JPH07262123A - Device control code compressing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve the processing efficiency by deleting set commands related to the same set contents to compress the data volume of the data flow of a device control code. CONSTITUTION:A central processing unit 1 reads out only one command portion of a printer control escape sequence stored in a RAM 2b and discriminates whether this command is a set command or not. If it is a set command, it is discriminated whether set contents related to this set command are already set in the pertinent printer control escape sequence or not. If they are already set, it is discriminated whether the set contents coincide with those of the present set command or not. If they coincide, the present set command is deleted from a storage device 2 (RAM 2b). Thus, the data volume of the escape sequence is compressed, and this compressed escape sequence is sent to a printer 6 in a short time.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a device control code compression apparatus suitable for reducing the amount of data of a control code data flow (escape sequence) of a device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Device control codes for controlling devices such as printers are broadly classified into operation commands and setting commands. The operation command is a command for actually operating the device, and in the printer, for example, a command for moving the print position, printing a character, or drawing a line corresponds to this operation command. The setting command is a command for setting various modes and attributes for the device to operate. In the printer, for example, the font is changed, the mesh mesh is changed, and the coordinate unit is changed. The setting command corresponds to this setting command.

Basically, the setting command affects the operation command until the same setting command comes, and the operation command does not affect. The escape sequence, which is the data flow of these commands, is generated by converting the internal data or the data given from the outside into the device control code by software. Therefore, the escape sequence generated by the software is different even if the device is made to perform the same processing.

In particular, software that is activated by other software such as a device driver to convert various data into an escape sequence has been difficult to generate an efficient escape sequence that can control the device with a small number of commands. .

The escape sequence once generated and transmitted by software is used as it is by the device even if the processing efficiency is low.

[0006]

As a cause of degrading the processing efficiency of escape sequences, it is conceivable that duplicate setting commands with the same contents are included in the escape sequences, and setting commands with the same contents are unnecessary. Therefore, the escape sequence including such an unnecessary control code requires a long time for sending to the device and processing time for the device, resulting in a decrease in processing speed.

The present invention has been made under such a background, and an object thereof is to provide a device control code compression apparatus capable of improving the processing efficiency by compressing the data amount of the data flow of the device control code. To do.

[0008]

To achieve the above object, the present invention reads an already generated control code data flow in an information processing system for generating and transmitting a device control code data flow. A reading unit, a command determining unit that determines whether the command read by the reading unit is a setting command, and when the command determining unit determines that the setting command is the same as the setting content of the setting command. A setting content determination unit that determines whether or not the setting content has already been set, and a deletion unit that deletes the setting command determined to have the same setting content by the setting content determination unit.

[0009]

When the data flow of the already generated control code is read by the reading means, the command discrimination means
It is determined whether the command is a setting command.
Then, when the command determination unit determines that the setting command is the setting command, the setting content determination unit determines whether the same setting content as the setting content of the setting command has already been set, and the deletion unit determines the setting content. By deleting the setting command determined to have the same setting content by the determination means, the data amount of the data flow of the device control code is compressed and the processing efficiency of the information processing system is improved.

[0010]

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

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an information processing system to which a device control code compression apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. The information processing system includes a central processing unit 1, a storage device 2 and a display. It has a device 3, a keyboard 4, a mouse 5, and a printing device 6.

The central processing unit 1 executes various kinds of information processing by controlling the storage device 2, the keyboard 3, the mouse 4, the display device 5, and the printing device 6. The storage device 2 includes a ROM 2a, a RAM 2b, etc.
The M2a includes a program (software) for the central processing unit 1 to perform various processes and a CG (character generator) that stores character pattern data of various characters corresponding to various character fonts such as Gothic font and Mincho font. It is stored in advance. The RAM 2b is used as a work area for the central processing unit 1 to perform various processes, and also stores an escape sequence described later.

In the ROM 2a, in order to generate an escape sequence which is a data flow of a device control code for controlling a device such as the printer 6, and to compress the software stored in the RAM 2b and the escape sequence stored in the RAM 2b. The software corresponding to FIG. 2 is also stored.

The keyboard 3 is used to input various data, and the mouse 4 is used to specify a data input position and the like. The display device 5 is the central processing unit 1.
The various processed data are displayed by. Printer 6
Registers the external character defined by the user and prints the print data supplied from the central processing unit 1.

[First Embodiment] Next, an operation example in the case of compressing the printer control escape sequence already generated in the software and stored in the RAM 2b of the storage device 2 in the same software is shown in FIG. It will be described according to the flowchart.

In this case, as shown in FIG. 3, the compressed escape sequence is sent to the printer 6. In addition, the flowchart of FIG.
It is also applicable to escape sequences for controlling other devices such as the display device 5 other than the above.

The central processing unit 1 reads the printer control escape sequence stored in the RAM 2b by one command (control code) (step S1), and determines whether or not the command is a setting command (step S2). ). As a result, if it is a setting command, it is determined whether or not the setting related to the setting command has already been made in the printer control escape sequence (step S3). As a result, if the setting has already been made, it is determined whether or not the setting content matches the setting content of the current setting command (step S4).

As a result, if they match, the current setting command is deleted from the storage device 2 (RAM 2b) (step S5), and the process proceeds to step S7. On the other hand, if they do not match, the setting contents are saved (step S6), and the process proceeds to step S7. If it is determined in step S2 that the command is not the setting command, steps S3 to S6 are skipped and the process proceeds to step S7.

In step S7, it is determined whether or not there is a control code (command) that has not been read. As a result, if there is a command that has not been read, step S
The process returns to 1 and the same process is repeated, and if all commands have been read, the process ends.

In this way, by deleting the setting commands related to the same setting contents, the data amount of the escape sequence can be compressed, and thus the compressed escape sequence is sent to the printer 6 in a short time. Therefore, the processing time in the printer 6 can be shortened, and the processing efficiency can be improved by speeding up the processing.

[Second Embodiment] It should be noted that, without compressing the escape sequence in the same software in which the escape sequence is generated as described above, as shown in FIG. It is also possible to send a compression escape sequence and compress the escape sequence on the device side.

In this case, the processing time of the device can be shortened on the side of the central processing unit 1 which sends out the escape sequence without considering the efficiency of the escape sequence and performing the compression process of the escape sequence. Therefore, the central processing unit 1 can execute other processing instead of the compression processing of the escape sequence, and it becomes possible to further improve the processing efficiency of the entire information processing system.

[Third Embodiment] As shown in FIG. 5, it is also possible to compress the escape sequence by software other than the software that generated the escape sequence and send the compressed escape sequence to the device. It is possible.

[Fourth Embodiment] In addition, the escape sequence stored in the storage device (internal memory) 2 is input and compressed, and the compressed escape sequence is input to the printer 6 or other device without being output. The source and the output destination can be files of the escape sequence stored in the external storage device.

In this case, since the file of the escape sequence repeatedly sent to the device can be compressed, the central processing unit 1 does not have to perform the compression process every time the escape sequence is sent to the device, and the processing efficiency of the information processing system is improved. Can be further improved.

[0026]

As described above, according to the present invention,
By deleting the setting command related to the same setting contents, the data amount of the escape sequence can be compressed, so that this compressed escape sequence can be sent to the device in a short time, and the processing in the device can be performed. It is possible to improve the processing efficiency of the information processing system, such as shortening the time.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an information processing system to which a device control code compression device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing escape sequence compression processing.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a data flow when the escape sequence is compressed in the same software that created the escape sequence.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a data flow in the case of compressing an escape sequence on the device side which performs processing based on the transmitted escape sequence.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a data flow when the escape sequence is compressed by software other than the software that created the escape sequence.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Central processing unit 2 ... Storage device 2a ... ROM 2b ... RAM 3 ... Keyboard 4 ... Mouse 5 ... Display device 6 ... Printing device

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Kenta Hara 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Inc.

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. An information processing system for generating and transmitting a data flow of a control code of a device, wherein a reading means for reading a data flow of an already generated control code, and a command read by the reading means is a setting command. And a setting content that determines whether the same setting content as the setting content of this setting command has already been set when the command determining means determines that the setting command is a setting command. A device control code compression apparatus comprising: a determination unit; and a deletion unit that deletes a setting command determined to have the same setting content by the setting content determination unit. 2. The reading means, the command determining means, the setting content determining means, and the deleting means are included in the software that generated the data flow of the control code that has already been generated. 1. The device control code compression device according to 1. 3. The reading means, the command determining means, the setting content determining means, and the deleting means are included in software different from the software that generated the data flow of the control code that has already been generated. The device control code compression device according to claim 1, wherein the device control code compression device is a device control code compression device. 4. The device control code compression apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reading unit, the command determining unit, the setting content determining unit, and the deleting unit are included in software built in the device. . 5. The device control code compression device according to claim 1, wherein the device is a printing device. 6. The device control code compression apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the data flow of the already generated control code is stored in an internal storage device in the main body of the information processing system. 7. The device control code compression apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the data flow of the already generated control code is stored in an external storage device. 8. The device control code compression apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the data flow of the control code on which the deletion processing has been executed by the deletion means is sent to the corresponding device. 9. The device control code compression apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the data flow of the control code on which the deletion processing has been executed by the deletion means is sent to an external storage device.