JPH09106330A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a printer which is capable of notifying a state only when a user requires. SOLUTION: A host device 112 transmits a printer state request command to a controller 100 before the transmission of printing data when a printing request exists. When the state of the printer is changed, the controller 100 stores the state after the change in a RAM 106 and only when a printer state request command is received from the host device 112, the controller transmits the present state to the host device 112 via a host I/F 111. When the host device 112 receives the state of the printer, the device performs a display processing as necessary and subsequently transmits printed data to the controller 100. The host device 112 periodically performs the state monitoring of the printer until an output is terminated after the printing request is once generated.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printer, and more particularly, to a printer capable of bidirectional communication, such as a printer, a facsimile machine, a copying machine, and a composite copying machine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Personal computers and word processors have come into widespread use, and printing devices that output documents and various data created accordingly have also come into widespread use. In a conventional printing device, the host device periodically sends a printer status request command, constantly monitors the printer status, and displays a screen when a change occurs, and the printer controller controls the printer status. A method of unilaterally informing the host of the occurrence of the change at the time of detection and inquiring the host device for details and displaying the screen is adopted.

[0003]

In the conventional printing apparatus,
As the status is notified to the host at the same time as the status change occurs,
For example, communication with the host is performed each time an error occurs or is canceled, and the communication load increases. In addition, even when the user does not print, the state of the printing apparatus is informed and unnecessary information is displayed on the screen, which is troublesome.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and it is a first object of the present invention to provide a printing apparatus capable of notifying the state only when the user needs it. To aim. Further, the present invention provides a printing apparatus capable of selecting a mode in which the status is informed each time the status of the printer changes and a mode in which the status is informed only when needed by the user. The purpose is 2.

[0005]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printer capable of bidirectional communication with a host device, the state change detecting means detecting a state change, and the state change detecting means. The storage means for storing the changed state detected in step 1, the receiving means for receiving the state request signal from the host device, and the state stored in the storage means when the state request signal is received by the receiving means. The first means is achieved by providing the printing device with a transmission means for transmitting to the host device. According to the second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect,
In the invention described in above, when the signal requesting the transmission for each state change is received from the host device, the transmitting means transmits the changed state to the host device every time the state is changed by the state change detecting means. Thus, the second object is achieved.

[0006]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Preferred embodiments of the printing apparatus of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the printer. As shown in FIG. 1, the printer includes a controller 100.
An engine 108, a panel device 110, a host device 112, and a disk 114 are connected to 0.

The controller 100 includes a CPU 101 that controls the entire controller by various programs, mode instructions from the panel device 110, and commands from the host device 112. This CPU 101
The IC card 10 can be connected by a bus line such as a data bus.
2, NVRAM 103, program ROM 104, font ROM 105, RAM 106, engine I / F (interface) 107, panel I / F 109, host I / F 111, and disk I / F 113 are connected.

The IC card 102 stores font data,
A storage device that supplies a program from the outside. NVR
The AM 103 is a non-volatile storage device that stores the content of the mode instruction supplied from the panel device 110.
The program ROM 104 is a read-only memory that stores a control program for the controller 100. The CPU 101 is controlled according to various programs stored in the program ROM 104. The font ROM 105 is a memory that stores font pattern data and the like.

The RAM 106 is a random access memory used as a work memory of the CPU 101, an input buffer for input data, a page buffer for print data, a memory for download fonts, and the like.
This RAM 106 has a frame buffer,
Bitmap image data is expanded in this frame buffer. The RAM 106 is
It has a font cache area and can store multiple bitmap images expanded in the frame buffer.

The engine I / F 107 is an engine 108.
Is an interface for communicating commands and status, and print data. The panel I / F 109 is an interface for communicating commands and statuses with the panel device 110. The host I / F 111 is an interface for communicating with the host device 112, and a Centronics I / F or RS232C is normally used. The disk I / F 113 is a disk device 114.
It is an interface to communicate with.

The engine 108 is an engine that actually prints, and the engine I / F 107 of the controller 100.
Is connected to The panel device 110 is a device that informs the user of the current printer status and gives a mode instruction, and is a panel I / F 10 of the controller 100.
9 is connected. The host device 112 is a host device of the printer, and is a host I / F 111 of the controller 100.
Is connected to The disk 114 is a disk device that stores various data such as font data, programs, and print data, and is a floppy disk device or a hard disk device. The disk 114 is connected to the disk I / F of the controller 100.

The printer controller 100 receives a font selection command and a character code from the host device 112, extracts character data stored in the font ROM 105, the IC card 102, the disk 114, and the RAM 106, and is provided on the RAM 106. Expand the bitmap image data in the frame buffer,
It is transferred to the engine 108 to obtain a hard copy.

Next, the operation of the embodiment thus constructed will be described. Outline of Operation When there is a print request, the host device 112 sends a printer status request command to the controller 100 before sending print data. On the other hand, the controller 100
If there is a change in the printer status, change the status to R.
It is stored in the AM 106. Then, the host device 112
Only when the printer status request command is received from the host device 11 via the host I / F 111.
Send to 2. When the host device 12 receives the printer status, it performs display processing if necessary, and then transmits print data to the controller 100. The host device 112 is
After a print request is issued once, the printer status is regularly monitored until the output is completed.

Details of Operation FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the print control process on the host device side. First, the host device 112 judges whether or not there is a print request (step 11), and if there is a print request (step 11; Y), it sends a printer status request command and sends a controller before sending print data. A response (notification of printer status) from 100 is received (step 12). Then, the host device 12
It is determined whether display processing for the received printer status is necessary (step 13). For example, when display processing is necessary (step 13; Y), such as when temporary standby is necessary, after performing predetermined display processing (step 14), on the other hand, when printing is possible immediately If no display processing is required as in (Step 1
The print data is transmitted to the controller 100 without being displayed at 3; N) (step 15).

The host device 112 judges whether or not the print output is completed (step 16), and if not completed, the process returns to step 12. As a result, after the print request is generated once, the printer status is regularly monitored as in the conventional case until the output is completed. On the other hand, when the print output is completed, the process returns to step 11 to monitor again whether or not there is a print request.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the controller 100. The controller 100 monitors whether the status of the printer has changed (step 21). If the printer status has changed (step 21; Y), the changed status is stored in the status storage area of the RAM 106 (step 22). Then, it is judged whether or not the printer status request command from the host device 121 is received via the host I / F 111 (step 23), and if not received (step 23;
N) Then, the process returns to step 21 and continues to monitor the change in the printer status. On the other hand, when the printer status request command is received (step 23; Y), the current printer status is read from the status storage area of the RAM 106, and the host I
It is transmitted to the host device 112 via / F111 (step 24), and the process returns to step 21.

According to the embodiment described above, communication is not performed at the same time as the printer state changes, and communication is performed only when printing is performed, so the communication load is reduced. Further, the user can know the necessary information only when the printing is performed without the work being disturbed by unnecessary screen display when the printing is not performed.
In particular, when the printer is connected to a network and used by a plurality of host devices, it is extremely comfortable and effective because the printer information is notified only to the user (host device) who needs it.

Next, a modification of the embodiment will be described.
In the above-described embodiment, the case where the changed state is transmitted to the host device only when the printer state request command from the host device 112 is received has been described.
On the other hand, in the modified example, a state change transmission mode for transmitting each state change and a request transmission mode for transmitting only when the host device 112 makes a request are provided. In this case, the host device 112 is allowed to arbitrarily set any mode, and the set mode is set to the controller 10
Send to 0. The controller 100 transmits the printer status to the host device 112 via the host I / F 111 according to the set mode. That is, when the state change transmission mode is set, the state is transmitted every time the state of the printer changes, as in the conventional printing apparatus. Further, when the request transmission mode is set, as shown in FIG.
According to the operation of the embodiment described in FIG. 3, the printer status is transmitted to the host device only when the printer status request command is received.

[0019]

According to the printing device of the first aspect, the printing device is capable of bidirectional communication with the host device, and comprises a state change detecting means for detecting a state change and the state change detecting means. Storage means for storing the detected state after the change,
Receiving means for receiving a status request signal from the host device,
Since the receiving means includes a transmitting means for transmitting the state stored in the storage means to the host device when the state request signal is received, the state can be notified only when the user needs it. . According to the printing device of claim 2, when a signal requesting transmission for each state change is received from the host device, the transmitting means changes the state after each state change by the state change detecting means. Is transmitted to the host device, it is possible to select a mode in which the state is informed each time the state changes and a mode in which the state is informed only when the user needs it.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing an operation of print control processing on the host device side in the printing device.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the controller in the printing apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

 100 Controller 101 CPU 102 IC Card 103 NVRAM 104 Program ROM 105 Font ROM 106 RAM 107 Engine I / F 108 Engine 109 Panel I / F 110 Panel Device 111 Host I / F 112 Host Device 113 Disk I / F 114 Disk

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A printing device capable of bidirectional communication with a host device, comprising state change detection means for detecting a state change, and storage means for storing the changed state detected by the state change detection means. A reception means for receiving a status request signal from the host device; and a transmission means for transmitting the status stored in the storage means to the host device when the status request signal is received by the reception means. A printing device characterized by. 2. When a signal requesting transmission for each state change is received from the host device, the transmitting means transmits the changed state to the host device each time the state change is detected by the state change detecting means. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the printing apparatus is a printing apparatus.