JPH11249834A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To extract the required data directly from a magnetic medium through a magnetic storage device built in a printer and to perform printing without inputting any data from the outside. SOLUTION: When a mode for reading print data out of a magnetic medium 7 and printing them is selected by a control panel 3 or control command, a control signal is sent to a floppy disk drive control part 6 by a print data control part 5 and displayed on a display part 8. Thus, the print data are read out of the magnetic medium 7 and printed while specifying a file name without connecting the printer to a host computer.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printer capable of printing from print data stored in magnetic storage means and storing print data in the magnetic storage means. Here, the magnetic storage means includes a magnetic storage medium and a magnetic storage device for reading from and writing to the magnetic storage medium.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Control data and print data to a printer are input from a host computer through a parallel or serial interface. Therefore, a host computer is always required when the printer performs printing.

[0003] By the way, the time required for printing hardly requires the host computer to perform any mechanical operation, whereas the printer performs data processing for actually printing the data received from the host computer. Since printing is performed by mechanical operation, most of the printing is consumed by the printer.

In addition, on a single-task OS that is currently widely used, most of application software is inefficient because the host computer cannot perform other processing when sending data to the printer.

As a remedy, a printer spooler is provided on the host computer side to temporarily store print data to reduce the time. However, the printer spooler depends on the hardware configuration of the host side. there is nothing to do.

On the other hand, the print data sent from the host computer disappears when printing is completed, and the same print data must be transmitted from the host computer again to print the same print again.

[0007]

The problem to be solved is that when printing is performed by the printer, required print data must be input from the outside by a host computer, and once the data is input from the outside. That is, the print data disappears when printing is completed.

[0008]

According to the present invention, in order to solve such a problem, a magnetic storage device comprising a magnetic storage device and a magnetic storage medium is incorporated in the printer.

[0009]

The print data is read out from the magnetic storage device built in the printer by making settings on the operation panel, or a control command is sent from the host computer, and printed, or a parallel interface, serial interface, or floppy disk is externally provided. The input source of the print data is selected by selecting whether to write the data sent through the disk drive interface to the magnetic medium.

If no setting is made, the same operation as a normal printer is performed, and printing is performed using data sent from the host computer. At this time, the data sent from the host computer is not stored.

When print data is taken out of the magnetic medium and printed, the file name displayed on the display unit is selected on the operation panel or written in the same medium by sending a control command from the host computer. An arbitrary file can be selected from the data files stored in the file.

On the other hand, when print data is stored in a magnetic medium, a printer recognizes a file name and the end of a series of print data by sending a control command from a host computer, and writes and stores the print data in the medium.

[0013]

FIG. 1 is a perspective sectional view of a device according to the present invention.

Since the magnetic storage device 2 is built in the printer 1 as described above, in addition to the data input from the host computer as in the conventional case, the mode can be selected by the operation panel 3 or a control command is sent from the host computer. Thereby, the printer can read the data from the magnetic medium and perform printing independently.

FIG. 2 is an internal block diagram showing the operation panel 3.
When the print data is read from the magnetic medium 7 and the mode for printing is selected, a control signal is output to the data bus 3a, the print data control unit 5 enables the data bus 5a, and the floppy disk drive control unit 6 A control signal for requesting reading of a file name stored in the medium 7 is output to the data bus 5b.

The floppy disk drive control unit 6
The data of the file name read from the magnetic medium 7 is sent to the print data control unit 5 through the data bus 5a and displayed on the display unit 8. Thereafter, the above process is repeated until the target file name is displayed, and the file name is displayed. The target file name is displayed and the operation panel 3
When print execution is selected in, the print data control unit 5
A control signal for requesting print data is output to the data bus 5b.

The floppy disk drive control unit 6
When a print data request signal is received, print data is read from the magnetic medium 7 through the data bus 6a, and the data is sent to the print data control unit 5 through the data bus 5a. The print data received by the print data control unit 5 is sent to the printing unit 9 through the data bus 5c.
Thereafter, processing similar to that of a normal printer is performed, and printing is performed.

Similarly, when a mode in which print data input from the host computer is printed and stored in the magnetic medium is selected by the operation panel 3, a control signal is output to the data bus 3a. The print data control unit 5 having received the request requests the floppy disk drive control unit 6 to prepare for writing to the magnetic medium 7, and the floppy disk drive control unit 6
However, when the preparation is completed, a signal is sent to the data bus 6c to inform that the preparation is completed. When the print data control unit 5 receives this signal, it outputs a control signal to the selected parallel interface 10 or serial interface 11 through the data bus 5d.

When print data is sent from the host computer, it is received by the parallel interface 10 or the serial interface 11 and output to the data bus 10a or the data bus 11a, respectively. The name or print data is determined, and in the case of a file name, it is sent to the floppy disk drive control unit 6 through the data bus 5a and written to the magnetic medium 7.

Next, in the case of print data, when the print data is received by the print data control unit 5, it is first sent to the floppy disk drive control unit 6 and written to the magnetic medium 7 for each processing unit. 6c
Is output to the printing unit 9 via the data bus 5c and printed.

When each of the above processing modes is selected by sending a control command from the host computer,
When the print data control unit 5 receives a control command received by the parallel interface 10 or the serial interface 11, the print data control unit 5 interprets the command, and thereafter, the operation panel performs the same processing as when each processing mode is selected.

However, as to which file in the magnetic medium 7 is to be used for printing, the control command sent from the host computer is interpreted by the print data controller 5 and the data bus is sent to the floppy disk drive controller 6. By sending a control signal through 5b and then sending a file name through the data bus 5a, the floppy disk drive control unit 6 searches the magnetic medium 7 for a corresponding file.

The subsequent processing is the same as the processing by the operation panel 3.

When used as an external magnetic storage device of the host computer, the mode is selected by the operation panel 3 so that the floppy disk drive interface 12 receives control signals and data sent from the host computer and controls the operation. In the case of a signal, the data is sent to the floppy disk drive control unit 6 through the data bus 6d and the data bus 6e, and the write or read processing for the magnetic medium 7 is performed through the data bus 6b.

[0025]

According to the present invention, a printer with magnetic storage means is provided.
By inserting a magnetic medium into a magnetic storage device built into the printer and calling out data necessary for the printer to perform printing from the magnetic medium, it is possible to perform only processing inside the printer without data input from a host computer. A desired print result can be obtained.

Therefore, the waiting time for transmitting the print data of the host computer is eliminated, and the operation efficiency of the host computer can be expected to be improved.

Furthermore, there is no need to start the host computer just to cause the printer to perform printing.

When printing input data via an external parallel and serial interface, the print data is stored on a magnetic medium at the same time. The user can perform all the processing inside the printer and obtain a desired print result without the need for inputting the same.

Once the print data has been stored in the magnetic medium, no processing by the host computer is required, so that the host computer can perform other processing while the printer is performing printing. Becomes

When printing is not performed, the magnetic storage device in the printer can be used as an external magnetic storage device of the host computer.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective sectional view of a printer according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of an internal block diagram of the printer of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Printer housing 2 Magnetic storage device 3 Operation panel 5 Print data control part 6 Floppy disk drive control part 7 Magnetic medium 8 Display part 9 Printing part 10 Parallel interface 11 Serial interface 12 Floppy disk drive interface

Claims (10)

[Claims] A magnetic storage unit configured to store print data; a print data control unit configured to read print data from the magnetic storage unit; and a print unit configured to perform printing based on the read print data. Printer. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an interface unit for connecting to a host computer, wherein the print data control unit is configured to be able to store the print data input from the interface unit in the magnetic storage unit. The printer according to 1. 3. The print data control means can display each file name corresponding to a plurality of print data stored in the magnetic storage means on the display means. The printer according to claim 1. 4. The printer according to claim 3, further comprising an operation panel, wherein one of the file names displayed on said display means can be selected on said operation panel. 5. The printer according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of said magnetic storage means is detachable. 6. The printer according to claim 1, wherein said magnetic storage means also functions as an external magnetic storage means of said host computer. 7. A printer having at least a first mode for printing print data received from a host computer via an interface means, and a second mode for reading and printing print data from a magnetic storage means. 8. A printer having a third mode for printing print data received from a host computer via an interface means and storing the print data in the magnetic storage means. 9. The printer according to claim 7, wherein said mode can be selected by an operation panel. 10. A printer having magnetic storage means, wherein said magnetic storage means functions as external magnetic storage means of a host computer.