JPH1011230A - Image data transfer system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To accelerate the transferring speed of image data from a host device to a printer. SOLUTION: CPU 5 sets larger one out of byte data '00' and byte data '11' in image data counted by a data counting means 4 to be specific data and sets this specific data to all the memories 9 on a printer side. After then, CPU 5 starts the transfer of image data and concerning a part where specific data continues in the middle of transferring image data, transfers only an address skip command. CPU 8 of the printer, at the time of receiving the address skip command in the middle of receiving image data, skips addresses by a range indicated by the command to transfer received image data to the memory 9.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method of transferring image data, and more particularly to a method of transferring image data such as a logo mark between a host and a printer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art At present, in a small-sized printer device which is built in a POS terminal or the like and issues a receipt or the like, a line impact method, which is a non-impact method, is becoming mainstream instead of the conventional dot impact method. For example, in the case of a printer built in a POS terminal, in addition to printing sales, every time a ticket is issued like a log mark of a store,
In the dot impact method, printing is performed using physical stamps for printing patterns that require the same printing.On the other hand, in the line thermal method, store logos and the like are stored as bit patterns on the printer memory. In advance, the data is printed line by line.

Since the stamp data is changed by the user, the memory for storing the normal data is often stored in a volatile memory such as a RAM, and the host sends a stamp to the printer every time the system is started. You need to register the data.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a conventional image data transfer method between the host and the printer when the system is started up.

First, when the system is started, the external storage device 3
1 loads the image data to be transferred to the printer from now on into a previously reserved area of the memory 32. When all loading is completed, the CPU 33
According to the transfer program 6, the image data in the memory 32 is transferred to the memory 37 on the printer side via the I / F 34 and the CPU 35.

[0006]

In the conventional method described above, the bit pattern of the entire image data storage area is transferred from the host to the printer at the time of system initialization, so that the transfer time is long. There was a disadvantage that the system initialization was delayed.

An object of the present invention is to increase the transfer speed of image data from the host and reduce the time required for initializing the entire system.

[0008]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image data transfer system for transferring image data from a host device to an image data storage area of a printer device. Regarding data, the transfer of the image data is started after setting all the specific data in the image data storage area on the printer side. If the specific data continues during the image data transfer, the specific data Is transferred to the printer only for an address skip command for a continuous portion of the image data. When the printer receives the address skip command during reception of the image data, the image data is transferred only in a range indicated by the command. By skipping the address in the storage area, And performing transfer to the image data storage area.

In a second aspect of the present invention, when the byte data “00” in the image data in the first aspect is larger than the byte data “FF”, the specific data is the byte data “00”. If the byte data “FF” in the image data is larger than the byte data “00”, the specific data is the byte data “FF”.

Further, a third invention is characterized in that the address skip command according to the second invention instructs to skip an address by the number of consecutive bytes of the specific data.

Finally, in a fourth aspect based on the second aspect, the host device includes a transfer data comparing means for comparing byte data in the image data with the byte data "00" and the byte data "11". , The byte data “00” and the byte data “1” in the image data matched by the comparison by the transfer data comparing means.
Data counting means for counting the number of 1 "bytes is provided.

[Operation] The image data loaded into the memory from the external storage device is transferred to the printer before
First, the transfer data comparing unit compares, for example, if a byte transfer is to be performed, whether the bit string in the transfer unit such as FFH or 00H is all print data, all non-print data, or other data.
Data FFH to print all and data 00 to not print all
The number of bytes of both H is counted by the data counting means, and the result is transmitted to the CPU. The CPU determines the larger data from the counted number of bytes,
A command is issued to the printer CPU so as to clear or set all image data storage areas in the printer memory. For example, from the count result, F
If it is determined that the FH data is larger than 00H, all the image data storage areas on the printer side are set to 1.

Thereafter, the CPU on the host side transfers the 00H data, other data, and the skip number of the area to which FFH is originally transferred. The printer calculates the storage area based on the skip number and stores 00H data and other data.

[0014]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of one embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes an external storage device, which stores image data to be printed on a printer. 2
Reference numeral denotes a memory for temporarily storing image data from the external storage device before transfer to the printer. Reference numeral 3 compares, for each transfer unit, all of the image data to be transferred, whether the bit string is data to be printed, data not to be printed, or other data.

For example, if the transfer is byte transfer, FF
Compare whether all 8 bits are 1 like H, all 0 like 00H, or whether both 0 and 1 are included in 8 bits like AAH or C4H. ,
Each transfer byte number of FFH and 00H is counted by the data counting means of 4. At this time, the other data does not need to be counted and is not counted. F
The result of counting FH and 00H is transmitted to the CPU 5, and the CPU 5 determines the data with the larger count result based on the program stored in the ROM 6. If there are many FFHs, a command or signal is transmitted to the printer CPU 8 via the I / F 7 so that all the image data storage areas reserved in the memory 9 are set to 1. I do. Printer CPU 8
Receives the command or signal and sets all the image data storage areas to 1 based on a program for memory control stored in the 10 ROMs. Host side C
The PU 5 then transfers the data other than FFH to the printer side in order from the head address in the image data stored in the memory 2 and, if FFH is found, calculates the number of consecutive bytes of FFH from the found address. Transfer to the printer as skip number. When the printer receives the skip data, it skips the address of the storage area by the specified skip number, and stores the next received data other than FFH at the skipped address.

Next, the operation of the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of one embodiment of the present invention. In the following description, it is assumed that the transfer unit on the line is byte transfer.

First, when the system is started, the external storage device 1
The image data to be transferred to the printer from now on is loaded into a previously reserved area of the memory 2 (step 1). When the loading is completed, the loaded data is transferred to the transfer data comparing means 3 byte by byte (step 2).
It is checked whether it is H (steps 3 and 4). This means checking whether the one byte itself is data for printing all bits or data for not printing at all. Next, when the one byte is 00H, the counter C ₀
1 is added to (step 6), to such addition of 1 to the counter C ₁ in the case were FFH (step 7). Nothing is counted for other data. These operations, the performed for all the data that is loaded in the area of the memory 2 (step 5), when the comparison has been completed for all the data, comparing the number of the C ₀ and C ₁ (step 8). If C ₀ ≦ C ₁ , all the image data storage areas reserved in the memory 9 on the printer side are set to 1 (step 12), and conversely C _0.
If it was ≧ C ₁ clears the storage area at all 0 (step 9). At this time, if the area is set to 1,
FFH is substituted for the variable X (step 13), and when cleared to 0, 00H is substituted for the variable X (step 10).

Next, transfer from the area in the memory 2 on the host side is started (step 11). The transferred data is transferred to the storage area in the memory 9 in the printer. If the host finds the data corresponding to the variable X (step 14), the address of the storage area in the printer is changed. Issue a command to skip. Usually, since the data corresponding to the variable X is often continuous in large quantities, the command is transmitted to the printer with the number of consecutive bytes added. Printer CPU 8
When a command is received, the specified number of bytes of the storage area are skipped (step 16), and the next received data starts to be stored again from the next address after the skip. The above operation is performed until the data transmission is completed (step 15).

That is, in the present invention, the host side examines its own transfer data in advance and sets all the storage areas on the printer side to 0 or 1 in advance for those having a large number of 00H or FFH, thereby transferring only necessary portions. It is. Normally, when a graphic or the like is constituted by binary data of white or black, 00H and FFH are continuously large. The present invention is particularly effective for such data.

[0022]

As described above, according to the present invention, the transfer speed of the image data is increased, and as a result, the initial setting time such as the system start-up time can be shortened.

[0023]

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of a conventional transfer method.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1, 31 external storage device 2, 9, 32 memory 3 transfer data comparing means 4 data counting means 5, 8, 33, 35 CPU 6, 10, 36, 38 ROM 7, 34 I / F

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. An image data transfer method for transferring image data from a host device to an image data storage area of a printer device, wherein the host device is configured to transmit a specific one of the image data to the image data on the printer side. After setting all the specific data in the storage area, the transfer of the image data is started. If the specific data continues during the image data transfer, only the address skip command is used for a continuous portion of the specific data. When the address skip command is received during reception of the image data, the printer skips the address in the image data storage area by the range indicated by the command, and Transfer data to the image data storage area An image data transfer method characterized by performing transmission. 2. If the byte data “00” in the image data is larger than the byte data “FF”, the specific data is the byte data “00”, and the byte data “FF” in the image data is 2. The image data transfer method according to claim 1, wherein said specific data is said byte data "FF" if said byte data is more than "00". 3. The image data transfer method according to claim 2, wherein the address skip command instructs skipping of an address by the number of consecutive bytes of the specific data. 4. The transfer data comparing means for comparing the byte data in the image data with the byte data “00” and the byte data “11”, and the host device compares the byte data in the image data. 3. The image data transfer system according to claim 2, further comprising data counting means for counting the number of bytes of the byte data "00" and the byte data "11" in the image data.