JPH0764735A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To constitute the printer so that recorded printer arrangement information peculiar to each printer can be confirmed from a host side by sending back the printer arrangement position information stored in a storage means to the host in accordance with an inquiry command from the host. CONSTITUTION:A printing part interface 115 receives a printing start instruction, outputs a printing start signal 131 to a printer engine control part, and also, reads out dot data from a bit map memory 107. From a printer control part, a horizontal synchronizing signal 132 and a vertical synchronizing signal 133 are sent, therefore, in synchronism with each signal 132, 133, the dot data read out of the bit map memory 107 is converted to a serial signal through a parallel- series converter 116 and sent out to the printer engine control part and a printer engine, and a printing operation is executed. Also, in accordance with an inquiry command from the host, a host interface 102 sends back printer arrangement position information stored in a nonvolatile RAM 109.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printing apparatus that analyzes print information from a host via a network and performs print processing.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, many systems have been proposed in which each host shares a printer connected through a network.

In a system connected to such a network, a single printer or a plurality of printers may be arranged at a remote position (a remote building, a remote room, etc.) based on the host position as required by the user. is there.

When the user designates the destination printer to which the print job is sent, it is customary to simply designate the printer by the device number or the like.

Further, conventionally, the method of grasping the printing conditions (paper size, font used, transfer speed, offset amount of print position, font size used, paper feed source, etc.) set in the printer from the host computer is as follows. It was the street.

First, the operator inputs the setting status (setting status) of the printing apparatus to the host computer.

Second, the host computer outputs a command to the printer to report the setting status, and the command is input by the printer information returned from the printer.

[0008]

Therefore, in order to grasp the printer position where the print job is processed and output, the user creates a table in which the arrangement position and the printer name correspond to each other in advance. Etc. are required. By providing the table, it is possible to grasp the corresponding printer position, but in an environment where a plurality of printer positions are frequently changed and used, it is necessary to change the table. In addition, the printer may be moved after the host grasps the current printer positions, the printer position that specified the print job and the actual output position are changed, and the user output There has been a problem that printers connected to the network have to be searched one by one in order to obtain a printed matter.

Further, in the conventional process of grasping the setting status of the printer, for example, when the power of the printing apparatus is turned off and an optional RAM is additionally mounted, even if the power of the printing apparatus is turned on after that, the operator operates the host computer. Unless you enter the setting status change or ask the printer to see if there is a setting change from the host computer, you will not be able to know the change. For example, a font card containing another font is installed as a font card. In this case, there is a problem in that the typeface is printed different from the desired typeface, and paper resources are wasted.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and is registered by confirming the printer arrangement information specific to the printer transferred from the host and registered in the printer by a command from the host. It is possible for the host to reliably acquire the printer layout information unique to each printer, and to monitor the expansion status of the printer functions and notify the host of the status of resource expansion of each printer, which is constantly changing. An object of the present invention is to provide a printing device that can be surely grasped.

[0011]

A first printing apparatus according to the present invention stores the printer placement position information transferred from a host and stores the storage position information, and the host in response to an inquiry command from the host. A reply means for returning the printer arrangement position information stored in the storage means to the host is provided.

In the second printing apparatus according to the present invention, a plurality of expansion means for expanding the function of the printer, a judgment means for judging the function expansion change state by these expansion means, and this judgment means catches the function expansion change. A notifying unit for notifying the host of the resource information whose function has been expanded for each is provided.

[0013]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the reply arrangement returns the printer arrangement position information stored in the storage means to the host in response to the inquiry command from the host. Therefore, the printer arrangement peculiar to each printer registered from the host side. It is possible to check the information at any time.

In the second aspect of the invention, the determining means determines the function expansion change state by the expansion means, and the notification means notifies the host of the resource information of the function expansion every time the function expansion change is captured as a result of the determination. It becomes possible for the host to always grasp the state where the printer function is expanded and the printer resource is changed.

[0015]

【Example】

[First Embodiment] FIG. 1 is a block diagram for explaining the control arrangement of a printing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

In the figure, reference numeral 101 denotes a network interface, which receives document data from a network (not shown) (including a general-purpose LAN commercially available). A host interface 102 receives document data from a host computer (not shown). 103 is a CPU, ROM
Based on a control program stored in the program ROM 111 of the unit 108, the print information is transferred and the printer engine is controlled. It should be noted that the ROM unit 108 has a font R
It has an OM 112 and stores print fonts.

Reference numeral 104 denotes a RAM, which is a reception buffer 105,
Document data, which is composed of a page memory 106, a bitmap 107, etc., and is input via the system bus 114 is stored in the reception buffer 105, and the page data obtained by analyzing the document data is stored in the page memory 106. , The final image data is bitmap memory 10
Stored in 7.

109 is a non-volatile RAM (NVRAM)
Then, the printer layout information transmitted from the host is stored.

Reference numeral 115 denotes a printing unit interface, which outputs a control signal (horizontal synchronization signal) 132, a control signal (vertical synchronization signal) 133 from a printer engine control unit (not shown), and the printing unit interface 115 to the printer engine control unit. Control signal (print start signal) 131
Based on the above, the bitmap data expanded in the bitmap memory 107 is converted into serial data via the parallel-serial converter 116, and the converted image data is output to the printer engine controller. The document data processing operation will be described below.

When the above document data is sent from the network through the network interface 101 or a host computer (not shown) through the host interface 102, the sent document data is sent to the RAM 10
4 is loaded into the reception buffer 105 and further loaded into the page memory 106 page by page.

One page of text data is page memory 1
When stored in 06, the CPU 103 sequentially reads the text data from the page memory 106, and the ROM unit 108
By referring to the inside of the font ROM 112, the data is converted into dot data and expanded in the bitmap memory 107.

When the development of the dot data for one page on the bitmap memory 107 is completed, the CPU 103
A print start command is output to the printing unit interface 115. The printing unit interface 115 receives the print start command, outputs a print start signal 131 to a printer engine control unit (not shown), and reads dot data from the bitmap memory 107.

Since the horizontal synchronizing signal 132 and the vertical synchronizing signal 133 are sent from the printer control unit (not shown), the bit map memory 1 is synchronized with these signals.
The dot data read from 07 is converted into parallel-serial converter 11
A serial signal is converted through 6 and sent to a printer engine control unit and a printer engine (not shown) to perform a printing operation.

According to the first printing apparatus having such a configuration, the host interface 102 returns the printer arrangement position information stored in the non-volatile RAM 109 to the host in response to the inquiry command from the host. It is possible to check the printer layout information unique to each printer registered from the side at any time.

Next, the communication processing operation of the arrangement information of the printing apparatus will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement information communication processing command in the printing apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 2A is transferred from the host computer to the printer and stored in the nonvolatile RAM 109 shown in FIG. The printer position information is composed of, for example, an ASCII code. (B) is printer position information transfer data, and a command 201 for storing the printer position information shown in (a) in the non-volatile RAM 109 is added to the head, and then the printer position information,
It consists of an exit code.

(C) shows a command 202 for requesting printer position information, which is sent from the host computer to the printer.

(D) is printer position information transfer data notified from the printer to the host computer in response to the command 202. A status code 203 for notifying the printer position information is added at the beginning, followed by printer position information, It consists of an exit code.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the printer layout information display screen transferred from the printing apparatus of the present invention. For example, the command 20 is displayed on the display of the host computer.
This corresponds to the state in which the printer position information transfer data returned from the printer according to 2 is displayed in a multi-window display.

The window B is an active window, and the printer arrangement information based on the printer position information transfer data is displayed in characters in the window. Window A is a work window. Further, the displayed printer position information may be processed so that the position of the printer may be graphically displayed together with the layout diagram registered in advance.

As a result, the host computer can execute the process shown in FIG.
When the data of (b) is transmitted to the printer, the printer layout received according to the command 201 is changed to the nonvolatile RA.
Registered in M109.

After the registration as described above, every time the command 202 shown in FIG. 2C is transmitted from the host computer to the printer, the printer arrangement information registered in the non-volatile RAM 109 is read, The printer placement information transfer data shown in FIG. 2D is returned to the host computer, and the printer placement information corresponding to the designated printer name is displayed on the screen of the host computer as shown in FIG. Can easily know the current printer arrangement status.

In the above embodiment, the printer placement information is set via the host computer or the network. However, the printer placement information may be set using an external ROM card.

Further, in the above embodiment, the case where only the printer arrangement information returned from the printer is displayed has been described, but other information set in the printer, for example, information notifying the next maintenance time is read out at the same time. Further, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the printer notifies the host computer of the printer placement information when the command 202 from the host computer is notified has been described. However, the printer is powered on. At this point, the printer may inquire of the host computer whether to change the printer layout information.

As a result, even if the printer is moved while the power is off, it is possible to reliably deal with the layout change. [Second Embodiment] FIG. 4 is a block diagram for explaining the control arrangement of a printing apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The same parts as those in FIG. 1 are designated by the same reference numerals.

In the figure, reference numeral 108 denotes an expandable option RAM, which is connected through, for example, an expansion port,
Expand the M area. Reference numeral 113 denotes an option ROM that is optionally removable from the outside, and stores a program for adding character fonts and emulating print processing based on another printer language. The non-volatile RAM 109 is composed of, for example, an electrically erasable and writable ROM (EEPROM), and is used, for example, for environmental information of the printer engine (laser beam printer in this embodiment) (for example, system configuration in the printer, default). Parameters such as fonts, etc.) are stored.

A signal 121 is a printer ready signal indicating that the printer is in a printable state, and its LOW level is TRUE. The signal 126 is a busy signal sent from the printer side to the host side, and the HIGH level is TRU.
It is E. The signal 123 is a data strobe signal sent from the printer side to the host side, and its LOW level is TRUE.
Is. A signal 124 is a host transmission request signal sent from the printer side to the host side, and its LOW level is TRUE.
Is.

As described above, according to the second printing apparatus, the CPU
103 is option RAM 108 or option RO
The function expansion change state by M113 is determined, and the host interface 1 is determined each time the function expansion change is captured as a result of the determination.
02 notifies the host of the resource information whose function has been expanded, so that the host can always grasp the state where the printer function has been expanded and the printer resource has been changed.

In FIG. 4, signal 125 is a bidirectional data line and has a width of 8 bits. A signal 122 is a data strobe signal from the host 1101 to the printer, and indicates that the LOW level is TRUE.
A signal 127 is a signal sent from the host 1101 to the printer to indicate the host-side receivable state, and the LOW level is T.
RUE. The signal 128 is a busy signal sent from the host 1101 to the side, and the HIGH level is TRUE.

The communication process between the printer and the host shown in FIG. 4 will be described below with reference to the timing chart shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a timing chart for explaining the communication processing operation between the printer and the host shown in FIG.
It should be noted that T201 to T207 respectively indicate timings.

In FIG. 5, first, when data is sent from the host 1101, the host 1101 determines by a signal 121 whether the printer is in a printable state. Here, if the signal 121 is at the LOW level, printing is possible, so the host 1101 sets the data strobe signal 1
22 and data are output to the data line 125 (timing T201). At the falling edge of the signal 122, the signal 126 goes high, indicating that the printer is busy.

When the printer inputs the data on the data line 125 and becomes ready to input the next data, the signal 126
Is returned to LOW level (timing T202), and accordingly, the host 1101 sends the next data together with the data strobe signal 122.

Next, when sending data from the printer side to the host 1101, the printer judges the receivable signal 127 on the host 1101 side, and if the signal 127 is LOW.
If it is not at the level, the host data transmission request signal 124 to the host 1101 is set to the LOW level (timing T203). Signal 127 from host 1101 is LOW
When the level becomes the level and the host 1101 becomes in the receivable state, the printer busy signal 126 is set to the HIGH level (timing T204).

Next, data is output to the data line 125 together with the data strobe signal 123 (timing T2).
05). At the falling edge of the data strobe signal 123, the signal 128 becomes HIGH level, and the host 11
01 indicates that it is busy. When the input processing of the host 1101 is completed, the signal 128 becomes LOW level, and therefore the printer outputs the next data together with the data strobe signal 123 (timing T206).

When transmission from the printer is completed, signal 1
24 is returned to the HIGH level to notify the host 1101 that the transmission is completed (timing 207). When sending data to the printer, the host 1101 sets the signal 127 to HIGH level before sending.

The printer setting status notification processing operation according to the printing apparatus of the present invention will be described below with reference to the flow charts shown in FIGS.

6 to 9 are flowcharts showing an example of a printer setting status notification processing procedure when the power is turned on in the printing apparatus according to the present invention. In addition, (1) ~
(22) indicates each step.

Immediately after the power is turned on, the printer performs self-diagnosis of each block in the system shown in FIG. 4 and a printing unit (not shown), and the system configuration in the printer (for example, RAM capacity and optional RO attached
(Where M is, etc.) is checked (1), it is determined whether or not the inside of the printer is in a ready state (2), and as a result of the self-diagnosis, if an abnormality is found in the printer, Proceed to step (19) shown in 9.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step (2) that the printer is in the printable state (ready state),
The signal 121 is set to TRUE (3), and the nonvolatile RAM 10
The system configuration in the previous printer is read from 9 and compared with the current system configuration (4). This is to check whether the optional ROM or RAM has been added or replaced while the power of the printer was turned off.

As a result of the comparison, it is determined whether or not the system configuration in the printer has been changed (5). If NO, the process proceeds to a normal routine, and if YES (if there is a configuration change), then the host has already been changed. It is determined whether the text data has been sent (6).

If it is determined that the text data (document data) has been sent, the data receiving operation is performed (9), and it is determined whether data for one page or more has been input. (10) If NO, return to step (6), and if YES, proceed to step (13) and subsequent steps shown in FIG.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step (6) that printing cannot be performed because the system configuration of the printer has changed, the host 1101 is notified of that fact.
It is determined whether or not the host side is in the data receivable state (7). If NO, the transmission request signal 124 to the host 1101 side is set to TRUE (8), the process returns to step (6), and if YES, it is shown in FIG. Proceeding to step (11), the host 1101 side is notified of the fact that the system configuration in the printer has changed and the changed contents (11). Next, the present printer internal system configuration information is written in the non-volatile RAM 109 (12), and the process proceeds to a normal routine.

On the other hand, the judgment in step (10) is YES.
If yes, it is judged whether the received document data can be printed with the current system configuration in the printer (13), and YE
If S, the received document data is printed (18) and the process returns to step (6). If NO, it is determined whether the host side can receive the data (14). If NO, the transmission request signal 124 to the host side is set to TRUE. (17) and returns to step (14), and if YES, sends information to the host that the current system configuration in the printer cannot print and what is missing ( 15). Next, the transmission request signal 124 to the host side is set to FALSE (16), and the processing is ended.

On the other hand, NO in the determination of step (2)
If it is determined that the step (1
In step 9), it is determined whether the host side is in the data receivable state (19). If NO, the transmission request signal 124 is sent to the host side (22), and the process returns to step (19).

On the other hand, if the result of the determination in step (19) is YES, the fact that the printer is not in the ready state and the reason thereof are sent to the host as data (20). Then, the transmission request signal 124 is set to FAL.
As SE (21), the process ends.

As a result, printing may not be possible because the system configuration of the printer has changed, so at that time,
In step (15), the fact is notified to the host 1101.

This is because, for example, when the capacity of the RAM is reduced, the data cannot be printed when the data is complicated and requires a memory, and the font used by the input data is removed from the option ROM. in case of,
This is because printing is no longer possible.

If the text data is not input from the host 101, the host 1011 is notified that the system configuration of the printer has changed in step (7).

The host side inputs this information, grasps the RAM capacity and type of the printer, and changes the structure of the text data to be output to the printer.

For example, when there is no desired character font on the printer side, the host 1101 converts the character font into dot image data and sends it as dot image data to the printer, so that printing can be continued.

Next, the data processing until the text data input to the printer shown in FIG. 4 is printed will be described. The text data sent from the host computer 1101 passes through the host interface 102 to RA.
The data is loaded into the reception buffer 105 in the M104 and then stored in the page memory 106 in page units.

Text data for one page is page memory 1
When it is stored in 06, the CPU 103 sequentially reads the text data from the page memory 106, and the ROM unit 10
The font data is converted into dot data by referring to the font ROM 112 in the RAM 8 and stored in the bitmap memory 107. The capacity of the bitmap memory 107 is RAM1.
It changes according to the contents of 04. Option RAM 108
If is attached and the bit map memory for one page can be secured, the dot data for one page is expanded in the bit map memory 107.
Is not attached, or if the capacity for one page cannot be secured even if it is attached, so-called band processing, that is, a limited part of one page is converted into dot data and expanded in the bitmap memory 107. . When the expansion into the bitmap memory is completed, the CPU 103
A command is sent to the printing unit interface 115 to output a print start signal 131. The printing unit interface 115 also reads dot data from the bitmap memory 107. Horizontal synchronization signal 13 sent from a printing unit (or printer engine control unit) not shown
2. In synchronization with the vertical synchronization signal 133, the printing unit interface 115 converts the dot data into serial data (serial data) through the parallel-serial converter 116, and then sends the serial data to a printing unit (not shown) for printing.

Since the bitmap memory 107 in the portion that stores the dot data sent to the printing unit (not shown) is empty, the dot data for the next scan is stored. If the capacity of the bitmap memory is one page, the dot data of the next page is stored, but if there is not one page of dot data, the dot data for the scan of the next band of the page is stored. Data is processed like a bicycle.

In this case, if the development of the dot data for the next scan into the bit map memory cannot be completed in time for the dot data reading speed to the printer engine control unit (not shown), it means that the printing cannot be completed. It is necessary for the host side to grasp the RAM capacity of the printer in advance, and if the RAM capacity is small, for example, the host side needs to perform dot development in advance and send the complicated text data.

In order to appropriately deal with such a situation, it is necessary for the host side to know the system configuration of the printer, and the configuration of this embodiment makes it possible to meet the demand.

In the above embodiment, the nonvolatile RAM 1
The case where the information indicating the printer setting status is stored in 09 is described, but the information may be stored in a storage medium such as a hard disk (HD).

In the above embodiment, the parallel bus is used as an example of the communication means with the host computer 1101. However, the present invention can be applied to a serial type bus with RS232C.

Further, in the above embodiment, only ROM and RAM are described as an option, but the setting situation is judged including the presence or absence of a font card and an optional network card, and the setting situation is grasped. And may be configured to control changes.

Further, the printer resource change for expanding the printer function to notify the host is not limited to the above information, but may be addition or change information such as connection of an optional cassette, connection of a CO processor, accelerator board, or the like. Further, it may be function expansion change information of a printer hierarchically connected to the printer via a predetermined interface.

Further, the network may be a LAN or the like, or the present invention can be applied to a printer connected to a large-scale LAN in which a public line network and a network are complicatedly linked.

[0072]

As described above, the first aspect of the present invention
According to the invention, since the reply means sends back the printer placement position information stored in the storage means to the host in response to the inquiry command from the host, the printer placement information unique to each printer registered from the host side can be confirmed at any time. can do.

According to the second aspect of the invention, the determination means determines the function expansion change state by the expansion means, and the notification means notifies the host of the resource information of the function expansion each time the function expansion change is captured as a result of the determination. Therefore, the host can always grasp the state where the printer function is expanded and the printer resource is changed.

Therefore, the printer layout information peculiar to the printers connected to the network and the printer resource information for the expanded function can be surely acquired by the instruction from the host side, and the optimum print condition is set based on the acquired information. There are effects such as being able to.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a control configuration of a printing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a placement information communication processing command in the printing apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a printer layout information display screen transferred from the printing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a control configuration of a printing apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

5 is a timing chart explaining a communication processing operation between the printer and the host shown in FIG.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of a printer setting status notification processing procedure when the power is turned on in the printing apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of a printer setting status notification processing procedure when the power is turned on in the printing apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of a printer setting status notification processing procedure when the printer according to the present invention is powered on.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a printer setting status notification processing procedure when the power is turned on in the printing apparatus according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 102 host interface 103 CPU 104 RAM 108 ROM section 109 non-volatile RAM

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A printing device, which is connected to a network and prints document information received by communication from each host, includes storage means for loading and storing printer placement position information transferred from the host, and A printing device comprising: a reply unit that returns the printer arrangement position information stored in the storage unit to a host in response to an inquiry command. 2. A printing apparatus, which is connected to a network and prints document information received by communication from each host, determines a plurality of expansion means for expanding the function of the printer and a function expansion change state by these expansion means. A printing apparatus comprising: a means and a notifying means for notifying the host of resource information whose function has been expanded each time the determination means catches a function expansion change.