JPH10315589A - Method for controlling printer apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To temporarily hold a paper during printing in a paper transfer path of a printer apparatus, by stopping the printer apparatus in a state as it is without ejecting the paper being printed if the printing operation is interrupted because of an error. SOLUTION: When transfer data are interrupted during printing, the printing is stopped and a paper transfer is stopped. Thereafter an alarm display is made at a liquid crystal display part B32, and also a buzzer B31 is sounded. In this state, the printer apparatus jams with the paper and an operator is required to remove the jamming paper. A data abnormality as a cause for the paper jam can thus be recognized and a cable, etc., is checked at this time when the paper in an abnormal state is to be printed again. The operator removes the jamming paper and executes a recovery operation such as a repair to a connection cable, confirmation, etc. A print command is resumed in the case of re-printing, or a printing work termination is instructed in the case where the printing is to be terminated.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method of controlling a printer which prints out in accordance with an instruction from a connected host device, wherein print data transferred from the host device during the printing operation performed by the printer device is interrupted. The present invention relates to a technique for coping with a print data abnormality that occurs in a case where the print data is abnormal.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a printer device which performs print output in accordance with an instruction from a connected host device, a page printer which performs print data processing in the host device and performs print processing in the printer device in accordance with the image data created there. In this way, the printable area has been expanded.

Normally, at least 1 is used in the page printer system.
It has a memory for pages or more, and serves as an image buffer for developing and storing print data. In such a background, when a data transfer speed of a certain amount or more is guaranteed by the host device, the printer device supplies paper without waiting for the completion of transfer of image data to be printed and starts a printing operation. It becomes possible.

That is, the printer device can execute a printing operation while receiving necessary print data from the host device.

In addition, as the size of the host device or the printer device has been reduced, the installation position of the device has not been restricted, and as a result, connection cables have been connected between the devices which are spread and installed. Accidents such as disconnection of the cable connection due to the human body touching the cable or the like during movement became more likely to occur.

For example, if the cable is disconnected during the transfer of the print data from the host device, the transfer data is naturally interrupted.

With reference to FIGS. 3, 7 and 8, a description will be given of how to cope with the interruption of the transfer data when receiving print data transferred from a host device in a conventional printer device.

FIG. 3 shows a processing block diagram in the printer apparatus. The printer B01 has a controller B02, and the controller B23 built in the controller B02 is connected to the host B via a communication controller B25.
04, the print data transferred is received.

The control unit B23 forms a print image required for printing in the image buffer B24 on the printing unit B34 based on the print data, and the printer unit B
01 and the host device B05
Is selected and conveyed by giving an instruction to a print driving unit B33 incorporated in the printer engine unit to prepare for printing.

The printing unit B34 includes an image buffer B2.
The printed image formed in accordance with the image data obtained from step 4 is transferred to paper and fixed.

If any abnormality occurs in the printer B01, an error message is displayed on the liquid crystal display B32 in accordance with an instruction from the control unit B23, and if necessary, the buzzer B31 is sounded to notify the operator.

Referring to FIG. 7, a processing flow in the case where data transfer is interrupted by a certain accident during the transfer of print data in a printer device according to the prior art will be described. The symbols used in the description of each step are based on FIG.

In step S51, the printer device B01 receives a print instruction from the host device B05, and starts receiving print data.

In step S52, the printing paper specified by the host device is taken out of the paper tray and transported.

In step S53, the control unit B23 copies the image data stored in the image buffer B24 to the printing unit B3.
4 to start printing.

In step S54, if the transfer data is interrupted during printing, the process proceeds to step S55 to stop printing.
Proceeding to step S56, the paper being printed is discharged, and an alarm is displayed on the liquid crystal display section B32 in step S57.
Further, the buzzer B31 sounds.

In step S58, the operator performs a recovery operation such as repairing and checking the connection cable, and when printing is to be performed again, the flow returns to step S51 to resume the print instruction.
To end the printing process, the user instructs to end the printing job.

FIG. 8 shows an example of a printout sheet discharged during printing due to the interruption of transfer data.
The paper 55 includes an image 56 that has been printed halfway, but is blank after the data interruption point 57.

In particular, when the data interruption point 57 is near the end of the sheet, it may be difficult to determine that the sheet has been printed normally. Further, when the operator does not notice the alarm display on the liquid crystal display section B32, when the operator is not located within the range where the sound of the buzzer B31 can be heard, or when he does not notice the alarm display on the liquid crystal display section B32, It is difficult to notice the data break point near the end of the sheet 55, and there is a possibility that the sheet is processed as a sheet on which normal printing has been performed without noticing a printing abnormality.

[0020]

As described above, the conventional method of controlling a printer apparatus has the following problems.

1) A warning sound or an alarm display indicating that printing has been interrupted due to a data abnormality may not be noticed unless the operator is located near the printer.

2) If the transfer data is interrupted during the transfer of the print data due to an accident such as a cable disconnection, the paper being printed is discharged as it is. In some cases, it is difficult to distinguish the printed sheet from the printed sheet.

[0023]

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention employs the following means.

1) When the printer stops printing operation due to a data error during the execution of the printing job in accordance with the instruction of the connected host device, the printer does not discharge the paper during printing. The operation is stopped as it is.

By taking this measure, an effect is obtained that the paper being printed remains in the paper transport path of the printer device.

2) Alternatively, the printer discharges the paper after printing an alarm display in a previously prepared pattern in a margin of the paper being printed.

By adopting this means, an effect is obtained that an alarm display is printed in the margin of a sheet whose printing is interrupted due to data abnormality.

[0028]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention takes the following forms.

1) When the printer stops printing operation due to a data error during the execution of the printing job in accordance with the instruction of the connected host device, the printer does not discharge the printing sheet during printing. The operation is stopped as it is, and an alarm is displayed on the display unit or the buzzer of the apparatus.

By adopting this mode, the sheet in the middle of printing stays in the sheet transport path of the printer device, and the printer device has an effect that the paper jam recovery process is required.

2) Alternatively, the printer device discharges the sheet after printing an alarm display in a margin portion of the sheet being printed due to the abnormal termination in a pattern prepared in advance, and discharges the sheet. Alternatively, an alarm is displayed by a buzzer or the like.

By adopting this mode, an effect is obtained that an alarm display is printed in a margin portion of a sheet whose printing has been interrupted due to a data abnormality to clearly indicate that the sheet has been abnormally terminated.

3) Alternatively, if the area where printing has been performed on the paper being printed due to the abnormal end does not reach the predetermined size, the printer device may use a previously prepared pattern in the margin. After printing the alarm display, discharge the paper and execute the alarm display on the display or buzzer of the device.If it is confirmed that the area where printing has been performed reaches the preset size, The printer device does not discharge the paper in the middle of printing, stops the operation as it is, and displays an alarm on a display unit or a buzzer of the device.

By adopting this mode, the above-mentioned alarm display is performed when the paper whose printing is interrupted due to the data abnormality has a margin for printing the alarm display in the margin, and when the margin is small, the paper is being transported as it is. Thus, there is obtained an effect that the sheet is stopped and the sheet jam state is brought out.

[0035]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A representative embodiment according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 1 schematically shows the mechanism of the printer.
The paper 3 loaded on the paper tray built in the printer device 1 is transported through a transport route 4, and after a necessary print image is transferred on the drum 2, the paper 3 is further transported.
And is deposited on the stacker 5.

FIG. 3 shows a processing block diagram in the printer device. The printer B01 has a controller B02, and the controller B23 built in the controller B02 is connected to the host B via a communication controller B25.
05, the print data transferred is received.

The control unit B23 forms a print image required for printing in the image buffer B24 on the printing unit B34 based on the print data, and
01 and the host device B05
Is selected and conveyed by giving an instruction to a print driving unit B33 incorporated in the printer engine unit to prepare for printing.

The printing section B34 is provided with an image buffer B2.
The printed image formed in accordance with the image data obtained from step 4 is transferred to paper and fixed.

If any abnormality occurs in the printer B01, an error message is displayed on the liquid crystal display B32 in accordance with an instruction from the control unit B23, and if necessary, the buzzer B31 is sounded to notify the operator.

Referring to FIG. 4, one operation flow of the embodiment of the present invention will be described. The symbols used in the description of each step are based on FIG.

In step S01, the printer B01 receives a print instruction from the host B05, and starts receiving print data.

In step S02, the printing paper specified by the host device is taken out of the paper tray and transported.

In step S03, the control unit B23 outputs the image data stored in the image buffer B24 to the printing unit B3.
4 to start printing.

If the transfer data is interrupted during printing in step S04, the flow advances to step S05 to stop the printing, and the flow advances to step S06 to stop the sheet conveyance.

In step S07, an alarm is displayed on the liquid crystal display section B32, and the buzzer B31 is sounded.

In this step, since the printer apparatus keeps the paper jam state, the operator must remove the jammed paper. Can be recognized as a data error, leading to an operation of checking a cable or the like.

In step S08, the operator performs recovery operations such as repairing and checking the connection cable together with the removal of jammed paper. If the process proceeds to step S09 and prints again, the process returns to step S01 to resume the print instruction. To end the printing process, the user instructs to end the printing job.

Referring to FIG. 5, an operation flow of another embodiment of the present invention will be described. The symbols used in the description of each step are based on FIG.

In step S11, the printer B01 receives a print instruction from the host B05, and starts receiving print data.

In step S12, the printing paper specified by the host device is taken out of the paper tray and transported.

In step S13, the control section B23 copies the image data stored in the image buffer B24 to the printing section B3.
4 to start printing.

If the transfer data is interrupted in the middle of the printing in step S14, the flow advances to step S15 to stop the printing, and in step S16, an alarm display indicating that the printing is stopped due to a data error in the margin of the paper is performed. .

FIG. 2 shows an example of printing a display indicating that printing has been stopped due to the data abnormality. That is, the print image 12 written on the paper 11 is interrupted at the data break point 13 on the way, and the alarm display print 14 having a predetermined content is printed in the following margin.

The process proceeds to step S17 to discharge the sheet on which the printing of the alarm display has been completed, and proceeds to step S18 to display a data error on the liquid crystal display unit B32, and to sound a warning sound with the buzzer B31.

In step S19, the operator performs a recovery operation. At this time, the operator recognizes the abnormality by an alarm displayed on the discharged paper, and further displays the cause of the error by displaying the liquid crystal display B32. Is a data error. Therefore, in the above-described recovery operation, operations such as cable check and repair are performed.

If the process proceeds to step S20 to perform printing again, the process returns to step S11 to restart the print instruction. To end the printing process, the user instructs to end the printing job.

Referring to FIG. 6, an operation flow according to still another embodiment of the present invention will be described. The symbols used in the description of each step are based on FIG.

In step S21, the printer B01 receives a print instruction from the host B05, and starts receiving print data.

In step S22, the printing paper specified by the host device is taken out of the paper tray and transported.

In step S23, the control unit B23 outputs the image data stored in the image buffer B24 to the printing unit B3.
4 to start printing.

If the transfer data is interrupted in the middle of the printing in step S24, the flow advances to step S25 to stop the printing, and in step S26 it is checked whether or not a margin of a predetermined size remains on the paper. If the remaining is confirmed, the flow advances to step S27 to print an alarm display indicating that printing has been stopped due to data abnormality in the margin of the sheet.

The flow advances to step S28 to discharge the sheet on which the printing of the alarm display has been completed, and the flow advances to step S29 to display a data error on the liquid crystal display section B32, and to sound a warning sound with the buzzer B31.

In step S30, the operator performs a recovery operation. At this time, the operator recognizes the abnormality by an alarm displayed on the discharged sheet, and furthermore, causes the error to be displayed on the liquid crystal display B32. Is a data error. Therefore, in the above-described recovery operation, operations such as cable check and repair are performed.

Further, the printed portion on which the above-mentioned alarm display is described is easily noticeable due to the margin, so that the operator can easily recognize the above-mentioned alarm display.

If no margin of a predetermined size remains on the paper in step S26, the flow advances to step S35 to stop the transportation of the paper.

In step S36, an alarm is displayed on the liquid crystal display section B32, and the buzzer B31 is sounded.

In this step, since the printer apparatus keeps the paper jam state, the operator has to remove the jammed paper. Can be recognized as a data error, leading to an operation of checking a cable or the like.

In step S30, the operator performs recovery operations such as repairing and checking the connection cable together with the removal of jammed paper, and if the flow proceeds to step S31 to perform printing again, the flow returns to step S21 to resume the print instruction. To end the printing process, the user instructs to end the printing job.

[0070]

According to the present invention, the following effects can be expected.

1) When the printer device stops the printing operation due to a data error during the execution of the printing operation in accordance with the instruction of the connected host device, the printer device does not discharge the paper in the middle of printing. The transport operation is stopped as it is, and an alarm is displayed on the display unit or the buzzer of the apparatus.

By taking this measure, the paper in the middle of printing stays in the paper transport path of the printer device, and the printer device needs to perform a paper jam recovery process. It is possible to confirm the state of the printer device and obtain an effect that an abnormality due to a data error can be easily found.

2) Alternatively, the printer device discharges the sheet after printing an alarm display in a margin pattern of the sheet in the middle of printing due to the abnormal termination in a prepared pattern, and discharges the sheet. Alternatively, an alarm is displayed by a buzzer or the like.

By adopting this means, an alarm display is printed in the margin of a sheet whose printing has been interrupted due to a data abnormality to clearly indicate that the sheet has been abnormally terminated. It has the effect of being discoverable.

3) Alternatively, if the area where printing has been performed on the paper in the middle of printing due to the abnormal termination does not reach the predetermined size, the printer device may use a previously prepared pattern in the margin. After printing the alarm display, discharge the paper and execute the alarm display on the display or buzzer of the device.If it is confirmed that the area where printing has been performed reaches the preset size, The printer device does not discharge the paper in the middle of printing, stops the transport operation as it is, and displays an alarm on a display unit or a buzzer of the device.

By adopting this means, if the paper whose printing is interrupted due to data abnormality has a margin for printing an alarm display in the margin, the alarm display is performed, so that the alarm display is conspicuous and the margin is small. In such a case, the sheet is stopped during the conveyance and the jammed state is revealed, so that the printer needs to perform a paper jam recovery process. It is possible to confirm the status and easily find an abnormality due to a data error.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a mechanism of a printer device.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram based on a printout example of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a processing block diagram.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart (1) according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart (2) according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart (3) according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart according to a conventional technique.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of a print output example according to the related art.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1: Printer device 3: Paper 13: Alarm display printing

Claims (3)

[Claims] In a control method of a printer device for performing print output in accordance with an instruction of a connected host device, when the print data transferred from the host device is interrupted during a printing operation, the transport of the sheet (3) is stopped. A printer control method characterized in that an operator is informed of an abnormality in print data by setting the printer (1) in a paper jam state. 2. A method of controlling a printer device for performing print output in accordance with an instruction from a connected host device, wherein when print data transferred from the host device is interrupted during the printing operation, the printing operation is stopped and the printing is simultaneously performed. A method for controlling a printer device, characterized in that an alarm display printing (13) is performed on a blank portion of a sheet (3) provided to inform an operator of an abnormality of print data. 3. A control method for a printer device for performing print output in accordance with an instruction from a connected host device, wherein printing is performed when print data transferred from the host device is interrupted during a printing operation. Is checked, and if the margin of the paper (3) is less than a predetermined amount, the conveyance of the paper (3) is stopped. If the margin exceeds the predetermined amount, the paper is stopped. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein an alarm display printing (13) is performed in a margin portion of (3) to notify an operator of the abnormality of the print data.