JPH09286153A - Printer equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To switch over paper feeding equipment automatically on the basis of the decision of the software of an engine drive part without changing a driver soft on a host computer and video I/F of a controller part to the engine drive part. SOLUTION: In printer equipment, ROM of an engine drive part 4 has a control program which executes detection of paper sizes of other paper feeding cassettes in the case when paper feeding cassettes 5 and 6 specified by a controller part 3 come to a paper end in the process of continuous printing for a large number of sheets, switches the paper feeding cassettes over to the other paper feeding cassettes wherein paper of the same size as that of the paper having been fed so far is present, not depending on the specification of the paper feeding cassettes by the controller part 3, in the case when the paper is present therein, and executes a printing operation continuously.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printer device which prints out an image code and a print command sent from a host.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art The above-mentioned printer apparatus sends a video signal to be actually printed and a print command to an engine drive section in response to an image code and a print command sent from a host, and a controller section. It has an engine drive unit that actually controls the operation of the apparatus according to the video signal and the print command to perform the print operation.

In the exchange of print commands (generally called video 1 / F) between the controller section and the engine drive section, in the case of a device having a large number of paper feed ports (paper feed devices), The designation is performed by the controller unit for each print sheet, and the engine drive unit operates according to the designation.

That is, when there is no more paper in the paper feed port designated by the controller unit, the engine drive unit informs the controller unit to that effect, and the display unit, etc., indicates that there is no paper, and the paper feed port is filled with paper. It was common to stop the printing operation until replenished.

[0005]

When a relatively small-sized printer device is used in a one-to-one connection with a host computer as in the prior art, the operator is located relatively close to the printer device. Moreover, since the number of printed sheets was not so large, no particular problem occurred.

However, as a tendency in recent years, with the remarkable spread of computers and networking in the workplace, the use of high-speed printers connected to a network and shared by a large number of people is also increasing. In this case, since the operator is not always near the printer device and is used by a large number of people, the total number of printed sheets becomes large.

Further, since one printer on the network is shared by a large number of people, even if the print processing is accepted by each host computer and the processing is completed,
If there is a process that is accepted prior to that, the print output of the user is kept waiting until the process is completed. That is, it is difficult to determine whether or not the output of one's own output is sufficient even if there is a margin of paper in the specified paper feed port at the present time. In addition, a large number of printouts are set at the time of returning home after work, and the printing paper output next morning is picked up.

In such a case, in the above-mentioned conventional printer, since the operation is stopped when the paper of the designated paper feed port is exhausted, the paper end is likely to occur. Further, making the host computer or the controller unit automatically switch the paper feed ports means changing the printer driver software in the host computer and the video I / F in the controller unit, and both are common. Therefore, it is not a good idea to deal with each printer device model.

Therefore, for users who use a large amount of paper of the same size, it is general to prepare an optional paper feeding bank and a large capacity paper feeding unit as options. However, the size of these optional units tends to be limited, and it is difficult to satisfy the user's request.

It is well known that in a copying machine, switching is automatically performed between a plurality of sheet feeding cassettes (for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 1-256434 and many others). In the printer, the unique configuration of the page printer, that is, the host computer ~
The relationship between the controller unit and the engine drive unit is premised, and there is no structure in the prior art regarding "to make the engine drive unit own the control program", which is the gist of the present invention described later, and the structure is fundamentally different. .

An object of the present invention is to automatically feed a sheet feeding device (feeding device) based on the judgment of the software of the engine drive unit without changing the driver software on the host computer and the video I / F of the controller unit to the engine drive unit. It is an object of the present invention to provide a printer device capable of switching between a paper cassette, a paper feed bank, and a large capacity paper feed unit.

[0012]

In order to achieve this object, a first aspect of the present invention relates to a video signal actually printed and a print command to an engine drive section in response to an image code and a print command sent from a host. And a controller unit for generating a print operation, an engine drive unit for actually controlling the operation of the apparatus according to a video signal and a print command sent from the controller unit, and performing a print operation, and at least 2
In a printer device such as a laser printer having one or more paper feed cassettes, each paper feed cassette has unit connection detection means, paper size detection means, and paper out detection means,
When the paper feed cassette specified by the controller reaches the paper end during continuous printing on multiple sheets, the engine drive unit detects the paper size of the other paper feed cassettes and continues feeding until then. If the same paper size exists, the control program that switches the paper cassette to another paper cassette that contains paper of the same size and continues the printing operation regardless of the paper cassette specified by the controller. It is characterized by having.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in response to the image code and the print command sent from the host, a controller unit for generating a video signal to be actually printed and a print command for the engine drive unit, and a controller unit sent from the controller unit. A printer, such as a laser printer, which has an engine drive unit for actually controlling the operation of the apparatus according to the incoming video signal and print command and performing the print operation, and having at least two or more paper feed cassettes and an optional paper feed bank. In the apparatus, each paper feed cassette and paper feed bank has a unit connection detection means, a paper size detection means, and a paper out detection means, and the engine drive section is specified by the controller section during continuous printing on many sheets. If the paper cassette or paper feed bank reaches the paper end, another paper feed cassette or paper feed If the same size as the paper size that has been passed up to that time exists, the same size paper exists in the paper feeding device regardless of the controller's designation of the paper feeding device. It is characterized by having a control program for switching to another sheet cassette or sheet bank and continuing the printing operation.

According to a third aspect of the invention, a controller section for generating a video signal to be actually printed and a print command for an engine drive section in response to an image code and a print command sent from a host, and a controller section for sending the command. It has an engine drive unit that actually controls the operation of the device according to the incoming video signal and print command and performs the print operation, and has at least two or more paper feed cassettes, an optional paper feed bank, and a large paper feed unit. In a printer device such as a laser printer, each paper feed cassette, paper feed bank, and large-volume paper feed unit has unit connection detection means, paper size detection means, and paper non-existence detection means, and the engine drive section is continuous over a large number of sheets. Paper feed cassette or paper feed bank or mass paper feed unit specified by the controller during printing In the case of a paper end,
The paper size of another paper cassette, paper bank, or large-volume paper feed unit is detected, and if there is the same paper size as the paper that has been fed until then, the controller specifies the paper feed device. Instead, it has a control program for switching the sheet feeding device to another sheet feeding cassette or sheet feeding bank or a large number sheet feeding unit in which sheets of the same size are present, and continuing the printing operation.

[0015]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a laser printer device. The laser printer 2 connected to the host computer 1 includes a controller section (controller board) 3 and an engine drive section (engine board).
4, a first paper feed cassette 5, and a second paper feed cassette 6.

An optional paper feed bank (bank)
7 includes a first paper feed cassette 8 and a second paper feed cassette 9, and each of the paper feed cassettes 8 and 9 has a connector 1
It is electrically connected to the engine board 4 by 0 and 11. Similarly, an optional large capacity paper feed unit (LC
The IT) 12 is equipped with a paper feed unit 13, and this paper feed unit 13
Are electrically connected to the engine board 4 by a connector 14.

When the apparatus performs the printing operation, the printing operation information (a) sent from the host computer 1 is received by the controller board 3 inside the laser printer 2. The controller board 3 generates a print command in accordance with the specifications of the laser printer 2 from the received print operation information (a) and sends it to the engine board 4 via the video I / F (b).

The engine board 4 has a video I / F (b).
The paper feed operation is started from the paper feed port (the paper feed device of any of the paper feed cassettes 5 and 6, the bank 7, and the LCIT 12) designated by the print command received via the. Here, when the first paper feed cassette 5 of the apparatus main body is designated, the engine board 4 obtains information such as unit connection detection, paper presence / absence, and paper size via the information line (e), and then supplies the paper. If there is no problem in the paper operation, the paper feed operation control is started for the first paper feed cassette 5 of the apparatus main body via the information line (e).

When the second paper feed cassette 6 of the apparatus main body is designated, the engine board 4 displays the information line (d).
The information on the unit connection detection, the presence or absence of paper, the paper size, etc. is obtained via the, and if there is no problem in the paper feeding operation, the paper is fed to the second paper feeding cassette 6 of the apparatus main body through the information line (d). Start paper motion control.

When the first paper feed cassette 8 of the bank 7 is designated, the engine board 4 is set to the information line (g).
The information on the unit connection detection, paper presence / absence, paper size, etc. is obtained via the device, and if there is no problem in the paper feeding operation, the paper is fed to the first paper feeding cassette 8 of the bank 7 via the information line (g). Start paper motion control.

When the second sheet feeding cassette 9 of the bank 7 is designated, the engine board 4 is set to the information line (h).
The information on the unit connection detection, the presence or absence of paper, the paper size, etc. is obtained via the, and if there is no problem in the paper feeding operation, the paper is fed to the second paper feeding cassette 9 of the bank 7 via the information line (h). Start paper motion control.

Further, when the paper feed unit 13 of the LCIT 12 is designated, the engine board 4 obtains information on unit connection detection, paper presence / absence, paper size, etc. through the information line (i), and feeds the paper. If there is no problem in the operation, the paper feed operation control is started for the paper feed unit 13 of the LCIT 12 via the information line (i). The above is a general flow of control regarding sheet feeding.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an electrical connection structure between the engine board shown in FIG. 1 and each sheet feeding device. The engine board 4 includes a CPU 41, a ROM 42, a RAM 4
3, a video I / F 44, a gate array 45, and a CPU bus 46. The CPU 41 basically controls the entire device. The ROM 42 stores a program for the CPU 41 to operate. A program for performing paper feed port switching control, which will be described later, is also resident here.

The RAM 43 serves as a working area for the CPU 41 to operate. The video I / F 44 connects the controller board 3 and the engine board 4. The reception of information from each sheet feed port and the control of the operation are performed via the gate array 45. CPU41, ROM4
2, RAM 43, video I / F 44, gate array 45
Are connected by a CPU bus 46, and the CPU 41 can access each element.

The first paper feed cassette 5 includes a connection detection sensor 5
1, a paper size detection sensor 52, a paper out sensor 53, and a paper feed drive unit 54.

The CPU 41 can know whether the first sheet feeding cassette 5 of the apparatus main body is connected by reading the information of the connection detecting sensor 51 through the gate array 45 and the CPU bus 46.

Further, the CPU 41 sends information of the paper size detecting sensor 52 to the CPU bus 46 through the gate array 45.
It is possible to know the paper size of the first paper feed cassette 5 of the main body of the apparatus by reading through the.

Further, the CPU 41 can know the presence / absence of the paper in the first paper feed cassette 5 of the apparatus main body by reading the information of the paper out sensor 53 through the gate array 45 through the CPU bus 46. Furthermore, the CPU 41
Controls the operation of the paper feed drive unit 54 through the gate array 45 via the CPU bus 46.

The connection detection sensor, the paper size detection sensor, the paper non-existence sensor, and the paper feeding drive unit are similarly denoted by reference numerals 61 to 64, 81 to 84, and 81 in the other paper feeding devices 6, 8, 9, and 13. Reference numerals 91 to 94 and 131 to 134 denote the same and the operation is as described above.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing the processing contents of the control program of the engine board. This program is stored in the ROM 42 on the engine board 4. (1) After the start, the engine board 4 issues a print command by the controller board 3 (the print command in the printer is issued for each sheet even during continuous printing).
(S1), the paper feed ports A (main body first paper feed cassette 5), B (main body second paper feed cassette 6), C (bank first paper feed cassette 8) designated by the controller board 3 are received. D (bank second paper feed cassette 9), E (LCIT
In order to start the processing for the paper feeding unit 13), the processing routine is selected as shown in a.

(2) Whether the engine board 4 is connected to the paper feed port designated on the controller board 3 (S2 of any of A, B, C, D, and E), the paper Whether the size is as specified (A, B, C,
S3 of either D or E), whether there is paper (A, B,
Confirm S4) of any one of C, D, and E.

(3) If all the checks in (2) are OK, the paper feed operation is performed from the paper feed port designated on the controller board 3 (A, B, C,
S5) of either D or E, the printing operation for the page is completed, and a printing command for the next page is waited as shown in h.

(4) If any of the checks in (2) is NG, the process on the right is performed. If A, then b, then C, then C, then d, then E. If so, go to f.

(5) In any of the processes A to E, the printing operation is started (S of any one of A, B, C, D and E).
If it does not reach 5), the status display to that effect (S
6) is performed, and the loop of g to b to c to d to e to f is repeated to wait until paper of a size suitable for any of the paper feed ports is replenished.

According to the first embodiment of the present invention, the processing routines A and B are validated, and the processing routines C, D and E are connected to each unit connection (C, D). , E of S2) is not connected, the process moves to the right, and unconditionally reaches f.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the processing routines A, B, C and D are validated,
Regarding the processing routine of E, since the unit connection detection (S2 of E) is not connected, the processing shifts to the right, and unconditionally reaches f. Further, according to the embodiment of the invention described in claim 3, all the processing routines A to E are validated.

[0037]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, a user who uses only the main body of the printer without installing options such as a paper feed bank and a large-capacity paper feed unit can obtain a larger number of paper feeds. If it is required, it is possible to switch with a very simple user operation without impairing the function of the conventional machine, and to realize the automatic switching function of the paper feeding device, without adding special parts, the engine Since the software of the controller unit is additionally supported, the function of the device can be improved and the usability for the user can be improved without increasing the cost.

According to the second aspect of the invention, when the paper feed bank is optionally provided, the same effect as described above can be obtained.

According to the third aspect of the invention, when the paper feed bank and the large-capacity paper feed unit are optionally provided, the same effect as described above can be obtained.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a laser printer device.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an electrical connection structure between the engine board shown in FIG. 1 and each sheet feeding device.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing processing contents of a control program included in the engine board.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Host Computer 2 Laser Printer 3 Controller Section 4 Engine Drive Section 5, 6 Main Body Paper Feed Cassette 7 Paper Feed Bank 12 Large Capacity Paper Feed Device 42 ROM

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A controller unit for generating a video signal to be actually printed and a print command for an engine drive unit in response to an image code and a print command sent from a host, and a video signal sent from the controller unit, In a printer device such as a laser printer that has an engine drive unit that actually controls the operation of the device according to the print command and performs the printing operation, and has at least two paper feed cassettes, each paper feed cassette is connected as a unit. The engine drive unit has a detection unit, a paper size detection unit, and a paper out detection unit. When the paper feed cassette designated by the controller unit has reached the paper end during continuous printing on multiple sheets, another engine feed unit The paper size of the cassette is detected. Regardless of the designation of a sheet feed cassette according to over la unit, switching to another paper feed cassette of the paper feed cassette paper of the same size are present, the printer apparatus characterized by having a control program to continue the printing operation. 2. A controller unit for generating a video signal to be actually printed and a print command for an engine drive unit in response to an image code and a print command sent from a host, and a video signal sent from the controller unit, In a printer device such as a laser printer, which has an engine drive unit that actually controls the operation of the device according to a print command and performs a printing operation, and has at least two or more paper feed cassettes and an optional paper feed bank, The paper cassette and the paper feed bank have unit connection detection means, paper size detection means, and paper non-existence detection means, and the engine drive section is the paper feed cassette or paper feed specified by the controller section during continuous printing over many sheets. Paper size of another paper cassette or paper bank when the bank reaches the paper end If a paper size that is the same as the paper size that has been passed up to that time is detected, the paper feed device is not specified by the controller unit, and the paper feed device is set to another paper feed cassette or a paper feed cassette that has paper of the same size. A printer device having a control program for switching to a paper feed bank and continuing printing operation. 3. A controller unit for generating a video signal to be actually printed and a print command for an engine drive unit in response to an image code and a print command sent from a host, and a video signal sent from the controller unit, A printer, such as a laser printer, that has an engine drive unit that actually controls the operation of the apparatus according to a print command and performs a print operation, and that has at least two or more paper feed cassettes, an optional paper feed bank, and a large paper feed unit. In the equipment, each paper feed cassette, paper feed bank, and mass paper feed unit
It has unit connection detection means, paper size detection means, and paper out detection means. When the end is reached, the paper size of another paper feed cassette, paper feed bank, or large-volume paper feed unit is detected. It is characterized by having a control program that continues the printing operation by switching the paper feeding device to another paper feeding cassette or paper feeding bank or a large number of paper feeding units in which paper of the same size exists regardless of the designation of the paper feeding device. Printer device.