JPS6235856A - Output apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make it possible to output a pattern in a state converted to a pattern having an arbitrary size, by dividing pattern information when the quantity of pattern information is equal to or more than the memory capacity of a memory means prior to storing the same in the memory means. CONSTITUTION:When a pattern development memory 26 is divided into four segments at apparent positions S1, S2, S3, S4, the print data 'A' inputted to said memory 26 is divided into four print data of segment units. Information such that F1, F2, F3 and F4 parts of 'A' are respectively subjected to dot development in first second, third and fourth segments is inputted in a page memory 24. At the time of pattern development, the F1 part of the first segment is at first subjected to pattern development to be outputted to a dot printing part 28 and, succeedingly, the parts of second - fourth segments are subjected to pattern development to be inputted to the dot printing part 28 and print data having a large size can be outputted by a pattern development memory with small capacity.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION "Field of Industrial Application" The present invention relates to an output device that converts input information into corresponding output pattern information and outputs the converted information.

E. Outline of Disclosure"Kimaki's side note and drawings include a conversion means for converting input information into corresponding output pattern information, a storage means for storing pattern information converted by the conversion means, and a memory pattern in the storage means. and storage control means for dividing the pattern information and storing it in the storage means when the amount of pattern information exceeds the storage capacity of the storage means, The present invention discloses a technology for a power device that can output, for example, display or printout of pattern information.

[Prior Art] A dot printing device can print out patterns of various sizes, but the maximum pattern size that can be printed depends on the size of the pattern expansion memory of the device.

[Problem to be Solved by the Invention] For this reason, the printable pattern size differs depending on the size of the pattern expansion memory provided in each device, and it is difficult to create print information in a size that can be printed by a certain device. However, it also had the disadvantage that it could not be printed in the same way with other devices.

As a means for solving this problem, for example, in the output device of the embodiment shown in FIG.
Conversion means 12 for converting 1 into corresponding output pattern information
, a pattern information storage means 13 for storing the pattern information converted by the conversion means 12, an output means 14 for outputting the stored pattern in the storage means 13, and a pattern information storage means 13 for storing the pattern information converted by the conversion means 12; In some cases, a storage control means 15 is provided for dividing the pattern information and storing it in the storage means 13.

1 action'' In the configuration of such an if diagram, even if the pattern information is larger than the storage capacity of the pattern storage means 13, it is divided and recorded.
A pattern of any size can be output without depending on the storage capacity of the storage means 13.

Embodiment J Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

E-1 Embodiment Configuration (FIG. 2) FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an embodiment according to the present invention, and is an example in which the present invention is used in a printing device.

In the figure, 1 is a host computer that outputs print data and print commands consisting of images and codes, and 2 is the main body of the printing apparatus of this embodiment.

The main body 2 consists of the following configuration. That is, there is a control unit 21 that mainly controls the entire main body, a segment counter 22 that indicates which segment is currently subjected to pattern expansion and pattern output, and a data division unit that divides input print data into segments. 23, a page memory 24 that stores the print data divided by the data dividing section 23, a pattern development section 24 that develops the print data stored in the page memory 24 into a pattern to be printed; A pattern development memory 26 that temporarily stores the developed pattern, a pattern output section 27 that reads out the pattern stored in the pattern development memory 26 in accordance with the output format of the printer, and outputs it to the dot printer section 28, and a pattern output section. A dot printer section 28 is provided for forming a permanent visible image on recording paper according to pattern data from 27.

Each part of the main body 2 having these structures except for the dot printer part 28 can be realized by a microprocessor including ROM and RAM. By implementing these using a microprocessor, it is possible to have high reliability and a simple configuration.

Effects of the Embodiment (FIGS. 3 and 4) The print control of this embodiment having the above configuration will be described with reference to the control flowchart in FIG. 7JrJ3.

In this embodiment, print data is sent from the host computer l.
Alternatively, upon receiving a print command, the process shown in FIG. 3 is executed. In the following explanation, the case where the print data is vector data will be explained as an example.
Since the processing procedure is exactly the same when the print data is expanded, a description of the case where the print data is code data will be omitted.

First, in step S1, data input from the host computer 1 is waited for, and when data is input, the process proceeds to step S2, where the control unit 21 determines whether the input data is a print command. If it is not a print command, it is print data, so the process proceeds to step S3, and when the print data is pattern-developed into corresponding pattern information, it is checked whether or not it can be developed in the pattern development memory 26 at - degree, that is, the pattern is developed by dividing it. If division is not necessary, the print data sent in step S4 is stored in the page memory 24 without being divided. Then, the process returns to step S1 in preparation for the next data input from the host computer 1.

If division is necessary in step S3, the process advances to step S5, where the data division unit 23 divides the print data into segments as many as the pattern expansion memory 26 can develop, and stores them in the page memory 24, and then the process proceeds to step S5.
Return to 1.

- If the data input in step S2 is a print command, the process advances to step S6 to check whether the print data is divided data. Whether this data is divided or not is determined by the print size of the input data,
The number of divisions is also determined by the print size.

If the print size is less than the capacity of the pattern expansion memory 26 and the data is not one divided data, the process advances to step S7, the data is read from the page memory 24, the pattern expansion section 25 develops the pattern using a known method, and the data is stored in the pattern expansion section memory. 26. Then, in step S8, the pattern output section 27 reads out the developed pattern from the pattern development memory 26 and outputs it to the dot printer 28.

Then, in the following step S9, it is checked whether or not there is next print data in the page memory 24, and if there is no print data, the process ends 7L, and the process returns to step Sl again to wait for input of the next print data, etc. If there is print data, the process returns to step S6 and output processing for the next print data is executed.

If the print data is divided data in step S6, the process advances to step SIO, and the segment counter 22 is set to "1".
”. Then, in step Sll, it is determined whether the data to be developed exists in the page memory 26 for the segment number indicated by the segment counter 22, and if it is not in the page memory 26, the process advances to step SIO. If the print data exists in the page memory 26, the process advances to step S12, where the pattern development section 25 develops a pattern on those print data, and stores this pattern development pattern information in the pattern development memory 26.Then, the process continues. In step S13, the pattern field part 27
reads out the pattern information developed in the pattern development memory 26, outputs it to the dot printer section 28, and forms a permanent visual image of it on the paper.

Next, in step SL4, it is checked whether or not m in the segment counter 22 is equal to the number of divisions published in step S5. If it is equal to 1, it means that the processing for one print data has been completed, and the process advances to step S9.

If it is not equal to the number of divisions, the process advances to step S15, the segment counter 22 is incremented by one, and the process returns to step Sll.

By performing ftjl W as described above, it becomes possible to print out pattern gold of a larger size depending on the size of the pattern development memory 26.

The print pattern size, the capacity of the pattern expansion memory 26, and the setting example of the segment counter 22 in the tree'1ff1 example will be explained in more detail using FIG. 4 as a specific example.

FIG. 4 shows a full image for one page of the page memory 24. In the figure, P is the full image memory required for one entire page, but in this embodiment, the pattern development memory 26 is Assuming that only the size of Sl is provided as 8 mm, to print one page, pattern development memo I) 267 fth times hsl, S2. S3,
It can be seen that the pattern can be developed by dividing the pattern into 4 by 54 (7) or so with 2t. The print data entered there" A
” is divided into four pieces of print data for each segment.

The ml segment is the Fl part of °゛A'', ff12
The segment includes the F2 part, as well! Fi3. In the fourth segment, information indicating that portions F3 and F4 are to be expanded into dots is stored in the page memory 24. When the pattern is developed, the F1 part of the ml segment is first developed and outputted to the dot printer section 28, and then each part of the second to fourth segments is developed and outputted to the dot printer section 28, so that large size printing is possible. Data can be printed out using a pattern expansion memory with a small capacity.

Further, in the above description, the number of segments to be divided is four, but by setting the number of segments to several tens to hundreds, it is possible to operate with a much smaller pattern development memory of eight.

Furthermore, although the above description has been made using a printer as an example, it is also very easy to apply this to a display device, for example a CRT display device, and this does not depart from the scope of the present invention.

As described above, according to this embodiment, by dividing and holding print data and expanding it into parts, even large-sized patterns can be printed out without depending on the size of the pattern expansion memory 26. It becomes possible to do so.

``Effects of the Invention'' As explained above, according to the present invention, when input information is converted to data pattern information and output, even if the storage capacity of the pattern storage means is E, it is possible to divide the input information into one piece. It is possible to provide an output device that is capable of outputting, converting into a pattern of any size and outputting.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a functional block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 3 is a control flowchart of this embodiment, and Fig. 4 is a pattern division diagram of this embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example. In the figure, l... host computer, 2... main body, 2
1...B111 part, 22...Segment counter,
23...Data division unit, 24...Page memory, 2
5... Pattern development section, 26... Pattern development memory, 27... Pattern output section, 28... Dot printer section. Patent applicant: Canon Co., Ltd. Figure 1: 1. Noh 7゛guchi 7 Ria 2nd 7...Rock 6° diagram

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) Conversion means for converting input information into corresponding output pattern information, storage means for storing the pattern information converted by the conversion means, output means for outputting the pattern stored in the storage means, and the pattern information An output device comprising: storage control means for dividing the pattern information and storing it in the storage means when the amount of pattern information is greater than the storage capacity of the storage means. (2) The conversion means is capable of converting code information into a pattern of any size, and the storage control means divides the conversion pattern information by the conversion means when the amount of converted patterns exceeds the storage capacity of the storage means. 2. The output device according to claim 1, wherein the output device stores the output data in the storage means. (3) The output device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the output means prints out the pattern stored in the storage means.