KR20040063208A - Method and apparatus for printing data merging information in printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A method and a device for merged-printing print information are provided to print the print information representing one from a total printing sheet and a serial number of a printer by responding to user's request. CONSTITUTION: A data converter(60) converts the print data provided from the user into image data, and outputs the image data. An information recorder(62) records the print information representing one from the total printing sheet and the serial number of the printer to the first position of the image data, and outputs the image data recording the print information. A printing sheet number updating part(66) updates the total print sheet of the printer by adding 1 in response to the data conversion of the data converter. A printing part(64) prints the image data inputted from the data converter or the information recorder, and outputs a printing result.

Description

Method and apparatus for printing data merging information in printer

The present invention relates to a printer, and more particularly, to an information merge printing method and apparatus for merging and printing data and information in a printer.

In the conventional case, in order to manage the printed matter printed through the printer, the function of assigning a serial number to the printed matter is performed at the host. That is, the host may perform a function of assigning a serial number to the print data before sending the print data corresponding to the document created by the user to the printer. As such, the serial number can be assigned only in units of print jobs at the host.

Therefore, in an environment using multiple printers, it is difficult for a user to determine from which printer and from which printer the printed matter printed on the printer is printed for the first time. Therefore, the user has a problem that it is difficult to manage the printed matter printed by the printer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in an effort to provide a method for merging printing information of a printer that can print print information indicating at least one of a total number of prints and a unique number of a printer on printed matter in response to a user's request.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an information merge printing apparatus of a printer capable of printing print information indicating at least one of a total number of prints and a unique number of a printer on printed matter in response to a user's request.

1 is a flowchart for explaining an embodiment of an information merge printing method according to the present invention performed in a printer.

2 is a diagram illustrating an example of bit map data.

3A and 3B are diagrams showing an example of printed image data.

4 is a flowchart for explaining another embodiment of the information merge printing method according to the present invention.

5 is a diagram showing another example of printed image data.

6 (a) and 6 (b) are diagrams showing still another example of printed image data.

7 is a block diagram of an information merge printing apparatus of a printer according to the present invention.

8 is a block diagram of a preferred embodiment of the present invention of the information recording unit shown in FIG.

9 is a block diagram of an embodiment of an information merge printing apparatus according to the present invention.

In order to achieve the above object, the information merge printing method according to the present invention carried out in the printer, converting the print data provided from the user to the image data, the step of updating by increasing the total number of prints of the printer by 1, And printing the print information indicating at least one of the total number of prints and the unique number of the printer at a first predetermined position of the image data and printing the image data.

In order to achieve the above another object, an information merge printing apparatus according to the present invention included in a printer includes a data conversion unit for converting print data provided from a user into image data and outputting the converted image data, and the total number of prints. And an information recording unit for recording print information indicating at least one of a unique number of the printer at a first predetermined position of the image data, and outputting the image data on which the print information is recorded; Wherein the total number of prints of the printer is increased by 1 and updated, and the print unit prints the image data input from the data conversion unit or input from the information recording unit, and outputs the printed result. desirable.

Hereinafter, the information merge printing method of the printer according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a flowchart for explaining an embodiment of the information merge printing method according to the present invention carried out in a printer, the step of converting data (step 10), updating data (step 12), printing Recording the information (14th to 18th steps) and printing the data (20th step).

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the information merge printing method first converts print data provided from a user into image data (step 10). To this end, the information merge printing method performs processing such as analyzing print data and finally generates image data.

After the tenth step, the total number of prints of the printer is updated by one (step 12). That is, the total number of prints of the printer stored in the nonvolatile memory (not shown) is read out, increased by one, and updated, and the updated total number of prints is stored again.

After the twelfth step, print information indicating at least one of the total number of prints of the printer and the unique number of the printer is recorded (first to eighteenth steps) in the image data. Here, the unique number of the printer is not the information generated by the user, but is pre-stored print information, and may be determined so that the user cannot change it from the time when the printer is released from the printer's manufacturer, or by the administrator who manages the printer. May be In addition, the total number of prints is not information generated by the user, but information updated by one as described above. Also, the first predetermined position may be variable by the user.

After the twelfth step, it is determined whether the user requests to record the print information in the image data (step 14). If it is determined that the user requests to record the print information in the image data, the bitmap data corresponding to the print information is read out (step 16).

2 is a diagram illustrating an example of bit map data.

The bitmap data read out in the sixteenth step is stored in advance in the printer, and represents the numbers 0 to 9, for example, as shown in FIG.

After the sixteenth step, the read bitmap data is recorded in the first predetermined position of the image data (step 18).

3 (a) and 3 (b) are diagrams showing examples of printed image data, FIG. 3 (a) is a diagram showing a result of printing image data without print information, and FIG. It is a figure which shows the result which the image data which has print information was printed.

After the eighteenth step, image data on which bitmap data corresponding to the print information is recorded is printed (step 20). For example, in the print information, when the total number of prints is '1234', the printer's unique number is '001234', and the image data is 'A', it indicates the printer's unique number 22 and the total number of prints 24. The image data in which the bit map data corresponding to the print information is recorded can be printed as shown in Fig. 3B.

Or, if it is determined that the user has not requested to record the print information in the image data, the image data without recording the bit map data is printed (step 20). For example, if the image data is 'A', the image data without recording the bit map data corresponding to the print information can be printed as shown in Fig. 3A.

Fig. 4 is a flowchart for explaining another embodiment of the information merge printing method according to the present invention, which comprises the steps of obtaining split information (30th and 32nd steps) when printing of the split information is required.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the information merge printing method shown in FIG. 1 may further provide the thirtieth and thirty-second steps shown in FIG.

First, it is determined whether the user requests printing of the divided information (step 30). If it is determined that the user does not request printing of the divided information, the flow proceeds to step 10. However, if it is determined that the user requests printing of the divided information, the print data provided from the user is analyzed to obtain the divided information, and the flow proceeds to step 10. Therefore, in step 16, bit map data corresponding to the partition information is read out, and in step 18, bit map data corresponding to the partition information is recorded at the second predetermined position of the image data. In this case, the second predetermined position may be changed by the user.

Fig. 5 is a diagram showing another example of printed image data, in which the unique number 40 and the total number of prints 42 of the printer are recorded as print information.

6 (a) and 6 (b) show still another example of printed image data, in which the unique numbers 44 and 48 and the total number of prints 46 and 50 of the printer are recorded as print information. .

According to the present invention, the split information can take two forms.

First, when the unit page is divided into X subpages (where X represents a positive integer of 2 or more) in step 20, and the subpage is printed, the subpage to be currently printed is one of the X subpages. This shows the number of subpages. For example, when the unit page is divided and printed into four subpages representing 'A', 'B', 'C' and 'D' as shown in FIG. 2/4, 3/4 or 4/4.

Next, when the image data is repeatedly printed by Y (where Y represents a positive integer of 2 or more) in the twentieth step, the segmentation information is an image in which the image data currently being printed is repeatedly repeated a few times. Indicates whether it corresponds to data. For example, as shown in Figs. 6A and 6B, when image data 'A' is repeatedly printed by six pieces, the division information is 1/6, 2/6, 3/6, 4 /. 6, 5/6 or 6/6.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, the configuration and operation of the printer information merge printing apparatus according to the present invention will be described as follows.

Fig. 7 is a block diagram of the information merge printing apparatus of the printer according to the present invention, which is composed of a data converting unit 60, an information recording unit 62, a printing unit 64, and a number updating unit 66.

The information merge printing apparatus of the printer illustrated in FIG. 7 may perform the information merge printing method illustrated in FIG. 1.

The data conversion unit 60 shown in FIG. 7 converts the print data provided from the user and input via the input terminal IN1 into image data, and converts the converted image data into the information recording unit 62 and the printing unit 64, respectively. Output That is, the data changer 60 performs the tenth step shown in FIG. 1.

In response to the data conversion unit 60 converting the data, the number update unit 66 increases the total number of prints of the printer by one and updates it. For example, if the data conversion unit 60 recognizes that the print data has been converted into image data, the number update unit 66 reads out the total number of prints stored in the information recording unit 62, updates it by one, and updates the updated number of copies. The total number of prints is output to the information recording unit 62 and stored.

The information recording unit 62 records print information indicating at least one of the total number of prints of the printer and the unique number of the printer at the first predetermined position of the image data, and outputs the image data recording the print information to the printing unit 64. . That is, the information recording unit 62 serves to perform the fourteenth, sixteenth and eighteenth steps shown in FIG.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of a preferred embodiment 62A of the information recording unit 62 shown in FIG. 7 according to the present invention, which includes an information recording inspection unit 70, a data processing unit 72, a data recording unit 74, and data. It consists of a storage unit 76.

The information recording unit 62A shown in FIG. 8 can perform the fourteenth, sixteenth and eighteenth steps shown in FIG.

The information recording inspecting unit 70 checks whether the user requests to record print information in the image data, and outputs the inspected result to the data processing unit 72 as the first control signal C1. For example, the information recording inspection unit 70 inputs, through the input terminal IN2, a print request signal generated from a key operation unit (not shown) operated by a user who requests recording of the print data through the input terminal IN2, and then the first control signal. (C1) may occur. In other words, the information recording inspecting unit 70 performs the 14th step.

The data storage unit 76 stores the bitmap data corresponding to the print information. To this end, the data storage unit 76 may be implemented as a nonvolatile memory 80 that stores bitmap data corresponding to print information. At this time, the number update unit 66 shown in FIG. 7 reads out the total number of prints stored in the data storage unit 76 through the output terminal OUT3, updates it by 1, and updates the total number of prints updated by the input terminal IN4. It is stored in the data storage unit 76 through.

The data processing unit 72 reads the bitmap data from the data storage unit 76 in response to the first control signal C1 input from the information recording inspection unit 70, and reads the read bitmap data into the data recording unit 74. ) For example, if it is recognized through the first control signal C1 that recording of print information is required by the user, the data processing unit 72 reads the bitmap data from the data storage unit 76 to the data recording unit 74. Output That is, the data processing unit 72 and the data storage unit 76 shown in FIG. 8 are necessary to perform the twelfth and sixteenth steps shown in FIG.

The data recording unit 74 records the read bitmap data input from the data processing unit 72 at the first predetermined position of the image data input from the data conversion unit 60 through the input terminal IN3, and records the bitmap data. The image data is output to the printing section 64 through the output terminal OUT2. That is, the data recording unit 74 serves to perform the eighteenth step shown in FIG.

At this time, the printing unit 64 receives the image data input from the data conversion unit 60 or the image data input from the data recording unit 74 in response to the first control signal C1 input from the information recording inspection unit 70. Print For example, if it is recognized through the first control signal C1 that recording of print information is not required by the user, the printing unit 64 prints the image data input from the data conversion unit 60. However, if it is recognized through the first control signal C1 that recording of print information is required by the user, the printing unit 64 prints the image data input from the information recording unit 62.

For example, the printing unit 64 prints the image data input from the data conversion unit 60 or input from the information recording unit 62, and outputs the printed result through the output terminal OUT1. In other words, the printing unit 64 serves to perform the twentieth step.

9 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the information merge printing apparatus according to the present invention, which is composed of an information printing inspection unit 100 and an information extraction unit 102.

The information merging printing apparatus illustrated in FIG. 7 may further include an information printing inspecting unit 100 and an information extracting unit 102 illustrated in FIG. 9. Here, the information print inspecting unit 100 and the information extracting unit 102 illustrated in FIG. 9 may perform the information merge printing method illustrated in FIG. 4.

The information print inspecting unit 100 shown in FIG. 9 checks whether the user requests printing of the divided information, and outputs the inspected result to the information extracting unit 102 as the second control signal C2. For example, the information print inspecting unit 100 may input a split print request signal generated from a key manipulation unit (not shown) operated by a user who requests printing of the split information through the input terminal IN5 to generate a second control signal C2. ) May occur. That is, the information print inspecting unit 100 performs the thirtieth step shown in FIG. 4.

The information extracting unit 102 analyzes the print data input from the user through the input terminal IN6 in response to the second control signal C2 input from the information printing inspecting unit 100, extracts the segmentation information, and extracts the extracted segmentation. Outputs information through output terminal OUT4. For example, if it is recognized through the second control signal C2 that printing of the divided information is required by the user, the information extracting unit 102 extracts the divided information from the print data. That is, the information extracting unit 102 performs the 32nd step shown in FIG. 4.

At this time, the data conversion unit 60 shown in FIG. 7 converts the print data input from the user through the input terminal IN1 into image data in response to the second control signal C2 input from the information printing inspection unit 100. do. For example, if it is recognized through the second control signal C2 that printing of the divided information is not required by the user, the data conversion unit 60 converts the print data provided from the user into image data. At this time, the information recording unit 62 records bit map data corresponding to the divided information extracted by the information extraction unit 102 at the second predetermined position of the image data.

As described above, the split information may take two forms. That is, when the printing unit 64 divides and prints a unit page into X subpages, the division information may indicate which subpage the subpage currently being printed corresponds to among the X subpages. In addition, when the printing unit 64 repeatedly prints Y image data, the division information may indicate how many times the image data to be currently printed corresponds to the image data to be printed repeatedly.

As described above, the method and apparatus for merging printing information of a printer according to the present invention can print printing information representing at least one of a total number of prints and a unique number of a printer on a print medium such as paper, thereby using multiple printers. In such an environment, it is possible to easily manage a document or an apparatus, such as to make it easy for a user to confirm which document is the number of documents output from which printer.

Claims (12)

In the information merge printing method performed in the printer, (a) converting print data provided from a user into image data; (b) incrementing and updating the total number of prints of the printer by one; (c) recording print information indicating at least one of the total number of prints and a unique number of the printer at a first predetermined position of the image data; And and (d) printing the image data. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) (c1) It is determined whether the user requests to record the print information in the image data, and if it is determined that the user does not request to record the print information in the image data, the step proceeds to step (d). Doing; (c2) if it is determined that the user requests that the print information be recorded in the image data, reading bit map data corresponding to the print information; And (c3) recording the read bitmap data at the first predetermined position of the image data, and proceeding to step (d), And the bitmap data is stored inside the printer. The method of claim 1, wherein the information merge printing method is Determining whether the user requests printing of the divided information, and if it is determined that the user does not request printing of the divided information, proceeding to step (a); And If it is determined that the user requests the printing of the divided information, the method further includes analyzing the print data to obtain the divided information, and proceeding to the step (a). And in the step (c), the segmentation information is recorded at a second predetermined position of the image data. 4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein in the step (d), when the unit page is divided and printed into X sub-pages (where X represents a positive integer of 2 or more), the divided information is the sub page to be printed. And which subpage corresponds to which of the X subpages. 4. The method according to claim 3, wherein, in the step (d), when the image data is repeatedly printed by Y (where Y represents a positive integer of 2 or more), the segmentation information is divided into several pieces of image data currently being printed. And a method for merging and printing information of a printer, characterized in that it corresponds to image data to be repeatedly printed. 4. The method as claimed in claim 1 or 3, wherein the first or second predetermined position is varied by the user. An information merge printing apparatus included in a printer, A data conversion unit for converting print data provided from a user into image data and outputting the converted image data; An information recording unit for recording print information indicating at least one of the total number of prints and a unique number of the printer at a first predetermined position of the image data, and outputting the image data recording the print information; A number updating unit that increases and updates the total number of prints of the printer by 1 in response to whether data is converted in the data conversion unit; And And a printing unit for printing the image data inputted from the data conversion unit or inputted from the information recording unit, and outputting a printed result. The method of claim 7, wherein the information recording unit An information recording inspecting section which checks whether the user requests to record the print information in the image data, and outputs the inspected result as a first control signal; A data storage unit for storing bit map data corresponding to the print information; In response to the first control signal, bit map data corresponding to the total number of prints is read from the data storage unit and incremented by 1 to be stored in the data storage unit, and the bit map data is read from the data storage unit. Shipment data processing unit; And A data recording section for recording the read bitmap data input from the data processing section at the first predetermined position of the image data, and outputting the image data recording the bitmap data to the printing section, And the printing unit prints the image data input from the data conversion unit or the image data input from the data recording unit in response to the first control signal. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the information merge printing apparatus is An information print inspecting unit which checks whether the user requests printing of the divided information and outputs the inspected result as a second control signal; And And an information extracting unit configured to extract the segmentation information by analyzing the print data in response to the second control signal, and output the extracted segmentation information. The data conversion unit converts the print data input from the user into the image data in response to the second control signal, and the information recording unit records the segmentation information at a second predetermined position of the image data. Merge the printing device of the printer. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein when the printing unit divides and prints the unit page into X sub-pages, where X represents a positive integer of 2 or more. An information merge printing apparatus of a printer, wherein the number of subpages corresponds to which subpage. 10. The method according to claim 9, wherein when the printing unit repeatedly prints the image data by Y (where Y represents a positive integer of 2 or more), the segmentation information is repeated the number of times that the image data currently being printed is repeated. And information indicating whether the image data corresponds to image data to be printed. 10. The printer as claimed in claim 8, wherein the data storage unit is a nonvolatile memory that stores the bitmap data corresponding to the print information.