JPH08258349A - Saved output method for image output apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To contract a manuscript extending over several pages to the quantity of one page to output the same while freely setting the arrangement of the contracted image thereof. SOLUTION: In the case of economy output at a time of the conversion of receiving data (step 2c), a contracted image is formed at every page (step 2d). The formation of the contracted image is performed by lowering the resolution of a symbolic command to convert the command to bit map data or by taking OR at every predetermined number of dots of bit map data formed in a usual way to convert the bit map data to dots. After the contracted image is formed, the arrangement thereof is determined (step 2e). The arrangement of the contracted image is performed by appropriately adding a total coordinate value X/2 and a total coordinate value Y/2, for example, in the case of longitudinal and lateral 1/2 contraction with respect to the coordinates values (x), (y) of the bit map data on and after a second page. By this constitution, the manuscript contracted image corresponding to several pages is outputted to one paper by the bit map image after the completion of the determination of the contracted image arrangement.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for saving paper and developer in an image output device such as a page printer.

[0002]

When a document created by an image processing apparatus such as a computer is output on paper by using an image output apparatus typified by a page printer, a draft () is output before final output. I often try to output draft). In this case, if the draft is merely used for confirmation, it is not necessary to intentionally output the draft in the same form as the final output to waste paper or developer. Also,
Not limited to drafts, when there are several originals that do not have to be output in the same size as the output paper, the output is not performed and the paper and the developer are not wasted.
As a method for solving this, there is a technique disclosed in Korean Patent Application No. 93-28365 by the present applicant. However, this technology leaves room for improvement due to its applicability, such as freely arranging the contracted image within the page.

Therefore, in the present invention, when the contents of several sheets are contracted at a normal ratio to be output as one sheet,
(EN) A saving output method and a system thereof which can freely select the arrangement of the reduced image.

[0004]

To this end, the present invention provides a reduced output method of an image output apparatus for reducing a received image of a large number of pages into one sheet and outputting the reduced image. The setting process, the process of reducing the received data in page units according to the scale ratio, the reduced page unit data are converted into bitmap data, and the bitmap position is determined for each, and one page of paper is determined. There is provided a saving output method characterized by performing a process of generating bitmap data and a process of outputting bitmap data for one sheet of paper onto a sheet.

Alternatively, in the saving output method of the image output apparatus for reducing the received images of a large number of pages to one sheet of paper and outputting the same, the process of setting the scale ratio of the image and the bit of the received data for each page are set. A step of converting into bitmap data, a step of reducing each bitmap data according to the scale ratio, and a step of determining bitmap positions in the reduced bitmap data and generating bitmap data for one sheet of paper. And a process of outputting the bitmap data for one sheet on the sheet, and a saving output method. In this case, the process of reducing the bitmap data for each page can be a process of logically summing the number of bits based on the set scale ratio to form one bit.

Further, according to the present invention, in an image output apparatus for converting received data into a bit map and outputting it on paper in page units, means for storing information for saving output and a scale ratio of the image are set. And means for doing
To provide a saving output system for reducing the received data according to the set scale ratio of the image in page units and determining the bit map position for each of the reduced data to generate the bit map data for one sheet. An image output device is provided.

[0007]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

While the following description sets forth a number of specific features, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that the present invention may be practiced without limitation. Further, the description of related well-known techniques will be appropriately omitted.

In this embodiment, the control software of the page printer is
Example of adding "saving mode" to software
Explained. This saving mode is available on the printer panel.
Operation of the specified key or personal computer
Selectable by a predetermined signal input from
It When this save mode is selected, the page printer will
Receives an image of one page from a computer and processes it.
When you do this, the size and width of one sheet of paper will be used.
Instead, for example, the vertical and horizontal dimensions are 1 / n each and the actual area is
1 / n²Output as a reduced image reduced to. Immediately
Then, n on one sheet ²It outputs a reduced image for one sheet.
is there.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the connection relationship between the inside of the printer and the computer. A page printer is composed of the control unit 200 and the engine unit 300. This printer has a well-known structure and a memory (for example, ROM 240) serving as a means for storing information related to the saving mode.

The microprocessor 270, which transmits and receives data from the computer 100 through the host interface 220, converts the received data into image data of a bit map image using the program and the real data stored in the ROM 240 and the selected real cartridge 230, This is stored in the RAM 260. In this conversion process, the microprocessor 270 forms corresponding image data by referring to various state values that have been set, for example, CPI (Character Per Inch). Therefore, the saving mode is also determined by the state value. Such a state value can be changed by an input from an operation panel (not shown) input through the panel interface 210 or an input from a computer. The image data generated according to the determined bitmap page size (normal size or 1 / n ² contracted size) is sent to the engine unit 300 through the engine interface 250, and the engine unit 300 outputs the image data to a sheet based on the image data. The output is executed.

The process of contracting and outputting an image will be described below by taking as an example the case where the image data as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B is contracted to 1/2 in the vertical and horizontal directions.

The data input from the computer 100 to the printer has a unique code system for each company. An example is Hewlett-Packard PCL. In FIG. 1, the data input to the microprocessor 270 from the computer 100 through the host interface 220 is first a symbolic command.
Is converted to. This symbolic command also has its own system. Typical symbol commands include one pixel (L) shown in FIG. 3 or a large number of pixels such as a quadrilateral shown in FIG. Assuming that the character “L” in FIG. 3 is output, the output data of the computer 100 for this character “L” is RE.
T [(X1, Y1), (X2, Y2), (X3, Y3), (X8, Y8)] and RET [(X8, Y8),
It is converted into two symbolic instructions such as (X4, Y4), (X6, Y6), (X5, Y5)].

The symbol command thus converted is converted into a bit map image so that it can be applied as exposure data to the exposure unit. The position of this bitmap image is determined by the coordinate value of each dot based on FIG. 3 and stored in the RAM 260. For example, if the output paper has a width of 8 inches and a length of 11 inches and is output at a resolution of 300 DPI (Dot Per Inch), the coordinates on the paper will have a coordinate value of 2400 × 3300. . That is, in FIG. 3, X is 2400, Y
Is 3300.

The above process corresponds to steps 2a and 2b in the flowchart of the saving mode shown in FIG.

After the data conversion in step 2b, the microprocessor 270 determines whether or not the saving mode is selected. Then, if it is not the saving mode, the output is executed at the normal scale as it is (step 2c → 2h), and if it is the saving mode, the image reduction is executed (step 2c → 2).
d). The selection of the saving mode is performed by inputting the corresponding command from the panel or the computer.

In the formation of the contracted image in step 2d,
There are various methods for reducing an image to 1/2 ² . For example, the symbol instruction has the resolution corresponding to the state value at the time of the bitmap image conversion as described above, but
/ 2 when condensing ^2, there is a method for the vertical and horizontal resolution and 1/2. That is, as in this embodiment, 300 DPI
If it is a printer of No. 1, this is set to 150 DPI and converted. The resulting bitmap image is
Will have a number of dot-half ² of the original image,
When actually outputting this, the original resolution is 300.
It is output by DPI, and contraction is performed by this. That is, assuming that the distance "X1Y1-X2Y2" is 0.1 inches in the character "L" in FIG. 3, the normal output of 300 DPI is 30 dots. If this is set to 150 DPI and used as a bitmap image, it is generated with a configuration of 15 dots. On the other hand, since the engine unit 300 that is actually in charge of output outputs at 300 DPI, the actual output result is X1Y1-X2Y2 of 0.05 inch.

Another method is to generate a bit map image for one page as usual and reduce the size of the page. As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, this is performed by logically summing four dot data of two rows and two columns to form one dot. Figure 6
The original data is shown in A, and as a result of logically adding it by 4 dots, x = 1 to 8 and y = 1 to 8 as shown in FIG. 6B.
Data, that is, the image is reduced to 1/2 ² .

In the following step 2e, the arrangement of the contracted image, that is, the bit map position is determined. Here, it is assumed that the image reduction target file is five pages.
As shown in FIG. 3, if one page is composed of X × Y bits, the bitmap data of each page has each coordinate value x, y, and the scale is 1/2 horizontal and vertical, the first page is (x,
y), the second page is (X / 2 + x, y), the third page is (X, Y / 2 + y), and the fourth page is (X / 2 + x, Y /
2 + y), as a result, these first to fourth pages are stored in the RAM 260 in the form of a bitmap image that can be output in the state shown in FIG. 5A. Further, by repeating the above operation from the fifth page, a contracted image is formed as shown in FIG. 5B.

The position determination of the reduced image will be described more specifically with reference to FIG. 6B. Shown in the figure is a page of 16/300 inch × 16/300 inch size in which one blank size corresponds to a dot of 1/300 inch. If the same content is output for 5 pages and the image reduction ratio is 1/2 ² , the reduced image of the first page is output as it is. Further, since the contracted image of the second page overlaps with the first page if the position is unchanged, X / 2, that is, “8” is added to the original X coordinate value and the coordinate value is output. Similarly, the reduced image of the third page has Y / 2 coordinate values, that is, "8" as coordinate values, and the reduced image of the fourth page has X / 2 and Y coordinate values of X / 2, respectively. Y / 2, that is, "8" is added to obtain the coordinate value. That is, if the scale ratio is 1 / n in the vertical and horizontal directions, it can be carried out by appropriately calculating the coordinates based on the number of dots in the vertical and horizontal directions / n.

After the four reduced images for one sheet and their arrangement are determined in this way, one reduced image consisting of the generated contents of the first to fourth pages is output on the sheet. (Step 2f → 2h). The fifth and subsequent pages are similarly output as reduced images. Before one sheet of paper is filled with the reduced image, that is, before the reduced image of four pages is formed in the above example, the output from the panel or the computer 100 is performed in step 2g for each reduced image formation. The input of the start command is judged, and if there is an input on the way, the output is performed up to that point (step 2g →
2h).

The arrangement of each reduced image can be determined in various ways other than this example. For example, if the second page is to be below the first page, Y / 2 may be added to the coordinate value y. That is, the contracted image can be arranged in any manner depending on the value added to the coordinate value, and the arrangement is not limited to the arrangement shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, and the arrangement may be one horizontal row, one vertical row, or one diagonal line. Various arrangements are possible.

In the present embodiment, the case where the reduced image is formed with the height and width of 1/2 has been described, but it goes without saying that various reduction scales are possible. For example, it is possible to freely adjust the resolution when converting the bitmap image from the above-mentioned symbol instruction to the original 1 / n, and this can be easily performed by key input on a panel or a computer. It will be easily understood that the same can be done even when the vertical and horizontal scales are different.

[0024]

According to the present invention, in addition to the advantage that the output paper and the developer of the image output device can be saved, the arrangement of the reduced image can be freely set. This is convenient because it is possible to set a layout that is easy to read in correspondence with documents written vertically or horizontally.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the main configuration of a page printer.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a process of saving output according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an exemplary diagram of a symbolic instruction.

FIG. 4 is an exemplary diagram of bitmap data.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a reduced image output state.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a dot configuration of a reduced image.

[Explanation of symbols]

 100 computer 200 controller 300 engine section 210 panel interface 220 host interface 230 selective real cartridge 240 ROM 250 engine interface 260 RAM

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A method of saving output of an image output apparatus for reducing a received image of a large number of pages onto one sheet of paper and outputting the sheet, wherein a step of setting a scale factor of the image and receiving data according to the scale factor. The process of applying reduction on a page-by-page basis, the process of converting the reduced page-unit data into bitmap data, determining the bitmap position for each, and generating bitmap data for one sheet of paper, and the one sheet of that paper. And a step of outputting minute bit map data on a sheet, and a saving output method. 2. A method for saving output of an image output apparatus for reducing a received image of a large number of pages and outputting the reduced image on one sheet of paper, in the process of setting a scale factor of the image and receiving data by bit for each page. A step of converting to map data, and a step of reducing the respective bitmap data according to the scale ratio,
Performing a step of determining a bitmap position for each of the reduced bitmap data to generate bitmap data for one sheet of paper and a step of outputting the bitmap data of one sheet of paper to the sheet. Saving output method characterized by. 3. The saving output method according to claim 2, wherein the step of reducing the bit map data for each page is a step of performing a logical sum of the number of bits based on the set scale ratio to form one bit. 4. An image output device for converting received data into a bit map and outputting it on paper in page units, having means for storing information regarding saving output and means for setting a scale ratio of an image. A saving output system for reducing the received data in page units according to the set image reduction scale and determining the bitmap position for each of the reduced data to generate the bitmap data for one sheet of paper. An image output device characterized by the above. 5. The image output device according to claim 4, wherein the means for setting the scale of the image is a key input from the operation panel. 6. The image output device according to claim 4, wherein the means for setting the scale of the image is an input signal from a computer.