KR100193804B1 - How to Support Printer Emulation Using Computer - Google Patents

Abstract

[Technical field to which the invention described in the claims belong]

Relates to a computer system.

[Technical Problem to Solve]

It provides an emulation support method that can download and use a newly versioned-up emulation program without exchanging the ROM provided in the printer.

[Summary of the solution of the invention]

If the emulation mode currently being used when receiving a print command is a specific emulation mode, the emulation program is converted to be distinguished from the image data, and the format-converted data packet is downloaded to the printer together with the image data for selective execution. At this time, the downloaded emulation program is stored and used in the RAM provided in the printer.

[Important Uses of the Invention]

It can be usefully used for printers that are computer peripherals.

Description

How to Support Printer Emulation Using Computer

1 is a block diagram of a computer system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a configuration diagram of a printer memory map according to the present invention.

3 is a flowchart of a computer control unit for supporting a version-up emulation function according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The present invention relates to a computer system, and more particularly to a method for supporting an emulation function that can automatically support the emulation function of a version-up printer in a computer connected to the printer.

Generally laser beam printers, ink jet printers. A printer such as a dot printer receives code data from an external device (for example, a computer) and prints it. At this time, the printer user can select one of various emulation functions and print the data file according to the data file to be printed. Types of the emulation function include PCL5, PDL, IBM, EPSON, and the like. In the conventional printer, the software for the emulation function is assigned to a ROM area, and there is a problem that the internal ROM must be exchanged when version-up or user support of the emulation function is performed later.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a method for supporting an emulation function that can facilitate printer users and sellers by supporting a new version-up emulation program in a computer connected to a printer without exchanging an internal ROM, which is a printer component.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a method for supporting a printer emulation function using a computer having a version-up emulation program as a disk file, wherein the emulation mode currently being used is newly received upon receiving a printing command signal for printing image data. A first step of checking whether or not a version-up emulation mode is present; and when the emulation mode currently in use is a newly version-up emulation mode, the emulation program existing in the disk file is formatted in a data format different from the image data file. A second step of converting the packet into a packet and downloading the image data file together with the image data file; and a third step of storing the downloaded data packet in a volatile storage means of the print and executing the selection.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding of the present invention, such as the specific process flows described in the following description and the accompanying drawings. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. And a detailed description of known functions and configurations that may unnecessarily obscure the subject matter of the present invention will be omitted.

1 is a block diagram of a computer system according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which a computer 100 and a laser beam printer 200 are connected. Referring to FIG. 1, the computer 100 includes a computer body 102, a display unit 110, a keyboard 112, and an auxiliary storage device 114, which is the same as a general computer. The computer main body 102 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 104, an input / output (I / O) interface 106, and a memory 108. In addition, the computer main body 102 is used in connection with the display unit 110, the keyboard 112, the auxiliary memory device 114, and the computer interface 116 of the laser beam printer 200. On the other hand, the auxiliary memory device 114 includes a newly version-up emulation software program according to the present invention as a disk file. The laser beam printer 200 includes a video controller 126, an OPE 124, and a printer engine unit 128. The video controller 126 converts the image data input from the computer 100, the computer interface 116 for interfacing the transmission and reception signals, and the image data input from the computer interface 116 into image data that can be processed by a printer engine. And a CPU 118 for controlling the overall operation of the printer, an engine interface 122 for interfacing a transmit / receive signal with the print engine 128 under the control of the CPU 118, and a control program of the CPU 118. And a memory 120 having a built-in ROM and a RAM for temporarily storing data. When the print command is received from the video controller 126, the print engine 128 prints the image data received through the computer interface 116 on a recording medium (paper). The OPE 124 includes a plurality of keys capable of generating key data, and outputs them to the CPU 118 when the key data is generated and displays a display data generated during the control operation of the CPU 118. do.

2 is a schematic diagram of a memory 120 map of a laser beam printer according to an embodiment of the present invention. The memory 120 of the laser beam printer includes a RAM area capable of storing a plurality of data information and a ROM area storing a program. . The RAM area is a data area and memory in which a zero page vector area, a function table area, an emulation table area, and an emulation program downloaded from a computer can be stored. It consists of a memory pool area.

3 is a flowchart illustrating the execution of a computer CPU 104 for supporting a version-up emulation function according to an embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, an operation example of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. Explain.

First, in step 200, the computer CPU 104 checks whether a printing command for printing predetermined image data is received from the keyboard 112, and proceeds to step 202 when a printing command is received. In step 202, the CPU 104 of the computer checks whether the emulation mode currently being used is a specific mode, that is, an emulation mode added as a version-up. In step 204, the CPU 104 of the computer converts the disk file corresponding to the specific emulation mode into a data packet having a format distinct from the image data and downloads the data to a laser beam printer. In this case, the laser beam printer downloads an emulation data packet having a specific format to an address contained in the packet. Accordingly, the downloaded emulation program module is stored at a designated address on the RAM area of the memory 120 and then selectively executed when necessary.

In step 206, the computer CPU 104 transmits the predetermined data file to the printer and ends the emulation function support according to the present invention. If it is determined in step 202 that the emulation mode of the printer is not the specific emulation mode, the CPU 104 of the computer proceeds to step 206 to transfer the data file to the printer and ends the emulation function support.

As described above, the present invention has the advantage that the convenience of using the printer and the function can be extended by supporting the newly connected version of the emulation program in the computer connected to the printer without changing the ROM storing the emulation program.

Claims (2)

A method for supporting a printer emulation function using a computer having a versioned-up emulation program as a disk file, the method comprising: checking whether an emulation mode currently being used is a newly versioned-up emulation mode when receiving a printing command signal for printing image data. In the first process, and if the emulation mode currently in use is a newly versioned-up emulation mode, the emulation program existing in the disk file is converted into a data packet having a format distinct from the image data file, And a second step of downloading together, and a third step of storing the downloaded data packet in a volatile memory means of the printer and selectively executing the data packet. The method of claim 1, wherein the data packet includes an address of an emulation program to be downloaded.