JP2968161B2 - Printing control device - 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 control device which receives a control code or a character code from an external device such as a host computer and controls a printing device for printing.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A printing apparatus of this type may have a plurality of control code analysis units due to the connection of various external devices. Conventionally, the control code analysis unit to be used is selected by the user in advance using the operation panel of the printing apparatus or switched by a dedicated command from an external device.

In a printing apparatus, before a control code analysis unit processes input data, a control code for determining which control code analysis unit is best suited to process the input data based on a command sequence in the input data. By providing a discriminator,
In some cases, the printing apparatus automatically performs the determination, but when the command sequence is similar or the input data is small, a predetermined fixed control code analysis unit is selected.

[0004]

However, in the above-mentioned prior art, when a connection operation with an external device is performed, a selection operation using a user's operation panel or the like in order to select a control code analysis unit or an external device. The transmission of a dedicated command from is indispensable and complicated.

In a printing apparatus having a control code discriminating unit, it may not be possible to specify which control code analyzing unit is to be used by the control code discriminating unit when there is little input data. Regardless of the user's usage, a predetermined specific control code analysis unit was selected, which was inconvenient.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above problem, and an analysis unit suitable for analyzing a received control code is selected by repeating a determination process according to different selection condition levels. It is an object of the present invention to provide a print control apparatus capable of dynamically updating the determination order for the above and dynamically automatically selecting an analysis unit most suitable for analyzing a received control code.

[0007]

A first printing apparatus according to the present invention comprises a plurality of control code analysis units for analyzing data received from an external device, and selection conditions for selecting these control code analysis units. Level setting means for setting a level, and sequentially determining each control code analyzing section according to a predetermined priority order as to whether or not the control code is optimal for analyzing the received control code based on the selection condition level set by the level setting means. It has a determining means and a condition switching means for relaxing the selection condition level based on the result of the determination by the determining means.

The second printing apparatus according to the present invention is provided with a non-volatile memory for storing the number of selections of the control code analysis unit which the discriminating means has determined to be optimum. With reference to the number of selections of each control code analysis unit stored in the memory, the control code analysis unit having a large number of selections is automatically selected.

In a third printing apparatus according to the present invention, a non-volatile memory for storing the number of selections of the control code analysis section determined by the determination means to be optimum, and a control code analysis section for each control code analysis section stored in the non-volatile memory. Priority order updating means for automatically updating the determination priority order of each control code analysis unit with reference to the number of selections.

A fourth printing apparatus according to the present invention comprises a notifying means for notifying the external device of the number of times each control code analysis unit has selected so far through a bidirectional interface connecting the external device and the printing means. It is provided.

[0011]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, each control code analyzing unit sequentially determines whether the received control code is optimal for analyzing the received control code based on the selection condition level set by the level setting means according to a predetermined priority order. Based on the result of the determination by the determining means, the condition switching means relaxes the selection condition level and selects any control code analysis unit suitable for analyzing the received control code as much as possible.

In the second invention, when the discriminating means cannot be discriminated, the discriminating means refers to the number of selections of each control code analyzing section stored in the non-volatile memory and selects the control code analyzing section having a large number of selections. Is automatically selected, and any suitable control code analysis unit is selected according to the use history of each control code analysis unit.

In the third invention, the priority order updating means automatically updates the discrimination priority order of each control code analyzing unit by referring to the number of selections of each control code analyzing unit stored in the nonvolatile memory. A suitable control code analysis unit is selected with a high probability according to the use history of the control code analysis unit.

In the fourth invention, the notifying means notifies the external device of the number of times each control code analysis unit has selected so far through a bidirectional interface connecting the external device and the printing means, and Presents information effective for determining the format of print data to be transferred according to the control code analysis unit to be selected.

[0015]

【Example】

[First Embodiment] Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Before describing the configuration of this embodiment, the configuration of a laser beam printer to which this embodiment is applied will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a configuration of a printing apparatus to which the present invention can be applied, and corresponds to, for example, a case of a laser beam printer (hereinafter referred to as LBP).

In the figure, 100 is an LBP main body,
Input and store character information (character code), form information, macro instructions, and the like supplied from a connected external device, and create a corresponding character pattern or form pattern in accordance with the information, and use a recording medium. An image is formed on a certain recording paper.

Reference numeral 101 denotes a switch and an LE for operation.
Operation panel on which D, LCE display, etc. are arranged, 1
A control unit of the printing apparatus controls the entire LBP 100 and analyzes character information and the like supplied from an external device. The control unit 1 converts character information and the like into a video signal of a corresponding character pattern and outputs the video signal to the laser driver 102.

The laser driver 102 is a semiconductor laser 10
3 for driving the laser light 1 emitted from the semiconductor laser 103 in accordance with the input video signal.
04 is turned on / off. The laser beam 104 is swept right and left by a rotary polygon mirror 105 to scan on an electrostatic drum 106. Thus, an electrostatic latent image of a character pattern is formed on the electrostatic drum 106. This latent image is developed by a developing unit 107 around the electrostatic drum 106 and then transferred to a recording sheet. A cut sheet is used as the recording paper, and the cut sheet recording paper is stored in a paper cassette 108 mounted on the LBP 100, is taken into the apparatus by a paper feed roller 109, a conveyance roller 110, and a conveyance roller 111, and is supplied to an electrostatic drum. 106.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a print control apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and corresponds to the control unit 1 shown in FIG.

In the figure, 2 is an external device, 3 is an input unit,
4 is a control code discriminating unit, 5, 6, and 7 are control code analyzing units, 8 is a developing unit, 9 is a frame memory, 10 is an output unit,
11 is an output mechanism, 12 is a recording medium, 25 is NVRAM
(Non-volatile memory).

The data transferred from the external device 2 is temporarily stored in the input unit 3. When the amount of data stored in the input unit 3 reaches a predetermined reference value, or when a predetermined time or more has elapsed since the last data was stored even if the data amount did not reach the reference value, the data stored in the input unit 3 was stored. The data is sent to the control code determining unit 4.

The control code discriminating unit 4 judges which control code in the data corresponds to which control code analyzing unit.
Sent to one of the seven. At this time, the control code discrimination unit 4 stores the number of times each control code analysis unit has been selected so far in the NVRAM 25.

The information processed by one of the control code analysis units 5, 6, and 7 is sent to a development unit 8 and output to a frame memory 9 in the form of a bit map memory for one page, for example. Is generated. The output unit 10
The print result is recorded on a recording medium 12 such as a sheet by performing ON / OFF control of the laser beam for the output mechanism 11 in accordance with the frame memory 9.

In the printing control apparatus thus configured, each control code analyzing unit determines whether the received control code is optimal for analyzing the received control code based on the selection condition level set by the CPU 22 according to a predetermined priority order. 5
The selection condition level (described later) is relaxed based on the determination result by the control code determination unit 4 for sequentially determining the control codes 1 to 7, and any control code analysis unit suitable for analyzing the received control code is selected as much as possible. Is what you do.

When the discriminating means cannot be discriminated,
The determination means refers to the number of selections of each of the control code analysis units 5 to 7 stored in the non-volatile memory (NVRAM 25), automatically selects the control code analysis unit having a large number of selections, and uses the control code analysis unit. And selecting one of the appropriate control code analysis units.

Further, a nonvolatile memory (NVRAM2)
The priority updating means automatically updates the discrimination priority of each control code analyzing unit with reference to the number of selections of each control code analyzing unit stored in 5), and is suitable according to the use history of each control code analyzing unit. The control code analysis unit is selected with high probability.

The input unit 3 notifies the external device 2 of the number of times that each of the control code analyzing units 5 to 7 has been selected so far through the bidirectional interface connecting the external device 2 and the printing device. This is to present information effective for determining the format of the print data to be transferred according to the control code analysis unit to be selected by the device 2.

Hereinafter, the control code determining section 4 will be described in more detail.

The control code discrimination criterion in the control code discrimination unit 4 is divided into three stages as follows, and when each judgment condition is satisfied, the control code analysis unit is selected.

In the present embodiment, the first stage is the strictest criterion, and the criterion is loosened as the stage progresses. (First stage) There is a control code unique to the other analysis unit, not the other analysis unit. (Second stage) Although there are other analysis units, a certain number or more of control codes exist in the analysis units. (Third stage) There is no control code not present in the analysis unit.

Hereinafter, the control code discriminating operation of the print control apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of a control code discrimination processing procedure in the print control apparatus according to the present invention. Note that (1) to (21) indicate each step.

In the control code discriminating section 4, first, the discriminating criterion is set to the strictest first step in step (1), and discriminating processing of all the analyzing sections is made effective in step (2). Next, the analysis priorities stored in the nonvolatile memory 25 and determined in ascending order of the number of times each analysis unit has been used (in this embodiment, the current control code analysis units 5, 6, 7 The control code discriminating process in the first stage is performed in the order of (assuming that the state of priority is higher in the order of (1)). For simplicity, the control code analysis units 5, 6, and 7 are referred to as analysis units 1 to 3 in this order.

First, in step (3), the analysis process of the analysis unit 1 is effective because it is in the initial state. In step (4), it is determined whether or not there is a characteristic unique to the control code of the analysis unit 1 according to the first-stage criterion. to decide.

If it is determined that the control code is the control code of the analysis unit 1, the process proceeds to step (5), the determination is made by the analysis unit 1, and the number of selections of the analysis unit is incremented. finish.

However, if it cannot be determined, the process proceeds to step (6) to determine whether or not there is a feature that can be determined to be not the control code of the analysis unit 1. If it is determined that the control code is not the control code of the analysis unit 1, the determination processing of the analysis unit 1 is invalidated in step (7), and the determination processing of the analysis unit 1 in the second and third stages is prohibited. I do.

If it cannot be determined that the control code is not the control code of the analysis unit 1, the process of the analysis unit 1 in the first stage is terminated, and the process proceeds to step (8) to proceed to the determination process of the analysis unit 2. move on.

Hereinafter, from step (8) to step (1)
Until 8), the same processing as the analysis unit 1 is performed on the analysis units 2 and 3. If it is not possible at this time to determine which control unit the control code belongs to, step (19)
To loosen the determination criterion to the second stage.

Then, the discrimination processing in the second and third stages is
Steps (3) to (18) are performed in the same manner as in the first stage. Here, if it is determined in the previous stage that the analysis unit is not the analysis unit, steps (3), (8), and (13) assume that the determination processing is not performed.

As a result, it is not necessary to perform a useless determination process, and the determination processing time can be reduced.

If it is not possible to determine which control unit is the control code even after the end of the third-stage determination process, the control unit that has been selected the most frequently is selected as the default analyzer. (21) The analysis process ends.

Steps (5), (10), (1)
5) After the execution, the determined number of selections of the analysis unit is incremented (20), and the process is terminated.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a specific configuration example of the control unit 1 shown in FIG. The same components as those in FIG. 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and print information is input from the external device 2.

In the figure, reference numeral 21 denotes an input interface for inputting print information from the external device 2, and reference numeral 22 denotes a CPU which controls the entire control unit 1. A ROM 23 stores an operation processing procedure of the CPU 22 (such as a program according to the flowchart shown in FIG. 3) and also stores a character font pattern and the like. A ROM 24 receives a work area of the CPU 22 from the external device 2. A reception buffer for storing print data and a RAM used for storing page data and the like for constructing an output image for one page from the received print information.

The NVRAM (non-volatile memory) 25
Stores the default printing environment of the control unit 1 and the number of selections of each analysis unit.

Reference numeral 26 denotes a frame memory for developing an output image, which is constituted by a RAM. Reference numeral 27 denotes an output interface for outputting an output image to the output unit 10 that actually performs printing. These components are connected to the system bus 31. [Second Embodiment] In the first embodiment, a method for analyzing input data in the control unit 1 and automatically selecting an optimal analysis unit has been described. The number of times the unit has been selected is determined from the control unit 1 by the external device 2.
To provide valid information when the external device 2 selects which analysis unit to send data to, that is, in FIG. 2, between the external device 2 and the input unit 3, the RS232C And a bidirectional interface such as Centronics.

As described in the first embodiment, the control code discriminating section 4 stores the number of times each control code analyzing section is selected in the NVRAM 25. If a control code requesting the number of selections of each control code analysis unit is sent from the external device 2, the number of times may be controlled to be transferred to the external device 2 through the input unit 3. [Third Embodiment] In the first embodiment, the case where the control code discriminating section 4 has three discrimination criteria has been described. However, the number of discrimination criteria is not limited and may be any number. Also, the control code analysis units 5, 6, and 7 are not limited to three types, but may be four or more of the two types. Furthermore, a control apparatus that has excellent expandability can be provided by treating the control code analysis unit and the corresponding control code discrimination unit as one program unit and freely combining them.

The present invention may be applied to a system constituted by a plurality of devices or to an apparatus constituted by a single device. Needless to say, the present invention can be applied to a case where the present invention is achieved by supplying a program to a system or an apparatus.

As described above, according to this embodiment,
In a printing device with multiple control code analysis units, control codes from external devices can be identified and the control code analysis unit used automatically can be selected. Since there is no need to set using a panel or to set using an exclusive command from an external device, the connection operation with the external device is facilitated.

The control code has a plurality of criteria for discriminating the control code. The discriminating process is performed in the order of the stricter criteria. If it is determined in the preceding step that the control code is not the control code of the analyzing unit, the subsequent discriminating process is prohibited. This makes it possible to easily realize a control code discrimination process with a very high probability, and to shorten the discrimination processing time.

Further, each control code analysis unit stores the number of times selected so far, and sets a higher priority in the control code discrimination process in descending order of the number of times, and determines which control code analysis unit is the data. If it cannot be determined,
Since the control code analysis unit having the largest number of selections so far can be selected, it is possible to execute a control code discrimination process which is optimal according to the environment used by the user and has a very high probability. .

Also, since the number of times selected by each control code analysis unit can be transferred to an external device using the bidirectional interface, the external device determines which analysis unit data to send. It can be used as useful information at the time.

[0055]

As described above, the first embodiment according to the present invention is described.
According to the invention, determination by the determination means for sequentially determining each control code analysis unit according to a predetermined priority order is performed to determine whether or not the received control code is optimal based on the selection condition level set by the level setting means. Since the condition switching means relaxes the selection condition level based on the result, it is possible to select any control code analysis unit suitable for analyzing the received control code as much as possible.

According to the second aspect, when the discrimination means cannot be discriminated, the discrimination means refers to the number of selections of each control code analysis unit stored in the non-volatile memory and analyzes the control code having a large number of selections. Since the units are automatically selected, any one of the control code analysis units can be selected according to the use history of each control code analysis unit.

According to the third aspect, the priority order updating means automatically updates the discrimination priority of each control code analysis unit by referring to the number of selections of each control code analysis unit stored in the nonvolatile memory. A suitable control code analysis unit can be selected with high probability according to the usage history of each control code analysis unit.

According to the fourth aspect, the notifying means notifies the external device of the number of times each control code analyzing section has selected so far through the bidirectional interface connecting the external device and the printing means. Information that is effective for determining the format of print data to be transferred according to the control code analysis unit to be selected by the device can be presented.

Therefore, the determination order for selecting the analysis unit is dynamically updated, and an effect is obtained that the analysis unit most suitable for analyzing the received control code can be efficiently and automatically selected.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of a printing apparatus to which the present invention can be applied.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a print control apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a control code determination process procedure in the print control apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a specific configuration example of a control unit 1 shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 control unit 2 external device 3 input unit 4 control code determination unit 5 control code analysis unit 6 control code analysis unit 7 control code analysis unit 8 development unit 9 frame memory 10 output unit 11 output mechanism 12 recording medium

Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-3-189173 (JP, A) JP-A-64-64029 (JP, A) JP-A-1-287727 (JP, A) JP-A-4-257913 (JP) JP-A-5-19990 (JP, A) JP-A-5-53739 (JP, A) JP-A-5-131726 (JP, A) JP-A-5-282109 (JP, A) 6-214736 (JP, A) JP-A-6-242898 (JP, A) JP-A-4-17960 (JP, U) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁶ , DB name) G06F 3/12 B41J 5/30

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. A printing control apparatus for receiving a control code or a character code from an external device and controlling a printing unit for performing printing, comprising: a plurality of control code analyzing units for analyzing data received from the external device; Level setting means for setting a selection condition level for selecting an analysis unit;
Discriminating means for sequentially discriminating each control code analyzing unit according to a predetermined priority order to determine whether or not the control code received is optimal based on the selection condition level set by the level setting means; And a condition switching means for relaxing a selection condition level based on a result. 2. A non-volatile memory for storing the number of selections of a control code analysis unit determined by the determination means to be optimum, and each control code stored in the nonvolatile memory when the determination means cannot be determined. 2. The printing control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control code analyzing unit having a large number of selections is automatically selected with reference to the number of selections of the analysis unit. 3. A non-volatile memory for storing the number of selections of the control code analysis unit determined by the determination unit to be optimum, and each control code is referred to by referring to the number of selections of each control code analysis unit stored in the non-volatile memory. 2. The print control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a priority update unit that automatically updates a determination priority of the analysis unit. 4. A notifying means for notifying the external device of the number of times each control code analyzing unit has selected so far through a bidirectional interface connecting the external device and the printing means. 2. The print control device according to claim 1.