JPS59226564A - Letter generating device for polychromic printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To simplify the device by supplying plural kinds of printing patterns corresponding to colors generated from only one printing pattern generating device at timing conforming to the distance between the positions of photosensitive drums for each color tone. CONSTITUTION:Printing data corresponding to all necessary color tones are stored beforehand in a page buffer 41, and printing pattern corresponding to the first color is written in output buffers 45,46, and printing pattern corresponding to the second color is written in output buffers 47,48 according to the instruction of color designation data of a mapping processor 43. When writing of data of one scan line is completed, data of output buffers 45,46 are read out synchronizing with timing signal of a sequence controlling circuit 49, and sent to a scanner 14. On the other hand, printing pattern data corresponding to the second color tone are sent to a delay memory 50. The delay memory 50 series/parallel converts 51 and writes them in an FIFO memory 52. Data written in the FIFO memory 52 are sent to a scanner 24 for the second color responding to delay timing signal corresponding to the second color tone.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION <Field of Application> The present invention relates to a character generating device for a multicolor printer, and in particular, it is provided with a plurality of sets of photosensitive drum devices that form images by raster scanning, and a plurality of different The present invention relates to a character generating device for a multicolor printer that prints in different colors.

<<Prior Art> Electrophotographic printers have been known as printing devices for computer output. Among them, two different
FIG. 1 shows an outline of a printer device for color printing.

Along the recording paper conveyance path 30, two print transfer sections 10, 2
0 is placed. Each print transfer section 10.

20 is a photosensitive drum 11.2L developing device 12;

22, transfer corotron 13.23 and optical scanner 14. , 24.

The recording paper stored in the paper tray 31 is conveyed along the recording paper conveyance path 30, and the recording paper is transported to the photosensitive drum 11.2.
When the #1 page star 1 signal reaches the scheduled position on the 1L side of #1, the #1 page star 1 signal is supplied to the print transfer unit 10, and the optical scanner 14 starts exposing the photosensitive drum 11.

As is well known, for example, in the print transfer section 10, a laser beam generator, a laser beam focusing/deflecting device, and a #1 video signal or print pattern signal of the laser beam are installed in the optical scanner 14. #1 Video A
This is done by modulating its intensity with the signal.

As a result, an electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 11 in accordance with the #1 video signal. After that, the developing device 12
Development is performed using a toner of a desired first color tone (for example, black), and then this image is transferred onto a recording sheet by a transfer corotron 13.

Through the same procedure, the print transfer unit 20 receives the second color tone (for example, red) based on the #2 video signal.
The image is transferred to the printer, and the transferred image is fixed to the recording paper in the fixing device 32.

The recording sheets onto which the two-color toner images have been transferred and fixed in the manner described above are stacked in the stacker 33.

In this case, since the two-color images of the first and second tones are stored on the respective photosensitive drums 11.21, the two optical skinners 14.24 are loaded with the images of the first and second tones, respectively. Naturally, a corresponding video signal is provided.

Timing for providing video signals - scan start signal SSS and page star 1 to signal PS
An example of S is shown in Figure 2.

As is clear from this figure, two print transfer sections 10, 2
Since the video signals of each color tone are written to separate photosensitive drums 11 and 21 by 0, the writing timings of the video signals corresponding to the two color tones corresponding to the same page are different. .

That is, #1 and #2 on the same page in Figure 2
The difference t in the rise time of the page star h signal PSS is the first
There is something determined depending on the distance between the two photosensitive drums 11.21 in the figure.

As mentioned above, in order to write video A' signals of different tones, for example, black and red, at two different timings, or in other words, with a scheduled time lag, conventionally, black and red Separate print pattern generators were used for each individual image.

An example of a conventional print pattern generating device is shown in FIG. As mentioned above, the printing pattern generating device is provided individually (exclusively) for each of the optical skis 14 and 24, but since their configurations are exactly the same, only one printing pattern generator is provided here. Only a printing pattern generator for one color, for example, black, will be illustrated and described.

In the page buffer 41, by a commonly known method,
The video signal that corresponds to the characters (images) to be printed in black (generally, a specified color) in the image of the page you are about to print is transferred from the browser (not shown) and stored. ing.

In this case, the video signal, that is, the print data consists of a character code and color designation data.

The print data stored in the page buffer 41 is taken out line by line and put into the line buffer 42. The mapping processor 43 extracts data one character at a time from the line buffer 42, calculates the address of the font mark 44, and calculates the print position t1.

The printing pattern read from the font memory 44 according to the instructions of the mapping processor 43 is
? a pair of alarm input buffers 4 with a capacity of 1 for each operation;
5.46 to the corresponding location.

Output buffer 45. /16 is switch 81.
By switching 82, writing and reading are performed alternately, and read data is transferred to the optical scanner 14 as a bidet 71 signal.

Note that the page buffer 41, line buffer 42, mapping processor 43, and font memory 44 as described above
, and output 1-buffer j' 45, 46 and their timings are controlled by a sequence control circuit 49.

That is, as is well known, the sequence control circuit 49 outputs the page star mill signal #1-PSS and the skip 1? It receives the start signal #1-8SS and generates a signal for controlling the operation timing of each of the above-mentioned units.

As is clear from the above, conventional character generators for multicolor printers are equipped with multiple print pattern generators redundantly, the number of which corresponds to the number of tones to be used, and each print pattern is generated. The device is configured to handle only data corresponding to a specific color, in other words, to supply dot patterns for each skin of a specific color to the corresponding scanner, making the device complex. ,
This has the disadvantage that it is not only expensive, but also increases the number of parts and reduces reliability.

(Objective) The present invention has been made in order to eliminate the disadvantages of (4) above (e), and its purpose is to provide a video signal for multicolor printing using only one printing pattern generator. That is, an object of the present invention is to provide a character generation device for a multicolor printer that can generate a print pattern.

(Summary) In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention eliminates the time lag (t in FIG. 2) of printing operations due to multiple color tones when printing with a multicolor printer, that is, the time difference between each color tone. J that can supply multiple types of video signals corresponding to each color at timings that match the distance between the placement positions of the photosensitive drums 11 for color tone.
: It is characterized by the fact that it is sea urchin.

More specifically, the present invention utilizes a common printing pattern generating device (page buffer, line buffer, mapping (consisting of a processor, font memory, etc.), the printing dot patterns corresponding to the first color tone are generated at the same time and at the same time, and the dot patterns corresponding to the second and subsequent color tones are generated once each with a predetermined delay time. The data is stored in a delay storage section having a IF data, and is later read out at a necessary timing, converted into serial data, and sent to the optical scanner of the corresponding print transfer section.

(Example) The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of one embodiment of the present invention.

In this figure, the same reference numerals as in FIG. 3 represent the same or equivalent parts.

Furthermore, although this embodiment applies the present invention to a character generating device for a two-color printer, as will be clear from the explanation below, the present invention is applicable to a character generating device for a multi-color printer using three or more colors. It is also applicable.

In FIG. 4, the page buffer 41 contains one page's worth of complete printing or print data (color designation data and character codes necessary for printing each color tone) from a printer 4j (not shown). is stored.

As in the case of the conventional example, the print data stored in the page buffer 41 is taken out line by line, and is transferred to the line buffer 42.
can be placed in The mapping printer 43 takes out data one character at a time from the row buffer 142, and calculates the address of the font memory 4/I and the printing position.

According to the instructions of the mapping processor 43, the print pattern read from the print memory 44 is 1st 4=
The capacity for -b is written to the corresponding position of each -h of two pairs of buffers 45.46 and 47.48.

However, in this case, the page buffer 41 stores print data (color specification data and character codes) corresponding to all the necessary color tones, so the first The print pattern corresponding to the color is stored in the output buffer 45 or 46, and the print pattern corresponding to the second color is stored in the output buffer 47 or 48.

When the data of one scan line has been transferred to the output buffer 145 in synchronization with the timing signal from the sequence control circuit 49.
or 46 (45 in the state shown in Figure 4) is read out and becomes a video signal or print pattern.
Sent to 7 puzu 4.

7'J s Output buffer 47 or 48 (4th
In the state shown in the figure, the print pattern data corresponding to the second color tone stored in 47) is stored in the output buffer 45.
They are read out at the same time and sent to the delay recording section 50.

In the delay storage unit 50, the shift 1 register 51 converts the direct 511 data transferred from the output baratuno 47 into parallel Wll data, and stores it as FXFO (First ■
n F 1rst Qut) Stored in the memory 52.

The print pattern corresponding to the second color tone written in the FIFO memory 52 is a delay timing signal (1, #2-1) corresponding to the second color tone.
2' 888) Ni response F, L-U scene a
In synchronization with a control signal generated from the illfill' circuit 54, the data is converted into serial data by the shift register 53, and then sent to the scanner 24 for the first color.

As a result, the print transfer section 20 executes printing in the second color tone.

The above describes an example in which the present invention is applied to a two-color printer, but what about the output buffer? It is clear that the present invention can be applied to printers with three or more colors by adding a set of the output buffer 7 corresponding to /I7°48 and the storage section 50.

(Effects) As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention, the following effects are achieved.

(1) Page buffer 4 of print pattern generation section 40
11 line buffer/I2. Since the mapping processor 43, font memory 44, etc. can be used in common to generate print patterns of two or more colors, the structure of the print pattern generation section can be simplified and reliability can be increased accordingly. , manufacturing costs can be reduced.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the printing section of a general two-color printer, Fig. 2 is a waveform diagram to explain the printing timing in the two-color printer, and Fig. 3 is a conventional multi-color printer. A block diagram showing the configuration of one color of the printing pattern generation device■,
FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a print pattern generator according to an embodiment of the present invention. 10.20...Print transfer section, 11.21...Photosensitive drum, 12.22...Developer, 13.23...Transfer corotron, 14.24...Optical scanner, 30.
... Recording paper conveyance path, 32 ... Fixing device, 40 ... Print pattern generation section, 41 ... Page buffer, 42 ...
- Row buffer, 43... Mapping processor, 44
... Font memory, 45-48 ... Output buffer, 49.54 ... Sequence control circuit, 50
...Delay storage unit, 51.53...Shift register,
52...FIFO memory agent Michito Hiraki and 1 other person

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A plurality of print transfer sections are arranged in order at intervals along the recording paper conveyance path, and each print transfer section includes at least a photosensitive drum, a developing device, a transfer corotron, an optical scanner, each optical skiller is supplied with a print pattern signal corresponding to a corresponding color tone, and forms an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum based on the print pattern signal. The character generator is a character generator that includes a line buffer that temporarily stores one line's worth of character code and color specification data, a font memory, and a font memory that reads data for each character from the line buffer and that corresponds to the read character. a mapping processor that exclusively uses the upper address and print position and generates a print pattern signal for each scan for each color tone;
a plurality of output buffers that temporarily store print pattern signals for 17 scans for each color tone output from the mapping processor; and a first print transfer section located at the most upstream position along the recording paper conveyance path. at least one FIFO memory that stores data stored in at least one output buffer other than the output buffer that temporarily stores the print pattern signal to be supplied to the first print transfer section; and a print pattern to be supplied to the first print transfer section. Timing signal generating means outputs the contents of the output buffer in which the signals are temporarily stored to the optical scanner of the first print transfer section, and the timing signal generation means outputs the contents of the FIFO memory by a scheduled time to the optical scanner of the corresponding print transfer section. 1. A character generating device for a multicolor printer, comprising at least one delay timing signal generating means for outputting to a scanner. (2) The patented multi-color printer characterized in that the delay time is determined in advance depending on the distance from the first print transfer section to the print transfer section for the corresponding color tone measured along the recording paper conveyance path. character generator.