JPS631614B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Technical Field of the Invention The present invention provides an empty storage system for enabling early buffering of data for the next page and development of the image memory in a bit map format image memory used for printer control. Space) Concerning confirmation control method.

Technical background In general, document printers that print on cut paper develop one page's worth of output data in the image memory, and
After performing read-less scanning in raster format for the entire area for a page, the output data for the next page is developed.

For example, as shown in FIG. 1, if the actual print data area A is biased toward the top of the paper, a certain area B in the printing progress direction on the image memory will also be empty. However, as described above, conventionally, an invalid read operation is also performed on this empty area B, and after the read operation is completed, data development for the next page begins as shown in the figure.

On the other hand, when printing data is processed for graphics, images, characters, overlays, etc., it is divided into categories of independent data attributes, and the results are combined on an image memory and output. Therefore, it is not easy to check the empty area in the image memory.

OBJECTS AND CONFIGURATION OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a method for converting the boundary between an image data existing area and an empty area on an image memory, so that when reading scanning of the image memory reaches the boundary, as shown in FIG. ,
The purpose of this is to reduce the output processing time by immediately moving to the operation of developing the image data of the next page.

The present invention has an image,
A data buffer for storing output data according to data attributes such as graphics, characters, overlays, etc., a means for developing the output data in the data buffer into a dot pattern corresponding to a printing surface, and a dot pattern data developed by the developing means. an image memory in a bitmap format for storing, an access means for reading out the dot pattern data stored in the "image memory in the bitmap format" for each dot row, and an access means for reading out the dot pattern data row by dot from the image memory by the access means. means for printing the dot pattern data, the access means detecting a maximum address value of the dot pattern data when the development means develops the dot pattern data in the image memory; means for comparing the dot row address with the maximum address value of the dot pattern data detected by the maximum address value detection means when reading the dot pattern data from the image memory for each dot row; finds a match,
The present invention is characterized in that the developing means immediately executes a process of developing the next page's worth of dot pattern data into the image memory.

Examples of the invention The present invention will be explained below using examples.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a document printer according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 1 is an interface section, 2 is a page buffer, 3 is an expansion control section, 4 is a character generator CG, 5 is an image memory in bitmap format, 6 is a main control section, and 7
8 is a printing control unit, 8 is a printing mechanism, 9 is a multiplexer MPX, 10 is a maximum address detection unit, 11 is a comparator, 2a to 2d are buffer blocks that store output data of image, graphics, character, and overlay data attributes, respectively; 3a to 3d are buffer blocks 2a to 2d, respectively.
This figure shows a processing unit that develops the contents of a dot pattern.

The interface unit 1 sends and receives control signals and print output data to and from the CPU or channel.

The data buffer 2 temporarily stores code format data for one page to be printed sent from the CPU into blocks 2a to 2d, depending on the type of data attributes described above.

The expansion control section 3 converts the code format data stored in the page buffer 2 into a dot pattern format and expands it onto the image memory 5. The development control section 3 includes four functional blocks that execute respective conversion processes corresponding to the four blocks in the page buffer described above, namely, an image processing 3a, a graphics processing 3b, a character processing 3c, and an overlay processing 3d. The character generator CG4 cooperates with the character processing function block 3C to supply a character dot pattern when character data is expanded.

The image memory 5 has a memory capacity corresponding to the size of the output printing surface, and compiles the image, graphics, character, and overlay data sequentially developed into a dot pattern by the development control section 3 as output print data for one page. and hold it.

The main control unit 6, via the interface unit 1,
It controls data transfer to and from the CPU or channel, and also serves as the main control function for components within the printer.

Printing mechanism 8 may be of any dot printer type, such as a wire dot or inkjet printer.

The MPX9 selects the write address output from the development control section 3 when data is developed into the image memory 5, and selects the write address output from the development control section 3 when performing printing.
The read address outputted from the memory 5 is selected and supplied as an access address to the image memory 5. The print control unit 7 reads out the dot pattern data in the image memory 5 one dot line at a time, and
Printing is performed using a known method.

The maximum address detection section 10 detects the maximum address of each image, graphic, character, and overlay data when a dot pattern is developed on the image memory. Comparison section 11
compares this maximum address with the read address that is transferred line by line to the print control unit during printing, and when they match, sends a signal requesting data expansion processing for the next page to the expansion control unit 3. Send to. Note that the details will be described later.

When the expansion control section 3 finishes the data expansion process to the image memory 5, it always requests the main control section 6 to transfer the data of the next page, that is, to buffer the data to the page buffer. The main control unit 6
It communicates with the CPU or channel, and if there are pages left to be printed, requests the data transfer and updates the contents of the page buffer 2. Therefore, when the expansion control section 8 receives the next page expansion request signal from the comparison section 11, it can immediately start the expansion process of the data for the next page.
Figure 3 illustrates this situation, and the second
In the conventional method, the start of development for a page was at the time , but in the present invention, the development for the next page is started at the same time as the reading of the data existing area is completed, and the processing time is reduced by the difference t. It can be seen that the time can be shortened.

4 and 5 show the maximum address detection section 1
0 and a comparison section 11. FIG.

In FIG. 4, 3 is an expansion control unit, 5 is a bitmap format image memory, and 12a to 12d.
are specific examples of dot patterns, 12a is an image pattern, 12b is a graphic pattern, 12c is a character pattern, and 12d is an overlay pattern. Further, 13a to 13d are upper limit address registers that hold the upper limit addresses of each of the image, graphic, character, and overlay patterns, and are part of the components of the maximum address detection section 10 in FIG. .

When the expansion control unit 3 expands the pattern data having the data attributes of the different categories shown on the image memory 5, the expansion control unit 3 uses the respective upper limit addresses (in the example shown, 116, 90, 26, 1).
40) and set it in the registers 13a to 13d.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the maximum address detection section 10 and the comparison section 11. In the figure, 13a to 13d are upper limit address registers, and 14 is a maximum value selection circuit.

The maximum value selection circuit 14 compares the contents of the upper limit address registers 13a to 13d and selects the address (140 in the illustrated example) indicating the maximum value among them. This selected maximum address is sent to the comparator 11. The comparison unit 11 can be configured using any ordinary subtracter, and outputs a next page expansion request signal to the expansion control unit 3 when a match is found. For example, the comparator 11 can be configured using a counter mechanism controlled by a microprogram. In this case, each time the print control unit 7 reads data from the image memory 5 for one line of dots, it subtracts one from the maximum address, and when the count reaches zero, a match output is output. do it.

Note that in this embodiment, the expansion control section 3, the main control section 6, the line printing control section 7, the maximum address detection section 10,
The comparator 10 and the like do not need to be configured independently in terms of hardware, and can be realized as functional blocks controlled by microprograms.

Effects of the Invention As described above, according to the present invention, the unfolding operation for the next page can be started earlier than in the conventional method, so that the paper output time can be shortened when consecutively outputting multiple pages. Can be done.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of the data development timing of the image memory in the conventional method, FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of the embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a data development timing diagram of the image memory according to the method of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is the image memory FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the maximum address of the dot pattern in FIG. In the figure, 3 is an expansion control unit, 5 is an image memory,
10 is a maximum address detection section, 11 is a comparison section, 12
a to 12d are dot patterns to be printed, 13
A to 13d are upper limit address registers, and 14 is a maximum value selection circuit.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A data buffer for storing output data according to data attributes such as images, graphics, characters, overlays, etc., a means for developing the output data in the data buffer into a dot pattern corresponding to the printing surface, and a dot pattern developed by the developing means. an image memory in a bit map format for storing data; an access means for reading dot pattern data stored in the image memory for each dot row; and a dot pattern read out from the image memory for each dot row by the access means. means for detecting the maximum address value of the dot pattern data when the development means develops the dot pattern data in the image memory; means for comparing the dot row address and the maximum address value of the dot pattern data detected by the maximum address value detection means when reading the dot pattern data for each dot row;
An empty confirmation control method in an image memory of a printer, characterized in that when the comparison means detects a match, the expansion means immediately executes expansion processing of the next page's worth of dot pattern data into the image memory.