JPS60220771A - Picture-area memory switching controlling system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To effectively utilize picture-area memories by providing a picture-area memory processor by which to perform the division of a buffer and a picture- area memory by size information of output paper, developmental processing for the picture-area memory, and parallel processing of print. CONSTITUTION:When developmental capacity of data for one printing paper to a picture-area memory is less than half of the picture-area memory, the development of data the second letter buffer 23 and pattern buffer 25 storing data for next printing as the picture-area memory 27 from the next address for the picture-area memory 26 after the ending of data development of the first letter buffer 22 and pattern buffer 24 is made in parallel with printing process of the data of the letter buffer 22 and pattern buffer 24 on the basis of control by the picture-area memory controller. The data printing of the letter buffer 23 and pattern buffer B25 is made by a printer 29 by reading out of the picture-area memory 27. Since the picture-area memories can be effectively utilized, parallel processing is made possible and the processing efficiency can be raised.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention (11) Technical Field of the Invention The present invention relates to continuous printing of paper of a size that requires less than the actual screen memory capacity A in a printer capable of printing paper of several sizes. This invention relates to a method for efficiently printing by switching screen memory when printing.

(2) Prior Art and Problems Conventionally, in the continuous printing method of a printer that has one character buffer 12 and one graphic buffer 13 (see Figure 1), the first step is to buffer the first data (character buffer 121).
Buffering to figure buffer 13), screen memory 1
4, and when the printing unit 15 starts printing, the next data is buffered, and when the printing of the first data is finished, the next data is expanded to the screen memory 14. This was the way to do it. Since printing is performed using the same method regardless of the size of paper, when printing paper of a size that requires less than the capacity of the actual screen memory, the screen memory 14 is always used.
This has the disadvantage that there is an unused area on top of the system, resulting in poor processing efficiency.

(3) Purpose of the Invention In view of the above drawbacks, the present invention provides a method for effectively using screen memory and improving printing speed when printing paper of a size that requires less than 2 screen memory capacities. The purpose is to provide

(4) Based on the configuration size information of the invention, the bassola and screen memory are divided, and the process of storing input data in the divided buffer and the process of expanding from the buffer to the screen memory are performed in parallel; This is achieved by a screen memory switching control method characterized by providing a screen memory control means for suitably parallel processing of expansion processing to the screen memory and printing.

(5) Examples of the invention Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a conventional system. In the figure, 11 is software data, 12 is a character buffer, 1
3 is a graphic buffer, 14 is a screen memory, and 15 is a printing section.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

In the figure, 2.1 is software data, 22 is character buffer A, 23 is character buffer B, 24 is graphic buffer A,
25 is a graphic buffer B, 26 is a screen memory A, 27 is a screen memory B, and 28 is a printing section A.

29 is a printing section B.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing details of a switching section of a screen memory showing an embodiment of the present invention.

In the figure, 31 is a host computer, 32 is a buffer, 3
3 is a serial interface microprocessor-13
4 is a bus, 35 is a screen memory control unit (micro processor), 36 is a memory 137 for i addresses, 38 is a j address, 39 is a data bus, 310 is a DMA controller 2311 is a screen memory, and 312 is a print unit.

FIG. 4 shows one example of a screen memory control section showing an embodiment of the present invention.
It is a figure which shows the process flow of screen and 2 screen switching control.

FIG. 5 shows one example of a screen memory control section showing an embodiment of the present invention.
It is a flowchart of line printing processing.

The present invention provides character buffer A22. B23 and figure buffer A
24. Prepare B25. If the capacity of the data for one sheet of printing paper to be developed into the screen memory is less than 2 of the screen memory capacity, the second character memory B27, which stores the data to be printed next, is used as the first character base memory B27. Character buffer 8235 Expands the data in the graphic buffer B25 under the control of the screen memory control unit 35.
This is performed in parallel with the process of printing the data stored in the 2.degree. graphic buffer A24 in the printing unit A. The data stored in the character buffer 8231 graphic buffer B25 is printed by reading it from the screen memory B and using the printing section B29. In the present invention, the soft data 21 is converted into character buffer 8.
231 graphic buffer B25 and character buffer A222 graphic buffer A24 are processed in parallel to the screen memory A26, and character buffer 8231 graphic buffer B2
5 to screen memory B27 and screen memory A2
The screen memory control unit 35 controls the printing process in parallel with the printing in the printing unit A28 of No. 6.

To explain in more detail based on FIG. 3, the host computer 3
The print data from the software (program) on 1 is transferred to the buffer 32 (including multiple character buffers and graphic buffers) by calling and executing the program of the screen memory control unit 35 stored in the memory 36. , buffering, and develops the buffered data in the screen memory 3-11 based on the paper size and information of software instructions (user instructions, not shown).

Next, the DMA controller 310 is used to develop the data into the screen memory and print it to the print unit 312. In this case, each time the screen memory control unit 35 receives an interrupt from the DMA controller 310 after the transfer of each line is completed, the microprogram shown in the flowchart of FIG. Transfer control is performed. And buffering and screen memory 31
1 to the printing unit 312 is managed by the DMA controller 312, and the data is transferred from the buffer 32 to the screen memory 31.
1 is managed by the screen memory control unit 35, so the buffering of the data and the screen memory 31
1. Data transfer from the 9-screen memory 31.1 to the printing unit 312 can be processed in parallel.

(6) As described in detail, according to the present invention, screen memory can be used effectively and parallel processing can be performed, so that processing efficiency can be improved.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a conventional system. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing details of a switching section of a screen memory showing an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 shows one example of a screen memory control section showing an embodiment of the present invention.
It is a figure which shows the process flow of screen and 2 screen switching control. FIG. 5 shows one example of a screen memory control section showing an embodiment of the present invention.
It is a flowchart of line printing processing. Explanation of symbols: 21 is soft data, 22 is character buffer A, 23 is character buffer B, 24 is graphic buffer A, 2
5 is a graphic buffer B 226 is a screen memory A, 27 is a screen memory B, and 28 is a print section A. 29 is a printing unit B, 31 is a host computer, 32 is a buffer, and 33 is a serial interface microprocessor.
134 is a bus, 35 is a screen memory control unit (switching program on the microprocessor sensor), 36 is a memory, 37 is an i address, 38 is a j address, 39 is a data bus, 3
1o is the DMA controller, 311 is the screen memory, 3
12 is the printing department.

Claims (1)

[Claims] In a system that prints input data via a buffer and screen memory, the buffer and screen memory are divided based on the size information of the output paper, and the input data is stored in the divided buffer and the screen memory is transferred from the buffer. 1. A screen memory switching control system, characterized in that a screen memory control means is provided, which performs parallel processing of development into the screen memory, and appropriately parallel processing of development into the screen memory and printing.