JP2891857B2 - Printing apparatus and printing method - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printing apparatus and a printing method for receiving and printing a print command generated by a plurality of types of programs or print commands generated by a plurality of users.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Printing apparatuses having various fonts in the apparatus are widely used. In such a printing apparatus, when printing a character that is not stored in the font memory, bitmap information or outline information on the configuration of the character is received from the host computer in advance. Such a character received in advance from the host computer is called an external character. Normally, the external character is not required to be repeatedly received when it is received from the host computer when the printer is turned on, when the host computer is turned on, or when printing is started for the first time after the power is turned on.

[0003]

However, in the conventional printing apparatus, when there is a possibility that the type or definition of the external character to be used has been changed, all the external characters are received again in order to avoid printing of an incorrect external character. Needed. For example, when printing is performed by different host computers, even if the host computer is of the same type, a different printer driver (a printer driver is a print control program on the host computer that controls issuance of a print control command to a printing apparatus). ), An emulation program built in the printing apparatus (an emulation program is an on-printing apparatus that receives a command issued from a printer driver and actually controls printing of the printing apparatus). In the case where the user switches the print control program, or prints an external character registered by a different user, it is necessary to receive the external character again before printing. Since the reception of such external characters requires a lot of time, there has been a problem that, if the host computer or the printer driver is changed, the start of subsequent printing is delayed. In addition, when printing is performed without changing the external character registered by the user even when the user is changed, the external character is erroneously printed.

[0004] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a printing apparatus and a printing method that can solve such a problem.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention relates to a printing apparatus having a function of receiving external character information and storing it in a memory for storing external character in the printing apparatus. First identifying one or more of a host computer, a print driver, a user, or an emulator that has received the external character information.
Storage means for storing the identification information of the external character in association with the external character information; means for receiving the external character print instruction; and receiving the external character print instruction from the host computer, print driver, user, or receiving the external character print instruction. Means for selecting, from the external character information stored in the storage means, external character information in which each of the second identification information for identifying any one or a plurality of the emulators matches the first identification information; Means for printing.

Here, the "external character information" corresponds to a font identification number, a character code, and external character data described below.

[0007]

According to the present invention, when the printing apparatus recognizes all or a part of the host computer, the print driver, the emulator, and the user who issued the print command, and registers the external character in the printing apparatus, Is stored in a memory in association with each external character, and when printing the external character, an external character that matches the recognized data is selected, so that a plurality of types of host computers, a plurality of types of printer drivers, or Even when printing is performed by a plurality of users, it is not necessary to newly receive all external characters from the host computer every time the type of the host computer or the like is switched. Therefore, even when the host computer or the like is switched, it is possible to avoid a delay in starting the subsequent printing. In addition, even when the user is changed, it is possible to avoid printing an external character by mistake.

[0008]

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

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a basic configuration of hardware of a printing apparatus and a host computer of this embodiment. In FIG. 1, a host computer 101 outputs print data and registration data to a printing apparatus 200. The printing device 200 includes
01 and a printer engine 107. In this embodiment, a laser beam printer (hereinafter, referred to as LBP) is used as the printing apparatus 200. Printer control unit 2
01 will be described below. Printer control unit 20
In 1, the input interface unit 103 receives data transferred via an interface cable. Reference numeral 104 denotes a reception buffer.
03, and temporarily stores the received data. ROM
108 stores a plurality of control programs executed by the CPU 105 and font data. Each print control program stores a unique field number (ID) in advance.
The RAM 109 is used as a work area used by the control program and a registration area for storing registration data. 106
Is an output control unit which converts an output image stored in the RAM 109 into a video signal and
Transfer to The printer engine 107 forms an image from the received video signal and records it on recording paper.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing a mechanical structure of a laser beam printer (hereinafter abbreviated as LBP) 200 of the present embodiment. The LBP 200 inputs and stores print information and the like supplied from a host computer connected to the outside, creates a corresponding figure according to the information, and forms an image on a recording paper as a recording medium. A panel operation unit 212 includes switches for operation, an LED display, and the like. A printer control unit 201 controls the entire LBP 200 and analyzes character information and the like supplied from the host computer. The printer control unit 201 converts the data of the bitmap memory, which is mainly character / graphic information, into a video signal and outputs the video signal to the laser driver 202. The laser driver 202 is a circuit for driving the semiconductor laser 203, and switches on / off a laser beam 204 emitted from the semiconductor laser 203 according to an input video signal. The laser beam 204 is swung in the left-right direction by a rotary polygon mirror 205 to scan and expose an electrostatic drum 206. As a result, an electrostatic latent image of the output figure is formed on the electrostatic drum 206. This latent image is developed by a developing unit 207 provided around the electrostatic drum 206 and then transferred to a recording sheet. A cut sheet is used for the recording paper. The cut sheets are stored in a paper cassette 208 mounted on the LBP 200, and are fed by a paper feed rotor 209 and transport rollers 210 and 211.
As a result, it is taken into the apparatus and supplied to the electrostatic drum 206.

Next, a printing control procedure performed by the printer control unit 201 in the printing apparatus having the above-described configuration will be described with reference to a flowchart of FIG.

First, print data is received from the host computer 101 and the received data is sequentially stored in the reception buffer 1.
04 (S301). Next, the data in the reception buffer is read (S302), and it is checked whether the data is a discharge command (S303).
At 304, it is checked whether the data is an emulator switching instruction. If the data is not an emulator switching instruction, it is checked in step S305 whether the data is an external character registration instruction. If the data is an external character registration command, external character registration processing is performed (S311). This external character registration processing will be described later. If the data is not an external character registration command in step S304, the data is analyzed, an intermediate code is created in accordance with the analysis result (S306), and the intermediate code is expanded into a page memory (S307). If the data is an emulator switching command in step S304, it is checked in step S312 whether there is data to be printed. If there is data to be printed, the content of the page memory is converted into a video signal (S31).
3) Printing is performed (S314), and the sheet is discharged (S31).
5), a switching process is performed (S316). Step S31
If there is no data to be printed in step 2, step S31
Proceed to 6. If the data is a paper discharge command in step S303, the contents of the page memory are converted into a video signal (S308), printing is performed (S309), and the paper is discharged (S310).

FIG. 4 is a data structure diagram showing a storage format of external character registration. The external character management table contains a font identification number indicating a font type, a character code, an emulator number indicating an emulator that has registered the corresponding data, a host number input as a parameter of a registration command, a user number, and registration data for each data. Of the storage area is stored. The external character data is stored in the external character registration area.

FIG. 5 shows an example of the configuration of an external character registration command. The parameters of the external character registration command include the dot height of the registered bitmap data, the width in byte units, the host number, the user number, and the registered bitmap data. The host number and the user number are represented by integers other than 0, and may be omitted. If omitted, a value of 0 is set internally. It should be noted that the host number and the user number are determined in advance by the user with values unique to the host and the user.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a process for registering an external character. In step S601, the emulator number of the currently operating emulator is obtained. Step S602
Step S605 indicates a process of searching the external character management table. In step S602, it is checked whether a font whose font code matches the character code is registered in the RAM 109. If a font whose font type and character code match is not registered, step S60
Go to 7. If a font whose character code matches the font type is registered in step S602, it is checked in step S603 whether a font whose emulator number matches among the fonts is registered in the RAM 109. If a font with the same emulator number has not been registered, step S607
Proceed to. If a font having the same emulator number has been registered in step S603, the process proceeds to step S60.
In step 4, it is checked whether a font whose host number matches among the fonts is registered. If a font having the same host number is registered, step S6
Proceed to 07. If a font having the same host number is registered in step S604, step S605
To check whether a font whose user number matches among those fonts is registered. If the font with the matching user number is not registered, step S6
Proceed to 07. If a font having the same user number is registered in step S605, the existing data is deleted and registered. In step S607, new registration is performed.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a search for an external character at the time of printing. In step S701, the emulator number of the currently operating emulator is obtained. The host number and user number at the time of printing are given by a command such as a print job start command. Steps S702 to S705 show a process of searching the external character management table. In step S702, it is checked whether a font whose font type matches the character code is registered in the RAM 109. If no font whose character code matches the font type is registered, the process proceeds to step S707. If a font having the same font type and character code is registered in step S702, it is checked in step S703 whether a font having the same emulator number is registered in the RAM 109 among those fonts. If a font having the same emulator number has not been registered, the process proceeds to step S707. If a font having the same emulator number is registered, it is checked in step S704 whether a font having the same host number is registered in the RAM 109 among the fonts. If a font having a matching host number is not registered, step S707
Proceed to. If a font whose host number matches is registered in step S704, it is checked in step S705 whether a font whose user number matches is registered in the RAM 109. If a font having the same user number is not registered, step S707
Proceed to. If a font having the same user number is registered in step S705, the corresponding external character is printed. In step S707, the external character is not printed, and the character in the corresponding font ROM is printed.

(Other Embodiments) In this embodiment, the emulator, the host computer, and the user are individually identified and a font having matching identification data is selected and printing is performed. The same identification number may be assigned to the emulator and the same type of host computer, and only these types may be identified. When a plurality of users use the same external character, a group number may be allocated to these users, and the group number may be allocated to the external character. Alternatively, a group number (eg, group number 00) that is valid for all users may be prepared and assigned to a font that is valid for all users.

In this embodiment, the emulator, the host computer, and the user are identified, but a print driver on the host computer may be identified in addition to the emulator, the host computer, and the user. Further, a part of them, for example, only the host computer or only the user may be identified.

[0019]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Even when printing is continuously performed by multiple types of host computers, multiple types of printer drivers, multiple types of emulators, or multiple users, all external characters are newly received from the host computer each time the host computer is switched. No need to do. Therefore, even if the host computer is switched,
It is possible to avoid a delay in starting the subsequent printing. In addition, even when the user is changed, it is possible to avoid printing an external character by mistake.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a basic hardware configuration of a printing apparatus according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a mechanical configuration of the LBP.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a printing process.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a method of storing external characters.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an external character registration command.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of an external character registration process.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of an external character search process.

[Explanation of symbols]

 101 Host Computer 103 Input Interface 104 Receive Buffer 105 CPU 106 Output Control Unit 107 Printer Engine 108 ROM 109 RAM 200 LBP Body 201 Printer Control Unit

Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-3-106667 (JP, A) JP-A-2-158798 (JP, A) JP-A-63-250692 (JP, A) JP-A-4-173263 (JP) JP-A-5-16450 (JP, A) JP-A-5-108284 (JP, A) JP-A-5-221072 (JP, A) JP-A-7-121321 (JP, A) 5-338283 (JP, A) JP-A-4-232086 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁶ , DB name) B41J 5/44 B41J 5/30 G06F 3/12

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A printing apparatus having a function of receiving external character information and storing the external character information in a memory for external character storage in the printing apparatus, wherein the host computer, print driver, user, or the external character information transmitting the external character information is received. A storage unit for storing first identification information for identifying one or more of the emulators in association with the external character information; a unit for receiving an external character print instruction; a host computer having transmitted the external character print instruction; External character information in which each of the second identification information for identifying one or more of a print driver, a user, or an emulator that has received the external character print command matches the first identification information is stored in the storage unit. A printing apparatus comprising: means for selecting from external character information; and means for printing the selected external character. 2. A method for printing an external character in a printing apparatus having a function of receiving external character information and storing the external character information in an external character storage memory in the printing apparatus, comprising: a host computer, a print driver, a user, or the external character that transmitted the external character information Storing first identification information for identifying one or more of the emulators that received the information in association with the external character information; receiving an external character print instruction; and transmitting the external character print instruction. The storage means stores the external character information in which each of the second identification information for identifying one or a plurality of the host computer, the print driver, the user, or the emulator that has received the external character print command matches the first identification information. And a step of printing the selected external character from the external character information stored in the Printing method and butterflies.