JPS6242227A - Detecting device for trouble of printer device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To recover the trouble of a printer at its early stage by giving a report to a host device every time the print is through by a fixed amount when the same contents are printed repetitively and therefore detecting the abnormality occurring when no report is given through the host device. CONSTITUTION:Both the print command and the print repeating frequency given from a host device 7 are decoded by a command control part 6. While a print controller 3 receives an instruction for a printing action. The print data given from the device 7 is one stored in the part 3 and printed at a printing part 2. A printing amount counter part 4 receives the print end signals for one page from the part 2 and counts them to deliver them to a printing amount comparison part 5. The part 5 sends the coincidence signal to the part 6 when the coincidence is secured between the input value of the part 5 and the value set previously by the device 7 via the part 6. The part 6 sends the count resetting signal to the part 4 for recounting and at the same time gives the print interim report to the device 7. The part 3 gives the print end report to the device 7 via the part 6 when all printing actions are through. The device 7 decides the generation of the abnormality of a printer device 1 in case no print interim report nor print end report is given within a fixed period of time.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a printer device used in a data processing system J.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, this type of printer device prints for each printed character, each printed line,
Alternatively, printing was performed by receiving instructions from the host device for each print page. However, when printing the same content repeatedly, an improvement has been made so that the printer automatically prints the same content repeatedly by instructing the number of green cycles from the host device to reduce the load on the device. ing. In particular, non-impact printers cannot make copies due to the printing method, so it is necessary to repeatedly print the same content, and the above-mentioned machine parts need to be improved.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

In the conventional printer Rm mentioned above, the printer itself prints for a long time after receiving a command from the J-3 device. There is a drawback that it is not possible to distinguish whether an abnormality has occurred and the printer device is in a state where it cannot report to the host device.

[F-stage to solve problems]

A failure detection device for a printer device according to the present invention is provided in the printer device, and includes a counting means for counting the number of prints t:, and a detection device for detecting that the amount of prints counted by the counting means has reached a preset amount of prints. means for initializing the contents of the counting means when detection is performed by the detecting means, means for reporting to the host device that printing is in progress; The present invention has means for determining that an abnormality has occurred in the printer device when there is no intermediate report within a certain period of time and there is no print completion report.

Therefore, the higher-level device can detect that an abnormality has occurred in the printer device, and the system operator can promptly take troubleshooting measures.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system having an embodiment of a failure detection device for a printer device according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the -L device 7 in FIG.

The host device 7 is a central processing unit that instructs the printer device 1 to print data, the number of printing repetitions, and the start of printing, and checks the printing progress report, and is connected to the printer device t through an interface 8.

Is the printer device l a printing section? , a print control section 3, a print amount counting section 4, a print amount comparison section 5, a command control section 6, and other parts not shown that are not important to the present invention.

The printing command and the number of printing repetitions from the host device 7 are decoded by the command control unit 6, the printing operation is instructed to the print control unit 3, and the print data is printed from the -L position device 7 via the command control unit 6. It is passed to the control unit 3 and stored. The print control section 3 causes the printing section 2 to perform WJA operation, sends print data, and performs printing. The print amount counting section 4 includes, for example, a counter circuit, receives a signal from the printing section 2, for example, a report of completion of printing of -page, counts it, and outputs it to the print amount comparison section 5. The print amount comparison section 5 is composed of, for example, a comparison circuit, and when the value preset from the host device 7 via the command control section 6 and the input value from the print amount counting section 4 match, it sends a match signal to the command control section 6. Send out. When the command control section 6 receives the match signal from the print amount comparison section 5, it sends a count reset signal to the print amount counting section 4, and when the command control section 6 instructs the print amount counting section 4 to start over from the beginning, Then, the print control unit 3 sends a printing status report to the -L positioner 217. When all the instructed printing is completed, the print control unit 3 sends a completion signal to the command control unit 6.The command control unit 6 receives the completion signal. Then, it outputs a count reset signal to the print

Next, the operation flow of the host device 7 will be explained with reference to FIG.

The host device 7 issues a print command to the printer device l (
Along with step 11), - set and start a timer (not shown) existing inside the host device 7 (step 12)
. This timer is normally included in the central processing unit, and may be controlled by software. Note that the timer value may be a value larger than the time corresponding to the print amount set in the print amount comparison section 5, after the timer setting is activated in the host device 7.

Check whether there is a report during printing (Step 13), and if there is a report, set and start the timer again (Step 1)
2) If there is no report of printing in progress, it is further checked to see if there is a report of completion of printing (step 14), and if there is a report of completion of printing, the operation is terminated. If there is no printing end report, it is checked whether a timeout has occurred (step 15), and if it has not timed out, the process returns to checking whether there is a printing in progress report (step +3). If the timer has timed out, it is assumed that a failure has occurred in the printer device 1. It is clear that such operations of the host device 7 can be realized by both software and firmware, and in the case of software, they can also be realized in a multi-program environment.

In this embodiment, the print amount setting value of the print amount comparison section 5 is set from the host device 7 via the command control section 6, but it can also be set in the print amount comparison section 5 within the printer device l itself. You can also do it. Further, the check for the presence or absence of a print completion report (step 14) may be moved after the timer times out (step 15).

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, in the case where the printer device automatically repeatedly prints the same content over a long period of time, each time a certain amount of printing is completed, the present invention reports to the upper bag and checks whether the printing operation is being performed. If there is no report from the printer and there is no report of completion of printing, it is assumed that an abnormality has occurred in the printer, and the operator of the data processing system is informed of this. This has the effect of notifying the operator of the occurrence of a failure and allowing the operator to take immediate action to resolve the failure.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system having an embodiment of a failure detection device for a printer device according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a flow chart of the operation of the host device 7 in FIG. Engineering: Printer device, 2: Printing section, 3: Printing control section, 4: Printing amount counting section. 5... Print amount comparison unit, 6... Command control unit, 7... Host device. 8...Interface. 11, 12.13.14.15...Operation steps of the L-position device.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A system including a host device and a printer device that performs printing in response to commands from the host device, comprising: a counting means provided in the printer device for counting the amount of printing; A detection means for detecting that the print amount has reached a preset print amount, a means for initializing the contents of the counting means when the detection means detects it, and a means for reporting to the host device that printing is in progress. and a means for detecting failure of the printer device, which is provided in the host device and has a means for determining that an abnormality has occurred in the printer device when there is no report of printing in progress from the printer device within a certain period of time and no report of completion of printing within a certain period of time. Device.