JPH07314780A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a printer which can accurately print to prevent the overrunning error by initially unwinding a bit map for the large band of information amount by detecting the information amount of each band and has excellent reliability. CONSTITUTION:The printer comprises print code storage means 5 for storing a print code fed from the exterior, display list forming means 6 for forming a display list, information amount detecting means 7 for detecting the information amount of each band from the formed list, display list storage means 8 for storing the list, bit map unwinding means 10 for unwinding bit map, and a controller 4 having bit map storage means 11 for storing the map. The printer 2 has an image recorder 12 for printing it and bit map unwinding order deciding means 9 for deciding the unwinding order based on the information amount of each band.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printing apparatus for printing on a recording medium based on bitmap data obtained by expanding a print code sent from the outside.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, as a method of outputting print information sent from a personal computer, a workstation, a host computer, a word processor, an image scanner, etc., a list containing print code sent from the outside and information about individual print data is provided. A method is generally used in which printing is performed by converting the display list into a linked display list, and converting the display list into a bitmap closest to the print image.

A conventional printing apparatus will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 9 is an overall configuration diagram of a conventional printing device. Reference numeral 21 is an information processing apparatus including a personal computer, a workstation, a host computer, a word processor, an image scanner, etc., which sends a print code as information for printing, 22 is a printing apparatus for actually printing, and 23 is the above information. Processor 2
1 is a printer cable for connecting the printer 22 and 24 is a control unit for controlling the printer 22;
Is a print code storage means for storing the printer code sent through the printer cable 23, 26
Is a display list creation means for creating a display list from the printer codes stored in the print code storage means 25, 28 is a display list storage means for storing the display list created by the display list creation means 26, and 30 is the display Bit map developing means for referring to the display list accumulated by the list accumulating means 28 to sequentially convert the head data into a bit map closer to a print image, and 31 accumulates the bitmap expanded by the bit map developing means 30. Bit map storage means 32 is an image recording section for printing based on the bit map stored in the bit map storage means 31.

The operation of the conventional printing apparatus having the above structure will be described below. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the order of developing the display list in the band buffer system of the conventional printing device, and FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the bitmap development and the print timing in the band buffer system of the conventional printing device. First, the band buffer method will be described. First, the print code is sent from the information processing device 21 to the printing device 22 via the printer cable 23. Next, the print code storage means 25 stores the print code sent from the information processing device 21. Next, the display list creating means 26
The print code stored in the print code storage means 25 is converted into a display list in which a plurality of lists containing information about each print data are linked. Next, the display list storage means 2
8 stores the display list created by the display list creating means 26. Next, as shown in FIG. 10, by referring to the display list accumulated by the display list accumulating means 28 by the bit map expanding means 30, the data at the top is sequentially expanded into a bit map closer to the print image. Next, the bitmap storage means 31 stores the bitmap expanded by the bitmap expansion means 30 in the first to third band buffers. Next, as shown in FIG. 11, the image recording unit 32 causes the bitmap storage unit 31 to operate.
Printing is started on the basis of the bitmap stored in step (4), and the remaining fourth to sixth display lists are developed into bitmaps by the bitmap developing means 30. Next, the bitmap storage means 31
The bitmap developed by the bitmap developing means 30 is stored in the empty first band buffer to the third band buffer. Next, the image recording unit 32 prints based on the bitmap stored in the bitmap storage unit 31.

The full page buffer system will be described here. What is different from the band buffer method is that it has a memory having a capacity capable of covering a print area of one page and performs bitmap expansion for each page.

As described above, in the case of the band buffer method in the conventional printing apparatus, one page can be divided into two or more bands, sequentially printed after the completion of the bitmap expansion, and used by circulating the buffer. In the case of the full page buffer method, the expansion can be performed page by page and the printing can be started before the completion of the expansion.

[0007]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional configuration, when the band buffer method requires a constant printing speed, the data amount of the following band is very large compared to that of the preceding band. In addition, data transfer to the image recording unit is started before the latter bitmap expansion is completed, and an overrun error that cannot be output occurs, and accurate printing cannot be performed, resulting in lack of reliability. Had a point. Also, in the case of the full page buffer method, printing starts before the end of bitmap expansion, so when the amount of data in the latter band is very large compared to the previous band, before the latter bitmap expansion ends. However, there is a problem in that printing is started and an overrun error that cannot be output occurs, and printing cannot be performed accurately, resulting in lack of reliability.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems. In the case of the band buffer method, the amount of information in each band is detected, and for a band with a large amount of information, bit map expansion is performed first to overrun. Accurate printing can be performed to prevent errors, resulting in excellent reliability. In the case of the full page buffer method, to prevent overrun errors by determining the print start timing based on the amount of information of each band, the amount of information of the band that has been expanded and the amount of information of the remaining band that has not been expanded. It is an object of the present invention to provide a highly reliable printing device which can perform accurate printing.

[0009]

In order to achieve this object, a printer according to claim 1 of the present invention stores a print code stored in a print code storage means for storing print codes sent from the outside. A display list creating means for creating a display list based on the printed print code, an information amount detecting means for detecting the information amount of each band from the display list created by the display list creating means, and a display list creating means. Display list storage means for storing the created display list, bitmap expansion means for expanding the display list accumulated by the display list storage means into a bitmap, and bits for accumulating the bitmap expanded by the bitmap expansion means Control unit having map storage means A printing device having an image recording unit for printing based on the bitmap sent from the control unit, wherein the control unit detects the information amount when the display list is expanded by the bitmap expansion unit. 3. The printer according to claim 2, further comprising a bitmap expansion order determining means for determining an expansion order of expansion by the bitmap expansion means based on the information amount of each band. From the print code storage means that stores the sent print code, the display list creation means that creates a display list based on the print codes stored by the print code storage means, and the display list created by the display list creation means. An information amount detecting means for detecting the amount of information of each band and a display list creating means Display list accumulating means for accumulating a playlist, bitmap expanding means for expanding the display list accumulated by the display list accumulating means into a bitmap, and bitmap accumulating means for accumulating the bitmap expanded by the bitmap expanding means A printer having an image recording unit for performing printing based on a bitmap sent from the control unit, wherein the control unit transfers the bitmap stored by the bitmap storage means. At this time, the transfer start to the image recording unit is started based on the information amount of each band detected by the information amount detecting means, the bitmap capacity already expanded by the bitmap expanding means, and the remaining bitmap capacity not expanded. It has a configuration including a transfer start determining means for determining the timing.

Here, as the bitmap storage means,
There are a band buffer system in which one page is divided into several bands and stored cyclically, and a full page buffer system in which all one page is stored.

[0011]

With this configuration, since the bit map expansion order determining means expands the band having a very large amount of information first, the printing operation is not started during the bit map expansion in the band buffer method, and the overrun occurs. Since it is possible to prevent an error, it is possible to reliably perform printing. Further, since the transfer start determining unit determines the timing when the bitmap transfer to the image recording unit is performed, an overrun error can be prevented in the full page buffer method, so that the printing can be reliably performed.

[0012]

【Example】

(Embodiment 1) Hereinafter, a printer according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a printer according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 1 is an information processing device, 2 is a printing device, 3 is a printer cable, 4 is a control unit, 5 is a print code storage means,
6 is a display list creating means, 8 is a display list accumulating means, 10 is a bit map expanding means, 11 is a bit map accumulating means, and 12 is an image recording section, which are the same as those in the conventional example, and the description thereof will be omitted. Reference numeral 7 is an information amount detecting means for detecting the information amount of each band from the display list created by the display list creating means 6, and 9 is a bit map expansion based on the information amount detected by the information amount detecting means 7. It is a bitmap expansion order determining means for determining the order.

The operation of the printing apparatus of the first embodiment of the present invention constructed as above will be described below. FIG. 2 is a flow chart of the printer according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a structural diagram of a display list of the printer according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the correspondence between the display list and the band buffer of the printing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing bit map expansion and print timing of the printing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Here, a band buffer system in which one page is divided into 6 bands will be described. First, the print code is sent from the information processing device 1 to the control unit 4 in the printing device 2 (S1). Next, the print code storage means 5 causes S
The print code sent in 1 is accumulated (S2).
Next, the display list creating means 6 creates a display list as shown in FIG. 3 from the print codes stored in S2 (S3). Next, the information amount detecting means 7 detects the information amount for each band from the display list created in S3 (S4). Next, the band having the maximum information amount is detected by the bit map expansion order determining means 9 based on the information amount detected in S4 (S).
5). Next, it is determined whether the information amount of the band detected in S5 satisfies (Equation 1) (S6).

[0014]

[Equation 1]

In (Equation 1), M is the information amount of the band having the maximum information amount, v is the capacity of one band buffer, n is the number of all band buffers, and α is the bitmap storage means 11
To the image recording unit 12, and β is a development speed at which the bitmap expansion means 10 expands the bitmap. If Yes in S6, the process jumps to S7 and E, A, B, C, so that the display list E having the maximum information amount is first expanded as shown in FIG.
The first expansion order determination process for determining the expansion order of D and F is performed, and if No, the process jumps to S8 and the expansion order is determined as A, B, C, D, E, and F as in the conventional example. Second
The expansion order determination process of is performed. Next, it is expanded into a bitmap based on the expansion order determined in S7 or S8 (S9). If the expansion order is determined in S7, the expansion is performed in the order shown in FIG. Next, the bitmap developed in S9 is accumulated (S10). Next, S1
Printing is performed based on the bitmap accumulated at 0 (S1
1).

In the first embodiment, the bit map storage means 11 is divided into three band buffers, one of which is the band with the largest amount of information, and the remaining two are expanded. The other is expanded, but the bitmap storage means 11
A memory capable of developing a bitmap for one band is installed outside the device, the bitmap of the band having the largest amount of information is expanded in the memory, and the bitmaps of other bands are expanded in the bitmap storage means 3 It is also possible to operate as a 3-band buffer system by using all one band buffer.

(Embodiment 2) Hereinafter, a printer according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 6 is an overall configuration diagram of a printing apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Reference numeral 13 is a transfer start determining means for determining the timing of the start of bitmap transfer to the image recording section 12 based on the information amount detected by the information amount detecting means 7.

The operation of the printing apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention constructed as above will be described below. FIG. 7 is a flow chart of the printer according to the second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the correspondence between the display list and the band buffer of the printer according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Here, a full page buffer system having a capacity capable of developing a bitmap for one page will be described. First, the same operations as S1 to S4 of the first embodiment are performed (S12 to S15). Next, the display list storage means 8 stores the display list (S16). Next, as shown in FIG. 8, the display list accumulated in S16 is expanded into a bitmap (S17). Next, the bitmap developed in S17 is accumulated (S18). Next, it is determined whether (Equation 2) is satisfied (S19).

[0019]

[Equation 2]

In (Equation 2), V is the capacity from the head of the full page buffer to the nth band expansion area, and I is the (nth)
+1) Information amount from the band to the final band, α is a data transfer speed from the bitmap storage means 11 to the image recording unit 12, and β is a bitmap expansion speed at which the bitmap expansion means 10 expands the bitmap. No in S19
If yes, the process jumps to S17, and if Yes, the bitmap expansion is continued and printing is started (S20).

[0021]

As described above, according to the present invention, since the bit map expansion order determining means first expands a band having a very large amount of information, printing is not performed during the expansion in the band buffer method. Since it is possible to prevent overrun errors, printing can be performed reliably, and the memory can be used effectively, so printing can be performed with a small amount of memory, and reliability and economy are excellent. Full page buffer method In this case, since the transfer start determination means takes timing when performing the bitmap transfer to the image recording unit, it is possible to prevent an overrun error, so that it is possible to reliably perform printing and before the completion of the bitmap expansion. Since the printing operation can be started, a printing device with excellent reliability and workability that can perform printing quickly can be provided. It is those that can be current.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a printer according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of the printing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a structural diagram of a display list of the printer according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing correspondence between display lists and band buffers of the printing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing bitmap expansion and print timing of the printing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an overall configuration diagram of a printing device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a printing device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing correspondence between a display list and band buffers of a printing apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is an overall configuration diagram of a conventional printing device

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a display list expansion order in a band buffer method of a conventional printing apparatus.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing bitmap expansion and print timing in a band buffer method of a conventional printing device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1, 21 Information processing device 2, 22 Printing device 3, 23 Printer cable 4, 24 Control part 5, 25 Print code storage means 6, 26 Display list creation means 7 Information amount detection means 8, 28 Display list storage means 9 Bitmap Expansion order determining means 10,30 Bitmap expanding means 11,31 Bitmap accumulating means 12,32 Image recording section 13 Transfer start determining means

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code Office reference number FI technical display location H04N 1/21

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A print code storage means for storing print codes sent from the outside, and a display list creation means for creating a display list based on the print codes stored by the print code storage means.
Information amount detecting means for detecting the amount of information for each band from the display list created by the display list creating means, display list storing means for storing the display list created by the display list creating means, and the display list A control unit having a bitmap expansion unit that expands the display list accumulated by the accumulation unit into a bitmap, a bitmap accumulation unit that accumulates the bitmap expanded by the bitmap expansion unit, and a transmission unit from the control unit. A printing device having an image recording unit for printing based on the generated bitmap, each of which is detected by the information amount detecting unit when the control unit expands the display list by the bitmap expanding unit. Based on the amount of band information, it is expanded by the bitmap expansion means. Printing apparatus comprising the bitmapped order determining means for determining a deployment sequence. 2. A print code storage means for storing print codes sent from the outside, and a display list creation means for creating a display list based on the print codes stored by the print code storage means.
Information amount detecting means for detecting the amount of information for each band from the display list created by the display list creating means, display list storing means for storing the display list created by the display list creating means, and the display list A control unit having a bitmap expansion unit that expands the display list accumulated by the accumulation unit into a bitmap, a bitmap accumulation unit that accumulates the bitmap expanded by the bitmap expansion unit, and a transmission unit from the control unit. And an image recording unit that performs printing based on the generated bitmap, wherein the control unit detects the information amount detecting unit when transferring the bitmap accumulated by the bitmap accumulating unit. The amount of information of each band that has been expanded, and has already been expanded by the bitmap expansion means. Bitmap capacity and printing apparatus characterized by the expanded and remaining bitmap capacity not equipped with a transfer start determining means for determining a timing of starting transfer to the image recording unit on the basis of.