JP2000207149A - Print processing device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Problem] To provide a print processing apparatus which does not cause image deterioration even in storage printing. In a print processing apparatus having a function of storing input image generation data in a storage unit provided in a printing apparatus and reading out the image data stored in the storage unit and executing printing, And the image data developed based on the image generation data are stored in the storage device. Then, when the image data is processed and printed, either the image generation data or the image data stored in the storage unit is selected, and an image is output based on the selected data.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a print processing apparatus having a storage device in a printing device such as a printer and having a so-called storage printing function for printing based on data stored in the storage device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a copying machine or printer that performs digital processing, when printing, an image is developed in a memory provided in the main body of the copying machine or printer.
The image developed in the memory is transferred to a sheet. In the accumulation printing, the image data developed in the memory is stored in an auxiliary storage device (mass storage). The data stored in the mass storage is stored forever unless the user performs an erasing operation.

[0003] Since data is stored in this manner, in storage printing, it is possible to easily set the scheduled printing time of the stored image data, set the date and time of data discarding, and the like. With such a function, the apparatus is much more convenient than a copier or a printer that does not have a mass storage that can only perform immediate printing.

[0004]

By the way, in printing,
In addition to the case where the stored image data is printed as it is, there are cases where the stored image data is subjected to processing such as rotation, enlargement, or reduction to perform printing. For example, if the user wants to output the image data stored in A4 as A3, an enlargement process from A4 to A3 is required. In normal printing other than accumulation printing, it was necessary to have the scanner or the host send the A3 image data again. However, in accumulation printing, since the A4 image data is accumulated, printing is performed using this data. Do.

However, when the stored image data is used, the image may be deteriorated. For example, in the case of enlarging an image, one point of the image may be elongated, and an oblique straight line may be jagged.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of such a situation of the related art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a print processing apparatus which does not cause image deterioration even in storage printing.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, a first means stores input image generation data in a storage means provided in a printing apparatus, and stores the image data stored in the storage means. In the print processing apparatus having a function of reading and executing the printing, both the image generation data and the image data developed based on the image generation data are stored in the storage device.

[0008] The second means, in the first means, when the image data is processed and printed, means for selecting one of image generation data and image data stored in the storage means. It is characterized by having.

The third means is a means for generating image data by adding an enlargement command to the image generation data when enlarging and printing the image generation data stored in the storage means. It is characterized by having.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing a system configuration of a print processing system capable of storing and printing by taking a printer connected to a network as an example. This system is
It comprises two systems, an image generation data input system 100 and a print processing system 200.

The image generation data input system 100 includes a plurality of computers 101 and 102 connected to a network 103 and a stand-alone personal computer 104 in this embodiment. The image generation data is directly input to the data input / output unit 201 of the print processing system 200 from the personal computer 104.

The print processing system 200 includes a data input / output unit 201, an image generation processing unit 202, an image development memory 203, and a mass storage (auxiliary storage) unit 204.
, A printing unit 205, and an enlargement command adding unit 206. The data input / output unit 201 outputs the image generation data input via the network 103 or directly from the personal computer 104 to the image generation processing unit 202 as described above,
The same data is output to the mass storage unit 204. The mass storage unit 204 is configured by a large-capacity storage device represented by, for example, a hard disk device, and accumulates image generation data input from the data input / output unit 201 at a predetermined address. On the other hand, the image generation data input to the image generation processing unit 202 is expanded into printable image data here, and the image data after the image expansion is stored in the image expansion memory 203 including a bitmap memory. The image data stored in the image development memory 203 is input to the mass storage unit 205 and stored at a predetermined address. At this time, a memory control unit (not shown) associates an address of the image generation data, which is data relating to the same image, with an address at which the image data is stored. When printing an image, the image is printed by the printing unit 204 based on the image data developed in the image development memory 203 and output as a visible image.

When storing and printing, the image data stored in the mass storage unit 205 is read out, developed in the image development memory 203, and printed in the same manner. However, when processing the image data and outputting the image, the image generation data stored in the mass storage unit 205 may be read, and the image output may be performed based on the read image generation data.

Generally, Post Script is included in the image generation data.
High-level languages such as are used. In these high-level languages, instructions for generating images are written in a format that can be easily recognized by humans, and are human-readable information. On the other hand, if the enlargement process is performed using the image data as described above, the points may spread between points and the image may be deteriorated. Therefore, here, the image generation data stored in the mass storage unit 205 is used. Use That is, an enlargement instruction is added from the enlargement instruction addition unit 206 to the image generation data read from the mass storage unit 205, and the data input / output unit 201
The image generation data. The input image generation data is input to the image generation processing unit 202 with the enlargement instruction added thereto, and the image generation processing unit 202 interprets the image generation data to which the enlargement instruction is added and develops the image data into image data. In step 204, an image is output based on the developed image data. By performing such processing, it is possible to output an image without causing image deterioration even when the image is enlarged.

That is, in the storage printing in which there is no possibility of image degradation, printing is performed based on the image data stored in the mass storage unit 205. A command for processing is added to the image generation data (same as the initially input image generation data), and the process returns to the data input / output unit 201 again to perform the image generation process under the same conditions as the input image generation data. As a result, even when image printing is performed using the stored data, image deterioration does not occur.

Note that these processes are performed by a CPU (not shown) provided in the print processing apparatus performing a process according to a program stored in the ROM. In addition, since the other image processing itself is performed by a known method, including the enlargement processing based on the image generation data,
The description here is omitted.

[0018]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the storage device for storing and printing both the image generation data and the image data expanded based on the image generation data is provided. Since the data is stored, any data can be called and output as an image during storage printing.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, when the image data is processed and printed, there is provided a means for selecting either the image generation data or the image data stored in the storage means. The type of data can be selected according to the processing means and necessity, and an image without image degradation can be output.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, there is provided means for generating image data by adding an enlargement instruction to the image generation data when enlarging and printing the image generation data stored in the storage means. Therefore, it is possible to output an enlarged image without causing image deterioration only by adding an enlargement command.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing a system configuration of an image printing system to which an image print processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 100 image generation data input system 101, 102 computer 103 network 104 personal computer 200 print processing system 201 data input / output unit 202 image generation processing unit 203 image expansion memory 203 204 mass storage (auxiliary storage device) unit 205 printing unit 206 enlargement instruction addition Department

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A print processing apparatus having a function of storing input image generation data in a storage unit provided in a printing apparatus, reading image data stored in the storage unit, and executing printing. A print processing apparatus, wherein both of the generated data and image data obtained by developing an image based on the generated image data are stored in the storage device. 2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for selecting one of image generation data and image data stored in said storage means when processing and printing the image data. The print processing apparatus according to claim 1. 3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising: a unit that adds an enlargement command to the image generation data to generate image data when the image generation data stored in the storage unit is printed in an enlarged manner. Item 2. The print processing apparatus according to Item 1.