JPS61106264A - Figure output controller - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To ensure that font ROM cartridges with various data configurations can be used in common as far as the mechanical and electrical structures accord, by a method wherein when a font ROM cartridge with a different data configuration is used, the data configuration is converted into one conforming to a printer, thereby forming a figure pattern. CONSTITUTION:When a font cartridge ROM200 is connected to a connector 208, a CPU104 makes access to a font index table 320, and checks whether or not the data configuration of the table 320 conforms to a standard configuration of a main device. When the data configuration does not conform to the standard configuration, the CPU104 checks whether or not an auxiliary RAM110 has a vacant area, and when the RAM110 has no vacant area, the CPU104 judges that the ROM200 can not be used. When the RAM110 has a vacant area, the CPU104 makes access to the table 320, and judges the type of data configuration. The CPU104 makes access to a figure pattern storage area 324 in accordance with a character address table 322, and reads figure pattern data into the RAM110 with data configuration according to the type judged.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] Technical field The present invention relates to a graphic output control device, and more particularly to a graphic output control device.

The present invention relates to a graphic output control device that is interposed between a host machine and a graphic output device such as a printer or a display, and that controls the graphic output device based on data received from the host machine.

In the conventional graphic output device, a graphic to be output, such as a character or a symbol, is stored in a ROM as a dot pattern in a dot matrix configuration, and a corresponding dot pattern is retrieved according to the data received from the host a, and the graphic is output. There is something to send to the control device. Here, "figure" shall be interpreted in a broad sense, including characters, symbols, etc.

The ROII+ in which this dot pattern is stored, that is, the so-called font memory, has a cartridge configuration and is advantageously attached to a graphic output control device in a removable manner, since it is possible to selectively use types of character fonts.

However, in conventional devices, the mechanical and electrical configurations of the font ROM cartridges often differ; even if they are the same, the dot pattern data stored in the font ROM has a data format that depends on the printer model. That is, they often differ depending on the type, control method, performance, etc. (1) Usually, there is no compatibility between different models.

Therefore, suppliers and users of these devices may find it difficult to manage and operate the ROM.

For example, laser printers have particularly high pixel density,
Many of them have fast data transfer speeds, and for this reason, various improvements are often made to the structure and reading method of font data. Therefore, while maintaining compatibility with those various specifications, It is difficult to create a series.

Further, even in various types of printers such as wire dot, thermal, and inkjet printers, printers with high pixel densities are often required to form multiple types of fonts. Having all those fonts built into the printer device is
The device configuration becomes complicated and the initial price also increases. Therefore, it is strongly required that the font RQ)I cartridge be able to be widely shared.

An object of the present invention is to overcome the drawbacks of the prior art and provide a graphic output control device that can share various font roll cartridges.

1-1 In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is provided with a first storage means that stores data of dot patterns forming characters, which is removably installed, and which receives character information specifying a character and stores data on dot patterns forming characters. A graphic output control device having a control means for reading corresponding dot pattern data stored in the means and outputting it to the graphic output device has a second storage means for storing the dot pattern data, and the first storage means has a second storage means for storing the dot pattern data. , includes identification information for identifying the structure of the dot pattern data stored in the first storage means, and the control means reads the identification information to determine whether the structure of the dot pattern data stored in the first storage means is graphic. When it is determined that the dot pattern data is not compatible with the output device, the dot pattern data is converted into dot pattern data with a data configuration compatible with the graphic output device according to the identification information, and the converted dot pattern data is stored in the second storage means. , and when receiving character information, the second
The apparatus is characterized in that the corresponding converted dot pattern data is read out from the storage means and outputted to the graphic output device. Hereinafter, a detailed explanation will be given based on one embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown an embodiment in which a graphic output control device according to the present invention is applied to a printer. This embodiment basically consists of a printer system A 9100 and a font cartridge Ro 11200. In this embodiment, the printer control device 1100 is connected between a host machine 202 as a computer and a printer engine 204 as a print head driving section of the printer. The font cartridge ROM200 is connected to connector 2 as shown in 1
08 and the corresponding connector 2 of the control device 11100
It is possible to engage with 08. This achieves an electrical and mechanical connection between the two.

The printer-based W device IQG has a system bus 102 as shown in the figure, and a CPU 104 . Program ROM 108. 108. to font RO. Auxiliary RAM
+10. Buffer memory 112. Video Yatsufa 114
．． A host interface 11B, an engine interface 118, and a path buffer +20 are connected.

Pass buffer 120 is connected to connector 208.

CPt1104 IT Control Unit M100e is a processing unit that oversees and controls the control, and a microprocessor is advantageously used. The control program and fixed data used for it are
Program RO) 110B.

FontRO)! Reference numeral 108 stores graphic pattern data of character fonts that are always used as a firmware. Desired font cartridges can be selectively installed in the font cartridge Roll 200. For example, fonts in which fonts not stored in the font ROM 108 are fixedly stored can be used as needed.

Auxiliary RA)! 110 is used for various purposes such as a work area for realizing the functions of the control device 100. For example, graphic patterns from the host machine 202 can be temporarily stored and held, and used as a new font. Further, the form data received from the host machine 202 can be temporarily stored and held, and can be used repeatedly. Furthermore, graphic data received from the host machine 202 can be temporarily stored and held, and used for image printing. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the configuration of font data read from the font cartridge ROM 200 can be converted into a data configuration suitable for this apparatus and held, and this can be used as a new font. This will be explained in detail later.

The buffer memory 112 is a buffer in which data including character codes input from the host a 202 is temporarily stored. The storage capacity is at least equivalent to the printing unit of the printer engine 204, for example, 1 in the case of a page printer.
This is for one page, or for serial printers and line printers, it is for 1 printability.

The video buffer 114 is a temporary storage device in which graphic pattern data to be printed out by a printer is temporarily stored. The storage capacity may be, for example, one page in a page printer, but it is preferable to arrange a plurality of units of video buffers 114 in parallel and alternately repeat the output operation to the printer engine 204 and the development of pattern data. The same applies to serial printers and line printers.

The control bag 51100 is interfaced with the host a202 by the host interface 118, and data and control signals are exchanged between the two. The printer engine 204 is also interfaced with an engine interface 118, which has a control function of reading the state of the engine 204 and controlling the execution of printing.

A path buffer 120 is interposed between the connector 20 and the bus 102 and includes a font cartridge RO1l+, 200
This is a buffer device that temporarily stores address and font data.

The graphic output control device of this embodiment, which forms a graphic including characters using dots and prints it on the printer, converts the character code received from the host machine 202 into a corresponding graphic pattern, and synchronizes it with the printer engine 204. Form a figure on recording paper. Of course, the graphic dot pattern data is not necessarily output directly to a printer, but may be transmitted to another station via a transmission path as necessary.

Explain the operation. When data is received from the host a 202 via the host interface 11B, if the data includes a character code, print position information and font type information are added and stored in the buffer memory 112. Data for the aforementioned print unit of the printer engine 204 is accumulated in the buffer memory 112 and the CPU 1
04 is 7 off) Accesses the ROM 108 and, if necessary, the font cartridge ROM 20G, extracts the graphic dot pattern data of the specified font corresponding to those character codes, and transfers this in block form to the video buffer 114. ,accumulate. This block transfer is repeated for the total number of characters to be printed.

The graphic pattern data stored in the video buffer 114 is sequentially read out under the control of the engine interface 118, transferred to the printer engine 204, and printed out as characters to the printer.

By the way, the graphic pattern data applicable to the font cartridge RO as 20G can have various data configurations. The WA information of the data structure includes the order in which pattern data is stored in the phono RO determined by each printing method, the rotational state of the graphic pattern, the unit configuration of the phono ROM (piece a), and the like.

For example, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the graphic pattern constituting one character is a rectangular area 30 indicating dots (pixels) in the main scanning H direction and the sub scanning V direction on the recording paper.
Consists of 0 bit data, phono for each character)
It is stored in the ROM 108 and the font cartridge ROM 200.

In the "band scanning type" shown in FIG. 2, the rectangular area 300 is a data format having a width of one bit in the main scanning H direction and a length of multiple dots in the sub scanning V direction. is read in the direction of In this embodiment, the length in the V direction is, for example, 8 bits (type 4) up to 32 bits (type IV) in 8 bit units.
In other words.

Depending on the type of font cartridge ROM 200, from typeface to IV, the font cartridge R
A graphic pattern is read out by one access to O200.

In the "line scanning type" shown in FIG. 3, a data format having a width of one bit in the sub-scanning V direction and a length of multiple dots in the main scanning H direction is read out in the direction of an arrow 312 in units of 31G. . In this embodiment, the length in the H direction is, for example, from 8 bits (type V) to 3 in 8 bit units.
Up to 2 bits (type Vllll), that is, font cartridge RO) 120G! ! The font cartridge R is stored in one of four data formats: 8 bits, 18 bits, 24 bits, and 32 bits in the H direction, depending on the type V to Vllll.
O) One access to I 200 reads the graphical pattern.

The graphic pattern data read out from the font cartridge ROM 20G in this manner is expanded into the video buffer 114. Data format type
VIII is selectively applied depending on the type and printing speed of the printer used. Note that both the band scanning type and the line scanning type can be used regardless of the rotational state of the graphical pattern, and regardless of which rotational state is specified for the graphical pattern.

A memory map structure stored in one font cartridge ROM 200 is shown in FIG.

In this example, the area 320 stores a font index table, which includes configuration type 1 of one graphic pattern.
Contains data indicating attributes such as the number of characters and the name of the font. CPU 104 can obtain the necessary information by specifying that particular address.

In other embodiments, other semi-permanent storage means, such as a DIR switch, may be provided and accessed by CPU 104 to determine the data structure of font cartridge ROM 200.

The area 322 includes a character address table, and stores the start address of the graphic pattern storage area 324 corresponding to each character code. Therefore, in each bond cell 324, graphic pattern data of corresponding characters are stored in a series of storage locations starting from the top address.

FIG. 5 shows the control flow of the CPU 104 when the font cartridge ROM 200 is installed in the printer control device 100. First, font cartridge R
When O200 is connected to connector 20B, cpu
104 accesses the font index table 320 and checks whether the data configuration conforms to the standard configuration as a water device (400);
200 to that font cartridge RO if it is compatible.
can be used without converting the data structure.

If they do not match, the CPU 104 first checks whether there is free space in the auxiliary RAM 110 (402).
), if there is no free space at that time, it is determined that the font cartridge ROM 20G cannot be used for the time being.

If there is free space, data structure conversion processing can be performed, so the CPU 104 uses the font cartridge RO.
The CPo 104 accesses the font index table 320 of the M 200 and determines which type the data structure is (404.408.408), and converts the data structure according to the determined type (tlG, 412). .414) The data structure conversion process is performed using the auxiliary RA) I 110 as described above.The CPo 1G4 accesses the graphic pattern storage area 324 by accessing the character address table 322 of the font cartridge ROM 200. Graphic pattern data is read out to the auxiliary RA) I 110 in a data configuration according to the determined type described above.

This readout is according to the determined type.

The data format 302 or 310 having a data length that is an integral multiple of the byte unit is indicated by an arrow 304 or 3, respectively.
This is done by scanning 12 times. At that time, CPU 10
4 converts the thus read data into the standard data structure of this device, stores it in the free area of the auxiliary RAII+ 110, and holds it. From then on, each time a request to read a character font occurs, the CPU 104 accesses this area of the auxiliary RAM 110, reads out the converted graphic pattern data corresponding to the character code, and stores it in the video buffer 114 in the same manner as in normal operation. Forward. The following operation is similar to the normal operation described above.

In this way, even if a 7-ont memory ROM with a different data configuration is used, the present apparatus can appropriately convert the data configuration and form a graphic pattern. Therefore, as long as the font cartridge ROMs have the same mechanical and electrical configurations, font cartridge ROMs with various data configurations can be used in common.

Loose-1 According to the present invention, when a font ROM cartridge with a different data structure is used, the data structure is converted to one suitable for the printer to form a graphic pattern. Therefore, 7-on) ROM cartridges with the same mechanical and electrical configurations can be used in common with various data configurations. Therefore, the device configuration is simplified, the font ROM cartridge can be widely shared, and the total device cost is reduced.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment in which a graphic output control device according to the present invention is applied to a printer, and FIGS. 2 and 3 show examples of graphic patterns constituting one character in band scanning type and line scanning type, respectively. FIG. 4 is a memory map diagram showing an example of the structure of memory data stored in one font cartridge RO. FIG. 5 is a flow diagram showing an example of the HJm flow of the CPU when the font cartridge ROI III is installed in the printer control device 2 of FIG. 1. Description of part codes 100, . . . Printer control device 104°, . . CPU 10699. ROM 108, font ROM 110, auxiliary RAM 112.9. Buffer memory 114, video buffer

Claims (1)

[Claims] A first device that stores data of dot patterns forming characters.
A graphic output control device to which a storage device is removably attached, and a control device that receives character information specifying a character, reads out corresponding dot pattern data stored in the first storage device, and outputs it to the graphic output device. The control device has a second storage means for storing dot pattern data, and the first storage means stores identification information for identifying the structure of the dot pattern data stored in the first storage means. and when the control means reads the identification information and determines that the structure of the dot pattern data stored in the first storage means is not compatible with the graphic output device, the control means reads the identification information and, when it is determined that the structure of the dot pattern data stored in the first storage means is not compatible with the graphic output device, the control means reads the identification information. Converting the dot pattern data into dot pattern data having a data configuration suitable for the graphic output device, storing the converted dot pattern data in a second storage means, and upon receiving character information, the second storage means A graphic output control device, characterized in that it reads out corresponding data of the converted dot pattern data and outputs it to the graphic output device.