typeface information file of the printer language of the main body. Since the file is stored by the file management method using the file management command, the file can be stored by using the command based on the printer language of the host system main program.
It becomes possible to manage deletion, addition, retrieval, etc., and it becomes possible to manage the file using a normal host device without the need for a dedicated device, dedicated program, or dedicated interface. In addition, since only a single file format exists in the same auxiliary storage device, the execution program storage area and character typeface information (font data) as in the conventional example
It is not necessary to distinguish it from the storage area, and the storage capacity of the auxiliary storage device can be effectively used.

[0012]

EXAMPLES Examples of the present invention will be described in detail below.

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of the hardware of a printer which is an example of the image forming apparatus of this embodiment.

The CPU 1 executes the main body basic program and controls the whole.

The internal bus 2 is used for internal data exchange with the CPU 1 and other peripheral elements. The RAM 3 is used as a program work, a page memory, a data buffer, a load area for a data conversion program (additional emulation program), and the like.

The ROM 4 is used as a main body basic program storage area. The expansion RAM 5 is used to add a RAM area. The mask ROM 6 is used as a storage area for character typeface information (character information such as font data).

The video FIFO 7 is an area for temporarily storing video information from the controller unit 12 to the engine unit 6. The engine unit 8 is a device that physically forms the expanded bit information on paper. The host device 9 creates data to be printed.

The engine interface 10 exchanges data between the controller unit (SCSI controller) 12 and the engine unit 8.

The auxiliary storage device 13 is used as a data buffer, a data conversion program (additional emulation program) storage area, and a character typeface information (additional font information) storage area. The auxiliary storage device 13 is selected from a magnetic disk device, a magneto-optical disk device, a floppy disk device, a flash ROM memory device and the like.

An execution program of a data exchange program (hereinafter referred to as an additional emulation program) in the controller section 12 is stored in the auxiliary storage device 13, and is loaded into the RAM 3 and executed when used.

The auxiliary storage device 13 in which the additional emulation program is stored stores character typeface information (additional font information) in addition to the additional emulation program.

The character typeface information is stored in a format managed by a basic file in the main body basic program, and the additional emulation program is stored in the same file format as the character typeface information. It is designed to be used and managed.

As described above, according to the printer of the present embodiment, the additional emulation program is stored in the same format as the character typeface information. Therefore, as shown in FIG. It is possible to manage file storage, deletion, addition, search, etc. using commands based on this, and unlike the case of storing and managing in the conventional operating system format that depends on the CPU, a dedicated device, dedicated program The file management becomes possible by using the normal host device 9 without the need for a dedicated interface and simply connecting to the host interface 11.

Further, in the same auxiliary storage device 13, FIG.
As shown in (1), since there is an additional emulation execution file of a single file format, phone data, etc., there is no need to distinguish the storage areas as in the conventional example, and the storage capacity of the auxiliary storage device 13 is made effective. Can be utilized.

The present invention can be modified in various ways within the scope of the invention in addition to the above-mentioned embodiment.

[0026]

According to the invention described in claim 1, handleability when using the additional emulation in a filter format,
It is possible to provide an image forming apparatus capable of improving maintainability and effectively utilizing the storage capacity of the auxiliary storage device.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the handling and maintenance of the additional emulation program stored in the non-volatile auxiliary storage device can be improved, and only a single file format is stored in the auxiliary storage device. Since it exists, it is possible to provide an image forming apparatus that can effectively utilize the storage capacity of the auxiliary storage device.

According to the third aspect of the invention, the additional emulation program stored in the non-volatile auxiliary storage device is stored and deleted by using the command based on the printer language of the main program of the main body of the host device. , Addition, search, etc. can be managed, and the handling and maintainability can be improved, and since only a single file format exists in the same auxiliary storage device, the execution program as in the conventional example It is not necessary to distinguish the storage area from the character typeface information storage area, and it is possible to provide an image forming apparatus that can effectively utilize the storage capacity of the auxiliary storage device.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration block diagram of a printer that is an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an operation explanatory diagram of a controller unit and an engine unit of the printer shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing operations of a host device and an auxiliary storage device of this embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing operations of a conventional host device and auxiliary storage device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 CPU 2 Internal Bus 3 RAM 4 ROM 5 Expanded RAM 8 Engine Section 9 Host Device 12 Controller Section 13 Auxiliary Storage Device

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A main body operating in a predetermined printer language,
An image forming apparatus, comprising: an auxiliary storage device storing an execution file of an additional emulation program when the additional emulation is used for the printer language of the main body in a filter format in a file format that can be managed by the printer language of the main body. . 2. A main body operating in a predetermined printer language,
An auxiliary storage device comprising a non-volatile storage means that stores an additional emulation program when using additional emulation in a filter format for the printer language of the main body in a file format that can be managed by the management method used in the main body basic program of the main body An image forming apparatus comprising: 3. A main body operating in a predetermined printer language,
Use the file management method that uses the file management command of the printer language in the same format as the additional character type information file of the printer language of the main body when the additional emulation program when using the additional emulation in the printer language of this main body in the filter format An image forming apparatus comprising: an auxiliary storage device including a stored non-volatile storage unit.