JPS63221043A - Two-sided printing image generator - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable a printing paper of which a paper direction is fixed to be printed both on one side and on two sides, by a method wherein a scan page buffer capable of containing information of one page content is used and image information is successively read out by a printing mode according to characters of a printing paper to be converted to video information. CONSTITUTION:An input data is converted to information of a form corresponding to a data line attribute and a printing start position in an input data processing part 21. Hereupon, a printing mode is preliminarily determined in the input data processing part and stored on a page data memory 22. Then, an image generation control part 24 fetch a bit pattern corresponding to image information on the page data memory 22 from a memory 23 for loading a character image and a graphic image, successively develops it in a scan page buffer 25 and prepares image information for one page. Thereafter, a bit pattern processing part 26 fetch information from the scan page buffer 25 by the information sending direction given in the case of a normal mode (b) and the case of an inversion mode (c) and converts it to a video signal to be sent to a printing part.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an image generation device for a printer, and is particularly applicable to raster scan type printers, where paper orientation is physically determined, such as perforated paper. An image for a printer that enables single-sided printing and double-sided printing by appropriately switching the image generation logic when printing on paper with no operator intervention such as changing the paper in the paper feed section. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 2. Description of the Related Art Related to Image Generating Devices [Prior Art] One type of printer that prints manually generated image information in a corresponding printing format using a raster scan method is one that is capable of double-sided printing using a laser printer or the like.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing such a laser printer capable of double-sided printing. stacker section,
C is a photosensitive drum, and P is printing paper.

As shown in the figure, the paper path mechanism is designed to scan horizontally in the longitudinal direction of the paper. Printing paper P is supplied from a paper feed section 1, and images of even pages are transferred to the paper surface on the side of the photoconductor drum C in a transfer section 2 having a photoconductor drum C, and then fixed in a fixing section 3. Thereafter, the paper surface is reversed in the reversing section 4 and transferred again via the folding section 5. Here, the images of the odd pages are transferred and fixed onto the reverse side of the printing paper P on which the images of the even pages have already been printed, and then the paper P is delivered to the stacker section 6. In this way, both in single-sided printing and double-sided printing, the pages are printed face down in the order they are printed one after another (without shifting) and stacked in the stacker unit 6.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an image generation device in such a laser printer, in which 11 is a data processing section, 12 is a page data memory, 13 is a loading memory, 14 is an image generation control section, and 15 is a It is a scan buffer.

As shown in the figure, this image generation device includes a data processing section 11 for converting encoded input data into a form of information representing the attributes of the data line and its printing start position; Based on the information stored in the page data memory 12 for storing the converted information, the address of the corresponding bit pattern area is calculated, and the address of the character image (font) and graphic image loading memory 13 is It is composed of an image generation control section 14 for obtaining image information for each scan, and a scan buffer 15 for developing the image information for each scan thus formed and sending it to the printing section as a video signal. There is.

The attributes of data lines can be broadly divided into text information and graphic information. First, in the case of text information, see Figure 13 (
As shown in a), the printing start position is determined along with the character code string "ABCDE" that constitutes the data line, the cell width Cw of each character determined by the font used for printing, and the character cell information of the cell height C6. It consists of the number of scan lines C7 until line generation to be determined and the number of dots C and l on the line up to the printing start position, and these pieces of information are stored on the page in a table format as shown in Fig. 14(a). Set in memory. In the case of graphic information, as shown in FIG. 13(b), the printing start position is determined along with graphic cell information such as the name of the graphic to be printed on the page, the cell width Gw, and the cell height G of the graphic. It consists of the number of scan lines G until line generation and the number G of dots on the line up to the printing start position, and these pieces of information are stored in the page memory in table format as shown in Figure 14(b). is set to In addition, Fig. 13 (
In a) and (b), the horizontal arrow represents the scanning direction, and the vertical arrow represents the paper feeding direction.

For example, as shown in FIG. 15, the address on the loading memo 9M of the bit pattern of the character code "A" is calculated using the font name and its character code representation, and is loaded into the scan buffer S. Incidentally, the line surrounded by a bold line in the loading memory M is developed on the scan buffer S as the scan data of the number of scan lines (C in Fig. 13 (a)) + 9th scan until the line is generated. This is considered a video signal.

In the case of graphic information, the address of the bit matrix of the graphic image on the loading memory is calculated based on the graphic name, and the subsequent processing is the same as in the case of character information.

[Problems to be solved by the invention] By the way, in conventional laser printers and the like that print using this method, when printing paper whose paper direction is physically determined, such as perforated paper, is used. , the following inconveniences occur.

First, if the top edge of the printing paper is placed at the front in the paper feeding direction as shown in FIG. 16(a), there is no problem when printing on one side as shown in FIG. 16(b). c.
), the printed image is reversed when printing on both sides.

Also, if the printing paper is set so that the top edge is at the rear in the paper feeding direction as shown in FIG. 17(a), there will be no problem during double-sided printing as shown in FIG. 17(C), but as shown in FIG. b
), the printed image is reversed when printing on one side.

Therefore, when using printing paper whose paper direction is physically determined, set the paper as shown in Figure 16 (a) for single-sided printing, and as shown in Figure 17 (a) for double-sided printing. Operator intervention was required to redo the process.

The present invention is intended to solve the above problems, without changing the paper path mechanism, character patterns or graphic images used for printing, and without requiring the operator to change the paper setting direction. It is an object of the present invention to provide an image generation device for double-sided printing that enables single-sided printing and double-sided printing by using printing paper whose paper direction is fixed by switching modes.

[Means for solving problems]

In the present invention, an image generation device for double-sided printing is provided with an input data processing section, a page data memory, an image generation control section, a scan page buffer, and a bit pattern processing section. Here, the input data processing unit converts the input data into information in a format according to the attributes of the data line and the print start position, and also converts the input data into information in a format according to the attributes of the data line and the printing start position. Determine the print mode. The page data memory stores the processed data in a predetermined table format, including whether the print mode is normal or inverted, the data type is character data or graphic data, and the file name. The image generation control unit calculates the address of the bit pattern based on the information in the page data memory, reads the character image and graphic image from the loading memory, and creates image information for one page, and sets the print mode. Indicates whether it is normal or reversed. The scan page buffer stores image information for one page. The bit pattern processing section reads image information of the address specified from the address counter, which sets the address according to the print mode, into the data selector.
The signals are input to the shift register in an order according to the print mode, and sequentially sent out as video signals in synchronization with the video clock. In this manner, when the print mode is the normal mode, data is sequentially read from the start address of the scan page buffer and transferred as a video signal in the order in which it is read. When the print mode is the inversion mode, data is read out sequentially from the last address of the scan page buffer and transferred as a video signal in the reverse order of the readout order. Therefore, in the inversion mode, the image is printed horizontally, vertically, and inverted.

[Effect]

In the image generation device for double-sided printing of the present invention,
Instead of using a conventional scan buffer that develops image information for each scan line, a scan page buffer for one page is used. Desired information is read out using this scan page buffer, and the bit pattern processing unit processes the print paper. It is converted into a video signal in the desired mode (normal mode or inverted mode) depending on the attribute, without changing the paper bus mechanism or character patterns or graphic images used for printing, and without requiring operator intervention. This produces images with the correct orientation in single-sided and double-sided printing.

〔Example〕

Examples will be described below based on the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an image generating device for double-sided printing according to the present invention, in which 21 is an input data processing section;
22 is a page data memory, 23 is a loading memory, 24 is an image generation/opening section, 25 is a scan page buffer, and 26 is a bit pattern processing section.

As shown in the figure, this device converts input data conveyed as code information into code information in a form that represents the attributes and printing start position of the data line, and also inputs data that determines the print mode (normal mode or reverse mode). A data processing unit 21, a page data memory 22 for setting and storing information converted by the data processing unit 21 and print mode in a table format as shown in FIGS. 2(a) and 2(b), and page data Based on the information stored in the memory 22, the address of the corresponding bit pattern area is calculated, read out from the memory 23 for loading character patterns and graphic images, and one page of image information is sequentially formed. an image generation control section 24 that outputs the image information for one page to the bit pattern processing section 26; a scan page buffer 25 that develops the image information for one page thus formed; It is comprised of a bit pattern processing section 26 that converts bit information into a video signal and sends it to a printing section according to a print mode based on a control signal from an image generation control section 24.

Here, the table format set in the page data memory 22 is as shown in FIG. 14(a) for character information and FIG. 2(b) for graphic information.
This table has information on the print mode (normal mode or reverse mode) added to the conventional table format shown in a) and (b).

Also, as shown in Figure 3, the print mode determines whether or not the paper direction of the printing paper is determined, and if the paper direction is determined, the top edge of the printing paper is in front of the paper feeding direction. It is divided into a normal mode and an inverted mode depending on whether it is backward or backward, and whether it is single-sided or double-sided printing.

For example, in the normal mode, as shown in FIG. 4(a),
The printing start position is xot'! On the other hand, in the case of inversion mode, the printing start position is Xs'+Y*' as shown in Figure 4(b), and the lengthwise and widthwise sizes of the printing paper are W and When H is the width of the data line and W is the width of the data line, the following equation holds true.

Xs' Proverb W -(X6 +Wt) ・--
-------------(L)yo'-H-(ye
+h) ・−・−・・−・・・・−・・(2)
Further, an image is input to the scan page buffer 25 as shown in FIG. In the case of mode, Fig. 5 (C)
The scan page buffer 25
It is configured to extract information from the printer, convert it into a video signal, and send it to the printing section.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the configuration of such a bit pattern processing section, in which 30 is a clock generation circuit, 31 is an address counter, 32 is a data selector, and 33 is a shift register.

As shown in the figure, this bit pattern processing section includes a video clock, a clock generation circuit 30 for generating address counter pulses synchronized with this video clock, and a clock generation circuit 30 for setting a base address according to the print mode and generating address counter pulses. The address counter 31 updates the address each time the address is received, and each time the address counter 31 is updated, image information is input from the scan page buffer 25 in B focus units, and A data selector 32 that converts the left and right reading order of input image information according to the print mode using the logic shown in (b), and a shift register that outputs the focus information from the data selector 32 as a video signal bit by bit according to a video clock. 33. Note that the print mode instructions for the address counter 31 and data selector 32 here are performed by the image generation control section 24.

Next, the operation of this image generator will be explained.

First, the input data is converted by the input data processing unit 21 into information in a format corresponding to the data line attribute and the print start position. Here, the print mode is determined in advance in the input data processing section 21 as shown in FIG. The image information processed by the input data processing unit 21 in this manner is stored on the page data memory 22 as information in the form shown in FIG. Based on the image information stored on the image information 22, bit patterns corresponding to the image information are retrieved from the memory 23 for loading character images and graphic images, sequentially developed into the scan page buffer 25, and loaded into the scan page buffer 25.
Create one page of image information on the top. Then, the bit pattern processing section 26 reads the image information on the scan page buffer 25 according to the print mode from image generation control, and the processing algorithm is shown in FIG.

First, it is determined whether the print mode is the normal mode or the inversion mode based on a designated signal from the image generation control unit 24 (process 101), and if the print mode is the normal mode,
The scan page buffer start address is set in the address counter 31 as the base address B (process 10).
2) Next, the 8-bit image information pointed to by the address in the address counter 31 is read into the data selector 32 (process 103), and the 8-bit information read into the data selector 32 is transferred to the shift register 33 in the order in which it was input. The signal is inputted to the video clock, is converted into a video signal one by one using the video clock, and is output to the printing unit (processing 104).

Thereafter, the base address B of the address counter 31 is updated to the next highest address using the address counter pulse generated from the clock generation circuit 30 (processing 10).
5), then, based on the base address B in the address counter 31 and the final address of the scan page buffer, it is determined whether reading of that page has been completed (process 10).
If step 6) is performed and not completed, operations 103 to 106 are continued until the address in the address counter 31 becomes the scan page buffer final address.

Further, in the case of inversion mode, the final address of the scan page is set in the address counter 31 as the base address B (process 202), and then the address counter 31 is set as the base address B.
The 8-bit image information pointed to by the address in 1 is read into the data selector 32 (process 203), and the 8-bit information read into the data selector 32 is input into the shift register 33 in the input order and route. , each pin point is converted into a video signal using the video clock as a trigger, and is output to the printing unit (processing 204).

Thereafter, the base address B in the address counter 31 is updated to the previous address using the address counter pulse generated from the clock generation circuit 30 (processing 2).
05), then, using the base address B in the address counter 31 and the scan page buffer start address,
Determining whether reading of the page has finished (processing 2)
06) has been performed and has not been completed, the operations of steps 203 to 206 are continued until the address in the address counter 31 becomes the scan page buffer start address.

In this way, when the printing of that page is completed, the operation is repeated for the next page, and so on.A time chart of this bit pattern processing section is shown in FIG. 9.

When using printing paper whose paper direction is not physically determined by the image information generating device that adopts the above method, it is possible to use printing paper whose paper direction is physically determined, As shown in Figure 10 (a) and (b), even when the top edge of the printing paper is set to be located forward or backward relative to the paper feeding direction, the conventional paper path mechanism and the character pattern or graphic image used for printing 10 (C) for single-sided printing and the first position for double-sided printing without making any changes such as
As shown in FIG. 0 (d), it becomes possible to print image information in the correct direction.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, instead of using the scan buffer 1 that develops image information for each scan line, a scan page buffer that can accommodate one page of scan information is used, and the Since the image information is sequentially read out and converted to video information in the print mode (normal mode or reverse mode), by switching the mode, it is possible to perform single-sided printing and double-sided printing on printing paper whose paper orientation is physically fixed. This makes printing possible and eliminates the need for operator intervention, such as changing the cent direction of paper during single-sided printing and double-sided printing, which was conventionally necessary.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the image information generating device according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a table format set on the page data memory of the device shown in FIG. (a) is a diagram showing character information, (b) is a diagram showing graphic information, and Figure 3 is a diagram showing printing paper attributes and print modes determined by single-sided/double-sided printing. , Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the relationship between the scanning direction, paper feeding direction, and printing position, and Fig. 4 (a)
Figure 5(b) is a diagram showing the normal mode, Figure 5(b) is a diagram showing the reverse mode, Figure 5(a) is a diagram showing the print image on the scan page buffer, Figure 5(b) and FIG. 5(C) is a diagram showing the direction of extracting bit information in normal mode and reverse mode, respectively.
The figure is a block diagram showing the configuration of the bit pattern processing section, FIG. 7(a) is a diagram showing the relationship between input and output of the data selector, FIG. 7(b) is a diagram showing the relationship between output bits and input bits, FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the processing flow of the image generation device according to the present invention, FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a time chart of the bit pattern processing section, and FIG. 10 is a diagram showing how the paper direction is physically determined. FIGS. 3A and 3B are diagrams showing the printing state according to the present invention when paper is used. FIGS. d) is a diagram showing the double-sided printing state, No. 11
The figure shows the paper bus mechanism of a conventional laser printer, Figure 12 is a block diagram of an image generating device of a conventional double-sided printer, and Figure 13 shows the print start position and data line attributes in the device shown in Figure 12. In the figure shown, same 1
ffl(a) is a diagram showing character information, FIG. Figure 15 is a diagram showing character information, Figure 15 is a diagram showing graphic information, and Figure 15 is a diagram showing how an image is converted into scan data in the device shown in Figure 12. Diagram showing the flow up to loading into the scan line buffer, No. 16
The figure shows the printing state when using printing paper whose paper direction is physically determined and setting the top edge of the printing paper forward with respect to the paper feeding direction. Figure 17 (b) is a diagram showing a single-sided printing state, Figure 17 (C) is a diagram showing a double-sided printing state, and Figure 17 uses printing paper whose paper direction is physically determined, The figure shows the printing state when the top edge of the printing paper is placed backwards with respect to the paper feeding direction, where (a) shows the printing paper setting direction, and (b) shows the single-sided printing state. Figure (C) is a diagram showing a double-sided printing state. 1...Paper feeding section, 2...Transfer section, 3...Fixing section, 4
... Reversing section, 5... Folding section, 6... Stacker section, C... Photosensitive drum, P... Printing paper, 21.
...Input data processing unit, 22...Page data memory, 23...Loading memory, 24...Image generation control unit, 25...Scan page buffer, 2
6... Bit pattern processing unit, 30... Clock generation circuit, 31... Address counter, 32... Data selector, 33... Shift register. Representative of Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. Patent attorney Masanobu Hirukawa (2 others) Figure 3 Skiman direction Figure 6 1 - - - 1 - + + + + J Go,
7+- Bakoon place ball! Figure 10 (a, Figure 10 (b) Figure 10 (C) Figure 10 (at) Figure 11 Figure 12 - 1st call map (α) Figure 14 ( b) Figure 15

Claims (1)

[Claims] In an image generation device that performs single-sided/double-sided printing using the raster scan method, input data is converted into code information in a format that represents its attributes and printing start position, and input data that determines the print mode, normal mode or reverse mode. a processing unit, a page data memory that stores the information converted by the input data processing unit and the print mode in a predetermined format, and a loading memory that calculates the address of the corresponding bit pattern based on the stored information in the page data memory. an image generation control unit that sequentially reads out text or graphic images from the image data to sequentially form one page of image information and instructs a print mode; a scan page buffer that can accommodate one page of images; and a scan page buffer. a bit pattern processing unit that converts one page of bit information stored in the image generation control unit into a video signal according to a print mode instructed by the image generation control unit, and the bit pattern processing unit When the print mode is inverted mode, the data is read out sequentially from the start address of the scan page buffer and transferred as a video signal in the order in which it is read. An image generating device for double-sided printing, characterized in that the image is transmitted as a video signal in reverse order.