JPH10138598A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To realize form printing by small amount of data and to improve a processing speed in the form printing, by a method wherein macro instructions which are made by a set of plurality of control codes designating a form image are stored in a memory. SOLUTION: A macro storing section 31 stores a plurality of macro instructions which are made corresponding to a set of a plurality of control codes designating a form image. e.g. such as ruled lines of an address book. A macro cache memory 32 stores, for example, a dot type form image obtained beforehand by developing a plurality of macro instructions into the image. When a control code transmitted via an interface section 1 has a request of a macro instruction indicative of developing, a macro developing section 33 selects the form image obtained by developing the requested macro instruction for the developing by the macro cache memory 32 into the image and transmits it to an image memory 4.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printing apparatus for printing an image on a recording sheet in accordance with an instruction command sent from a host apparatus, and more particularly to an improvement in processing speed in form printing.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A printing apparatus for synthesizing font data with a predetermined fixed form according to a command sent from a host apparatus and printing the form is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No.
No. 6,183,093. In this printing device,
The fixed form stored in the form data storage unit after image compression is expanded into image data and stored in the form cache memory. Then, when a form print request specifying a fixed form is received from the host device, the image data of the corresponding fixed form that has been previously expanded and stored in the cache memory is transferred to the image memory, and the fixed form is expanded into image data. This saves time and improves processing speed.

In the above-described printing apparatus, a fixed form is image-compressed and stored in a form data storage unit for form printing. Since the data storage unit is occupied and the memory cannot be used effectively, the processing speed may be reduced as a result. Therefore, instead of using a fixed form, a printing device that realizes form printing with a small amount of data by storing in a memory a plurality of macro instructions that have been converted into macros corresponding to sets of a plurality of control codes indicating a form image. There is.

In a printing apparatus using this macro, a plurality of macro instructions corresponding to a plurality of sets of control codes are previously stored in a macro storage section, and the macro instructions are expanded into control codes from a host device. When there is a request, a plurality of control codes corresponding to the macro instruction requested to be developed are extracted from the macro storage unit, and the form image developed according to the control code is sent to the image memory.

[0005]

In a printing apparatus using the above-mentioned macro, every time a control code sent from a host device requests expansion of a macro instruction, the control code corresponds to a macro instruction requested to be expanded from a macro storage unit. Since it is necessary to extract a plurality of control codes and develop the image into a form image according to the control code, when the data amount of the plurality of control codes corresponding to the macro instruction is large, it takes time to develop the image into the form image, The processing speed at the time of printing may be extremely reduced.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve such a disadvantage, and forms printing with a small data amount by storing in a memory a macro instruction which is formed into a macro for each set of a plurality of control codes indicating a form image. It is an object of the present invention to obtain a printing apparatus that realizes the above-described processing and improves the processing speed during form printing.

[0007]

According to the present invention, there is provided a printing apparatus having a form printing function for synthesizing and printing a form image and a font image in accordance with a control code sent from a host apparatus, and having a macro storage function. Unit, a macro cache memory, and a macro expansion unit, and the macro storage unit stores a plurality of macro instructions that have been converted into macros corresponding to sets of a plurality of control codes indicating a form image in advance. A form image in which a plurality of macro instructions have been developed is stored in advance, and the macro development unit images the macro instruction requested to be developed from the macro cache memory when the control code sent from the host device requests the development of the macro instruction. The developed form image is selected and transmitted.

In the above-described macro expansion unit, when a control instruction sent from the host device has a macro instruction expansion request, a macro cache memory stores a form image obtained by expanding the requested macro instruction into an image. It checks whether or not it is stored, and if it is not stored, retrieves a plurality of control codes corresponding to the requested macro instruction from the macro storage unit, develops the form image in the macro cache memory according to the control code, and The memory may store the expanded form image.

Further, when the control code sent from the host device has a request to expand the macro instruction, the macro expansion unit stores, in the macro cache memory, a form image in which the macro instruction requested to be expanded is image-expanded. Check if it is not stored, and if it is not stored, fetch a plurality of control codes corresponding to the macro instruction requested to be expanded from the macro storage unit, and expand the data compressed form image on the macro cache memory according to the control code. It is desirable that the macro cache memory stores a form image that has undergone image expansion and data compression.

The macro cache memory may store the font image in common with the form image.

[0011]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A printing apparatus according to the present invention has an interface unit, a font generation unit, a macro generation unit, an image memory, a CPU, and a printer engine. The interface receives the control code sent from the host device. The font generation unit has a font storage unit, a font development unit, and a font cache memory. The font storage unit stores a plurality of fonts indicating character shapes in a vector format or the like in advance, for example. When the control code sent via the interface unit requests expansion of font data indicating, for example, an address, the font expansion unit selects the corresponding font stored in the font storage unit in accordance with the font data and, for example, in a dot format. A certain font image is developed in the font cache memory and transferred to the image memory. The font cache memory stores the expanded font image.
The macro generation unit has a macro storage unit, a macro expansion unit, and a macro cache memory. The macro storage unit has a plurality of instructions for specifying a form image such as a ruled line of an address book registered in advance by the host device via the interface unit. A plurality of macro instructions corresponding to macros corresponding to each set of control codes are stored. The macro cache memory stores, for example, a dot form image in which a plurality of macro instructions have been developed in advance. When the control code sent via the interface unit has a request to expand the macro instruction, the macro expansion unit checks whether or not a form image obtained by expanding the requested macro instruction into the macro cache memory is stored in the macro cache memory. If it is stored, the form image is selected and transferred to the image memory. The image memory combines and stores the sent form image of the ruled line such as the address book and the font image such as the address. When there is a print request for the control code sent via the interface unit in addition to the operation management of the entire apparatus, the CPU selects various images stored in the image memory according to the print request and sends them to the printer engine. . The printer engine prints the transmitted image on recording paper. As described above, a form image in which a plurality of macro instructions are image-developed is stored in advance, and when a macro instruction for designating a form image is requested from the host device, a form in which the requested macro instruction is image-expanded is stored. Since it is determined whether or not an image is stored, and if the image is stored, the form image is selected and transferred, so that it is possible to reduce the time required to develop the macro instruction requested to be developed.

Also, the macro expansion unit is a form image in which the macro instruction requested to be expanded in the macro cache memory is expanded when the control code sent from the host device via the interface unit has a macro instruction expansion request. Is checked, and if not stored, a plurality of control codes corresponding to the macro instruction requested to be expanded are retrieved from the macro storage unit, and the form image is stored in the macro cache memory according to the control codes. Since the data is expanded and transferred to the image memory, and the macro cache memory stores the expanded image, the time required to expand the image when the same macro instruction is requested again from the host device is reduced. Can be.

Further, when the control code sent from the host device has a macro instruction expansion request, the macro expansion unit stores a form image obtained by expanding the requested macro instruction into the macro cache memory. It is checked whether or not it is stored. If it is not stored, a plurality of control codes corresponding to the macro instruction requested to be expanded are taken out from the macro storage unit, and a form image data-compressed by the MH method or the like according to the control code is stored in the macro cache memory. The form image that has been expanded and sent to the image memory is sent to the image memory, and the expanded form image before data compression is sent.The macro cache memory stores the expanded image and the compressed form image for data. can do.

Further, in the above, the form image or the font image is stored using the macro cache memory and the font cache memory, respectively. However, the font developing unit requests the control code sent via the interface unit to develop the font data. When there is, select the corresponding font stored in the font storage unit and develop the font image, for example, in dot format on the macro cache memory, and the macro cache memory shares the font image with the form image Remember. In this way, since the expanded form image and font image are stored in one cache memory,
It is possible to prevent the generation of unnecessary free space in the cache memory, and to effectively use the cache memory.

[0015]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the printing apparatus has an interface unit 1, a font generation unit 2, a macro generation unit 3, an image memory 4, a CPU 5, and a printer engine 6. The interface unit 1 receives the control code sent from the host device 7. The font generation unit 2 has a font storage unit 21, a font development unit 22, and a font cache memory 23. The font storage unit 21 stores a plurality of fonts indicating character shapes in a vector format or the like in advance, for example. When the control code transmitted via the interface unit 1 requests expansion of font data indicating characters such as addresses, the font expansion unit 22 selects a corresponding font stored in the font storage unit 21 according to the font data. For example, a font image representing a character such as an address in a dot format is developed in the font cache memory 23 and transferred to the image memory 4. The font cache memory 23 stores the developed font image. The macro generation unit 3 has a macro storage unit 31, a macro cache memory 32, and a macro expansion unit 33. The macro storage unit 31 stores, for example, ruled lines of an address book registered in advance by the host device 7 via the interface unit 1. A plurality of macro instructions that are converted into macros corresponding to sets of a plurality of control codes indicating a form image are stored. Macro cache memory 32
Stores, for example, a dot form image in which a plurality of macro instructions are developed as images. When there is a request to expand a macro instruction in the control code sent via the interface unit 1, the macro expansion unit 33 determines whether or not a form image obtained by expanding the requested macro instruction into the macro cache memory 32 is stored. Is checked, and if stored, the form image is selected and transferred to the image memory 4. The image memory 4 combines a form image of a ruled line sent from, for example, an address book and a font image such as an address and stores the combined image. When there is a print request for the control code sent via the interface unit 1 in addition to the operation management of the entire apparatus, the CPU 5 sends various types of form images and font images from the image memory 4 according to the print request. An image is selected and sent to the printer engine 6. The printer engine 6 is a CPU 5
The various images selected and sent by are printed on recording paper.

The operation of the printing apparatus configured as described above will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

For example, when performing form printing for combining and printing a document such as an address and a ruled line of an address book, the host device 7
Sends a control code including an instruction to expand font data indicating an address, and the interface unit 1 receives the sent control code. The font developing unit 22 receives a request for developing font data indicating an address in the control code sent via the interface unit 1 (step S5).
1) The corresponding font stored in the font storage unit 21 is selected according to the font data, and the font image forming the address is developed in the font cache memory 23 and transferred to the image memory 4 (step S2).
The image memory 4 stores the font image constituting the sent address (step S3). Further, the host device 7 sends out a control code including a request for developing a macro instruction for designating a form image such as a ruled line of an address book,
When there is a request to expand a macro instruction in the control code sent through the interface unit 1 (steps S1 and S1).
4) It is confirmed whether or not a form image of a ruled line of the address book in which the macro instruction requested to be developed is developed in the macro cache memory 32 (step S5).
If it is stored, the form image is selected and transferred to the image memory 4 (step S6). Then, the image memory 4 combines and stores the form image of the ruled line of the address book transferred to the font image forming the address stored in advance (step S3). Where CP
When U5 confirms that there is a print request in the control code sent from the host device 7 via the interface unit 1 (step S7), an image obtained by synthesizing the form image and the font image stored in the image memory 4 Is selected and transmitted to the printer engine 6 to print an image in which an address is written at a predetermined position of a ruled line in the address book (step S).
8).

As described above, a form image in which a plurality of macro instructions are image-developed is stored in advance, and when a macro instruction for designating a form image is requested from the host device 7, the macro instruction requested to be expanded is stored in the form image. Checking whether the expanded form image is stored and if it is stored, selecting and transferring the form image, reducing the time required to develop the macro instruction requested to expand. Can be.

When the control code sent via the interface unit 1 has a request to expand the macro instruction (step S4), the macro expansion unit 33 expands the macro instruction requested to be expanded in the macro cache memory 32 into an image. For example, it is checked whether or not the form image of the ruled line of the address book is stored (step S5). The form image is developed on the macro cache memory 32 according to the control code and transferred to the image memory (step S).
9), the macro cache memory 32 stores the expanded form image (step S10).

As described above, the macro cache memory 32
If the form image is not stored in the macro cache memory 32, a plurality of control codes corresponding to the macro instruction requested to be developed are retrieved from the macro storage unit 31, and the form image developed in accordance with the control code is stored in the macro cache memory 32. The time required for image development when the same macro instruction is requested again by the host device 7 can be reduced.

When there is a request for developing a macro instruction in the control code sent from the host device 7 (step S4), the macro developing unit 33 reads the macro cache memory 3
2. It is confirmed whether or not a form image obtained by developing the macro instruction requested to be developed is stored in step 2 (step S).
5) If not stored, a plurality of control codes corresponding to the macro instruction requested to be expanded are retrieved from the macro storage unit 31, and the form image data-compressed by, for example, the MH method according to the control code is stored in the macro cache memory 32. (Step S9), and the macro cache memory 32 may store the expanded image and the data-compressed form image to the image memory 4 (Step S9). Step S10).

As described above, since the expanded form image is compressed and stored in the macro cache memory 32, the capacity of the macro cache memory 32 can be reduced.

In the above description, the macro cache memory 3
2 and a form image or a font image developed by using the font cache memory 23, respectively.
When there is a request to expand the font data in the control code sent through the CPU (step S1), the corresponding font stored in the font storage unit 21 is selected according to the font data, and the font image is stored in the macro cache memory 32. The macro image may be expanded (step S2), and the macro cache memory 32 may store the font image in common with the form image.

As described above, since the developed form image and font image are stored in one cache memory, it is possible to prevent an unnecessary free space from being generated in the cache memory and to effectively utilize the cache memory. Can be.

[0025]

As described above, according to the present invention, a form image in which a plurality of macro instructions are image-developed is stored in advance, and when a macro instruction for designating the form image is requested from the host device, the expansion is performed. It is checked whether or not a form image obtained by developing the requested macro instruction is stored. If the form image is stored, the selected form image is selected and transmitted. The development time can be reduced, and the processing speed during form printing can be improved.

When the form image developed by the image is not stored in the macro cache memory, a plurality of control codes corresponding to the macro instruction requested to be developed are extracted from the macro storage unit, and the image is developed according to the control code. Since the form image is stored in the macro cache memory, it is possible to reduce the time required to develop the image when the host device requests the same macro instruction to be developed again, thereby improving the processing speed during form printing. Can be.

Furthermore, since the expanded form image is compressed and stored in the macro cache memory, the capacity of the macro cache memory can be reduced, and the cost of the apparatus can be reduced.

Further, since the developed form image and font image are stored in one cache memory, it is possible to prevent the generation of unnecessary free space in the cache memory and to effectively utilize the cache memory. it can.

[Brief description of the drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Interface part 2 Font generation part 21 Font storage part 22 Font development part 23 Font cache memory 3 Macro generation part 31 Macro storage part 32 Macro cache memory 33 Macro development part 4 Image memory 5 CPU 6 Printer engine 7 Host device

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A printing apparatus having a form printing function for synthesizing and printing a form image and a font image in accordance with a control code sent from a host apparatus, comprising a macro storage unit, a macro cache memory, and a macro expansion unit. The macro storage unit stores in advance a plurality of macro instructions macroized corresponding to each set of a plurality of control codes indicating a form image, and the macro cache memory stores a form image obtained by developing a plurality of macro instructions in advance. The macro expansion unit stores the macro code when there is a macro instruction expansion request in the control code sent from the host device.
A printing apparatus wherein a form image in which a macro instruction requested to be expanded is expanded from a macro cache memory is selected and transmitted. 2. The macro expansion unit according to claim 1, wherein the control code transmitted from the host device has a macro instruction expansion request.
Checks whether or not a form image obtained by developing a macro instruction requested to be expanded in the macro cache memory is stored. If not stored, a plurality of control codes corresponding to the macro instruction requested to be expanded from the macro storage unit are stored. 2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the form image is developed on a macro cache memory according to the control code, and the macro cache memory stores the developed form image. 3. The macro expansion section according to claim 1, wherein the control code transmitted from the host device has a macro instruction expansion request.
Checks whether or not a form image obtained by developing a macro instruction requested to be expanded in the macro cache memory is stored. If not stored, a plurality of control codes corresponding to the macro instruction requested to be expanded from the macro storage unit are stored. 3. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the printing device extracts the form image data-compressed in accordance with the control code and develops the image in a macro cache memory, and the macro cache memory stores the developed image data. 4. The macro cache memory stores a font image in common with a form image.
The printing device according to the above.