JPH08265528A - Print controller - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To obtain a print controller which can effectively control the reception/print processing of the FAX data and also the print processing of other functions. CONSTITUTION: This print controller is provided with a FAX interface 102 which secures the connection for a facsimile equipment, an interface 103 which is different from the interface 102, an external storage 104 which stores the FAX data, and a transfer circuit 105 which transfers the data received by the interface 102 to the storage 104. Based on the FAX data speed and the print speed, it is judged whether time FAX data are spooled at the storage 104 to control the FAX data.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a print controller having at least a FAX interface and other different interfaces.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a printer having a fax interface performs print processing on a first-come-first-served basis at the time of receiving input data, and only performs that operation during fax data reception. It was

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional example, while the FAX data is being received, the printer device is monopolized by its operation, and when the FAX data amount is large, the printing process of other important documents is not possible. It has the drawback of being blocked for a long time.

Further, there is a drawback that FAX cannot be received while other functions are operating.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a print control device capable of effectively controlling both reception of FAX data, print processing and print processing of other functions.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a FAX interface for connecting a facsimile machine and the FAX interface.
Other interface different from AX interface, F
An external storage device for storing the FAX data and a transfer circuit for transferring the data received by the FAX interface to the external storage device are provided, and the FAX data is stored in the external storage device based on the FAX data speed and the printing speed. It is characterized by determining whether to spool and controlling.

[0007]

1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a first embodiment of the present invention.

The printer device of this embodiment has a print control unit 101 for creating image data from input data and a FAX interface unit 1 for inputting facsimile data.
02, a host interface unit 103 serving as a data input unit of a personal computer, an external storage device 104 for spooling input data, and an external storage device 104 for storing data received by the FAX interface unit 102.
And a print control unit 1 for performing DMA transfer to the
01 a CPU 106 for controlling the whole, a program ROM and a font ROM 107 of the CPU 106, and a CPU
A work memory 108 of 106, a frame memory 109 for storing data expanded in an image to be printed, a printer interface unit 110 for outputting the data of the frame memory 109 to a recording unit 111, and a recording unit for printing an image image on paper. And 111.

2 and 3 show the C in the first embodiment.
6 is a flowchart showing an operation of PU 106.

When data is input to the FAX interface unit 102, the CPU 106 checks the data speed (S
1). When the data speed is slow, the DMA controller 1 sets the settings for spooling the FAX data to the external storage device 104.
After 05 (S2), the DMA is activated (S2).
3).

Then, all the received data are stored in the external storage device 10.
At the time when the transfer is completed to step 4 (S10), the CPU 106 is interrupted. The CPU 106 starts the operation of outputting the FAX data to the recording unit 111 after the interruption informing the end of the FAX data transfer is generated.

First, it is checked whether or not the printing operation from the host interface unit 103 is being performed (S11). If the printing operation is being performed, the operation waits until the operation is finished (S17, S1).
8).

If not in operation, the IO port 11
The FAX data spooled from the external storage device 104 is read through S3 (S12), and the work memory 10
8 is converted into image data and expanded in the frame memory 109 (S13). When one page of image data has been created (S14), the printer interface unit 110 is activated and the image data is transferred to the recording unit 111 (S15). This operation is repeated until the output of all the received data is completed (S1
6).

In S1, if the data speed is sufficiently higher than the speed of the recording unit 111, the external storage device 1
04, the FAX interface unit 102 is read through the IO port 112 without being transferred (S5), converted into image data on the work memory 108, and stored in the frame memory 109.
(S6). When the one-page expansion is completed (S7), the printer interface unit 110 is activated and the image data is transferred to the recording unit 111 (S8). This operation is repeated until the output of all the received data is completed (S9).

As described above, the FAX data reception time is determined by determining whether to spool data to the external storage device 104 from the data speed of data input to the FAX interface unit 102 and the print speed of the recording unit 111. The time for monopolizing the device inside is shortened and the efficiency of using the device is improved.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

The print controller 201 of this embodiment is a sub-CP.
U202 and selectors 203 and 2 that change the flow of data
04, and a shared memory 205 for exchanging information between the CPU 106 and the CPU 202. In addition, FAX
Interface unit 102, host interface unit 10
3, external storage device 104, CPU 106, ROM 10
7, the RAM 108, the frame memory 109, the printer interface unit 110, and the recording unit 111 are the same as those described in the first embodiment.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show C in the second embodiment.
7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the PU 106, and FIG.
6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the CPU 202 in this second embodiment.

When data is input to the FAX interface section 102, the CPU 106 checks the data rate through the selector 203 (S21). When the data speed is slow, the CPU 106 switches the selector 203 and the selector 204 to the CPU 202 side (S22),
An instruction to the CPU 202 is written on the shared memory 205 (S23).

The CPU 202 constantly polls the shared memory 205, and when it finds a data transfer start command in the memory (S41, S42), it reads the received data from the reception buffer of the FAX interface section 102 through the selector 203 ( S43), writing to the external storage device 104 through the selector 204 (S44). This is repeated until the reception data ends, and at the time of the end (S45), the status notifying to the shared memory 205 is written (S46).

After giving a data transfer command to the CPU 202, the CPU 106 periodically reads the shared memory 205 (S31 to S33) when data processing from the host interface unit 103 is not being performed, and transfers data. Wait for the processing completion status.

When the CPU 106 is processing the data from the host interface unit 103 (S
39), after the processing is completed (S40), the shared memory 2
05 is read (S32).

When the data transfer end status is found in the shared memory 205 (S33), first, the selector 204 is switched to the CPU 106 side, and CP is set.
U 106 passes through the selector 204 to the external storage device 104
Read the FAX data received from (S34), RA
Converted to image data on M108, frame memory 109
(S35).

When the image data for one page is created (S36), the printer interface unit 1
10 is activated, and the image data is transferred to the recording unit 111 (S37). The process is repeated until the output of all the received data is completed (S38).

If data is input to the FAX interface unit 102 while the CPU 106 is processing the received data from the host interface unit 103, the FAX interface unit 102 interrupts the CPU 106. The CPU 106 uses the selector 2 as described above.
03 and selector 204 to switch the shared memory 20.
The data transfer start instruction is written in 5.

If the data speed is high in S21, the same operations as S4 to S9 of the first embodiment are performed in S24 to S29.

[0027]

As described above, according to the present invention,
By switching whether to spool the received data to the external storage device based on the data speed of the data input to the FAX interface and the print speed of the recording unit, the exclusive time of the device is shortened and the usage efficiency is improved. The effect is that you can.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the second embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the second embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the second embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 101, 201 ... Print control unit, 102 ... FAX interface unit, 103 ... Host interface unit, 104 ... External storage device, 105 ... DMA control unit, 106, 202 ... CPU, 107 ... ROM, 108 ... Work memory, 109 ... Frame Memory, 110 ... Printer interface section, 111 ... Recording section, 203, 204 ... Selector, 205 ... Shared memory.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An FA for connecting a facsimile device.
An X interface, another interface different from the FAX interface, an external storage device for storing FAX data, and a transfer circuit for transferring the data received by the FAX interface to the external storage device. A print control device for determining whether to spool FAX data to an external storage device based on the print speed and controlling the print data.