JP4028611B2 - Printing data supply device and printing system - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a print data supply apparatus and a printing system.
[0002]
[Prior art]
For example, a printer that performs printing based on print data supplied from a personal computer or the like supplies power to a part of its own hardware unless printing processing is continued for a set time or longer. Some printers shut off and enter sleep mode.
[0003]
This sleep mode is not preferable because, for example, if the heater for fixing the toner is continuously heated even though printing is not performed for a long time, it is not preferable because power is wasted. The printer is excellent in terms of energy saving.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, since the conventional printer cancels the sleep mode and warms up after the print data is transmitted from, for example, a personal computer, if a print data is transmitted in the sleep mode, a considerable time has passed since then. After that, printing was executed, and printing sometimes took a long time.
[0005]
An object of the present invention is to avoid such an inconvenience in a printer having a sleep mode.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems and Effects of the Invention]
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a print data supply apparatus comprising: a data transmission unit that transmits print data to a printer; and a monitor unit that recognizes the status of the printer. In the supply device, a printer driver that stores the data held in a specific memory before sending the print data to the printer and uses the data held by the data supply device as print data in a form adapted to the printer is stored in a predetermined memory. A wake-up instruction means is provided for instructing the printer to cancel the sleep mode when a printer driver is present in the predetermined memory.
[0007]
The print data supply device is a device having a data sending means for sending print data to a printer and a monitor means for recognizing the status of the printer. A typical example is a computer. It may be a device that does not have a function of generating data by itself, for example, a device that simply outputs data stored in a hard disk as print data.
[0008]
Normally, a printer has a function of recognizing a state such as whether the printer is in a sleep mode or not, and outputting it to the data supply device side. For this reason, as the monitoring means, a means capable of acquiring information from such a printer may be employed, and for example, it can be realized by a printer interface and a CPU.
[0009]
The printer driver is software for converting the font of data created by a word processor, for example, into print data adapted to the printer, and is unique for each printer model. When a specific printer is connected to a computer, for example, to print, it is necessary to start the printer driver as a computer program. At that time, the printer driver is read from, for example, a hard disk and stored in a specific memory of the computer. Retained. In other words, the printer driver exists in a predetermined memory of the computer before the computer transmits the print data to the printer.
[0010]
In the print data supply apparatus of the present invention, the wake-up instruction means checks whether or not the printer driver exists in the predetermined memory, and when the printer driver exists in the predetermined memory, Since an instruction to cancel the sleep mode is given, the printer can be warmed up by canceling the sleep mode prior to transmission of print data. Therefore, if print data is transmitted, printing is immediately executed, and printing does not take a long time.
[0011]
As an instruction for canceling the sleep mode, it may be possible to send a specific command (awake command). However, in that case, it is necessary to construct a protocol that incorporates the awake command, which makes the configuration somewhat complicated. . Therefore, if null data is transmitted as print data, it is simple without requiring a new configuration.
[0012]
By the way, even if the printer driver exists in a predetermined memory, if the printer is not in the sleep mode, the cancellation instruction is useless processing, and the processing amount on the print data supply apparatus side also increases.
However, according to a second aspect of the present invention, in the print data supply apparatus according to the first aspect, the wake-up instruction means includes the printer driver in a predetermined memory, and the monitor means causes the printer to be in the sleep mode. If the configuration is such that the cancellation of the sleep mode is instructed only when it is recognized that the print mode is recognized, the instruction for canceling the sleep mode is not executed unnecessarily, and the processing amount on the print data supply apparatus side may increase. Absent.
[0013]
The printing system according to claim 3 supplies power to a part of its own hardware if the print data supply device according to claim 1 or 2 and the print processing are not executed continuously for a set time or more. Since the printing system includes a printer that shuts off the printer and enters the sleep mode, the above-described effects can be sufficiently exerted.
[0014]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described by way of an example of the present invention.
[0015]
【Example】
As shown in FIG. 1, the printing system 1 of the present embodiment is configured by connecting a computer system 10 as a print data supply apparatus and a laser printer 40 via a parallel cable 80.
[0016]
The computer system 10 is composed of a display 14, a keyboard 16 and a mouse 18 connected to the computer 12. The laser printer 40 includes a main body 42, a paper feed tray 44, a paper discharge tray 46, and the like, and an operation unit 48 is disposed on the surface of the main body 42.
[0017]
As shown in FIG. 2, the computer 12 includes a CPU 20, a ROM 22, a RAM 24, a hard disk device (HDD) 26, a display interface (display I / F) 28, a keyboard interface (keyboard I / F) 30, a mouse interface ( A mouse I / F) 32, a parallel interface 34, and the like are arranged, and these are connected to each other via a bus line. The display interface 28 is connected to the display 14, the keyboard interface 30 is connected to the keyboard 16, the mouse interface 32 is connected to the mouse 18, and the parallel interface 34 is connected to one end of the parallel cable 80. . As will be described in detail later, the CPU 20 functions as a monitoring unit and an awakening instruction unit, the parallel interface 34 functions as a data transmission unit, and the RAM 24 corresponds to a predetermined memory.
[0018]
The laser printer 40 is provided with a CPU 50, a ROM 52, a RAM 54, sensors 56 such as a paper feed sensor and a toner sensor, a driver circuit 58, a parallel interface 60, the operation unit 48 described above, a printing mechanism 62, and the like. Among these, except for the printing mechanism 62, the CPU 50 to the parallel interface 60 are connected to each other via a bus line, and the printing mechanism 62 is connected to a driver circuit 58.
[0019]
The printing mechanism 62 includes a known photosensitive drum, a charger for charging the photosensitive drum, a laser irradiation mechanism for irradiating the photosensitive drum with a laser beam, a paper feed roller, a transfer roller, a developing roller, a cleaning roller, and these rollers. A motor for driving the motor, a fixing heater, and the like are included, and the paper supplied from the paper feed tray can be printed and discharged. The driver circuit 58 is a circuit for controlling the operation of each part of the printing mechanism 62, and controls each part of the printing mechanism 62 based on an instruction from the CPU 50 and, for example, printing data temporarily stored in the RAM 54. Thus, the printing mechanism 62 can execute printing, and according to an instruction from the CPU 50, power can be supplied to the printing mechanism 62 and shut off.
[0020]
Next, the operation of the printing system 1 will be described.
First, the operation of the laser printer 40 will be described with reference to FIG. 3 according to the processing executed by the CPU 50 of the laser printer 40.
When the laser printer 40 is activated, the CPU 50 executes a main process shown in FIG. In this main process, the CPU 50 determines whether or not print data has been sent from the computer 12, that is, whether or not a new print job has started (step 201; hereinafter, step is abbreviated as S).
[0021]
If it is not the start of a new print job (S201: NO), the CPU 50 determines whether or not it is currently in the sleep mode (S202). In the sleep mode, the laser printer 40 cuts off the supply of power to the printing mechanism 62 and prevents, for example, a fixing heater for fixing toner from consuming power wastefully, thereby saving power. is there. If not in the sleep mode (S202: NO), the CPU 50 determines whether or not to enter the sleep mode (S203). Specifically, it is determined whether or not a set time, for example, 2 minutes has elapsed since the end of the previous print job. If this set time has elapsed, it is determined that the sleep mode is entered (S203: YES). The driver circuit 58 is instructed to cut off the power to the printing mechanism 62, and the fact that the sleep mode has been entered is stored in, for example, the RAM 54 (S204).
[0022]
On the other hand, if a new print job is started (S201: YES), the CPU 50 determines whether or not it is currently in the sleep mode (S202). In the sleep mode (S205: YES), the driver circuit 58 is instructed to restart the power supply to the printing mechanism 62 and raise the temperature of the fixing heater (S206), and then sent from the computer 12. Then, the printing data temporarily stored in the RAM 54 is transferred to the driver circuit 58, and printing processing such as printing based on the printing data is executed (S207). If the sleep mode is not set (S205: NO), the printing process is executed without warming up (S206).
[0023]
Further, the CPU 50 repeatedly executes the interrupt process shown in FIG. 3B at every predetermined timing, for example, every time an interrupt clock signal is input. In this interrupt process, the CPU 50 determines whether or not a signal for inquiring the status from the computer 12 is received (S301), and if this inquiry signal is received (S301: YES), for example, the current sleep mode. Status information including information such as whether or not an error such as out of paper has occurred and whether or not printing is possible is sent to the computer 12 through the parallel interface 60 (S302).
[0024]
Next, the awakening process executed by the CPU 20 of the computer 12 will be described with reference to FIG.
When the awakening process is started, the CPU 20 first resets the awakening flag (WAKEFLG) to 0 (S101).
[0025]
Next, the CPU 20 determines whether or not the awakening flag is set (1 or not) (S102). If the awakening flag is not set (S102: NO), the CPU 20 determines whether or not the laser printer 40 is in the sleep mode (S103). Whether or not it is in the sleep mode can be determined based on the status information sent from the laser printer 40 and stored in the RAM 24 in the above-described interrupt processing. If the laser printer 40 is not in sleep mode (S103: NO), the CPU 20 sends a status inquiry signal to the laser printer 40 through the parallel interface 34, acquires status information as a response thereto (S109), and goes to S102. Go back.
[0026]
If the laser printer 40 is in the sleep mode (S103: YES), the CPU 20 determines whether a specific printer driver (in this embodiment, a printer driver corresponding to the laser printer 40) exists in the printer driver area of the RAM 24. (S104). The presence of the printer driver means that printing will be performed at some point. In this case (S104: YES), the CPU 20 executes a canceling process for canceling the sleep mode of the laser printer 40 (S105). In this embodiment, the CPU 20 performs a process of transmitting null data as print data to the laser printer 40 as the process of S105. Then, in the laser printer 40, the CPU 50 determines that a new print job is started (see S201 in FIG. 3A), and warming up is executed (see FIGS. 3A and S206). However, since it is null data, printing itself is not executed.
[0027]
Subsequently, the CPU 20 sets the awakening flag to 1 (S106), and returns to S102. That is, if the awakening flag is set, it indicates that the sleep mode of the laser printer 40 has been canceled.
Therefore, when the awakening flag is set in the processing of S102 described above (S102: YES), the CPU 20 searches whether or not a specific printer driver exists in the printer driver area of the RAM 24 (S107). If there is a printer driver (S107: YES), it can be said that printing is scheduled or printing is in progress, so the CPU 20 proceeds to S109 without performing any processing. If the printer driver does not exist (S107: NO), printing has already been completed, so the CPU 20 resets the awakening flag (S108), and proceeds to S109.
[0028]
As described above, when the laser printer 40 is in the sleep mode (S103: YES), if there is a specific printer driver in the RAM 24 (S104), the sleep mode of the laser printer 40 is canceled (S105). Therefore, before the print data is actually transmitted and printed, the laser printer 40 is warmed up, and if the print data is transmitted, the printing can be executed immediately. Therefore, there is no waiting for printing for warming up of the laser printer 40, and printing does not take a long time.
[0029]
Moreover, since the process for canceling the sleep mode is executed only when the laser printer 40 is in the sleep mode, the process for canceling the sleep mode is not executed wastefully, and the processing amount of the CPU 20 increases. There is nothing.
The embodiments of the invention have been described above by way of examples. However, the present invention is not limited to such examples, and can be implemented in various modes.
[0030]
For example, the printer is not limited to the laser printer employed in the embodiments, and an arbitrary printer such as an ink jet printer or a thermal printer can be employed.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a configuration of a printing system according to an embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an internal structure of a computer and a laser printer in the printing system of the embodiment.
3 is a flowchart of processing executed by the CPU of the laser printer according to the embodiment, FIG. 3A is a flowchart of main processing, and FIG. 3B is a flowchart of interrupt processing.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart of an awakening process executed by a CPU of the computer according to the embodiment.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Printing system 10 ... Computer system 12 ... Computer (print data supply apparatus)
14 ... display 16 ... keyboard 18 ... mouse 20 ... CPU (monitor means, awakening instruction means)
22 ... ROM
24 ... RAM (predetermined memory)
26 ... Hard disk device 28 ... Display interface 30 ... Keyboard interface 32 ... Mouse interface 34 ... Parallel interface (data sending means)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 40 ... Laser printer 42 ... Main part 44 ... Paper feed tray 46 ... Paper discharge tray 48 ... Operation part 50 ... CPU
52 ... ROM
54 ... RAM
56 ... Sensors 58 ... Driver circuit 60 ... Parallel interface 62 ... Printing mechanism 80 ... Parallel cable

Claims (3)

In a print data supply apparatus having data sending means for sending print data to a printer and monitor means for recognizing the status of the printer,
There is a printer driver in a predetermined memory in which the data held in a specific memory before sending the print data to the printer and the data supplied by the data supply device is used as print data in a form adapted to the printer. A print data supply apparatus comprising: awakening instruction means for instructing the printer to cancel the sleep mode when a printer driver is present in the predetermined memory. The print data supply apparatus according to claim 1.
The wake-up instruction means instructs to cancel the sleep mode only when the printer driver exists in a predetermined memory and the monitor means recognizes that the printer is in the sleep mode. A print data supply device. The print data supply device according to claim 1 or 2,
A printing system including a printer that cuts off the supply of power to a part of its own hardware and goes into a sleep mode if the printing process is not continuously executed for a set time or longer.

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