JPH08129463A - Output device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide an output device which prevents the occurrence of memory full error at the time of download from an external device. CONSTITUTION: At the time of download to an LBP (output device) 1000 from a host computer (external storage device) 2, download contents are stored in a download table 11 of a RAM (download memory) 7. A CPU 5 manages download information including the empty capacity of the download area of the RAM 7. The CPU 5 reports download information to the host computer 2. Thereby, download information on the external device side and that managed on the output device side match with each other to prevent the memory full error which frequently occurs in a conventional device.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an output device such as a printer which is connected to an external device such as a host computer via a bidirectional interface and has a function of registering various data in a memory in the device. is there.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, even when an external device (driver) is downloaded to an output device, it has not been performed to match the download information between the two.

[0003]

Therefore, in the conventional example,
When downloading is performed, there is a problem in that management of download information on the external device side and output device side do not match (shift), and a memory full error occurs relatively frequently.

Therefore, the present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an output device for preventing occurrence of a memory full error when a download is performed from an external device. To do.

[0005]

An output device according to claim 1, wherein the output device prints an image on a recording medium based on a download from an external device and outputs the image, and a download memory for storing the content of the download. The present invention is characterized by comprising: management means for managing the download information including the free space of the download memory; and notifying means for notifying the external device of the download information at a predetermined time.

In the output device according to the second aspect, the predetermined time is set when the download is performed.

According to another aspect of the output device of the present invention, a predetermined time is set for each page of the print job or for a break.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the output device sets a predetermined time when a request for download information is received from an external device.

[0009]

According to the output device of the first aspect, when the download is performed from the external device, the content of the download is stored in the download memory, and the managing means manages the download information including the free space of the download memory. . The notification means notifies the external device of the download information. As a result, the download information managed on the external device side and the output device side can be matched, and it is possible to prevent a memory full error that has frequently occurred in the past.

According to the output device of the second aspect, the notifying means notifies the download information when the download is performed.

According to the third aspect of the output device, the notifying means notifies the download information for each page of the print job or at a break thereof.

According to the output device of the fourth aspect, the notifying means notifies the download information when the request is received from the external device.

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing the internal structure of a laser beam printer showing an application example of the output device of the present invention.

This laser beam printer (hereinafter referred to as "LB
Abbreviated as "P". ) 1000 has an LBP main body 1000A connected to a host computer (see FIG. 2) 2 as an external storage device, and switches for operation, LED indicators, etc. are arranged on the upper part of the LBP main body 1000A. An operation panel 1012 is provided, and inside the LBP main body 1000A, a printer control unit 1001 for controlling the entire LBP 1000, a semiconductor laser 1003 for emitting a laser beam 1004, and a semiconductor laser 1003 for emitting an input video signal. A laser driver 1002 for driving by switching on and off a laser beam 1004
And an electrostatic drum 1006 on which an electrostatic latent image is formed, and rotation for forming an electrostatic latent image of a character pattern on the electrostatic drum 1006 by scanning the laser beam 1004 emitted from the semiconductor laser 1003 in the left-right direction. A polygon mirror 1005, a developing unit 1007 for developing the latent image formed on the electrostatic drum 1006, a paper cassette 1008 for storing cut sheet recording paper as a recording medium, and a developing unit 1
In order to transfer the image developed on the electrostatic drum 1006 by 007 to the cut sheet recording paper, the paper cassette 1
The sheet feeding roller 1009 and the feeding rollers 1010 and 1011 that take in the cut sheet recording paper from 008 and supply it to the electrostatic drum 1006 are respectively arranged, and the host computer 2 can register a character pattern, a fixed form (form data), and the like. Character information (character code) supplied from the host computer 2, character patterns, form data and macro instructions.
Etc. are input and memorized, and corresponding character patterns and form patterns are created according to the information,
An image is formed on a cut sheet recording paper.

The control unit 1001 analyzes character information and the like supplied from the host computer 2 and mainly converts the character information into a video signal having a corresponding character pattern and outputs the video signal to the laser driver 1002.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the control system of the LBP1000.

The LBP 1000 has a control unit 1 in the control unit 1001, and a host computer 2 for transmitting image information and the like to the control unit 1, the laser driver 1002, a semiconductor laser 1003, and a rotary polygon mirror 1.
005, electrostatic drum 1006, developing unit 1007,
The operation panel 1012 is connected to the printing unit 3 that includes a paper cassette 1008, a paper feed roller 1009, and conveyance rollers 1010 and 1011 and executes recording on recording paper based on a video signal output from the control unit 1. are doing.

The control unit 1 has a function as a bidirectional interface, and has an input unit 4 that receives various data transmitted from the host computer 2, a CPU 5 that controls the entire control unit 1, and a CPU 5 that executes the data. ROM 6 for storing various control programs, character font patterns, etc.
A RAM 7 for storing various kinds of information; an output unit 8 for outputting image information included in download data from the host computer 2 to the printing unit 3 as a video signal; and a panel control unit 9 for controlling the operation panel 1012. ing. The above-mentioned components in the control unit 1 are connected to the system bus 10 so as to exchange data with each other.

The RAM 7 stores a storage area for storing various data such as download data sent from the host computer 2, a work area required for the CPU 5 to execute a control program, or image information for one page. Used as a frame memory to store. Note that the ROM 6 can also store download data and various programs.

In the storage area, a download area for creating a download data table (see FIGS. 3 and 4) 11 for storing downloaded information including downloaded character information (download data) and free space in the download area. Is provided. As shown in FIG. 3, the download data includes a character set assignment number, character attributes (graphic number, character code, character size, stroke weight, font number, etc.). For example, as shown in FIG. 4, when the download area has a capacity of 3.2 Mbytes and the download data has a capacity of 1.8 Mbytes, the free capacity of the download area is 1.4 M (= 3.2 M-1). .8 M) bytes.

The CPU 5 is connected to the host computer 2 from the L level.
When the download is performed to the BP1000, the download data is stored in the memory such as the RAM7 and the RAM7 is downloaded.
The download table 11 is created in the download area inside the table, the download data and the free space of the download area are stored in the download table 11, the download information is managed using the download table 11, and the download information is downloaded at a predetermined time to be described later. The information is notified to the host computer 2.

Next, the operation of the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
It will be described according to the flowchart of FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an execution procedure of notifying the host computer 2 of the download information.

First, it is determined whether the received print data (print job) has been downloaded (S1). If the download has been performed, the download data and free space in the download area are stored in the download table 11. Memorize download information such as (S
2) Determine whether the download is completed (S
3). If the download is not completed, the storage of the download information in the download table 11 is continued (S2). If the download is completed, the download information is notified to the host computer 2 (S4), and the print job is completed. It is determined whether or not (S5). If the print job is not completed, the process returns to step S1.
When the print job is finished, the process is finished.

According to the first embodiment as described above, the download information on the host computer 2 side and the LBP 1000 side can be matched for each download, and the memory full error can be prevented.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.

In the above-mentioned first embodiment, the timing of notifying the download information to the host computer 2 is
Every time it was downloaded. In this embodiment,
The notification timing is for each page of the print job.
This execution procedure will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

First, it is determined whether the received print job has been downloaded (S11). If the download has been performed, the download table 11
The download information such as the download data and the free space of the download area is stored in (S12), and it is determined whether the download is completed (S13). If the download is not completed, download table 11
The download information is continued to be stored in (S12), and when the download is completed, it is determined whether a page break command is received (S14). If the page break command is not received, the process returns to step S1. If the page break command is received, the host computer 2 is notified of the download information (S15), and it is determined whether the print job is completed. (S16). If the print job has not ended, the process returns to step S1. If the print job has ended, the process ends.

According to the second embodiment as described above, the host computer 2 and the LBP 1 are provided for each page of the print job.
The download information can be matched with the 000 side, and a memory full error can be prevented.

Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described.

In this embodiment, the timing at which the download information is notified to the host computer 2 is the time when a request is received from the host computer 2 or the break in the print data (print job). This execution procedure will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

First, it is determined whether or not a request for notification of download information has been received from the host computer 2 (S
21). When the notification request is received, the host computer 2 is notified of the information (S22). When the notification request is not received, the host computer 2 receives the information without notifying the information. It is determined whether or not the print job was downloaded (S2
3) If the download is performed, the download information such as the download data and the free space in the download area is stored in the download table 11 (S24),
It is determined whether the download is completed (S25).
If the download is not completed, the storage of the download information in the download table 11 is continued (S2
4) If the download is completed, it is determined whether or not the print job is a break (S26). If the print job is not a break, the process returns to step S21. The computer 2 is notified of the download information (S27), and the process ends.

According to the third embodiment as described above, the LBP 10 and the host computer 2 side are provided at every break of the print job.
The download information can be matched with the 00 side, and a memory full error can be prevented. Further, since the download information is notified when the request is received from the host computer 2, the control of the LBP 1000 becomes easy.

In the above embodiment, the LBP has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this and can be applied to other printing devices (inkjet, dot matrix, etc.). Further, the present invention may be applied to a network system including a plurality of devices or may be applied to an apparatus including a single device.

[0035]

According to the present invention described in detail above, the following effects can be obtained.

According to the first aspect of the invention, when the download is performed from the external device, the content of the download is stored in the download memory, the download information including the free space of the download memory is managed, and the download information is managed. Since the download information is notified to the external device, it is possible to provide the output device that prevents the occurrence of the memory full error when the download is performed from the external device.

According to the second aspect of the invention, the consistency of the download information can be achieved for each download.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the consistency of the download information can be achieved for each page of the print job or each break thereof.

According to the invention described in claim 4, since the download information is notified when the request is received from the external device,
The output device can be easily controlled.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an internal structure of a laser beam printer showing an application example of an output device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a control system of the laser beam printer shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing specific contents of a download table created in a RAM of this embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining free space in a download area according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an execution procedure of notification of download information to the host computer 2 in the first embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an execution procedure of notification of download information to the host computer 2 in the second embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an execution procedure of notification of download information to the host computer 2 in the third embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Control Unit 2 Host Computer (External Storage Device) 3 Printing Unit 4 Input Unit 5 CPU 6 ROM 7 RAM 8 Output Unit 11 Download Table 1000 LBP (Output Device) 1001 Printer Control Unit

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. An output device for printing an image on a recording medium based on a download from an external device and outputting the image,
A download memory that stores the contents of the download; a management unit that manages the download information including the free space of the download memory; and a notification unit that notifies the external device of the download information at a predetermined time. And output device. 2. The output device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined time is when a download is performed. 3. The output device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined time is for each page of a print job or for a break. 4. The output device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined time is when a request for download information is received from the external device.