JPH0739294B2 - Recording device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a recording device for visually editing and recording information output from an information processing device on a medium.

[Conventional technology]

In a recording device that visually edits and records information output from an information processing device such as a computer or word processor on a recording medium, such as paper, a standard recording paper is automatically recorded from a cassette or a paper feed stacker. In addition to the means for feeding paper, there is one that is equipped with a manual paper feeding means for feeding paper of special dimensions such as postcards.

In the above recording apparatus, the size of the paper to be used is required as image area data in order to edit the information output from the information processing apparatus according to the size of the paper to be recorded.

When the recording apparatus uses an automatic paper feed mechanism, the size of the paper can be identified from the recording paper cassette used, and this can be used as image area data.
However, in the case of manual paper feeding, there are various paper sizes, and since cassettes are not used as in the case of automatic paper feeding, the recording device cannot automatically identify the paper size. The paper size to be used is separately input as image area data from the information processing apparatus (see, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 60-236357).

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

However, even if it is easy for an operator who is familiar with the operation of the information processing device to input the paper size to be used for manual paper feeding from the information processing device to the recording device, the recording device is not The configuration is similar to that of an electrophotographic copying machine. Especially, in the case of automatic paper feeding using a paper cassette, the operation is very similar to that of the copying machine. Different from the operation of inputting image area data by operating an information processing device that is located far from the recording device, it may be confusing for those who are familiar with the operation of copiers, erroneous operation or manual paper feeding. There was a problem such as not being able to set.

Furthermore, in case of manual feeding,
Since it is not possible to visually recognize and compare the image area data input to the information processing device, that is, the vertical and horizontal dimensions that are actually printed, it is possible to perform printing that does not match the paper dimensions due to manual paper feeding. There was also a possibility.

[Means for Solving the Problems] An object of the present invention is to solve the above problems, and a beam is scanned on a recording medium, and the beam is controlled by recording information input from an external device. In an apparatus for recording recording information on a recording medium, recording position determining means for determining a recording start position and a recording end position in the main scanning direction of the beam, a manual recording medium supplying means for supplying the recording medium by manual feeding, and a recording An automatic recording medium supplying means for automatically supplying a medium, a recording medium size detecting means for detecting a recording medium size signal provided in a sheet feeding cassette used for the automatic recording medium supplying means, the manual recording medium supplying means and the automatic recording medium supplying means. The recording medium supply means comprises a setting means for selectively setting the recording medium supply means, and a control means, and the control means selects the manual recording medium supply means by the setting means. When the selection is set, the size in the main scanning direction of the recording medium size signal detected by the recording medium size detecting unit from the paper feed cassette set in the automatic recording medium supplying unit is supplied by the manual feeding recording medium supplying unit. The recording position of the recording information is determined by outputting the recording medium to the recording position determining means as the dimension of the recording medium in the main scanning direction.

[Operation] When the manual-feed recording medium supply unit is selected and set by the setting unit, the size in the main scanning direction of the recording medium detected from the sheet cassette set in the automatic recording medium supply unit is set to the manual-feed recording medium supply unit. The recording position of the recording information is determined as the dimension of the recording medium supplied by the means in the main scanning direction, and the beam scanning control is performed.

Regarding the dimension in the sub-scanning direction, as in the case of the main scanning direction, the dimension in the sub-scanning direction of the recording medium detected from the paper feed cassette set in the automatic recording medium feeding means is supplied by the manual feeding recording medium feeding means. The size of the recording medium in the sub-scanning direction is determined, or the size in the sub-scanning direction is determined from the length of the recording medium in the conveyance direction that is separately detected by the paper feeding / conveying unit or the like.

〔Example〕

 Next, an embodiment to which the present invention is applied will be described.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an information system for recording information on a recording medium.

A printing device A is composed of a printing control unit A1 and a printing unit A2 which is an electrophotographic laser printer.

Reference numeral B denotes an image editing apparatus, which comprises an image editing control unit B1 and a bit map memory B2 which is a random access memory (RAM).

C is a host system, such as a computer or a word processor.

The print control unit A1 includes a paper size detection unit 4 of a print unit A2 described later.
The paper size detected at 5,46 is output as image area data to the image editing control unit B1, and the edited image data is received from the bit map memory B2 output from the image editing control unit B1 and is printed by the printing unit A2. It is a processor with a function to output to.

The printing unit A2 is a known laser beam printer,
The laser beam projected from the laser optical unit is controlled by the image data described later to form an electrostatic latent image of the image on the photosensitive drum, which is developed with toner and transferred to a recording sheet. A print is created through a fixing process. Except for the means for forming an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum, the rest is essentially the same as the electrophotographic copying machine.

The configuration of the printing unit A2 will be described with reference to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the outline of the main components of the printing unit A2, 31 is a laser optical unit, 32 is a laser beam optical path, and 33 is a photosensitive drum. , 34 is a developing device, 35 is a transfer device, 36 is a cleaner, 37 is a charging / discharging device, 38 is a paper transport unit, and 39 is a fixing device.

Also, 40 is a manual paper feed tray, 41 is an upper paper feed cassette,
42 is a lower sheet feeding cassette, 43 and 44 are sheet feeding rollers, and 45 and 46 are detection units for the size of the sheets accommodated in the sheet feeding cassette.

As shown in FIG. 3, each of the paper feed cassettes 41 and 42 has a magnet code portion 47 on the back surface of the cassette that indicates the size of five sheets of paper, and the paper feed cassette mounting portion of the printing portion A2 has a paper feed port. Paper size detectors 45 and 46, such as lead switches, are provided at positions corresponding to the magnet code part 47. The paper size is up to five magnets to be attached to the magnet code part 47 on the back surface of the paper feed cassette. It is represented by a code of 5 bit configuration by the combination of.

Next, the image editing apparatus B will be described. Image editing uses the Bitmap method.

The bit map method is equipped with a bit map memory that stores information for one page of an image, and the image data to be printed is edited in a form to be printed on this bit map memory.
When the editing for one page is completed, the data on this memory is output as serial bit data to the laser beam printer for printing.

The image editing control unit B1 of the image editing apparatus B receives the paper size detected by the paper size detecting units 45 and 46 of the printing unit A2 as image area data via the print control unit A1 and prints by the image area data. A function of allocating an image editing area for one page to the bit map memory B2, and image data transmitted from the host system C is edited and stored in the image editing area, and image data from the print control unit A1 is also stored. A processor having a function of reading out image data from the bit map memory B2 in response to a request signal and outputting the image data to the print control unit A1.

Bitmap memory B2 is a random access memory (RA
M), which is controlled by the image edit control unit B1. The bit map memory B2 is a memory for editing and storing the image of one page of the image to be printed, and the image editing area is set based on the image area data corresponding to the paper size used in this memory.

In the bit map memory B2 shown in FIG. 1, l and m are image editing areas corresponding to the sheet size set by the image area data, and l and m are the main and sub scanning directions of the image portion by the laser beam. It is also the size, l ×
The area m corresponds to one page to be printed.

The size of the bit map memory B2 is larger than the maximum value of the image area data corresponding to the maximum value of the paper size to be used in both the main and sub scanning directions.

Next, the relationship between the scanning range of the laser beam on the photosensitive drum and the image area will be briefly described.

In FIG. 4, the image area is shown by 1 × m, but the laser beam is outside the image area.
In the drawing, the left margin portion of the width r and the tip margin of the width s are included in the upward scanning. Then, when inputting the image area data l, m to the print control unit A2,
The margin widths r and s are also set automatically in the print control unit A2.

When the scanning of the photoconductor is started by the laser beam, the processor of the print control unit A1 starts measuring the beam scanning time in the sub-scanning direction (vertical direction in FIG. 4), and the time corresponding to the tip margin width s is reached. It is determined that the image area in the sub-scanning direction has been reached after the time measurement is completed. At this point, the laser beam is detected by the beam sensor SOS at one end of the scanning area, and when the detection signal is input to the processor, timing of the beam scanning time in the main scanning direction (horizontal direction in FIG. 4) is started, It is determined that the main scanning direction has also reached the print position when the timing corresponding to the left margin width r is completed.

Upon receiving the image data on the bit map memory, the laser beam is controlled to start the scanning of the image portion, and the scanning is continued until the timing corresponding to the image area data 1 in the main scanning direction is completed. When the time measurement is completed, one scanning in the main scanning direction is completed.

After that, similarly, main scanning is repeated while measuring the time corresponding to r and l.

During this time, the time corresponding to the image area data m in the sub-scanning direction is measured, but when the time measurement in the sub-scanning direction is completed, one page of the edited image is formed on the bit map memory. become.

Next, the operation of this recording apparatus will be described.

First, a case where recording paper is fed by an automatic paper feed mechanism will be described. In this embodiment, paper is fed only from the upper cassette.

When the paper feed cassette 41 is set in the paper feed opening of the printing unit A2 of the printing device, the print control unit A1 operates the paper size detecting unit 45,
Magnet code section provided on the bottom of the paper feed cassette 41
The sheet size is detected from 47 and output as image area data to the image edit control unit B1.

In the image editing control unit B1, the image editing area l × m is stored in the bit map memory B2 based on the input image area data.
To set. Then, the image data output from the host system C is edited and stored in this image editing area.

When the image data request signal is input from the print control unit A1 to the image edit control unit B1, the image edit control unit B1 reads the image data on the bit map memory B2, and the print control unit
Output to A1.

The print control unit A1 outputs the input image data to the print unit A2, controls the laser beam to form an electrostatic latent image of the image data on the photoconductor, and develops the same as an electrostatic copying machine.
An image is formed on the recording paper by the fixing means.

Next, the case of manual sheet feeding will be described.

For manual paper feed, set the manual paper feed tray 40 on the upper paper feed cassette 41 as shown in FIG.
40 Feed from above.

The print control unit A1 detects the paper size from the magnet code unit 47 provided at the bottom of the paper feeding cassette 41, as in the case of the paper feeding by the automatic paper feeding mechanism described above, and the same image as described above is displayed. Operations such as editing area setting, image editing, and image formation are performed.

As described above, even in the case of manual paper feeding, no special paper size input means is provided because the paper size is input by the magnet code of the paper feed cassette.

Next, signal processing relating to image editing and printing performed by the image editing control unit B1 and the printing control unit A1 will be described with reference to the flow chart shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 (a) is a flow chart showing the outline of the entire processing, in which the power is turned on and the control target, the memory, etc. are initialized (steps P1, P2). Set the idle mode (step P3), then check the edit mode (step P3)
Four). If not in edit mode, idle mode (step P
Returning to 3), if it is the edit mode, the designated paper feed port, in the embodiment, the upper stage is selected (step P5), and the image area is set on the bit map memory (step P6). This will be described in detail later.

Next, the image data output from the host system such as a computer or word processor is read and edited (steps P7 and P8). Wait for the end of editing (step P9), and move to the printing operation (step P10). This will be described in detail later. Wait for the print operation to finish (step P11), and then restart the idle mode (step P11).
Return to 3) and proceed to the next processing.

The image area setting process routine will be described with reference to FIG. 5 (b). It is checked whether or not the manual paper feed mode is selected (step P21). Tentatively set the reference image area corresponding to the paper size (step P2
2).

Next, the presence or absence of the upper cassette is detected (step P23),
If there is an upper cassette, the magnet code on the bottom of the cassette is read (step P24), this is converted into image area data (step P25), the image area is set (step P26), and the processing is ended.

If there is no upper cassette, set the image area temporarily set in step P22 as the official image area,
The process ends.

If it is determined in step P21 that the manual feed mode is not in effect, the magnet code of the designated automatic paper feed cassette is read (step P27), and the flow advances to step P25 to set the image area.

Next, the print operation processing routine will be described with reference to FIG. 5 (c). First, the operation of the electrophotographic printing section is started (step P31). Next, the image area data is read (step P32), and the scanning time measuring timer for controlling the image area is set (step P33).
This point will be better understood by referring to the relationship between the scanning range of the laser beam on the photosensitive drum and the image area described above with reference to FIG.

According to the timer in the sub-scanning direction, 1 is sequentially subtracted from the blank length s in the sub-scanning direction at predetermined time intervals, and when s = 0, it is determined that the print position in the sub-scanning direction has been reached (step P34). , P35).

Here, the laser beam sensor SOS continues to detect the laser beam (step P36). When it is detected, the process proceeds to step P37, and 1 is sequentially subtracted from the margin length r in the main scanning direction at predetermined time intervals in accordance with the main scanning direction timing timer, and when r = 0, the image position in the main scanning direction is set. (Steps P37, P38).

main. Since the image area has been reached in both the sub-scanning directions, the image data is requested (step P39), and the photoconductor is scanned with the image data.

According to the main scanning direction timing timer, 1 is sequentially subtracted from the main scanning direction printing area length l at predetermined time intervals, and l =
Image data is requested one after another until scanning becomes 0, and scanning is continued (steps P39.P40, P41).

When 1 = 0, one scan in the main scanning direction has been completed, so the scan moves in the sub scanning direction according to the timer in the sub scanning direction. One is sequentially subtracted from m, and the lengths r and l are reset until m = 0, and scanning is again returned to the main scanning direction (steps P42, P43, P45).

When m = 0, that is, when the scanning in the sub-scanning direction is completed, the print scanning for one page is completed, and the operation ending process is performed (step P44), and the process ends.

In the above embodiment, in the case of manual feeding, the upper stage is unconditionally selected as the printing section feeding port to which the feeding cassette is attached,
The paper size is detected from the magnet code of the paper feed cassette mounted there, and this is used as image area data for setting the image editing area.

On the other hand, as a recording system, the size of each paper sheet is detected from a plurality of paper feed cassettes installed in a plurality of paper feed ports of the printing unit and input to a host system (computer, etc.), and the operator operates the host system. Can be operated to recognize the available paper size and the paper feed port where the paper feed cassette containing the paper is installed, and it is possible to select and print the desired paper. It is possible.

When printing by manual feed with this recording system, the operator operates the host system to select the paper feed cassette that matches the desired manual feed paper size, and the paper size read from the magnet code of the paper feed cassette. The image editing area may be set as the image area data.

The processing procedure in this case is shown in the flow chart of FIG.
In step P51, the available paper size and the paper feed port in which the paper feed cassette accommodating the paper is installed are recognized, and the desired paper size is selected. Wait for completion of paper size selection (step P52), and then output the paper size read from the magnet code of the paper feed cassette installed in the selected automatic paper feed port to the image edit control section as image area data (step P54). ) And ends the process.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, when the recording medium is manually fed from the manually feeding recording medium feeding means,
The dimension of the recording medium in the main scanning direction detected from the paper feed cassette set in the automatic recording medium supply means is used as the dimension of the recording medium in the main scanning direction to determine the recording position of the recording information and control the scanning of the beam. Controlled to do.

As a result, when feeding a manually fed recording medium, a person who uses the recording device can find the size of the recording medium in the main scanning direction simply by finding and mounting a feeding cassette of the same size as the manually feeding recording medium. Can be entered, and the complicated operation of inputting the size of the recording medium in the main scanning direction from the operation panel or keyboard of the information processing device does not get confused or erroneously operated. Can be used.

Then, even in the case of manual paper feeding, it is possible to visually recognize that the image area to be printed is the same size as the mounted paper feeding cassette by the operation of mounting the paper feeding cassette having the same size as the recording medium to be fed. Therefore, the possibility of printing that does not match the size of the manually fed recording medium is reduced.

Furthermore, in the case of manual paper feeding, there is no need to call an operator who is familiar with the operation of the information processing apparatus to interrupt the original work due to the input operation of the dimension of the recording medium in the main scanning direction. The above-described recording device has a remarkable effect.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an information system for recording information on a recording medium, FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing the outline of the configuration of a laser printer which is an embodiment of a printing section, and FIG. 3 is a sheet of a paper cassette. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration of a magnet code portion and a code detection portion showing dimensions, FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a relation between a scanning range of a laser beam on a photoconductor and an image area, and FIG. FIG. 6 is a flow chart of signal processing, and FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing a processing procedure in the case of inputting a paper size code suitable for the size of the paper to be used from the paper feed cassettes attached to a plurality of paper feed ports. A: printing device, A1: printing control unit, A2: printing unit, B: image editing device, B1: image editing control unit, B2: bit map memory, C:
Host system.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An apparatus for recording input recording information on a recording medium by scanning a beam on a recording medium and controlling the beam according to recording information input from an external device, wherein recording is started in the main scanning direction of the beam. Used for the recording position determining means for determining the position and the recording end position, the manual recording medium supplying means for manually supplying the recording medium, the automatic recording medium supplying means for automatically supplying the recording medium, and the automatic recording medium supplying means. The recording medium size detecting means for detecting the recording medium size signal provided in the paper feed cassette, the setting means for selectively setting the manual recording medium supply means and the automatic recording medium supply means, and the control means. The means is a paper feed cassette set in the automatic recording medium supply means when the manual recording medium supply means is selectively set by the setting means. Of the recording medium size signal detected by the recording medium size detecting means from the printer, and outputs the size in the main scanning direction to the recording position determining means as the size in the main scanning direction of the recording medium supplied by the manual recording medium supplying means. A recording device characterized by determining a recording position of recorded information.