JPH08272552A - Printer controller device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To sharply reduce a price, and in addition, to drastically simplify an internal mechanism by dealing with software capable of being used in a computer device by limiting it to basis software to be outputted as bit image data. CONSTITUTION: An intermittent and compressed bit image data signal from a host computer device 1 is inputted from an input terminal 3 to a printer device 13, and is inputted to a parallel interface 14. After a print signal inputted in parallel is converted into a time base signal by this interface circuit, it is inputted to a next FIFO memory 15, and an intermittent signal is corrected into a non-intermittent signal. Further, since the print data signal is sent as a compressed signal, after it is corrected into a usual signal by expanding it into the compressed time base signal by a data expanding unit 17, it is sent to a video DMA element 18, and the printing signal is added with a vertical and a horizontal period signals, and it is printed on paper successively from a printer head device in a printer engine 11.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

[Industrial application] The recent development of personal computer devices is remarkable, and the price / performance ratio is rapidly decreasing. Along with the decrease in the price / performance ratio of computer devices, personal computer devices have come to be used in general households as well, and therefore the printer device, which is one of the peripheral devices of personal computer devices, has high performance / low price. It has become to. An object of the present invention is to provide a low-priced, high-quality printer device for a computer device that meets the above needs.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventional computer devices have been mainly used for office work in companies, etc., but as the price / performance ratio is lowered as described above, personal computer devices are also used in general households. Is becoming
Along with this, printers, which are one of the peripheral devices, are also required to be low in price. However, in the conventional printer device, it is unclear what kind of computer device is connected, so the printer device side is equipped with connection terminals for various devices so that the user can connect to various devices. It is designed so that it can be used with other devices.

[0003]

As described above, in the conventional printer device, the printer device is equipped with various connection terminals and functions so that it can be connected to various computer devices. It is designed to fit and used. Therefore, it is a difficult point that the price becomes high because it is equipped with useless functions. In the present invention, in order to solve this problem, basic software (OS) for outputting print data as bit image data is rapidly spreading in recent personal computer devices, and it is necessary to equip a plurality of input / output terminals. Focusing on the disappearance, it is to solve the above problem as a basic software (OS) dedicated machine that outputs bit image data.

[0004]

In order to solve such a problem, according to the present invention, the software usable in the computer device is limited to the basic software (OS) which outputs as bit image data. It aims to significantly reduce the price. That is, in the present invention, the software that can be used is limited to only the basic software (OS) that outputs bit image data, which is considered to be widely used in the future and occupy more than half of the market. It is intended to greatly simplify the mechanism.

[0005]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a printer device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a printer device showing a conventional embodiment.

As shown in the block diagram of FIG. 2, conventionally, in order to correspond to several kinds of computer devices as described above, a central processing control unit (hereinafter referred to as "CPU") 5 is held and its conversion program is stored in a ROM. The data is stored in the memory element 4 and converted into a signal provided in the printer device according to an input signal to create print data. That is, the “parallel data print signal” from the host computer device 1 is input to the printer device from the input terminal 3 and once sent to the DMA (Direct Memory Acc).
ess: direct recording memory element) Stored in the memory element 7. The stored input signal is converted by the CPU 5 into a signal (for example, Postscript or the like) installed in the printer device, and a RAM (Random Access Memor)
y: Writable memory element at any time) Input is held in the memory element 8. The RAM memory element 8 has a certain width (one page, or 1 / 2-1) of the print head signal of the printer device.
/ 6 pages) and sent to the video DMA memory device 9 to which vertical and horizontal synchronizing signals are added to the print signal, and the print head device in the printer engine 11 sequentially prints on paper. The print data signal input as described above is once converted into a signal which can be printed by the device by the CPU and printed.

However, it is an object of the present invention to provide an inexpensive printer device in which the signal conversion process by the CPU is omitted and the internal circuit configuration is simplified accordingly. That is, in a basic software (OS) program that outputs bit image data used in recent personal computer devices, software (imaging driver) for converting into a signal conforming to the printer device standard such as the resolution of the printer device. Since a built-in printer is used, if printing is instructed by the software of the computer device, and if each standard of the printer device is input in advance, the imaging process will be processed on the host computer device side. The imaging conversion operation in the CPU is unnecessary. Therefore, it is not necessary to convert the signal into a signal suitable for the printer device again. Therefore, the present invention focuses on the fact that the internal circuit can be simplified because duplicate operations are not performed. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the intermittent and compressed "bit image print data signal" from the host computer device 1 is input to the printer device from the input terminal 3 and the "parallel interface (parallel data input)" which is different from the conventional example. Element) 14. The print signals input in parallel are converted into time axis signals by this interface circuit, and then input to the next FIFO (input-order output memory element) 15 for non-intermittent intermittent signals. Further, since the print data signal is sent as a compressed signal, it is expanded by the data expansion unit 17 into a compressed time axis signal and corrected to a normal signal,
After being sent to the video DMA element 18, vertical and horizontal synchronizing signals are added to the print signal and the print is sequentially performed on the paper from the printer head device in the printer engine 11. RAM
The memory 16 is a buffer memory element of a FIFO memory element.

[0008]

As described above, since data adapted to various printers has been conventionally handled, the CPU performs the image data conversion operation using the CPU, but in the present invention, the signal conversion is performed. Is a parallel signal, but since the printer signal output from the host computer device side is already transmitted after performing the required imaging operation for the printer device, the printer device side does not perform any processing. Therefore, it becomes a printer device dedicated to basic software (OS) that outputs bit image data, which is expected to be widely used in the future, but it is inexpensive because various functions can be omitted, and processing speed due to no conversion operation. It is possible to provide a fast printer device.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Host Computer Device 3 Print Signal Input Terminal of Printer Device 4 ROM Memory Element 5 Central Processing Control Unit (CPU) 6 Bus Line Connected to CPU 7 DMA Memory Element 8, RAM Memory Elements 9, 18, Video DMA Memory Element 10 , 19, printer controller output signal 11, printer engine 12, printer controller 13, printer device 14, parallel interface 15, FIFO memory device 16, RAM memory device 17, data expansion unit

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Compressed from a host computer device,
In a printer controller device of a printer device which receives a signal sent by intermittent bit image data and prints, a parallel interface circuit, an input sequence output memory device, a data decompression unit, and a video DMA device are provided. Of the compressed and intermittently transmitted print data signal, the input sequence output memory element corrects the intermittent time difference, the data expansion unit expands the compressed data, and the video DMA A printer controller device of a printer device, characterized in that an element edits print data and sends a print signal to a printer head of an engine unit of the printer device.