JPH0728612A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide the printer which has a queue buffer for accepting print data, generated by a host computer, etc., as much as possible without waiting for printing operation to end and also storing the data and can change a print quantity, etc., for a print request stored temporarily in the buffer. CONSTITUTION:When a job is received from the host computer, etc., through an interface circuit 103, it is normally stored in the queue buffer 202 and the job, stored in the queue buffer 202 is interpreted in order from the head, and converted into print data, which are sent to a printing mechanism 106 and printed. Then when an inquiry about the queue buffer 202 or alteration request to the queue buffer 202 is received in addition to the job, command interpretation is preferentially processed and the contents of the queue buffer 202 are operated by a queue operation procedure 201. As for the inquiry, the state of the job stored in the queue buffer 202 is returned to the interface circuit 103.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printer having storage means for accepting and storing print data created by a host computer or the like as much as possible without waiting for completion of printing.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, the processing time inside the printer has tended to increase with the sophistication of printing contents, and in combination with the decrease in the price of semiconductor elements, the printer is designed to reduce the load of communication with the host computer. A plurality of print requests are stored in the storage.

[0003]

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in the past,
A print request including print data sent from the host computer to the printer has only the function of interrupting printing after the end of sending, and a print request once sent to the printer , It was impossible to make small changes. For example, it takes a lot of print processing time to print a complicated figure, and even if a plurality of copies are required after sending a print request, it is necessary to wait a long processing time again. In addition, when a new print request has already been stored, there is a problem in that the user has to wait until the printing is completed.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it is possible to provide a buffer for storing print requests with an area for storing information such as the number of prints to enable fine print control. To aim.

[0005]

In order to achieve this object, a printer of the present invention comprises an interface circuit for receiving a print request sent from a host computer, a control means for managing the print request and interpreting the print request. A storage unit for storing the print request, and a changing unit for changing the contents in the storage unit, and changing the content of the print request by the changing unit from the issuance of the print request to the end of printing in response to the print request. It has a configuration that enables

[0006]

In the printer of the present invention having the above construction, the interface circuit receives the print request sent from the host computer, the control means interprets the print request and interprets the print request, and the print request is stored in the storage means. Is stored. When a change request for the print request is input from the host computer between the issuance of the print request and the end of printing in response to the print request, the change unit changes the content of the print request in the storage unit.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a circuit which constitutes the printer of this embodiment. CPU 10 for bus 101
2. Interface circuit 103, ROM 104, RA
The M105 and the printing mechanism 106 are connected.

The CPU 102 executes various procedures such as a queue operation procedure 201 and a data expansion procedure 203 stored in the ROM 104. The RAM 105 includes a queue buffer 202 that stores a received print request job.
A buffer area 205 for interpreting a job is provided. The interface circuit 103 communicates with an external host computer or the like, inquires about the job or the queue buffer 202, and the queue buffer 20.
2, the queue buffer 202 receives the change request for
Send a reply to your inquiry. Printing mechanism 106
Interprets the job, receives the data expanded into the print data, and prints characters and figures on a medium such as printing paper.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between the data flow inside the printer and various processing procedures. First, the data received by the interface circuit 103 is judged by the queue operation procedure 201, and if the data is a job, it is added to the lowest rank position of the queue buffer 202. When the data is a command, the contents of the queue buffer 202 are operated according to the contents of the command. The highest-ranked job in the queue buffer 202 is expanded into print data to be given to the printing mechanism 106 by the data expansion procedure 203 and transferred to the expansion buffer 204. 1
When the expansion of the print data for pages is completed, the printing mechanism 10
Printing is performed at 6.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a data structure stored in the queue buffer 202. One job is divided into an index 310 and a content 320 and stored. The index 310 is a status part 311 indicating whether a job is being processed and a numerical value indicating a print order.
A print control information part 312 that can be changed after issuing a print request such as the number of prints; a job identification information part 313 including a job reception number and reception time; and a buffer that stores print request data transmitted from the host computer. The content address section 314 stores the above address. The content 320 includes print control information 321 such as the number of prints determined when the print request is issued, and print data 322 forming an image to be printed.

The operation of the queue operating procedure 201 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. When the print request from the host computer arrives at the interface circuit 103, the process of the queue operation procedure 201 is started. First,
The data received from the interface circuit 103 is received (step S401), and the data received in S401 is interpreted in step S402. As a result of the interpretation in S402, if the data received in S401 is a print job, the contents are stored in the queue buffer 202 in step S403. In S403, as described in the description of FIG. 3, in the content 320, the control information such as the number of prints in the print request is stored in the control information section 321, the print content is stored in the data section 322, and the index 310 stores the last record. The next record is selected, the status section 311 is set to 0, the control information section 312 is set to 0, the identification information section 313 is set to the job reception order, and the time data when the job is received. The content address section 314 is set to the data section 322. Stores the address of.

In S402, if it is not a print request, it is interpreted as an operation command for the queue buffer 203,
In step S404, the type of operation command is determined. There are two types of operation commands: inquiry of the queue buffer 202 and change of print control information. If the command is interpreted as an inquiry command in S404, the information of the queue index 310 is read out in step S405, and step S4
In 06, the information read in S405 is sent to the interface circuit 103. If it is interpreted in S404 that the print control information is changed, the contents of the command are interpreted in step S407, and the contents of the control information portion 312 or the status portion 311 of the corresponding job are changed in step S408. In response to the command for changing the number of printed sheets, that number is set in the control information section 312, and regarding the cancellation of printing, 0 is set in the control information section 312, assuming that the number of printed sheets is equivalent to 0. In the case of the job order changing command, a numerical value according to the priority order is set in the status section 311. Changes to the control information section 312 and the status section 311 can be made any number of times until the job is processed.

Next, the data expansion procedure 203 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. Data expansion procedure 203
Is processed asynchronously with the queue operation procedure, and is executed when the job is stored in the queue buffer 202. In step S501, the queue buffer 202 is constantly monitored, and when a job is stored in the queue buffer 202, the process proceeds to step S502. In S502, the control information section 312 in the index of the highest-ranked job is read. If the content is 0, the process proceeds to step S504, and if not, the process proceeds to step S503. In S503, the number of printed sheets is read from the control information section 312 in the index and set in the counter n, and in S504, the number of printed sheets is read from the control information section 321 in the content and set in the counter n. Counter n in step S505
Value is judged, and if it is 0, jump to step S510,
If not 0, the process proceeds to step S506.

In step S506, the data portion 522 in the content of the queue buffer 202 is read out, and a development process for sending the data to the printing mechanism is performed and stored in the development buffer 204. In step S507, the printing mechanism 106 is activated and the contents of the expansion buffer 204 are transferred to the printing mechanism 106. The value of the counter n is decremented by 1 in step S508, and the value of the counter n is determined in step S509. When the value of the counter n is 0, the process proceeds to step S510 and 0
If not, the process returns to S507. In S501, since the printing of the required number of sheets has been completed, the queue buffer 20
The job is removed from 2, and the process returns to S501.

[0016]

As is apparent from the above description, the printer according to the present invention can operate the storage means storing the print request, and change the print request as desired by the user after issuing the print request. Is possible.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a circuit that constitutes a printer that embodies the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a relationship between a data flow inside the printer and various processing procedures.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a data structure stored in a queue buffer of the printer.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an operation of a queue operation procedure of the printer.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an operation of a data expansion procedure of the printer.

[Explanation of symbols]

 102 CPU 103 Interface Circuit 104 ROM 105 RAM 106 Printing Mechanism 201 Queue Operation Procedure 202 Queue Buffer

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An interface circuit for receiving a print request sent from a host computer, control means for managing the print request and interpreting the print request, storage means for storing the print request, and contents in the storage means. A printer, comprising: changing means for changing the print request, wherein the content of the print request can be changed by the changing means from the issue of the print request to the end of printing.