JPS62270341A - Host interface system for color printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To communicate color information smoothly between a host computer and a printer irrespective of the print phase at the printer by converting a color code of print data fed from the host computer to the printer side into color components corresponding to respective printing phases. CONSTITUTION:MPU aquares printing data fed from a host computer (302) and reads in a color code (303). Said color code is a color code inherent to the host computer or a combination thereof. For example, BL(black), R(red), G(green) and B(blue) are employed generally. Then a color code fed from the host computer is converted (304) into the components corresponding to the printing phases of the printer. Thereafter, printing data following to the color code is aquared (305). If a current printing phase component exists (312), the printing is executed with the current printing phase (307) while the printing is not executed if there is the data not to be printed (313).

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a host interface method for a color printer, and more specifically, a method for transmitting color information of print data sent from a host computer to the printer side. This invention relates to a host interface system for color printers that performs printing based on this color information.

[Conventional technology]

Prior to explaining the present invention, the transmission and reception of color information from a host computer in a conventional color printer will be explained based on FIG. 4, taking the case of a thermal transfer color printer as an example. That is, FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the processing steps of the host interface method in a thermal transfer type color printer that has been put into practical use in the past.

In FIG. 4, it is assumed that color images 402, 403, and 404 are displayed on a display 401 connected to a host computer, and these colors are yellow, black, and red, respectively.

When trying to output color images 402, 403, 404 to a printer, the host computer knows that the color links print in the order of yellow, %zenta, and cyan, and outputs the color images 4°02°403. 404 colors,
Convert it so that it can be printed by a printer. That is, since the color image 402 is yellow and corresponds to one yellow printing phase of the printer, the print information 405 of the yellow printing phase
Print information is written only in the magenta and cyan phases 408 and 411, and spaces are written in both the magenta and cyan phases 408 and 411.

Also, since the color image 403 is black.

Yellow printing phase 406. Print information is written in both the magenta print phase 409 and the cyan print phase 412, and since the color image 404 is red, the yellow print phase 407 and the magenta print phase 412
The printing information is written in the cyan printing phase 413, and a space is written in the cyan printing phase 413. The host computer rearranges the information generated in the above manner by interposing the delimiter 414 between the yellow print phase and the magenta print phase, and furthermore, the delimiter 415 between the magenta print phase and the cyan print phase, and outputs 405.406.

413 to the printer side.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

However, in the conventional color printer described above, the host computer must be familiar with the printer's printing phase, and must send color data to the printer in an order that matches the color data printing phase. . Therefore, if the print phase of the printer is different from that shown in Figure 4, the print data sent from the host computer to the printer side must be re-analyzed accordingly. , each time the printer is changed, the host computer needs to change the interface.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and includes:
The purpose is to always smoothly exchange color information between the host computer and the printer, regardless of the printing phase on the printer side. The present invention aims to provide a color printer interface system that is easier to operate than conventional ones.

Means for Solving Problem C] To achieve the above object, the present invention prints print data sent from a host computer to a printer in a predetermined print format using a plurality of types of color printing materials. In a color printer that performs single-color coating or overlapping coating according to a phase, the color information of the print data sent from the host computer to the printer side is contained in a code unrelated to the printing phase, and the color information is sent to the printer side. The color code is converted into a color component corresponding to each print phase of the printer, and it is determined whether or not there is information matching the print phase currently being executed in the converted components. The present invention is characterized by comprising means for executing printing according to the printing phase when there is information matching the printing phase.

[Effect]

In the above, the printer side analyzes the color data sent from the host computer and executes printing in each printing phase, such as yellow, magenta, and cyan, for example. According to the present invention, even if the color information of the print data sent from the host computer to the printer is a code unrelated to the print phase, the printer uses this color code for each print. By converting into color components corresponding to phases, color information can always be exchanged smoothly between the host computer and the printer.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained based on an embodiment of the drawings, taking as an example the case where the present invention is applied to a thermal transfer type color printer. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the overall operating system of the thermal transfer type color printer.

In FIG. 2, an MPU 201 is a processing device that controls the entire color printer. MPU201 is ROM
It reads and executes the program stored in the a 206, and also controls each block and data transfer via the pass line 212.

Information regarding printing sent from the host CPU is stored in the RAMa 207 via the host I/F 202, for example, for one line or several lines of printing paper, or for one page. The print data stored in RAMa 207 is converted so that parts with at least one color data are forcibly printed with black film (described later).
is performed, and regarding the character code in the print data,
It is converted into dots using a CG (character generator) in the ROMb 21L, and all printed information converted to dot information is stored in the RAMb 210.

PDC (Print Data Control)
The B i C (Bus 1 so
lationController) 208. B1C208 is MPU20
1, data bus, address bus, etc., and connect the mechanical part above B1C208 in Fig. 2 and B1.
It has the ability to function independently from the electrical parts below C208, achieving speeding up of the entire system.

On the other hand, the MPU 201 receives information from the color film sensor and panel from the I/F 204 and changes the printing conditions, and adjusts the motor rotation speed, solenoid energization amount, etc. based on the printing data in the RAMa 207. is performed via I/F2O3, and RAMa
Based on the print data in 207, the movement of the thermal head is adjusted via I/F2O3.

In addition, in the block diagram shown in FIG. 2, the mechanical part above B1C208 and the electrical part below B1C208 are separated and functioned independently, but it is also possible to use B1C208 and PDC209. Instead, the process of developing data from the host CPU into print data can be performed using mechanism processing and one RAM. As a result, as shown in Figure 2, B1C20
8, PDC209, RAMb210. & Tote R'OM
b 211 can also be excluded.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of the processing steps of the host interface method according to the present invention. That is, FIG. 1 shows the RAM 207 in which data received from the host CPU is stored in FIG.

It shows how the printer converts the data into the RAMb 210 for storing print data, which is ready for printing.

In FIG. 1, print data 101 from the host side includes a color code and print data arranged in pairs. (102 and 103, 104 and 105, 106 and 107
Such). In other words, the color code of the host computer 5 [in the figure (red + green)] is written in the color Z'-code 102, and in the same way,
Color code 104 is (red + green + blue), color code 1
06 is (red).

RAM a, indicated by reference numeral 207 in FIG. 2, receives the print data 101 from the host side, but on the other hand, there are three types of color film for printing by the printer: yellow, magenta, and cyan. If this is the case, it will not be possible to print as is. Therefore, the MPU 201
Print data 101 from the host side is converted into print data 108 from the printer side, and the color codes 102, 104, and 106 serve as clues at this time.

Since the color code 102 corresponds to (red + green), that is, (yellow) when expressed on the color film on the printer side, the print data 110 in the yellow print phase 109 and the space 114 in the magenta print phase 113 (print data on the magenta color film (meaning not)
Furthermore, space 1 in cyan printing phase 117
Converted to 18. Similarly, color code 104 (
Red + Green + Blue) is the print data 111 in the yellow print phase 109, the print data 115 in the magenta print phase 113, and further the cyan print phase 117.
It is converted into print data 119 at . Further, the color code 106 (red) is converted into print data 112 in the yellow print phase 109, print data 116 in the magenta print phase 113, and further into spaces 120 in the cyan print phase 117. Namely.

The print data 101 from the host side is separately distributed to each printing phase of yellow, magenta, and cyan shown in the printer side print data 108, and the PD
Color printing is achieved by outputting from C209.

The print data transferred from the host CPU is
The data is transferred to the RAMa 207, but if the RAMa 207 has a sufficient memory capacity and can store all the print data for one page of a document at once, the data is transferred to the RAMa 207 at 101 in FIG.
One set of print data for each pixel in the print data from the host side shown by is sufficient.

On the other hand, if the memory capacity of RAMa 207 is insufficient, RAMa 207 will receive one line or several lines of print data from the host; 102 to 10
It is sufficient to prepare three sets of data 7, . . . and allocate the three sets of data to yellow print phase conversion data, magenta print phase conversion data, and cyan print phase conversion data, respectively.

FIG. 3 is an overall flow diagram of the processing performed by the MPU shown at 201 in FIG.

In FIG. 3, first, the printing phase is initialized in step 301. For example, when printing in the order of yellow, magenta, and cyan, the printing phase is set to yellow. Next, the MPU 201 in FIG. acquires one line of data from the print data sent from the host computer (302).The format of the data for one line is as follows: , First, the color code is read (303).

This color code may be, for example, a code or combination of codes that correspond to each print phase printed by the printer, but typically it is the same color code or combination of colors that match the host computer. Six examples are BL (black), R (red), G (
Green) and B (blue) are common. Therefore, in the first order, the color code sent from the host computer is converted into the printing phase components of the printer (
Then, print data following the color code is obtained (305). Next, the printing phase for the color code separated as described above is examined to determine whether a component of the current printing phase exists, that is, whether or not the data should be printed in the current printing phase (306). , if the data is to be printed, S, (312
) Printing is performed in the current printing phase (307), and if it is determined in step 306 that the data is not data to be printed (313), printing is not performed.

When the processing is finished, it is determined whether one row of data is finished (308). ), if it is not the end (315)
, goes to read the next color code (303), and if it is the end (314), it is determined whether the processed line is the end line of the page (309), and if it is not the end (3
17), Get the next row of data (302)
. Also, if it is the last line of one page (316
), and further determines whether the current printing phase is the last of the printing phases (310), and if it is not the end (319),
The print phase is updated (311).

For example, if the order of the printing phases is yellow, magenta, and cyan, the printing phases are updated in the order of yellow, magenta, and magenta-cyan. When the printing phase update (311) is completed (320), the data of the first line of one page is acquired again (302), and the same process is performed thereafter.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step 310 that the current printing phase is the last of the printing phases (31
8), this means that the entire series of printing has been completed.

In the illustrated embodiment, the present invention is applied to a thermal transfer type color printer, but there is no problem in applying the present invention to color printers other than the thermal transfer type.

〔Effect of the invention〕

The present invention is as described above, and as is clear from the explanation of the illustrated embodiments, according to the present invention, regardless of the printing phase on the printer side, color information can be exchanged between the host computer and the printer. It is possible to obtain a color printer interface system that is easier to operate than the conventional one and can always be performed smoothly.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 to 3 show one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of processing steps of the host interface method according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the overall operating system of a color printer. , the third @ is the MPU indicated by the reference numeral 201 in FIG.
FIG. 4 is an overall flowchart of the processing performed by the conventional color printer. 101...Print data from host side, 102°10
4 and 106...Color code, 103°105 and 107...Print data, 108...Print data on the printer side, 109...Yellow print phase, 110~
112...Print data, 113...Magenta print phase, 114...Space, 115 and 116...
...Print data, 117...Cyan print phase, 1
18...Space, 119...Print data, (2 other people) Rod 1 Ward 2nd

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a color printer that applies print data sent from a host computer to the printer using multiple types of color printing materials in a single color or in layers according to a predetermined printing phase, The color information of the print data sent to the printer side is contained in a code unrelated to the printing phase, and the color code sent to the printer side is converted into color components corresponding to each print phase of the printer. At the same time,
It is determined whether or not there is information matching the printing phase currently being executed in the conversion component, and if there is information matching the printing phase currently being executed, printing is performed according to that printing phase. 1. A host interface method for a color printer, characterized in that the host interface method comprises means for performing the following steps.