JPH085233B2 - Page printer - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a page printer having a plurality of receiving buffers.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a conventional page printer, a reception buffer, a buffer empty detector for detecting an empty state of the reception buffer, a timer set and reset by a detection signal of the buffer empty detector, and a timer for the timer Some have a confirmation instructing unit that operates according to an instruction (for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-147358). In this page printer, when the empty state of the reception buffer continues for a certain period of time, the end of printing is notified to the user by voice.

[0003]

However, when the above page printer configuration is applied to a page printer having a plurality of receive buffers, other receive buffers are maintained even if the empty state of one receive buffer continues for a certain period of time. Is not empty so the timer cannot be activated. Therefore, there is a problem that the user cannot be notified of the end of printing the data from one reception buffer.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a page printer having a plurality of receiving buffers, which can notify the user of the completion of printing data from one receiving buffer.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A page printer according to the present invention has been made to achieve the above-mentioned object, and a plurality of receiving buffers for storing received data and receiving from one of these receiving buffers. Time T has passed since the data was input and this receive buffer became empty.
An interface processing unit that receives an input from this receiving buffer only, a page buffer that stores the received data input by this interface processing unit as print data, and a timer set signal is output when this page buffer becomes empty. A control unit that outputs a timer reset signal when new print data is input to the page buffer, a time-out signal that is operated by the timer set signal after a time T3 has elapsed, and a timer reset signal that stops the timer reset signal. A timer for returning to the initial state is provided. When the time from when the receiving buffer that receives the received data in the interface processing unit is in the empty state until when the page buffer that stores the received data as print data is in the empty state is T2, the time T3 is T3. It is set to satisfy the relationship of ≦ T1−T2.

[0006]

When the interface processing unit inputs the reception data a1 from the reception buffer A, the reception buffer A becomes empty. Within the time T1 from the time t1 when the reception buffer A is in the empty state, the interface processing unit inputs the reception data from only the reception buffer A.
This is because new reception data may be continuously input to the reception buffer A within the time T1. The received data a1 is stored in the page buffer as print data a2. Assuming that the time when the print data a2 is printed and the page buffer is in the empty state is t2, a time T from the time t1 when the receiving buffer A is in the empty state to the time t2 when the page buffer is in the empty state.
2 is T2 = t2-t1. On the other hand, when the page buffer is in an empty state, the control unit outputs a timer set signal. The timer is operated by this timer set signal and a time-out signal is output after a lapse of time T3. A buzzer or the like operates by the time-out signal, and the user is notified of the end of printing the print data a2. in this case,
When the buzzer or the like operates, t3 is T2 + T3 after t1 and is within the range of time T1 (∵T3 ≦ T1-T
2).

When new print data aa2 is input to the page buffer from the receiving buffer A via the interface processing unit before the time T3 has elapsed after the page buffer is in the empty state, the control unit resets the timer. The signal is output. This timer reset signal stops the timer and returns it to the initial state. At this time, since the reception buffer A has just output the reception data aa1 and has entered the empty state, the reception data is input again only for the time T1 and only from the reception buffer A in the interface processing unit. Thereafter, the same processing as described above is performed.

In any case, finally, the time-out signal is output from the timer and the buzzer or the like operates.

[0009]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. The page printer according to the present invention has a plurality of receiving buffers 4, 5 and 6 for storing received data and a time period from when the receiving data is input from one of the receiving buffers and the receiving buffer is in an empty state. An interface processing unit 7 that receives an input only from this reception buffer only for T1, a page buffer 9 that stores the received data input by the interface processing unit 7 as print data 8, and a timer set signal when the page buffer 9 is in an empty state. 12 as well as the CPU 11 as a control unit that outputs the timer reset signal 13 when new print data is input to the page buffer, and the timer set signal 12 to operate and output the timeout signal 15 after the lapse of time T3. Also stopped by timer reset signal 13 for the first time A timer 14 to return to the state, in which a buzzer 17 which is operated by time-out signal 15.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing times T1, T2, and T3 on the time axis. The operation of the page printer according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

The data received from the receiving port A1, the receiving port B2, and the receiving port C3 are stored in the receiving buffer A4, the receiving buffer B5, and the receiving buffer C6, respectively. If the interface processing unit 7 is currently accepting data from the reception buffer A4, the interface processing unit 7 receives data from the reception buffer B5 or the reception buffer C6 after the empty state of the reception buffer A4 has passed a predetermined time T1 from the end time t1 of the data transfer. Accept. The interface processing unit 7 causes the page buffer 9 to store the data received from the reception buffer A4 as print data 8. At time t2 when the print data 8 is printed and the page buffer 9 becomes empty, the page buffer 9 notifies the CPU 11 that the page buffer 9 has become empty by the page buffer information 10, and the CPU 1
1 activates the timer 14 by the timer set signal 12. Here, the time from when the receiving buffer A4 becomes empty to when the page buffer 9 becomes empty is T2 (= t2-t1), and T1 is set so that T1> T2.

After that, when the page buffer 9 newly receives the print data, the page buffer 9 notifies the CPU 11 that the new print data has been received by the page buffer information 10, and the CPU 11 causes the CPU 11 to reset the timer reset signal 13. The timer 14 is stopped and reset by.

When the timer 14 is started and the predetermined time T3 has passed without being stopped by the timer reset signal 13, the timer 14 outputs the timeout signal 15 to C
It transmits to PU11. At this time, the time T3 is T3 ≦ T
It is determined in the range of 1-T2. The CPU 11 receiving the time-out signal 15 sounds the buzzer 17 by the buzzer start command 16.

In this embodiment, the time-out signal 15 causes the buzzer 17 to operate via the CPU 11, but the timer 14 and the buzzer 17 are directly connected to each other.
May be operated directly. Also, the buzzer 17
A lamp or the like may be used instead of.

[0015]

According to the page printer of the present invention, from the time t1 when the interface processor receives the received data from one receiving buffer, and subsequently within the time T1 (t1 + T1) for accepting only the input of this receiving buffer, If there is no new reception data within the time T3 (t1 + T2 + T3) from the time when the printing of the data from the reception buffer is completed (t1 + T2), the timer operates.
A buzzer etc. can be operated by the time-out signal. Therefore, even if there is data in another receive buffer,
It is possible to notify the user that printing of data from one reception buffer is completed.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a time chart of an example of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 4 reception buffer A 5 reception buffer B 6 reception buffer C 7 interface processing unit 8 print data 9 page buffer 10 page buffer information 11 CPU (control unit) 12 timer set signal 13 timer reset signal 14 timer 15 timeout signal 16 buzzer start instruction 17 buzzer

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of reception buffers for storing reception data, and reception data input from one of these reception buffers, and this reception buffer is input only from this reception buffer for a time T1 from the time when the reception buffer is in an empty state. , A page buffer that stores the received data input by this interface processing unit as print data, a timer set signal is output when this page buffer becomes empty, and a new print is made in the page buffer. A control unit that outputs a timer reset signal when data is input, and a timer that operates by the timer set signal, outputs a timeout signal after a lapse of time T3, and stops by the timer reset signal and returns to the initial state , The interface processing unit When the page buffer receive buffer input data is stored the received data as the print data from when the empty state to the time T2 until the empty state, the time T
3. The page printer, wherein 3 is set so as to satisfy the relationship of T3 ≦ T1−T2. 2. A plurality of reception buffers for storing reception data, and reception data input from one of these reception buffers and input from this reception buffer only for a time T1 from the time when this reception buffer is in an empty state. , A page buffer that stores the received data input by this interface processing unit as print data, a timer set signal is output when this page buffer becomes empty, and a new print is made in the page buffer. A control unit that outputs a timer reset signal when data is input, and a timer that operates by the timer set signal, outputs a timeout signal after a lapse of time T3, and stops by the timer reset signal and returns to the initial state , The interface processing unit When the page buffer receive buffer input data is stored the received data as the print data from when the empty state to the time T2 until the empty state, the time T
3 is set so as to satisfy the relationship of T3 ≦ T1−T2, and a page printer provided with a buzzer that operates according to the time-out signal.