JPH02277676A - Image printing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a correct printing image within a printing able area of a cut form even when an image data is received so that said image data is printed in a printing unable area by providing an indicating means for indicating the reducing process to an image data to be printed, and a processing means for performing the reducing process to said image data to be printed with a predetermined reducing ratio. CONSTITUTION:A CPU 51 detects from a panel I/F 53 the presence or absence of an indicating information to indicate the total printing of a cut form. In the case where the indicating information is present, the CPU 51 receives an image data from a host computer and stores in a receiving data buffer 56A of a RAM 56. The CPU 51 performs the operation of a reducing ratio for the subject image data on the basis of informations of the paper size such as a printing able area 71 and a printing unable area 72 of a cut form 70 set in a paper feeding device etc. which informations are input via a recording part I/F 54. Then, the CPU 51 calls a sub-routine for the reducing process, takes out the image data from the receiving data buffer 56A and executes the reducing process. The processed image data is developed on a bit map memory 55, and printing is done within the printing able area.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an image printing device that prints an image corresponding to image data on cut paper.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, printers used as image printing devices include laser beam printers, which perform image processing, such as printing images corresponding to image data (print data) transferred from a host computer. As shown in FIG. 8, there is a method in which recording is performed in a preset printable area 80 that can be printed on cut paper.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

Incidentally, there are cases in which the host computer executes a predetermined application mode and sends image data to print even on a non-printable area 81, which is not printable, as shown in FIG.

Even if image data is received to print on this unprintable area 81, no image will be missing if the printer is set to print images corresponding to the unprintable area 81.

However, in the conventional laser beam blink, the image is not printed in the unprintable area 81, so even if image data is received to print in the unprintable area 81, the unprintable area 81 is also set to not be printed. No image is printed in the possible area 81.

As a result, information is missing in the image corresponding to the image data, making it impossible to obtain an accurate printed image corresponding to the image data.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned drawbacks and prints the entire image corresponding to the image data within the printable area of cut paper even when image data is received to be printed on the unprintable area. An object of the present invention is to provide an image printing device that can obtain an accurate printed image corresponding to received image data.

[Means to solve the problem]

The present invention provides an instruction means for instructing reduction processing on image data to be printed, and a processing means for performing reduction processing on the image data to be printed at a predetermined reduction rate when the instruction means instructs reduction processing. and a predetermined cut′
The printer is configured to print an image corresponding to the reduced image data within the printable area of paper.

[Effect]

In the present invention, when the instruction means instructs reduction processing for image data that is printed in areas other than the printable area of the cut paper, the processing means executes the processing stored in the program memory. A procedure (reduction processing program) is read and executed to perform reduction processing on the image data to be printed at a predetermined reduction rate. The image corresponding to the reduced image data is printed within the printable area of the cut paper.

Therefore, an image printed in an area other than the printable area of the cut sheet is printed within the printable area of the cut sheet.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of an image printing apparatus according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of an image printing apparatus such as a laser beam printer according to the present invention. In the figure, the image printing device includes an image supply device 11 having the function of the processing means 1, a recording section 12, and a power source 1 for driving these.
3, and a panel 14 which has the function of the instruction means 2 and through which an operator inputs instructions for recording operations.

The image supply device 11 includes a host interface (hereinafter referred to as host I/F) connection terminal 15 that receives signals for recording a predetermined image from a host computer, etc., and a LAN that connects with a local area network or the like. A connection terminal 16 is provided.

The recording unit 12 is a device that records an image corresponding to an image signal on a recording paper 17, and receives an image signal 18 and one operation command from the image supply device 11, and also receives a synchronization pulse for recording operation. 20 and a status signal 21 are output to the image supply device 11.

AC power is supplied to the power supply 13 via a power supply terminal 22 .

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of essential parts of the recording section 12 shown in FIG. 1.

In FIG. 2, a laser beam 32 emitted from a laser oscillator 31 passes through a polarizer 33 and a laser beam modulator 34.
After passing through the polarizer 35, the light is reflected by the polygon mirror 36, passes through the lens 37, and reaches the outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 38. The image signal 18 (bit stream) from the image supply device 11 in FIG.
4, the plane of polarization of the laser beam passing through the modulator 34 is rotated in accordance with the image signal using, for example, an electro-optic effect.

By this so-called electric shutter action, the black and white binary image signal is converted into an optical on/off signal of a laser beam, and the outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 38 is irradiated with the optical on/off signal. The polygon mirror 36 is rotated at a constant speed by a motor 40, and after reflecting the laser beam 32, it is scanned in the direction of arrow A (this direction is referred to as main scanning). That is,
The photosensitive drum 38 rotates in the direction of arrow B (this direction is referred to as sub-scanning) while the image signal for one line is converted into an optical bit string and is irradiated in a direction parallel to the rotation axis 41 of the photosensitive drum 38. . In this way, an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the image to be recorded is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 38.

The electrostatic latent image passes through the developing device 42 as the photosensitive drum 38 rotates in the direction of arrow C. Here, toner is deposited according to its static ME m fl. When the recording paper 17 is fed in the direction of arrow C by a recording conveyance mechanism (not shown), the toner attached to the outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 38 is transferred onto the recording paper 17 by the action of the transfer device 43 . The recording paper 17 is further fed in the direction of arrow C and subjected to processing such as fixing to obtain a recorded matter.

Note that the laser beam 32 is scanned in the direction of arrow A with a width that exceeds both ends of the photosensitive drum 38.

Therefore, the transfer timing of the image signal 18 is determined by detection pulses that detect the passage of the laser beam from the scan start sensor 44 and the scan end sensor 45.

The specific configuration of the image supply device 11 shown in FIG.
Shown in the figure.

In FIG. 3, the image supply device 11 includes a CPU bus 50
A microprocessor (hereinafter referred to as CPU) connected to
51 and various interfaces (hereinafter referred to as I/F)
52 to 54, memories 55 to 58, and control block 59
~60.

The interface includes a host I/F52 and a panel I/F52.
There are F53 and recording section 1/F54.

The host I/F 52 is a circuit that receives code data input from a host computer (not shown) in accordance with, for example, the R8232C standard. The panel I/F 53 is a circuit that relays an input instruction signal 53a from the panel 14 operated by the operator. The recording unit I/F 54 transmits and receives signals (image signal 18, operation command 19, synchronization pulse 20,
This is a circuit that relays the status signal 21).

The memories include a bitmap memory 55, a random φ access memory (hereinafter referred to as RAM) 56, a program memory 57, and a character pattern memory 58.

The bitmap memory 55 is connected to the recording section 12 (see FIG. 1).
The image to be recorded on recording paper (cut paper) 17 is stored in bitmap format, for example, for one page. R
The AM 56 has a reception data buffer 56A, and stores one page of image data in the reception data buffer 56A, as well as various data for the operation of the CPU 51 and codes input from the host I/F 52. Store data.

The program memory 57 stores a program for the operation of the CPU 51 and a program (reduction processing program) based on a flowchart showing a processing procedure to be described later.

The character pattern memory 58 stores character patterns composed of a so-called dot matrix.

The control blocks include five bitmap controllers and a programmable timer/counter (hereinafter referred to as PTC) 60, and the bitmap controller 59 includes:
It controls the address timing and addresses to the bitmap memory, and controls the transfer of image data formed in the bitmap memory 55 to the recording section 1/F54. The PTC 58 measures time and the like and generates timing.

The CPU 51 has the function of the processing means 1, reads and executes the reduction processing program stored in the program memory 57, and performs reduction processing on the received image data at a predetermined reduction rate. At the same time, it also controls access to each of the memories mentioned above.

Of the components shown in FIG. 3, each component other than the panel 14 and the bitmap controller 59 is connected to the CPU bus 50.

Next, the printing processing operation of the image printing apparatus will be explained based on FIGS. 4 and 5.

As shown in FIG. 4, the CPU 51 is connected to the panel
It is determined whether or not there is instruction information indicating full-page printing of the cut paper (step 100), and if there is instruction information, image data is received from the host computer and stored in the received data buffer 56A of the RAM 56 (step 100). 101)
.

Then, the CPU 51 calculates a reduction rate for the image data based on information about the paper size of a cut sheet set in a paper feeding device (not shown), which is input via the recording unit I/F 54. .

In this case, the paper size of the cut paper used to print the image corresponding to the image data transferred from the host computer and the paper size of the cut paper set in the paper feeder (not shown) may differ. Assume that they are the same.

Here, as shown in FIG. 6, if the printable area 71 and unprintable area 72 are set for the cut paper 70, that is, in FIG. 6, xl: Printing is not possible in the X direction of the cut paper. Length x2:
Length yl of the cut paper in the X direction: Length y2 of the cut paper that cannot be printed in the X direction:
Assuming that the length of the cut paper in the X direction is shown, the scale Sx (%) in the X direction and the scale Sy (%) in the Y direction are Sx - fx2 - (2Xxl)l /x2 - (1)
Sy-(y2-(2Xyl)l/y2...
The scales Sx and sy are calculated according to the above equations (1) and (2) shown in (2) (step 102), and then a subroutine for reduction processing is called (step 103).

When this subroutine for reduction processing is called, the CPU5
1, as shown in FIG. 5, step 20 takes out image data from the reception data buffer 56A of the RAM 56.
0), it is determined whether the retrieved data is print position data or not (step 201), and if it is print position data, the print position on the bitma knob memory is determined (step 202).

To find the print position on this bitmap memory,
The lower left end of the cut sheet 70 indicated by arrow O in FIG. 6 is set as the origin.

Here, xi (Otx) - 4mm (see Figure 6) yl
(Oty) - 4mm (See Figure 6) Sx - Reduction rate (calculation result of the above formula (1)) sy - Reduction rate (calculation result of the above formula (2)) X - Printing position of the X coordinate from the host computer If the value Y is the value of the print position of the Y coordinate from the host computer, then the value of the print position of the X coordinate on the bitmap is
' and the value Y' of the printing position of the Y coordinate on the bitmap are determined by the following equation.

That is, X' - XXSx + Ot x - (3) Y'
−YXSy+Oty (4).

By the way, as shown in FIG. 5, if it is not print position data in step 201, the CPU 51 determines whether it is character data (step 203), and if it is character data, it determines the size of the character in the X direction. The data in the Y direction is multiplied by the value of the scale Sx, and the data in the Y direction is multiplied by the value of the scale sy to obtain the character size (step 204).

Next, if it is not character data in step 203 above,
The CPU 51 determines whether or not it is image data (step 205); if it is image data, it multiplies the data in the X direction of the image size by the value of scale Sx;
The data in the Y direction is multiplied by the value of the scale Sy to obtain the size of the image (step 206).

Then, the CPU 51 executes steps 202.204.20.
If any of the steps 6 to 6 has been completed, or if the image data is not image data in step 205, it is determined whether or not all the reduction processing for one page of image data has been completed.Step 207), reduction processing is performed. If all of the reduction processing has not been completed, the process returns to step 200 and the steps after this step are executed.On the other hand, if all of the reduction processing has been completed, the process returns to the main routine shown in FIG.

Then, the CPU 51 converts the reduced image data for one page into the above-mentioned formula (3) on the bitmap memory 55.
) and the print position determined by equation (4) (step 104). The image data developed in the bitmap memory 55 is read out by the bitmap controller 59 and sent to the recording section 12. The recording unit 12 is
An image corresponding to the input image and image data is printed (step 105).

In this case, as shown in FIG. 7(a), even if an image corresponding to the image data is printed in the unprintable area 72, the image data is reduced as described above. As a result, the entire image corresponding to the image data is printed within the printable area 71, as shown in FIG. 7(b).

Next, as shown in FIG. 4, if there is no instruction information in step 100, the CPU 51 receives image data from the host computer (step 106), stores the image data in the reception data buffer 56A, Furthermore, scale Sx
, Sy are set to 100%, and (step 1
07), extracts the image data from the received data buffer 56A and writes this image data to the bitmap memory 55 as described in step 104 above.

The image data developed in the bitmap memory 55 is read out by five bitmap controllers and sent to the recording section 12. The recording unit 12 prints an image corresponding to the input image data.

In this case, as shown in FIG. 7(a), if an image corresponding to the image data is printed in the unprintable area 72, the image data is not reduced, so as shown in FIG. As shown in C), no image is printed in the non-printable area 72, and only the image is printed in the printable area 71.

According to the above embodiment, the paper size of the cut paper when printing an image corresponding to the image data transferred from the host computer and the paper size of the cut paper set in the paper feeding device (not shown). is the same, even if the received image data is printed in an area other than the printable area of the cut paper (unprintable area), the image data will be reduced. Since the image is printed within the printable area, image loss can be minimized.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, when a reduction instruction is given by the instruction means, even if image data that is to be printed on an area other than the printable area of a cut sheet is received, the image Since the data is reduced and the image corresponding to the image data is printed within the printable area, it is possible to prevent image loss.
It becomes possible to obtain an accurate handwriting image corresponding to the image data.

Figures 4 and 5 are flowcharts showing the printing processing operation of the image printing device, Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the calculation of the reduction ratio, and Figure 7 is the state of printing the image on cut paper. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the printing processing operation of a conventional image printing device.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Processing means, 2... Instruction means, 11... Image supply device, 12... Recording part, 13... Power supply, 14...
Panel, 51...CPU, 55...Bit map memory, 56...RAM, 56A...Receive data buffer, 57...Program memory, 58...Character pattern memory, 59... Bitmap controller.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of an image printing device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of main parts showing a recording section, and FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an image supply device. (Fig. 5 (a) Fig. 6 (b) Fig. 7)

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] An image printing device that prints an image corresponding to received image data in a printable area of a predetermined cut sheet, comprising: instruction means for instructing reduction processing for the image data to be printed; and by the instruction means. and processing means for reducing the image data to be printed at a predetermined reduction rate when a reduction instruction is given, and reducing the image data to be printed within the printable area of the predetermined cut paper. An image printing device characterized by printing a corresponding image.