JP2894609B2 - Printer control device - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printer control device, and more particularly to status display control. 2. Description of the Related Art Recently, as printers such as personal computers and word processors, apparatuses using a print engine using a laser beam, a light emitting diode, or the like as an exposure source based on electrophotography are increasing. This print engine prints one page of data at a continuous and constant speed, and is called a page printer in distinction from conventional wire dot printers. In order to realize the function of the page printer, a data controller is required as an interface between a personal computer or a word processor serving as a host and a print engine. This data controller may be a device separate from the print engine or host, or it may be integrated with the print engine.However, general-purpose hardware is used to support various hosts. It is configured. This type of device is called "Nikkei Byte" (March 1987)
Mon). In this type of apparatus, a data controller is provided with a notifying unit that notifies a communication state between the data controller and a host and an operation state of a print engine in order to detect an apparatus state to an operator. A notifying unit for notifying the operation state of the print engine is provided. [Problems to be Solved by the Invention] By the way, in this apparatus, when the data controller is integrated with the print engine to reduce the size of the apparatus, the operation state of the print engine can be notified by the notification means of the data controller. The notification means of the engine is not required, but the print engine may be used separately from the data controller, and this notification means should be deleted because it is standardized as a versatile thing that can respond to various usage patterns Therefore, in a device in which the data controller and the print engine are integrated, there is a problem that the notification means of the print engine becomes useless. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to effectively utilize a status indicator in a versatile print engine. [Means for Solving the Problems] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a data control unit connected to a host via a data communication unit, and a print engine, wherein the data control unit is provided from the host. An engine control unit for controlling the printing mechanism based on a print control signal provided via the printing unit and a detection signal provided from the printing mechanism status detector to execute data printing and displaying a print engine status on a status indicator. Wherein the data control unit includes a print data control unit and a printer state diagnosis management unit, and the engine control unit includes a print operation control unit and an engine state diagnosis management unit, and the print data The control unit transmits the coded data input from the host via the data communication unit to the engine data. The engine status data is sent to the print operation control unit via a print control communication unit, and the printer status diagnosis management unit transmits a status management communication unit from the engine status diagnosis management unit to the print operation control unit. Receiving print engine status information via the print data control unit and obtaining controller status information from the print data control unit, and diagnosing / managing a printer operation status based on the printer status information including the print engine status information and the controller status information; Printer status information is transmitted to the engine status diagnosis management unit via the status management communication unit, and the printing operation control unit is configured to transmit the printer mechanism based on the engine data supplied from the printing data control unit. Controlling the unit to execute data printing, the engine state The disconnection management unit diagnoses and manages a print engine operation state based on a detection signal from the print mechanism unit state detector and management information from the print operation control unit, and transmits the print engine state information to the state display. When the printer status information is given from the printer status diagnosis management unit, the printer status information is transmitted to the status display device in preference to the print engine status information. It is configured to display a state. [Operation] The engine status diagnosis management unit of the engine control unit transmits the print engine status information to the status display to display the print engine status, and receives the printer status information from the printer status diagnosis management unit of the upper data control unit. Input,
Since this is transmitted to the status indicator to display the printer status, a dedicated status indicator for the data controller can be omitted, and the status indicator of the print engine can be used effectively. Since the state of the print engine itself can be displayed even when the data control unit is separate, a versatile print engine can be provided. Also, the print engine status information is transmitted from the engine status diagnosis management unit to the printer status diagnosis management unit, and transmitted to the engine status diagnosis management unit as printer status information together with the controller status information obtained from the print data control unit. Since this printer status information is transmitted to the status indicator prior to the print engine status information,
The print engine status can be displayed in various display formats based on the print engine status information in the printer status information. [Embodiment] An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. The printer 100 is connected to the host 200 via the coded data communication means 300, and print data and control data from the host 200 are input via the communication means 300. The printer 100 includes a data controller 110 that receives the data from the host 200 and the data controller 1.
10 and a status indicator 130 such as an LED or LCD under the control of the print engine 120.
Is provided integrally. The print data control unit 111 in the data controller 110
The code data input from the host 200 via the communication means 300 is converted into engine data such as image data for the print engine 120, and the print control communication means 140
To the print engine 120 via. The print engine 120 is a print operation control unit in the engine controller 121.
The engine data is received by the control unit 1211, and the print mechanism unit 122 is controlled to visualize and output image data (electric signals) on the print paper 400. The engine controller 121 receives a detection signal from the sensor group 123 that detects the state of each element of the print mechanism unit 122, cooperates with the print operation control unit 1211, and further controls the data controller 110 via the state management communication unit 150. Engine status diagnosis management unit 1 connected to printer status diagnosis management unit 112
The print engine operating state is diagnosed and managed in accordance with the detection signal from the sensor group 123 and the management information from the print operation control unit 1211, and print engine state information such as a paper jam or a failure is transmitted via the display drive unit 1213. Status indicator 130
To be displayed. This print engine status information is
This is also required in the upper data controller 110 that manages 120. The printer status diagnosis management unit 112 is connected to the engine status diagnosis management unit 1212 via the communication unit 150.
And print controller status information from the print data control unit 111, and diagnoses and manages the printer operation status based on the status information, ie, the printer status information. Note that the controller status information is, for example, a communication error or the like on the coded data communication unit 300. The printer status information to be notified to the operator is transmitted to the engine status diagnosis management unit 1212 via the communication unit 150. When the printer status information is provided from the printer status diagnosis management unit 112, the engine status diagnosis management unit 1212 gives priority to the engine status information, and
The display is transmitted to the display driver 1213 so that the priority display is made at 0, and is displayed on the status display 130. Engine status diagnosis management unit 12 for displaying this status information
FIG. 2 shows the status information display processing flow in FIG. The engine state diagnosis management unit 1212 periodically performs the processing in FIG. 2 by, for example, a timer interrupt or the like. First, in step S201, the printer status diagnosis management unit
From 112, it is determined via the communication means 150 whether "printer status information has been given". If given, step S2
Go to 04. In step S204, the given printer status information is analyzed, and whether “display cancellation” or “printer status information” is passed to the next step S205. In step S205,
One of them is determined, and if it is “printer status information”, the process proceeds to step S206. In step S206, “printer status information” is output to the status display 130 via the display driver 1213 as instructed. Then, the next step S207
To turn on the output-in-progress flag and press "Printer status information".
Is being output to the status indicator 130. If the printer status information given in step S205 is "display cancellation", the process proceeds to step S208.
In step S208, the output-on flag storing that the "printer status information" is being output to the status display 130 is turned off without performing new output to the status display 130. By the way, in step S201, it is determined whether "printer status information has been given".
Go to 02. In step S202, it is determined whether the state of the output-on flag that stores that the “printer status information” is being output to the status indicator 130 is on or off. When the output ON flag is ON, the status indicator 13
The process ends without performing new output to 0. Conversely, if the state of the output on flag is off, the process proceeds to step S203.
Proceed to. In step S203, the engine state diagnosis management unit 12
The engine status information managed by 12 is output to the status indicator 130 via the indicator driver 1213 according to a unique display format. In this manner, when the printer configuration is such that the data controller 110 and the print engine 120 are integrated, the engine state diagnosis management unit 121 of the print engine 120
2. The engine drive unit 1213 and the status display unit 130 can be effectively used to display the engine status information and the printer status information to the operator.
The printer status indicator and its indicator driver can be eliminated from the printer. When the data controller 110 and the print engine 120 are separated from each other as shown in FIG. 3, for example, the display controller 113 and the status display 114 are added to the data controller 110, so that the printer status can be changed. The printer status information from the diagnosis management unit 112 can be displayed on the data controller 110 side. Further, the printer status diagnosis management unit 112 combines the print engine status information received from the engine status diagnosis management unit 1212 and the controller status information obtained from the print data control unit 111 as printer status information to the engine status diagnosis management unit 1212. Since the printer status information is transmitted to the status display unit 130 prior to the print engine status information, the print engine status information received from the engine status diagnosis management unit 1212 is diversified by the printer status diagnosis management unit 112. Print engine status information in various display formats in the printer status information, it is possible to display the print engine status in various display formats with high added value. . [Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, the engine status diagnosis management unit of the engine control unit transmits print engine status information to the status indicator to display the print engine status, and The printer status information is input from the printer status diagnosis management unit of the data control unit, and the printer status information is transmitted to the status display to display the printer status. Can be reduced in size and cost. Since the state of the print engine itself can be displayed even if the data control unit is separate, a versatile print engine can be provided. In addition, the print engine status information is transmitted from the engine status diagnosis management unit to the upper printer status diagnosis management unit, and is transmitted to the engine status diagnosis management unit as printer status information together with the controller status information obtained from the print data control unit. The print status information received from the engine status diagnosis management unit is transmitted in various display formats by the printer status diagnosis management unit. Print engine status information,
The print engine status can be displayed in various display formats with high added value by using the print engine status information in various display formats in the printer status information transmitted to the engine status diagnosis management unit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a printer in which a data controller and a print engine are integrated, and FIG. 2 is state information in an engine state diagnosis management unit. FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a printer in which the data controller and the print engine are separated from each other. 100 ... printer, 110 ... data controller, 120 ...
… Print engine, 121 …… Engine controller, 1
22 ... print mechanism unit, 123 ... sensor group, 1212 ... engine state diagnosis management unit, 130 ... engine state display, 2
00 ... Host.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] A data control unit connected to the host via a data communication unit, a print control signal provided in the print engine and provided from the host via the data control unit, and a detection signal provided from a print mechanism unit state detector A printer control unit that controls a print mechanism unit based on the data and executes data printing, and an engine control unit that displays a print engine state on a status indicator. The data control unit includes a print data control unit and a printer. A status diagnosis management unit, the engine control unit includes a printing operation control unit and an engine status diagnosis management unit, and the print data control unit includes coded data input from the host via the data communication unit. Is converted into engine data, and the engine data is transmitted through the print control communication unit. The printer status diagnosis management unit receives print engine status information from the engine status diagnosis management unit via status management communication means and provides controller status information from the print data control unit. Printer status information comprising the print engine status information and the controller status information, and diagnoses and manages the printer operation status. Further, the printer status information is transmitted to the engine status diagnosis management via the status management communication means. The print operation control unit controls the print mechanism unit to execute data printing by engine data provided from the print data control unit, and the engine state The diagnosis management unit includes a detection signal from the print mechanism unit status detector and the mark. The print engine operating state is diagnosed and managed based on the management information from the character operation control section, and the print engine state information is transmitted to the state display to display the print engine state. A printer control device, wherein when printer status information is given, the printer status information is transmitted to the status indicator prior to the print engine status information to display the printer status.