KR20060014522A - Method for setting time in printer - Google Patents

Abstract

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a printer, and more particularly, to a method of setting a time of a printer through a print command in a host computer.

The time setting method of the printer according to the present invention includes the steps of obtaining time information of the host computer; Converting the obtained visual information into print data and transmitting the same to the printer; And setting the time by receiving print data indicative of the time information in the printer.

The time setting method of the printer according to the present invention transmits the time information of the host computer to the printer as print data, and the print can receive and set the time of the host computer, so that the printer does not have a real time clock (RTC). It has the effect of enabling management based on visual information.

Description

Method for setting time of image forming apparatus {Method for setting time in printer}

1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a host computer transmitting print data and a printer processing the same.

2 is a flowchart illustrating a time setting method of the printer according to the present invention.

3 is a flowchart showing in detail the operation of the host computer in the method for setting the print time according to the present invention.

Figure 4 is a flow chart showing in detail the operation of the printer in the printer time setting method according to the present invention.

5 shows a printer drive interface screen displayed on the host computer.

The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, and more particularly, to a method capable of setting the time of an image forming apparatus through a print command in a host computer.

The image forming apparatus, or printer, is the most common means of outputting documents in the form of documents for checking, storing, and conveying the results of computer processing, and has become a basic component of a multifunction machine, a facsimile machine, an electronic cash register, and an automated teller machine. .

Until now, daisy wheel type printers, dot pin type printers, ink het type printers, and laser type printers have been developed. have.

1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a host computer transmitting print data and a printer processing the same. When the application program 100-1 of the host computer 100 sends the document data to the printer driver 100-3 through the graphic device interface (GDI) 100-2, the printer driver 100-3 receives the document data. Is converted into a print command that can be processed by the printer 200 by the page unit, and sent to the spooler 100-5 through the GDI32 (100-4), and the spooler 100-5 transmits the print data to the communication interlace ( 100-6) is transmitted to the printer 200.

The printer driver 100-3 is a program that converts a document or graphic file created by the application program 100-1 into a print command that can be processed by the printer 200.

The printer 200 transmits the print data received through the communication interface 200-1 to the renderer 200-2, and the renderer 200-2 converts the print data in units of pages into a video image to convert the video frame into a video frame. And the print engine 200-4 outputs the data transmitted in the video frame 200-3 as a hard copy.

The printer 200 performs the following functions.

1) Communication interface processing between the printer 200 and the host computer 100

2) Analysis of Print Data Received from Host Computer 100                         

3) Generates a video image that the print engine can process from the received print data.

4) print engine control

Currently, low-cost printers record the remaining life of consumables and error status based on the number of prints to maintain and maintain them. . Daily prints, monthly prints, and automatic on / off control could not be performed.

On the other hand, in the high-end type printer, the printing time display and reservation printing on the basis of the time. Even if a real time clock is provided for performing daily prints, monthly prints, and automatic on / off control, user's random change, no management, or errors due to long time use are occurring.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for setting the time of a printer in a host computer.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for generating print data for setting the time of a printer in a host computer.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a method of setting the time of a printer with reference to print data representing time information transmitted from a host computer.

The time setting method of the printer according to the present invention to achieve the above object

Obtaining visual information of the host computer;

Converting the obtained visual information into print data and transmitting the same to the printer; And

And receiving the print data representing the time information from the printer and setting the time.

A method of generating print data for setting the time of a printer in a host computer that achieves the above another object is

In the method for generating print data for setting the time of the printer at the host computer,

Acquiring the time information of the host computer each time a print request is generated from an application program and generating printer data representing the time information; And

And transmitting the print data representing the time information to the printer.

Time setting method of the printer according to the present invention to achieve the above another object

Determining whether print data indicative of time information is included in print data transmitted from a host computer;

If there is print data indicating the time information included in the print data, obtaining time information from the print data indicating the time information; And

And setting the time of the printer based on the obtained time information.                     

Hereinafter, the configuration and operation of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals refer to the same components, and for the sake of simplicity of the description will be omitted for the obvious matters in the art.

2 is a flowchart illustrating a time setting method of the printer according to the present invention.

First, time information of the host computer 100 is obtained (s202).

Visual information of the host computer 100 is obtained through the operating system.

The obtained time information is converted into print data and transmitted to the printer 200 (s204).

Modern printers offer a variety of colorful prints. The standard for printers, however, uses the Esc sequence, and only supports English capital and lowercase letters and numbers, some symbols, and doubles them horizontally and vertically. Therefore, different manufacturers use different methods for non-standard printing. That is, using an extended Esc sequence or using a separate print language such as PCL (Printer Control Language) or Postscript is being developed.

The most widely used is PCL, which was established by Hewlett Packard. It has been developed from PCL1 to PCL4, PCL5, and PCL5e. Recently, PCL4, PCL5, and PCL5e are mainly used. Laser printers have a microprocessor and memory that interpret printer languages such as PCL and convert them into images.                     

The printer 200 receives print data representing time information transmitted from the host computer 100 and sets its own time.

If the printer does not have an RTC, the time is recorded in the memory referred to for time information. If the printer is equipped with the RTC, the time information of the RTC is updated by the received time information.

Print data representing the time information is created and transmitted by the print drive.

In the following description of the present invention, a mode for transmitting time information together whenever the print data is transmitted is called a time synchronization print mode, and a program for controlling the setting of the time synchronization print mode will be referred to as a time synchronization program.

When the time synchronization print mode is activated, the print drive 100-3 acquires time information of the host computer 100 whenever print data is generated at the request of the application program 100-1, and print data indicating the time information. Is generated and transmitted to the printer 200 together with the print data representing the document data. The print data representing the document data and the single print data representing the time information may be integrated and transmitted or may be transmitted as separate print data.

The function of controlling the setting of the time-synchronized print mode may be implemented as one of the functions of the print driver, but may be implemented as an application program separate from the print driver. The example of the present invention shows an example implemented in the form of an application program.                     

In addition, a user may be designated through the time synchronization program, or only the designated user may set the time synchronization print mode.

3 is a flowchart showing in detail the operation of the host computer in the method for setting the print time according to the present invention.

The host computer 100 creates the print data. (S302) The print data is generated at the request of the application program 100-1.

It is determined whether the time synchronization print mode is used (s304).

As a result of the determination in step S304, in the time synchronous print mode, the process branches to step s306 to create print data indicating the time information. Visual information is obtained through the operating system.

Print data representing document data and print data representing time information are integrated (s308).

If the determination in step S304 is not the time synchronous print mode, the process branches to step S310.

The print data is transmitted to the printer 200 (s310).

4 is a flowchart showing in detail the operation of the printer 200 in the printer time setting method according to the present invention.

The printer 200 receives print data transmitted from the host computer 100 (s402).

It is determined whether the print mode is the time synchronization print mode (s404). Here, the time synchronization print mode is determined by whether or not the print data indicating the time information is included in the received print data.

If the determination result of step S404 is the time-synchronized print mode, that is, if the received print data includes print data indicating the time information, the process branches to step s406 to update the time information.

If it is determined in step S404 that the time synchronization print mode is not, the process branches to step s408.

Print the print data. (s408)

The printer 200 suitable for the printing time setting method according to the present invention

1) Separate print data representing time information from received print data.

2) Update own time information by time information received from host computer 100

3) It performs functions such as management based on the time information received from the host computer 100.

The print time setting method according to the present invention enables the setting of a time in a low-cost printer not having an RTC. Thus, management by time information, for example, printing time display, reservation printing, number of prints per period, or automatic on / off Management and the like become possible. On the other hand, even in a high-end printer having an RTC, the time of the print 200 can be accurately reset in accordance with the time of the host computer.

5 shows the print drive interface screen displayed on the host computer. The print drive 100-3 generates print data representing time information when the print data is created, and transmits the print data to the printer 200 together with the print data representing the document data. In the center of FIG. 5, an interface screen 502 of the print drive 100-3 is shown, and an icon 504 indicating whether or not the time synchronization print mode is activated is displayed at the lower right.

As described above, the time setting method of the printer according to the present invention transmits time information of a host computer to a print, and the print can receive and set the time of the host computer. Thus, the printer does not have an RTC based on the time information. It has the effect of enabling management.

The time setting method of the printer according to the present invention has the effect of accurately correcting an error due to a user's arbitrary setting, a management member, a secular variation, etc., even in a printer having an RTC.

Claims (4)

Obtaining visual information of the host computer; Converting the obtained visual information into print data and transmitting the same to the printer; And A printer time setting method comprising the step of setting a time by receiving print data representing time information from a printer. The method of claim 1, And time information of the host computer is obtained whenever an application program of the host computer requests a print job. In the method for generating print data for setting the time of the printer at the host computer, Acquiring the time information of the host computer each time a print request is generated from an application program and generating printer data representing the time information; And And transmitting the print data representing the time information to a printer. In the time setting method of the printer, Determining whether print data indicative of time information is included in print data transmitted from a host computer; If there is print data indicating the time information included in the print data, obtaining time information from the print data indicating the time information; And Printer time setting method comprising the step of setting the time of the printer based on the obtained time information.

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