JPH08282022A - Dot matrix type printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To shorten a transferring time of a data and restrain consumption of a memory of a printer. CONSTITUTION: In a dot matrix type printer, an image data is registered together with a code number for discriminating the image data. The printer comprises a data receive means for receiving the number of data of the image data, a compressed image data, and a code number corresponding to the compressed image data, a registration means for registering the compressed image data and the code number, a data expansion means for expanding the compressed image data in parallel with the registration of the compressed image data by the registration means, a quantity measure means for measuring the number of data of the expanded image data, and a reception completion determining means for determining a completion of receiving of the compressed image data when the number of the measured data reaches the number of data of the received image data.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a dot matrix type printer capable of registering a character pattern or a graphic pattern arbitrarily created by a user.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When printing a pattern other than a graphic or a character stored in advance as a character set, an individual user creates a required pattern as image data (bitmap data) and stores it in a printer memory. Is required to be registered (hereinafter, the image data to be registered and used is called logo data).

A memory and a data compression function are provided, and in order to suppress the memory consumption, the character / graphic pattern data obtained from the logo data is received from the host computer and converted from the received character / graphic pattern data. The compressed logo data is compressed into compressed data, and this compressed data and the corresponding code number are registered in the memory,
Printers that print logo data based on a code number after registration are Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 5-155072 and 6-1.
It is disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 15181.

[0004]

However, when a host computer having high processing capability is used, if the logo data converted from the character / graphic pattern data received by the printer is compressed and sequentially registered, the printer processes the data. As a result, the opening time of the host computer becomes longer.

Further, when the host computer is made to perform all of this work, it is difficult to recognize the end of the data to be registered unless the total number of data after compression is known on the printer side.

To realize this, there is a method in which all the data is compressed in the memory on the host computer side, the total number of data after compression is obtained, and then the compressed data is sent to the printer together with the total data number information. It is conceivable, but in this case, the memory on the host computer side is considerably consumed.

The present invention has been made in view of the above facts, and an object of the present invention is to provide a printer in which the consumption of memory is suppressed and the data transfer time is shortened.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a dot matrix type printer for registering image data together with a code number for identifying the image data,
Data receiving means for receiving the data number of the image data, compressed image data obtained by compressing the image data, and a code number corresponding to the compressed image data; registration means for registering the compressed image data and the code number; In parallel with the registration of the compressed image data by the registration means, a data decompression means for decompressing the compressed image data, a quantity measuring means for measuring the number of decompressed image data, and the measured data number are received. Reception completion determination means for determining completion of reception of the compressed image data when the number of the processed image data is reached.

[0009]

According to the present invention, the data receiving means receives the number of image data, the compressed image data in which the image data is compressed, and the code number corresponding to the compressed image data. Then, the registration means registers the received compressed image data and code number.

On the other hand, the data expansion means expands the compressed image data in parallel with the registration of the compressed image data by the registration means, and the quantity measuring means counts the number of the expanded image data. When the number of measured image data items reaches the number of received image data items, the reception completion determination means determines the reception completion of the compressed image data.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a host computer 10 to which a laser printer 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention is connected. The host computer 10 includes a CPU 11 that controls the entire host computer 10,
A ROM 12 storing a program for controlling the entire host computer 10, a keyboard 13 for input operation to the host computer 10, and logo data represented by a predetermined vertical and horizontal dot matrix that is arbitrarily created and input by the user. RAM including a code number memory for storing a code number for identifying a control code and a work memory as a work area used when executing a control program
14, a display 15 for displaying input data and the like, and a printer interface circuit 16 for connecting the laser printer 20 to the host computer 10, which are interconnected by a bus 17. There is.

FIG. 2 shows an outline of a laser printer 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention. This laser printer 2
Reference numeral 0 denotes a recording unit 21 for printing image data such as logo data, a host interface terminal 22 connected to the host computer 10, and an image supply unit 24 for supplying image data to the recording unit 21, and if necessary. Connected to an unillustrated commercial power supply (AC) and an operation panel 25 having a display configured by a keyboard and a liquid crystal display panel for inputting output conditions such as paper size and character size. The recording unit 21, the image supply unit 24, and the power supply unit 26 for supplying a predetermined power to the operation panel 25 are connected to each other.

The image supply unit 24 may have a plurality of host interface terminals as necessary, and may have an input terminal connected to a network (not shown).

Further, when the output condition from the operation panel 25 and the output condition from the host computer 10 are input, the input from either one may always be prioritized, or the newly input output condition may be given. You may give priority.

FIG. 3 shows the configuration of the image supply unit 24. The image supply unit 24 has a CPU 30 for controlling the entire laser printer 20 and a program memory storing a program for controlling the entire laser printer 20. 31 and
A character pattern memory 32 storing a character pattern for printing and a character code corresponding to the character pattern
And a NVM (nonvolatile memory) 33 that holds necessary data even when the laser printer 20 itself is powered off, backed up by a battery (not shown), registration of form data, logo data and code number, and host computer A hard disk 34 used for holding input data from the host computer 10 and the host computer 1
A host interface circuit 35 such as a Centronics interface or Ethernet for transmitting and receiving signals to and from 0, and a panel interface circuit 36 for transmitting and receiving signals to and from the operation panel 25, and received from the host computer 10. A buffer for automatically and temporarily holding the stored data, a page memory 37 for expanding a character pattern, an image, etc. generated based on the print data in correspondence with one page of the recording paper to perform electronic editing. RA including work memory as work area
A recording unit interface circuit 39 for transmitting and receiving a signal between the M38 and the recording unit 21, and a bitmap controller 40 for controlling transfer of image data between the recording unit interface circuit 39 and the page memory 37. And these are interconnected by a bus 41.
The bitmap controller 40 is directly connected to the page memory 37 and the recording interface circuit 39. The laser printer 20 may have additional host interface circuits 42 according to the number of host interface terminals and input terminals, and a program corresponding to print data and control data transferred from a connected host computer. If you need a text or character pattern, you can attach and detach the RO in IC card or SIMM format.
The program memory 43 and the character pattern memory 44 configured by M may be selectively connected.

Next, the operation of the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
It will be described based on. In FIG. 4, the host computer 1
A control routine for transmitting the logo data in which 0 is input to the laser printer 20 is shown. Step 10
At 0, it is determined whether or not a logo registration request signal requesting registration of logo data is input from the keyboard 13,
If the determination is negative, the process waits. If the determination is positive, logo vertical / horizontal configuration information representing the number of vertical / horizontal dots in the area for displaying the logo data to be created is input from the keyboard 13 in step 102. Determine whether or not. If the determination in step 102 is negative, the process waits, and if the determination in step 102 is positive, the logo vertical / horizontal configuration information input in step 104 is stored in the working memory. In the next step 106, it is determined whether or not the logo data is input. If the determination is negative, the process waits. If the determination is positive, the logo data input in step 108 is stored in the working memory. Remember.

In the next step 110, a code number for identifying the inputted logo data is given, this code number is registered in the code number memory, and in step 112, logo registration for instructing registration of the logo data to be transmitted from now on. The command is transmitted to the laser printer 20 via the printer interface circuit 16.

In the next step 114, it is judged whether or not the compressed signal indicating that the logo data is compressed or the non-compressed signal indicating that the logo data is not compressed is inputted from the keyboard 13, and the judgment is negative. If the determination is affirmative, the compressed or non-compressed signal input in step 116 is stored in the working memory.

In the next step 118, it is judged whether or not the logo data is compressed from the compressed or non-compressed signal. If it is judged that the logo data is compressed, the compression type is determined in step 120 and this is used for working. Store in memory. A known method can be used for the type of compression, that is, the compression method.

In the next step 122, the logo vertical / horizontal configuration information, the compressed signal and the compression type are read from the working memory, and the corresponding code number is read from the code number memory.
These are transmitted to the laser printer 20 via the printer interface circuit 16.

In the next step 124, the logo data stored in the working memory is compressed by several bytes based on the determined compression type and converted into the compressed logo data. In step 126, the compressed logo data is converted into the printer interface circuit. The data is sequentially transmitted to the laser printer 20 via 16.

In the next step 128, it is judged whether or not the conversion of the logo data into the compressed logo data is completed. If the judgment is negative, the process returns to step 124, and if the judgment is affirmative, The code number corresponding to this logo data is read from the code number memory, this is displayed on the display 15, and the routine ends.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step 118 that the logo data is not compressed, the logo vertical / horizontal configuration information and the compressed signal are read from the working memory and the code number is read from the code number memory in step 132, and these are printed. It is transmitted to the laser printer 20 via the interface circuit 16.

In the next step 134, the uncompressed logo data stored in the working memory (hereinafter referred to as uncompressed logo data) is sequentially transmitted to the laser printer 20 through the printer interface circuit 16 by several bytes. To do.

In the next step 136, it is determined whether or not the transmission of all the logo data is completed. If the determination is negative, the process returns to step 134, and if the determination is affirmative, the process proceeds to step 130. .

On the other hand, FIG. 5 shows the host computer 10.
A control routine for registering the compressed or uncompressed logo data and the code number received from the hard disk 34 in the laser printer 20 is shown.

In step 150, it is judged whether or not the data from the host computer 10 is received in the reception buffer. If the judgment is negative, the process waits. If the judgment is affirmative, step 152 is executed. This data is transferred to the working memory and the command analysis processing is performed. In the next step 154, it is determined whether or not this command is a logo registration command, and if the determination is negative, step 1
Another command is executed at 56 and the routine ends. On the other hand, if the determination in step 154 is affirmative, it is determined in step 158 whether the logo vertical / horizontal configuration information, the compressed signal and the compression type or non-compressed signal, and the code number are received, and the determination is negative. If the determination is affirmative, the logo vertical / horizontal configuration information, the compressed signal and the compressed type or the uncompressed signal are received from the reception buffer in step 160.
In addition, the code numbers are read out and registered in the hard disk 34.

In the next step 162, it is judged whether or not the reception of the logo vertical / horizontal composition information, the compressed signal and the compression type or the non-compressed signal, and the code number is completed. If the judgment is negative, step 160 If the determination is affirmative, the count value n is set from the logo vertical / horizontal configuration information in step 164. For example, in the case of the logo shown in FIG. 6, the count value is 15000 bits from the product of 100, which is the number of vertical dots, and 150, which is the number of horizontal dots, that is,
It is 1875 bytes.

In the next step 166, it is judged whether or not compressed or uncompressed logo data is received in the reception buffer. If the judgment is negative, the process waits. If the judgment is affirmative, the step is judged. At 168, compressed or uncompressed logo data is read from the reception buffer in units of several bytes, and this is registered in the hard disk 34 in association with the logo vertical / horizontal configuration information, compressed signal and compression type or uncompressed signal, and code number. In the next step 170, it is judged from the compressed or uncompressed signal whether or not this logo data is compressed. If it is compressed, the compression type is read in step 172 and registered in the hard disk 34 in step 174. The compressed logo data is copied, the copied compressed logo data is stored in the working memory, and the compressed logo data is expanded based on the compression type.

At the next step 176, the number m of the expanded logo data is read, and at step 178 the count value n is subtracted from the count value n to obtain the count value n. At step 180, the count value n is 0. If the determination is negative, step 16
Return to 8. The series of processing from step 168 to step 178 is repeated until the determination at step 180 becomes affirmative.

On the other hand, if the determination in step 180 is affirmative, it is determined that the necessary compressed logo data has been received, and the routine ends.

When the determination in step 170 is negative, the number m of uncompressed logo data registered in the hard disk 34 is read in step 182, and the process proceeds to step 178.

After the logo data and the code number are registered by the above procedure, the laser printer 20 receives the code number from the host computer 10, and the compressed or uncompressed logo data corresponding to the received code number is sent from the hard disk 34. In the case of read and compressed logo data, this is expanded and printed.

As described above, in the embodiment of the present invention, when the logo data is compressed, the logo data is compressed not by the laser printer 20 but by the host computer 10 having a higher processing capability. The time required for compression can be shortened. Further, in that case, the compressed logo data is transmitted from the host computer 10 to the laser printer 20, and the compressed logo data is registered as it is in the hard disk 34 in the laser printer 20, so that the data transfer time can be shortened.

Further, since the compressed logo data is binary data, it is difficult to judge the reception completion of the compressed logo data even if the end mark (data) is added to the end of the compressed logo data. In the example, when the compressed logo data is transmitted, the host computer 10 transmits the logo vertical / horizontal information, which is the number of uncompressed logo data, to the laser printer 20, and the laser printer 20 transmits the received compressed logo data to the hard disk. It is expanded in parallel with the process of registering in 34, the number of expanded logo data is measured, and compressed logo data is received when the measured number of data reaches the count value set by the logo length and width information. Since the completion is detected, the reception completion of the compressed logo data can be easily detected. Also, hard disk 3
Since the compressed logo data is registered in 4, the capacity of the hard disk 34 required for logo data registration can be reduced.

Further, when the compressed logo data is transmitted, the host computer 10 may transmit the logo vertical / horizontal information, which is the data number of the uncompressed logo data, instead of the data number of the compressed logo data. You don't have to wait for all the logo data to be compressed before you can send it,
In other words, since the compression of the logo data and the transmission of the compressed logo data are performed in parallel, the total processing time required for data compression and transfer can be shortened, which in turn releases the host computer 10 and the laser printer 2.
The waiting time of 0 can be shortened. Further, since the compressed logo data can be sequentially transmitted, the processing can be performed even when the working memory of the host computer 10 does not have the capacity required to store all the compressed logo data.

After the logo data and the code number are registered, the host computer 10 needs only to send the corresponding registered code number in order to print the logo data on the laser printer 20.
Further, it is possible to shorten the time required to send and receive signals between the laser printers 20.

Although the logo data is input from the keyboard 13 in the above embodiment, the logo data stored in advance on the floppy disk may be input via the disk drive.

In the above embodiment, the case where non-compressed logo data is transmitted is considered, but all the inputted logo data may be converted into compressed logo data.

In the present invention, a dot matrix type printer can be widely used and is not limited to a laser printer.

[0042]

According to the present invention, since compressed image data can be registered as it is, the time required for data transmission can be shortened and the capacity of the registration means required for image data registration can be reduced. It has an excellent effect.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a host computer to which a laser printer according to an embodiment of the present invention is connected.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a laser printer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an image supply unit in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a control routine of a CPU of a host computer for transmitting print data to a laser printer.

FIG. 5 is a control routine of a CPU of a laser printer for registering received print data and a code number in a hard disk in the laser printer.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of logo data.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Host Computer 11 CPU 14 RAM 16 Printer Interface Circuit 20 Laser Printer 30 CPU 34 Hard Disk 35 Host Interface Circuit 38 RAM

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A dot matrix printer for registering image data together with a code number for identifying the image data, wherein the number of the image data, the compressed image data in which the image data is compressed, and the compressed image data Data receiving means for receiving a corresponding code number, registration means for registering the compressed image data and code number, and data expansion for expanding the compressed image data in parallel with the registration of the compressed image data by the registration means. Means, a quantity measuring means for measuring the number of decompressed image data, and a completion of receiving the compressed image data when the measured number of data reaches the number of received image data A reception completion determining means for Type printer.