JPH02220126A - Printer controller - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Object of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to a printer control device, and in particular, a drawing device develops a pattern of page data to be printed in a page buffer, and print paper is transferred to a printer. The present invention relates to a printer control device that sends the contents of a page buffer to a printer to execute printing when the page is inhaled.

(Prior Art) Generally, in a page printer such as an electrophotographic laser printer, it is necessary for each person to suck in printing paper every time they print. For this reason, the printer control device first causes the printer to suck in printing paper, and then sends page data to be printed to the printer to execute printing. In this case, since the page data to be printed is actually developed as a dot pattern in the page buffer, the page data is sent to the printer by reading the contents of the page buffer to the printer.

In such a page printer control device, when printing pages continuously, in order to increase the speed, it is necessary to read the current page data pattern from the page buffer and transfer the next page data pattern to the page buffer. The development of is carried out in parallel. In order to prevent printing of erroneous data, after pattern development of the next page data is completed, suction of printing paper for the next page data is started.

For this reason, in conventional printer control devices, there is idle time during which the printer does not operate between printing the current page data and printing the next page data, and in particular, the time required to develop the pattern of the next page data is This has the drawback that the idle time becomes longer when it is longer than the printing time, making it impossible to fully utilize the printer's performance.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) This invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances.
An object of the present invention is to provide a printer control device that can shorten the idle time of printer operation between printing current page data and printing next page data, and can achieve high-speed printing by fully utilizing the printer's performance. shall be.

[Structure of the Invention] (Means for Solving the Problems) According to the present invention, page data to be printed is developed into a pattern in a page buffer by a drawing device, and when printing paper is sucked into a printer, the page buffer is expanded. In a printer control device that sends content to the printer and executes printing, the development time required for pattern development of the next page data to the page buffer based on the attributes of each character code of the next page data to be printed. a time calculation means for calculating the next page data, a development time of the next page data calculated by the time calculation time, and a pattern of the current page data in the page buffer after the printing paper is sucked into the printer, all of which are sent to the printer. If the development time is less than or equal to the print time, the printer is started at a first time point that is a predetermined time earlier than the end of pattern sending of the current page data. starts suction of printing paper for the next page data, and if the development time is longer than the print time, a time difference between the development time and the print time has elapsed from the first point in time. The present invention is characterized by comprising a printing paper suction start control means for causing the printer to start suctioning the printing paper of the next page day A at a second time point.

(Function) In this printer control device, the development time required to develop the pattern of the next page data and the printing time required from the time the paper is sucked until the entire pattern of the current page data is sent to the printer are the lengths. Since the start point of suction of printing paper for the next page data can be controlled by the relationship, it is possible to shorten the idle time of printer operation between printing the current page data and printing the next page data. This allows you to fully utilize the printer's performance. Therefore, it is possible to print multiple pages at high speed.

(Example) Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a printer control device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The main processor (MP) 11 controls the overall operation of this printer control device, and has a main memory (M
M) Execute printer control operations according to the control program stored in 12. In addition to a control program for controlling the printer, the main memory 12 stores a conversion table representing the time required to develop a character hood pattern for each character code attribute (character size and various decoration information). By referring to this conversion table, the main processor 11 calculates the development time for one page of data. Host adapter (HADP)
Reference numeral 13 is for providing an interface between the host computer and the printer control device, and various command data and status information are exchanged via this host adapter 13.

A character generation processor (CGP) 14 generates dot patterns corresponding to each character and graphic data. Also,
The image control unit IB performs processing such as expansion, magnification conversion, and rotation of image data. These character generation processor 14 and image control unit I
The dot pattern created by B is developed on a page buffer memory (PGM) 15. Mechanical adapter 17
The mechanical adapter 17 serves as an interface between the printer and the printer control device, and print data and control data such as printing paper suction commands are sent to the printer via this mechanical adapter 17. The printing paper intake command is determined based on the relationship between the development time required to develop the pattern of the next page data and the printing time required from the time the paper is sucked until the entire pattern of the current page data is sent to the printer. Timing is controlled.

Next, with reference to the timing chart of FIG. 2, the timing at which the printing paper suction command is actually sent out will be explained. In FIG. 2, PL, P2. ...P
8 indicates the order of page data to be printed. First, the main processor 11 receives page data from the host computer via the host adapter 13, and by referring to the management table in the main memory 12, the page data is transferred to the page buffer memory by the character generation processor 14 and the image control unit 1B. The main processor 11 calculates the development time TD required for pattern development in the pattern 15. This calculation operation is performed by sequentially adding up the time required for pattern expansion of each character code.

In the case of continuous printing, the timing at which the dot pattern is developed in the page buffer memory 15 is synchronized with the timing at which the pattern of the current page is transferred from the page buffer memory 15 to the printer, that is, the timing of printing. In FIG. 2, these timings are tl, t2. ... is shown as tl. The time TF required from when a printing paper suction command, that is, a feed command is sent to the printer until the paper is actually sucked, is a fixed value determined by the printer used. Further, a print command is sent out when the paper is sucked in, and the time To from when the print command is sent until printing actually starts is also a fixed value determined by the size of the paper used, etc. Furthermore, the time TG required from when the data pattern starts to be transferred from the page buffer memory 15 to the printer until the transfer is completed.

is a fixed value determined by the printer's paper feed speed, paper size, etc. Therefore, the time required from when the paper is sucked into the printer until all the patterns in the page buffer memory 15 are transferred to the printer, that is, the actual printing time TP (=To +TG), also becomes a fixed value.

The main processor 11 compares this printing time TP with the development time TD of the next page data described above. If TD≦TP, a feed command for printing the next page is output at a time point earlier than the end of the pattern transfer of the current page data by the time TP required for paper suction. In FIG. 2, this situation is shown by taking as an example the case where the data of the second page to the data of the fifth page (P2 to P5) are printed. On the other hand, if TD > TP, the time difference between the development time and the printing time Tdef'(-TD'-TP) is calculated from the time TF required for paper suction before the end of the pattern transfer of the current page data. A feed command is output when the time has elapsed. In FIG. 2, this situation is shown by taking as an example the case where the sixth page data (P6) is printed.

In this way, in this printer control device, the length of the development time TD required to develop the pattern of the next page data and the print time Tp required from the time the paper is sucked until the entire pattern of the current page data is sent to the printer. Therefore, it is possible to control the start point of suction of the printing paper for the next page data, so there is no need to wait for the development of the next page data to be completed as in the conventional case to prevent printing of incorrect data. is eliminated, allowing feed instructions to be issued during its expansion. Therefore, even if the development time TD of the next page is longer than the printing time Tp of the current page, normal printing operations can be performed at high speed.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to print the next page data immediately upon completion of printing the current page data, thereby shortening the idle time of the printer operation. It becomes possible to fully utilize the performance.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a printer control device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a timing chart illustrating the operation of the printer control device shown in FIG. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11... Main processor, 12... Main memory, 13... Host adapter, 14... Character generation processor, 15... Page buffer memory, 16...
...Image control unit, 17...Machine adapter.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] Printer control that develops a pattern of page data to be printed in a page buffer using a drawing device, and sends the contents of the page buffer to the printer to execute printing when printing paper is sucked into the printer. In the apparatus, a time calculation means for calculating the development time required for pattern development of the next page data to the page buffer based on the attributes of each character code of the next page data to be printed; Compare the development time of the next page data and the print time of the current page data required from the time the printing paper is sucked into the printer until the pattern of the current page data in the page buffer is all sent to the printer, If the development time is less than or equal to the print time, the printer starts sucking printing paper for the next page data at a first time point that is a predetermined time earlier than the end of pattern sending of the current page data. and if the development time is longer than the print time, the printer is instructed to print the next page data at a second point in time when the time difference between the development time and the print time has elapsed from the first point in time. 1. A printer control device comprising: printing paper suction start control means for starting printing paper suction.