JPH0811358A - Hard disk built-in printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To ensure the data received from a host computer in a printer having a hard disk built therein. CONSTITUTION:A printer 1A has the host interface board 10 connected to a host computer through a communication line 7. The host interface board 10 is equipped with the sub-CPU 15 connected to a data buffer 12 and the memory 16 backed up by a battery 17 is connected to the. sub-CPU 15. The host interface board receiving the data from the host computer inputs the data to the buffer 12 and stores the same in the non-volatile memory 16. Print data is transmitted to a main memory 22 from the buffer 12 and processed by a main CPU 24 to be stored in a hard disk 28. When abnormality is generated in the printer after the reception of host data, the data of the backup memory 16 is transmitted to the main memory 22 to dispense with the re-sending request to the host.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printer device having an improved interface board with a host computer in a printer device incorporating a hard disk device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a printer device having a built-in disk has a system configuration as shown in FIG. 3 as disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-59717. The printer, generally designated by reference numeral 1, has a host interface board 2 connected to a host computer via a signal line 7. Host interface board 2
Is the host driver / receiver 3 and the data buffer 4
And has an internal driver / receiver 5 and is connected to the printer internal bus 20. A main memory 22 and a CPU 24 are connected to the printer internal bus 20, and a printer internal hard disk 28 is connected via a printer internal disk control interface unit 26. Internal bus 20
The imager unit 30 connected to the printer controls the printer engine 32. The print data input from the host interface unit 2 is transferred to the main memory 22,
After being processed by the CPU 24, the printer internal disk 28
Recorded in. Then, it is sent from the printer internal disk 28 to the printer engine 32 via the imager unit 30 in accordance with the speed of the printer engine 32.

[0003]

In the above-mentioned conventional apparatus, the CPU 24 is processing the print data after the printer receives the print data in the host interface unit 2.
The processed print data is stored in the printer internal disk 2
If a fatal trouble such as a power supply abnormality occurs in the printer device before writing in 8, the print data already received from the host disappears, and the print data cannot be guaranteed. In the conventional configuration, in order to solve this problem, a method of re-executing the job from the host and retransmitting the print data from the beginning is generally taken. In this method, the data including the data which has already been normally completed will be reprinted. When trying to recover the print data by retransmitting it from the place where the error occurred, a fairly complicated exchange with the host computer is required. Also, in this method, the host computer side must hold the print data of all pages from the beginning even after the print data of the last page is normally completed, even after the print data is transmitted to the printer. Therefore, in the system in which the host computer side erases the print data after transmitting it to the printer due to spool limitation, an important obstacle such as loss of print data develops. The present invention provides an interface board for a printer device that incorporates a disk device that solves the above-mentioned conventional problems.

[0004]

According to the present invention, in order to completely guarantee printer data received from a host computer even if an abnormal situation occurs in the printer device, the printer device receives the data and then stores it in an internal disk. A function is provided to hold the necessary data that the printer can recover independently until the print data is written.

[0005]

The print data sent from the host computer is stored in the backup memory provided in the host interface board of the printer. The received data is held in the backup memory until it is stored in the internal disk device, and when an error occurs in the printer device, the data in the backup memory is transferred to the internal disk via the main memory.

[0006]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a system configuration of a system device of a printer device incorporating a disk device of the present invention. The printer indicated by reference numeral 1A as a whole is provided with the signal line 7
It has a host interface board 10 connected to a host computer via. The host interface board 10 includes a host driver / receiver 11
It has a data buffer 12, an internal bus driver / receiver 13, and is connected to the printer internal bus 20.
The data buffer 12 is connected to the control CPU 15 of the host interface board, and the CPU 15 has a memory 16 for storing data sent to the host interface, a control protocol, and the like. The memory 16 is connected to the battery 17 and backed up. The host interface board 10 is provided with a control CPU 15, a memory 16 and a backup battery 17, and when an abnormality occurs in the printer device, it determines the print data and control code necessary for recovery, and the battery. Stored in the memory 16 backed up by 17. As for this backup data, the print data is the printer internal disk 28.
Held until memorized in

FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing the control processing of the device of the present invention. In the process started in step S1, it is checked in step S2 whether or not data is received from the host computer, and if data is received, in step S3, the received data is checked for abnormality. If there is an abnormality, the host computer is notified of the communication failure in step S4,
Request data resend. The data normally received by the host interface board 10 is input to the data buffer 12 in step S5, and the interface control CPU 15 stores the data in a predetermined position of the battery backup memory 16 and sends it to the host computer side. Respond normally.

In step S6, an abnormality in the printer is checked. If normal, the received data is transferred from the data buffer 12 to the main memory 22 of the printer body in step S8.
DMA transfer to and the data in the data buffer 12 is erased. In step S9, the abnormality is checked again, but if an abnormality such as power failure occurs, the received data necessary for recovery stored in the battery backup memory 16 is retransmitted to the main memory 22 of the printer body in step S7. . In step S10, the main CPU 2
4 internally processes the received data in the main memory 22 and records it in the printer internal disk 28. Battery backup memory 1 required for recovery along with this process
Delete the data in 6.

In step S11, the printer is checked for abnormality. In step S12, the print data is sent from the internal disk 28 of the printer to the imager unit 30 in accordance with the speed of the printer engine 32, converted into a video signal and output to the printer engine 32. And print. In the case of a serious failure that occurs before printing is actually performed by the printer engine 32 after writing to the printer internal disk 28, recovery from the printer internal disk 28 is performed in step S12. Battery backup memory 16
Data is erased after writing to the printer internal disk 28, and the data on the printer internal disk 28 is erased after being normally printed by the printer engine 32.

[0010]

As described above, the present invention is a printer device which has a built-in hard disk device and receives print data from a host computer through a signal line. The host interface board has a control CPU and a battery backup. It has a memory. The host interface board that receives the data from the host computer stores the data in the data buffer and the backup memory. The data buffer transfers the data to the main memory and erases the data. This data is further stored in the internal hard disk. After receiving the data,
When an abnormality occurs in the printer device, the data in the backup memory is transferred to the hard disk via the main memory. Therefore, even if an abnormality occurs in the printer device, it is not necessary to request the host computer to transmit data again, and the printing operation can be continued only by the printing device side.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a system of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart of control processing of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a configuration example of a conventional technique.

[Explanation of symbols]

7 input signal line from host, 10 host interface section, 11 host driver receiver, 12
Data buffer, 13 internal bus driver receiver, 15 host interface control CPU,
16 memory for storing host interface data protocol, 17 battery, 20 printer internal bus, 22 main memory, 24 main CP
U, 26 Printer internal disk control 1 / F section, 2
8 printer internal disk, 30 imager section,
32 Printer Engine (IOT).

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A host interface board connected to a host computer via a signal line, a printer main CPU, a printer main memory, a printer internal disk, an interface section for controlling the printer internal disk, and an imager section. In a printer device including a printer engine for printing a video signal sent from an imager unit, the host interface board includes a data buffer for storing data received from a host computer and a host interface unit connected to the data buffer. The host CPU includes a control CPU, a memory that is connected to the control CPU of the host interface unit and stores the received data from the host computer and the control program, and a battery that backs up the memory. A hard disk having a function of transferring the data of the battery backup memory to the printer internal disk via the main memory when an error occurs before the data received by the interface board is stored in the printer internal disk. Built-in printer device.