JP3034363B2 - Record processing system - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a recording processing system applied to a color recording apparatus for performing color recording with a plurality of colors.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Heretofore, a well-known system of this type includes, for example, a host device for transferring recording data to a recording device, recording data received from the host device, and recording based on the data. 2. Description of the Related Art There is a system including a color inkjet type printing apparatus that performs printing by attaching ink of a plurality of colors to a surface.

In these printing systems, the host apparatus transfers palette table data, which is information in which colors to be printed are assigned to specific numbers, to the printing apparatus,
Generally, a number (pallet number) corresponding to the pallet table is transferred to actual recording data.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a palette number and a palette table in the system.
In this figure, the leftmost column shows a palette number, and 0 to 15 is a range of the palette number. The other four columns indicate the level of each color ink corresponding to each palette number, and the range is from 0 to 255. For example, for a palette number 0, all colors of the printing apparatus are 0, that is, nothing is recorded. For a palette number 1, cyan ink is at level 64, and other inks are at level 0. Indicates recording. Therefore, the recording apparatus in the system receives the palette table data before receiving the image data to be recorded, and receives the palette number corresponding to the color to be recorded when the image data is received. I'm sorry.

[0005]

However, in the above-described system, when the recording device is a binary printer which determines whether a dot is recorded or not, the pallet number is changed to the ink color to be recorded. In addition to the need for a means for performing the above conversion, the recording data must be further binarized, so that the scale of the hardware or the load on the software increases.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned drawbacks of the related art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a system as described above in which, when a recording apparatus outputs binary data, a pallet number is used to determine an ink color. Conversion means and 2
It is an object of the present invention to provide an inexpensive recording processing system that can execute recording efficiently with a device configuration in which a value conversion unit is not added to a recording device.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, a recording processing system according to the present invention is referred to as a host device.
In a recording processing system having a recording device , the host
Device includes a setting means for setting a combination of data corresponding to the basic colors of the color to be recorded in the bit information, and execution means for executing a recording process in the color distribution according to the bit information set by the setting means, wherein Bit information of the recording material
Pallet number consisting of binary data corresponding to each color
The pallet table that has been set
Pallet number set to the upper 4 bits
As byte data indicating a different pixel in the lower 4 bits
The information is transmitted to the recording device .

[0008]

According to the above arrangement, the setting means sets the combination of data corresponding to the basic color of the color to be recorded by the bit information, and the execution means performs the recording process by the color distribution according to the bit information set by the setting means. Execute The bit information is
This is a pallet table in which a pallet number consisting of binary data corresponding to each color of the recording material is set, and the pallet number set in this pallet table is recorded as byte data indicating different pixels in upper 4 bits and lower 4 bits. Send to device.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. <First Embodiment> FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a color recording processing system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes the entire color printing processing system, which comprises a host device 2 and a printing device 3 in the drawing. Reference numeral 2 denotes a host device, which includes 24 palette tables. Reference numeral 3 denotes a color recording apparatus, which includes a recording unit for recording 35 pallet numbers directly as binary data corresponding to each color of recording ink. The arrows in the figure indicate the flow of the image data. The image data drawn based on the palette table data set in the palette table 24 is transmitted from the host apparatus 2 to the color recording apparatus 3 as shown by the arrows in the figure. Is recorded by the recording unit 35 which directly records the palette number as binary data corresponding to each color of the recording ink.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a main part of the host device 2 according to the first embodiment. In the figure, 2
1 is a CPU that controls the entire host device 2, 22 is a CPU
A ROM for storing a program and the like according to the flowchart of FIG. 5 for operating 21, a RAM 23 used as a work area for various programs, a pallet table 24 for setting pallet table data of this embodiment, and a data 25 from an external device An input unit for inputting, an output unit for outputting a pallet number or the like to an external device, here, a color recording apparatus 3, and a bus for transmitting data, addresses, and control signals, respectively, are shown. 29 is the host device 2
And a binarization unit that performs binarization by, for example, an error diffusion method, an average density approximation method, or the like. The binarization is performed by the CPU 2
1 may be performed in accordance with predetermined software.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a main part of the color recording apparatus 3 according to the first embodiment. Reference numeral 31 denotes a CPU for controlling the entire color printing apparatus 3; 32, a ROM storing programs and the like according to the flowchart of FIG. 5 for operating the CPU 31; 33, a RAM used as a work area for various programs; And the like, an input unit 35 for inputting data and the like, a recording unit 35, and a bus for transmitting data, addresses, and control signals. Reference numeral 39 denotes a binarization unit for performing pseudo halftone processing on the given image data to binarize the image data, and performs binarization by, for example, an error diffusion method or an average density approximation method.

The color printing process according to the present embodiment will be described below according to the respective configurations of the color printing apparatus 3 and the host apparatus 2.

FIG. 3 is a view showing palette table data set by the palette table 24 in the first embodiment. In the figure, the number in parentheses to the right of the leftmost palette number is a binary number representation of the number. The bit where 1 stands corresponds to the value of each color 255. In this embodiment, in order to prevent three or more colors from overlapping one pixel, and to avoid mixing of black and other colors, the palette numbers 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 13
Although each color 0 is assigned to 14 and 15, the expression of up to eight colors is possible. However, all the color values corresponding to these palette numbers may be assigned to enable the expression of 16 colors. Since the value set in the pallet table 24 is either 0 or 255, it corresponds to the two values of not recording when viewed from the color recording device 3. In the host device 2, color drawing is performed in accordance with the palette table set in this manner, and the image data once drawn has odd-numbered pixels of the upper 4 bits and even-numbered pixels of the lower 4b in the raster direction.
It is transferred to the color recording device 3 as byte data of it.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing how the transferred palette number is interpreted in the recording unit 35 in the first embodiment.

In the raster direction of the recorded image, the upper 4 bits in one byte correspond to odd pixels, the lower 4 bits correspond to even pixels, and the upper bits correspond to cyan, magenta, yellow and black, respectively. I have.
Therefore, the image data interpreted in this manner is converted into two processes of converting the palette number into multi-value data of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black, and converting the converted value into binary data. The recording can be directly performed by the recording unit 35 without going through the process. Also,
Since it is determined in advance which color each bit corresponds to, it is not necessary to transfer the palette table data to the color recording apparatus 3 prior to the transfer of the image data.

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the operation in the first embodiment. First, in step S0, it is determined whether or not the pallet mode is for transferring pallet data. In the pallet mode, the processing procedure of the pallet table data is executed. First, the system shown in FIG.
The palette table data is set as shown by (1).
Then, the process proceeds to step S2, and drawing is performed according to the palette table 24 set in step S1. The binarized data may be output by the binarization unit 29. At this time, depending on the system, apparently eight or more colors can be drawn by a pattern on an N × N matrix. Then, the process proceeds to step S3.
The palette number developed in step 2 is transferred to the color recording apparatus 3 as 1 byte for 2 pixels. Step S4
In, the transferred palette number is interpreted as described with reference to FIG. 4 without being converted into multi-value data or binarized by the binarization unit 29, and recording is performed as it is. Also,
If the mode is not the pallet mode in step S0, the rendered data is output to the color recording device 3 (S1).
0), and outputs the given data to the binarization unit 39 (S1).
1) The binarized data is recorded by the recording unit 35.

As described above, according to the first embodiment, the function of converting the pallet number into the ink color to be printed and the binarizing function as in the conventional system are used for color printing. By using a device other than the apparatus, a low-cost and high-speed color recording processing system can be provided.

[0019]

[Other embodiments]

<Second Embodiment> FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a palette table set by the palette table setting in the second embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, the pallet table data in the host device is represented by three primary colors of red, green, and blue. In this case, the cyan, magenta, and magenta of the pallet table (FIG. 3) in the first embodiment are used. The complement for yellow is set (however, except for palette number 1), and the same effect can be obtained in this case.

As described above, the means for converting the pallet number to the ink color to be printed and the binarizing means as in the conventional system are not required in the storage device, and the printing system is inexpensive and high-speed. It has become possible to provide.

In the second embodiment described above, the value of the pallet table data is 8b from 0 to 255.
Although it has been represented by it, it may be represented by another bit number such as 12 bits or 16 bits. In addition, each ink color bit allocation is cyan, magenta, yellow,
Although the order of black is used, any order may be used as long as the host device and the color recording device can correspond in advance. In addition, if the method of data transfer is such that the palette number can be transferred, the data transfer method as described in the present embodiment is used.
It does not have to be a method of sending in one byte of pixels.

As described above, according to the second embodiment, in the host apparatus, when the pallet number is represented in binary, the pallet table is set so that each bit corresponds to the recording color in the color recording apparatus. Recording means for directly recording the received pallet number as binary data corresponding to each color of the recording ink in the color recording apparatus, so that the pallet number as seen in the conventional system is provided. There is no need for a means for converting the image data to the ink color to be printed and a binarizing means in the color printing apparatus, so that an inexpensive and high-speed printing system can be provided.

The present invention may be applied to a system constituted by a plurality of devices or to an apparatus constituted by a single device. It is needless to say that 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. In the present embodiment, the recording unit 35 of the recording apparatus 3 may be ink jet, in particular, bubble jet recording means for discharging ink with thermal energy, or a thermal printer. Electrophotography may be used.

As described above, according to the present invention, in the case where binary printing is performed by the printing apparatus, the conversion device from the pallet number to the ink color and the binarizing means are not added to the printing apparatus. It has become possible to provide an inexpensive recording processing system that can execute recording effectively.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a color recording processing system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a palette number and a palette table in a conventional recording processing system.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a palette table in the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a method of interpreting received data according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an operation in the first embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a main part of the host device according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a main part of the color printing apparatus according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a palette table in the second embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 color recording processing system 2 host device 3 color recording device 21, 31 CPU 22, 32 ROM 23, 33 RAM 24 pallet table 25, 34 input unit 26 output unit 27, 36 bus 34 35 recording unit

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B41J 5/30 G06F 3/12 G06T 11/00

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] In a printing processing system having a host device and a printing device , said host device sets a combination of data corresponding to a basic color of a color to be printed by bit information;
Executing means for executing a recording process in a color distribution according to the bit information set by the setting means, wherein the bit information is binary data corresponding to each color of the recording material.
Pallet table with pallet numbers
And the pallet number set in the pallet table.
Are different from each other in the upper 4 bits and the lower 4 bits.
Recording data transmitted to the recording device as site data .