JPH09240081A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To independently execute print modes having identical names by providing a print file forming means, a means for registering a managing number and an external character file to a memory file at the same time and a means for discriminating it from an external character of the other printer mode based on the managing number. SOLUTION: Data sent from a host 3 via a host I/F 5 is divided into print data, print control data by a CPU 9 and the other, and the print data and print control data are stored to a buffer in a RAM 10. When a print command is received or data received from a host 3 exceeds a range of one page, a controller 2 outputs a command for print starting to a printer engine 13 via I/F 12, then the print data from the host 3 is printed by the printer engine 13. Thereby, even when printers having identical names concurrently operate by a multi-emulation mode, they can independently operate.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

The present invention relates to a digital copying machine,
The present invention relates to a printing device suitable for various devices having a word processor and a printing function, and more particularly to a printing device capable of registering an external character.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Having a plurality of interfaces, a plurality of host devices can be connected, and when receiving data from each interface, a plurality of printer modes can operate at the same time. A printing device having a function of creating and erasing information in a storage medium is known. In such a multi-function printer (printing device), there is a possibility that external characters will be registered for the same font at the same time.

[0003]

However, in the conventional system, since the exclusive processing is not performed, there is a problem that the external character in another printer mode is overwritten. There is also a problem with deleting external characters when deleting external characters in other printer modes. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems and provide a printing apparatus capable of independently operating printer modes having the same name.

[0004]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printer having a plurality of interfaces, a plurality of host devices can be connected to the printer, and a plurality of printer modes when receiving data from the respective interfaces. In a printing device that can operate simultaneously, and has a function to create and delete character information in a storage medium in each printer mode, a creation means for creating a print file and a management number and an external character file are simultaneously registered in a memory file. Registration means for identifying the external character file of another printer mode based on the management number.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printer according to the first aspect, further comprising a deleting unit for deleting the external character file and a dividing unit for distinguishing the external character file to be deleted by the management number. To do.

[0006]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a laser printer showing an embodiment of the present invention. Printer 1
A controller 2 is provided inside and is connected to a host (host machine) 3, which is a higher-level device. The controller 2 is a general term for a control mechanism that converts print data from the host into video data and outputs the video data to the printer engine 13 according to the control mode set at that time and the control code from the host 3, and is a module such as the following. Composed of.

The operation panel 4 is a display section showing the status of the printer, and a switch section for switching the printer mode, font, and the like. The host I / F 5 is an interface for control signals and data from the host 3 to the printer 1 and status signals from the printer 1 to the host 3. The program ROM 6 stores programs for processing data in the controller 2 and controlling peripheral modules.

The font ROM 7 has various fonts used for printing. The panel I / F8 is the printer 1
Is an interface of signals for switching the state, mode, font, and the like. The CPU 9 processes the data (print data, control data) from the host 3 according to the program stored in the program ROM 6. RA
M10 is a work memory when the CPU 9 processes, a buffer that manages and temporarily stores data from the host 3 in page units, a bit that stores the video data by converting the data stored in the buffer into an actual print pattern. Used for map memory etc.

The NV-RAM 11 is a non-volatile RAM for storing data to be retained even when the power is turned off. The engine I / F 12 is an interface for control signals from the controller 2 to the printer engine 13 and status signals from the printer 1 to the controller 2.
The printer engine 13 forms an electrostatic latent image on the photoconductor according to a video signal and a control signal from the controller 2 to develop the electrostatic latent image, and also feeds a transfer sheet from a sheet feeding unit to transfer and fix the image to form an image.

In such a configuration, the host I / F 5
Data sent from the host 3 through the CPU 9
Print data and print control data (SP, CR, L
(F, HT, VT, ...) And others, and the print data and print control data are stored in a buffer in the RAM 10. When the print command from the host 3 or the data received from the host 3 exceeds one page, the controller 2 issues a print start command to the printer engine 13 through the engine I / F 12. The print data from the host 3 is printed via the printer engine 13 in the above-described series of flow.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart for analyzing an external character registration command for emulation. First, an external character registration command is transmitted from the host machine 3 in FIG. This transmission data is taken into the reception buffer allocated in the RAM 10 through the host I / F 5. Next, RO
It is checked whether the program in M10 has received the external character registration command (S1), and if it has been received, the command parser unit (interpretation unit) fetches the external character data from the sequential reception buffer according to the command system of the printer mode. Then, the external character data is adapted to the common font format in the controller 2 (S2, S3).

When registering this common format as a file on the system side, the header of the file is used to determine the name of the printer mode that is actually command-parsed and which host device side has started in the multi-emulation mode. A management number for registration is registered (S4 to S6). Then, the header and the external character font data are registered in the system (S7).

The system section manages the file as a file by the printer mode name and management number passed from the printer mode section when registering the external character file. Generally, it was used as a basis for deciding whether or not to overwrite with the emulation name. However, since multiple emulations with the same name may operate at the same time during multi-emulation operation, it is possible to add them by adding such a management number. It can be managed in. When the external character registration command is not received (N in S1), other commands are analyzed (S8).

FIG. 3 is a flowchart when registering an external character in the system. The system part that received the command to register the external character file uses the same emulation name (S
12 and Y in S13), and if the management numbers are the same (Y in S14 and S15), it means that the command for external character registration is sent on the premise of overwriting. The file will be overwritten with the same management number as the printer mode (S16).

When the management numbers are different, another file is created and managed even in the same printer mode. The search is repeated up to the maximum management number that can manage this. The new registration (S17) is performed when the maximum number of files is exceeded (Y in S11).

Next, the contents of deletion of the external character file will be described. First, the routine to check whether the external character deletion command is received is entered. If it is received, the command parser section (interpretation section) tells the system that the printer mode name is among the files currently registered as external character files. From the management number, it is determined whether there is a match or which host device was started in the multi-emulation mode in the currently operating printer mode, and that management number of the file selected first. It is determined whether or not it matches the management number information.

Only when the above two conditions are met, the external character font is deleted. If one of the two conditions does not match, the external character is not deleted. The search is repeated up to the maximum management number that can also be managed.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart for analyzing the external character deletion command described above, and FIG. 5 is a flowchart for deleting an external character in the system. In FIG. 4, when the delete command is received (Y in S21), the host I / P
An inquiry is made to the system as to what F becomes (S22, S23). Then, register your emulation name management number in the external character deletion header (S
24), using the header information as an argument, issue a system call for deleting external characters to the system (S25). When the delete command is not received (N in S21), other command analysis is performed (S26).

In FIG. 5, until the maximum number of files is exceeded (Y in S31), an external character file search is performed by the emulation name (S32), and when the search is successful (S32).
(Y in 33), the management number is searched (S34), and when the search is also successful (Y in S35), the external character is deleted (S36). If the two conditions do not match on the other hand, the external character is not deleted (S37).

[0020]

According to the first aspect of the invention, even when the printer modes having the same name are simultaneously operating in the multi-emulation mode, they can operate independently without overwriting each other's external characters. .

According to the second aspect of the present invention, even if the printer modes having the same name are simultaneously operating in the multi-emulation mode, they can operate independently without deleting each external character.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a laser printer showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart for analyzing an external character registration command for emulation.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart when registering an external character in the system.

FIG. 4 is an external character deletion command analysis flowchart.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of deleting an external character in the system.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Controller 9 CPU 10 RAM

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of interfaces, a plurality of host devices can be connected, and a plurality of printer modes can simultaneously operate when receiving data from each interface. In a printing device having a function of creating and erasing information in a storage medium, a creating means for creating a print file, a registering means for simultaneously registering a management number and an external character file in a memory file, and another printer mode of another printer mode by the management number. A printing apparatus comprising: an identification unit that distinguishes it from an external character file. 2. The printer according to claim 1, further comprising: a deleting unit that deletes the external character file and a dividing unit that distinguishes the external character file to be deleted by the management number.