JPH11254787A - Color printer apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To securely preclude illegal image data from being printed in the case where another printer controller having no functions to recognize illegal image data is connected to printer engine on purpose. SOLUTION: The printer controller 100 and printer engine 200, when an electric source is put on, at first, serve to check the presence absence of a connection board respectively, and when a connection board is present, an ID is charged which is stored preliminarily in nonvolatile memories 104, 204. When the ID is changed, the checking operation is done, and when it is OK, the procedure is completed normally. In respective cases of having no connection board, no ID changed, and no ID identified, each deals with errors to subsequently stop the apparatus.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a color printer device for preventing printing of illegal image data such as banknotes, and more particularly to a printer controller having a function of recognizing illegal image data, and an image data transferred from the printer controller. A color printer device constituted by a printer engine for printing is used.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a color printer of this type, for example, as shown in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 7-23218, input image data is compared with illegal image data such as banknotes stored in a built-in memory in advance and matched. In such a case, a method of filling a color image of input image data with black has been proposed.

[0003]

In the above-described method, the recognition function and the large-capacity image memory are required to recognize the illegal image data. Is usually not mounted on the printer engine, but mounted on the printer controller.
Therefore, if another printer controller having no function of recognizing illegal copy image data is intentionally connected to the printer engine, there is a problem that printing of the illegal image data cannot be prevented.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, the present invention reliably prevents printing of illegal image data when another printer controller having no function of recognizing illegal image data is intentionally connected to the printer engine. It is an object of the present invention to provide a color printer device capable of performing the above.

[0005]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a color printer having a printer controller for recognizing illegal image data and a printer engine for printing the image data transferred from the printer controller. In the apparatus, the printer controller and the printer engine exchange pre-stored self and partner ID information and perform normal printing when they match,
It is characterized in that printing is not performed when they do not match.

The second means is that, in the first means, the printer controller and the printer engine exchange pre-stored self and partner ID information in a predetermined procedure,
It is characterized in that printing is performed normally when replacement can be performed in a predetermined procedure, and printing is not performed when replacement cannot be performed.

[0007]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a color printer according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing processing of the color printer of FIG.

In FIG. 1, image data is sent from a host computer 1 to a printer engine 200 via a printer controller 100 and is printed by the printer engine 200. Printer controller 1
00 is a CPU 101, a ROM 102, and a RAM 103
, Nonvolatile memory 104, engine I / F 105
, Illegal data recognition unit 106 and host I / F 1
07 and an operation unit 108.

The ROM 102 has a controller 100
The CPU 103 stores a control program and font data. The RAM 103 stores print data transferred from the host computer 1 and image data (font data) converted from the print data.
Used as a work area of the PU 101. The operation unit 108 has a display for displaying the status of the printer and an operation instruction switch. The engine I / F 105 exchanges commands with the printer engine 200 and transfers image data. The nonvolatile memory 104 previously stores ID information of the printer controller 100 and the printer engine 200 and user setting information for the printer.

The print data transferred from the host computer 1 to the printer controller 100 is stored in the RAM 103 via the host I / F 107,
It is converted to image data on M103. This image data is judged by the illegal data recognition unit 106 as to whether or not it is illegal data. If the image data is not illegal data, the engine I / F
The data is transferred to the printer engine 200 via the network 105.

The printer engine 200 has a CPU 201
, A ROM 202, a RAM 203, a nonvolatile memory 204, a controller I / F 205, an LDU (laser writing unit) 206, and an I / O 207.
The ROM 202 has a printer engine 200 (CPU
The control program 201) is stored, and the RAM 303 is used as a work area or the like of the CPU 101. The nonvolatile memory 204 stores in advance each ID information of the printer engine 200 and the printer controller 100 and data (register position and the like) unique to the printer engine 200. The I / O 207 is configured by a driver such as a motor, a solenoid, and a clutch and a buffer such as a sensor.
The image data transferred from the printer controller 100 to the printer engine 200 is transferred to the LDU 206 and printed on paper.

Referring to FIG. 2, the printer controller 10
When the power is turned on (step S1), the printer engine 200 first checks the presence or absence of a connection board (step S2). If there is a connection board, the printer engine 200 is stored in the nonvolatile memories 104 and 204 in advance. ID
Are exchanged (step S3). When the ID is exchanged, the ID is checked (step S4).
In the case of K, this processing ends normally.

On the other hand, if there is no connection board in step S2, if the ID cannot be exchanged in step S3, or if the ID does not match in step S4, error processing is performed (step S6), and It is stopped (step S7). At this time, if the operation unit 108 can display an error, the printer controller 100 displays the error.

[0014]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the printer controller and the printer engine exchange pre-stored ID information of their own and the other party, and if they match, print normally. Printing is not performed if they do not match, so if another printer controller that does not have the function to recognize illegal image data is intentionally connected to the printer engine, the printing of illegal image data is reliably prevented. can do.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the printer controller and the printer engine exchange pre-stored ID information of their own and the other party in a predetermined procedure, and can exchange the ID information in a predetermined procedure. If the printer controller that does not have the function to recognize illegal image data is intentionally connected to the printer engine, the illegal image data will be printed. Can be reliably prevented.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of a color printer according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating processing of the color printer device of FIG. 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 100 Printer controller 101, 201 CPU 104, 204 Non-volatile memory 105 Engine I / F 106 Illegal data recognition unit 200 Printer engine 205 Controller I / F

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A color printer having a printer controller for recognizing illegal image data, and a printer engine for printing image data transferred from the printer controller, wherein the printer controller and the printer engine have their own memory and A color printer device which exchanges ID information of a partner and normally prints when the ID information matches, and does not print when the ID information does not match. 2. The printer controller and the printer engine exchange pre-stored self and partner ID information according to a predetermined procedure, and perform normal printing when the ID information can be exchanged according to a predetermined procedure. 2. The color printer according to claim 1, wherein printing is not performed when the printing is not completed.