JPH03219325A - printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve the operation efficiency of a printer by providing a control means for canceling the input inhibition state of other host interfaces, and returning them to the original active state. CONSTITUTION:At the time of receiving character code information, image information, etc., from each of plural host systems 11, the controller 12 in the printer 10 forms video data in each page and a printer engine 13 prints out the video data on a recording medium. The plural host interfaces 11 are normally set up to active states, and when input data are inputted to any one of the host interfaces 11, the input of the input data to other host interfaces 11 is inhibited and the data are entered from the host interface 11 receiving the input data. When input data are not inputted to the working host interface 11 for a fixed time and a data end command is inputted from the host, the input inhibition states of other host interfaces 11 are immediately canceled and the host interfaces 11 are returned to the original active states. Consequently, the operation efficiency of the printer can be improved.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to an operation control method for a printer having a plurality of interfaces.

(Prior art) In order to efficiently use a printer with multiple interfaces, data sent from a display device, computer, etc. via multiple interfaces is transferred using a switching mechanism with a timer that provides a fixed switching time. Means for switching input data (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 60-6485), or changeover switch means for disconnecting two interfaces if there is no input data for a certain period of time after detecting page break data. (Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. 1986-
184630), etc.

(Problem to be Solved by the Invention) In the former case of the above-mentioned prior art, even if input data from one interface is finished, other interfaces cannot be used until a certain period of time set by a timer has elapsed, and during that time, the other interfaces cannot be used. The printer cannot operate, and the original purpose of efficiently using the printer by switching between multiple interfaces cannot be fully achieved.

Also, in the latter case of the conventional technology described above, similarly to the above, after detecting page break data, if there is no input data for a certain period of time, other interfaces cannot be used, and the printer is again efficiently used by switching between multiple interfaces. This objective cannot be fully achieved.

(Object of the Invention) In view of the problems of the prior art described above, an object of the present invention is to improve the operating efficiency of a printer having a plurality of interfaces.

(Structure and operation) In order to achieve the above object, the present invention has a printer controller having a plurality of host interfaces, and normally all the host interfaces are in an active state, and when an input is received on any one of the plurality of host interfaces. At the time,
Set other host interfaces to input prohibited state and
If one host interface receives data from the host and there is no data input to that host interface for a certain period of time, or if a data end command is received from the host, the input prohibition state of the other host interface is released and the state is restored. It is characterized by having a control means for returning to the active state.

The present invention always keeps a plurality of host interfaces in an active state, and when there is input data in any host interface, inputting data to other host interfaces is prohibited, and the host that received the input data is disabled. Data can now be imported using an interface.

In addition to checking whether there is no input data in the host interface for a certain period of time, the present invention has a control means for checking whether or not a command to end data has been received from the host, so that the input prohibition state of other host interfaces can be immediately released. 5 to the original active state, input data from multiple hosts can be quickly input, and the operating efficiency of the printer is improved.

(Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a printer system of the present invention. In this system, multiple host systems 1
After receiving character code information, image image information, etc. from 1,
Printer 10<7) Controller (image processing device) 1
2 generates page-by-page video data, and the printer engine 13 prints and outputs the video data on a recording medium.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the controller 12 when the printer 10 is a laser printer, as an example.

As shown in the figure, the printer controller 12 includes a host interface 121 for connecting to a plurality of host systems 11 as an external interface, a cartridge interface 122 for connecting to font cartridges 14 and 15 as an internal interface, and an IC card 16. IC card interface 12 for connection
3, a control panel interface 124 for connecting to the controller panel 17, and a PE unit (
The engine interface 125 is provided for connection with the printer engine (printer engine) 13.

In addition, a CPU 126. ROM1
27. RAM128. Data control unit 129. Address control unit 130. and a video control section 131.

Note that the host interface 121 is an interface for connecting to a host such as an office computer, a personal computer, a word processor, a data processing device 9 and an image processing device, etc., and various parallel interfaces or serial interfaces are set according to the host system to be connected. be done.

The host interface 121 receives various data such as character codes, control codes, and control commands from the host system 11, and transmits control information such as printer status to the host system 11.

Further, each section within this printer controller 12 is interconnected by lines consisting of an address bus, a control bus, and a data bus.

The CPU 126 is a general-purpose 16-bit or 32-bit microcomputer consisting of a CPU, ROM, RAM, memory, etc., and is in charge of overall control of the printer controller 12 as a whole.

Further, the ROM 127 is a read-only memory,
It stores various programs for controlling the CPU 126, resident fonts, etc.

The RAM 128 is a large-capacity random access memory, and as shown in FIG. 3, it has a plurality of auxiliary buffers 128-1. Input buffer 128-2
, page buffer 128-3. Video buffer 128
-4. Font file 128-5. Print spooler file (hereinafter simply referred to as “spooler file”) 12
8-6, etc., and is used as a system memory used by the CPU 126.

The data control unit 129 has page buffers 128-
This is used when creating video data in the video buffer 128-4 based on the data of No. 3.

The address control unit 130 controls the page buffer 12g.
DMA (Direct
MemoryAccess) DMA that controls the address
It consists of an address control section and a video address control section for sequentially outputting the video data created in the video buffer 128-4 in synchronization with the video clock (WCLK).

The video control unit 131 has video buffers 128-
When the video data created in step 4 is read out in units of processing by the CPU 126, for example 32 bits at a time, the parallel video data is converted to serial video data and the
Output to the E unit (printer engine) 13.

As described above, an auxiliary buffer 128-1 is provided for each host interface before the input buffer 12g-2 common to all host interfaces 121.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the processing flow of the host interface 121. When there is input data from the host system 11, the routine shown in FIG. 4 is activated by an interwoven signal common to all host interfaces.

First, the CPU 126 checks whether all host interfaces are currently active (Sl).

When all the host interfaces are in the active state (Sl: YES), each auxiliary buffer 128-1 is checked (S2), and the CPU 126 investigates (determines) which host interface received the input data.

As a result, input prohibition letter 71::CP is issued for host interfaces other than the host interface where the input data was.
U126 does (S3). At this time, if there is input data from multiple host interfaces at the same time, the host interface to be made active may be determined by setting priorities in advance.

On the other hand, if only one host interface is active in the first check (Sl) (NO in Sl), the CPU 126 checks whether or not it is a data end command (Sl); if it is a data end command, it returns (Sl). YES in Sl), the occupied state of the host interface is released and all host interfaces are returned to the original active state (S,).

In this way, with one active host interface occupied, if the input data is not a data end command, the data is put into the input buffer 128-2 (S,), where it is sent as a data end command. can be set using an escape sequence or the like.

In addition to the above-mentioned processing, as shown in FIG.
This is performed periodically using a 126 timer.

First, the CPU 126 investigates (determines) whether there is input data in the input buffer 128-2 (S7).
. Then, if there is input data (YES in S7),
Initialize the timer for host interface switching.
8) End the process.

Further, if there was input data at the previous check, but no input data at the current check, the timer is started (S,). Then set the timer to CPU1
26 is checked, and if a certain period of time has not passed (Sl
, No) ends the process. Additionally, if a certain period of time has elapsed (S, YES), the CP'U126 returns all host interfaces to the active state (S).
Yo,).

In this way, the present invention uses the CPU 126 to check the two different systems shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, and switches the host interface, thereby improving the usage efficiency of the printer.

(Effects of the Invention) As explained above, according to the present invention, in a printer having a plurality of interfaces, in addition to the conventional control means for switching host interfaces when there is no input data for a certain period of time, Since it has a control means for switching host interfaces by receiving and receiving data end commands, other host interfaces are not forced to wait for a certain period of time even though input data ends, unlike in the past. Furthermore, even if no data end command is received, all host interfaces become active after a certain period of time.

Therefore, it can be used more effectively as a printer with multiple host interfaces than before.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the printer system of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a controller in a laser printer as an example, and FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the RAM in the controller of FIG. Figure, 4th
Figure 5 shows the flow of host interface processing.
The figure is a diagram showing the flow of input data processing of the input buffer. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Printer, 11... Multiple host systems, 12... Controller, 13... Print engine, 121... Host interface, 126...
CPU, 127...ROM, 128...RAM, 1
28-1... Multiple auxiliary buffers, 128-2...
Input buffer, 128-3... Page buffer, 128-4... Video buffer, 128-5...
... Font file, 128-6... Print spooler file.

Claims (1)

[Claims] The printer controller has a plurality of host interfaces, and normally all the host interfaces are in the active state, and when an input is received to any one of the plurality of host interfaces, the other host interfaces are set to the input prohibited state and the above-mentioned 1. If one host interface receives data from the host and there is no data input to that host interface for a certain period of time, or if a data end command is received from the host, the input prohibition state of the other host interface is released and the state is restored. 1. An operation control method for a printer, comprising control means for returning the printer to an active state.