JPH0447967A - Printing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve operating efficiency of the title device by making the same equipped with a function for erasing of unnecessary printing data. CONSTITUTION:Printing data received with a data receiving section 104 are stored in a communication buffer section in a partial area of a RAM 102. A main CPU 101 reads the printing data out of the communication buffer of the RAM 102. In the case where the read-out data are character codes, the CPU 101 reads font patterns out of a character generator written in a part of a RAM 103 and stores the read-out font patterns in a printing buffer of the RAM 102 in the form of printing images. When a command is given from a switch input section 105 for clearing of the printing images (clear position), the printing data stored at that time in the communication buffer are erased, and a command is given to a sub CPU 107 for stopping of the printing. The printing data received thereafter until expiration of the command for clearing from the switch input section 105 are erased without being stored in the communication buffer of the RAM 102.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a printing device that receives print data and performs printing.

[Conventional technology] The printing device receives print data from the host.

For example, print data generated by software running on a host computer is sent to a printing device via a communication circuit. The printing device receives the print data and performs printing.

[Problem to be Solved by the Invention] However, if a factor that causes printing to be stopped occurs for some reason after printing, the methods for stopping printing are as follows.
There are two letters below.

1. Cancel on the host computer side.

2. Cancel on the printing device side.

However, in order to cancel printing using method 1 above, you must have complete software to cancel printing.Some of the current software allows printing to be canceled by operating the host computer.
It has begun to be used to some extent, but the number is limited. Currently, many software programs are being used that do not allow printing by a printing device to be stopped. There are also the following problems.

Even if the host computer stops printing, it only stops sending the print data, and the printing device continues printing. This is because most current printing devices have a buffer called a communication buffer that temporarily stores print data on the internal RAM of the printing device.
This is because printing continues until this print data runs out. Therefore, even if the host computer stops sending print data, the actual printing will not be stopped using the print data stored in the printing device. An initialization signal must be sent to the

At present, the method for stopping printing using method 2 above is to turn off the power to the printing device or to initialize the printing device from the operation panel. However, with this method, if the amount of print data is large, even if you perform an initialization operation to erase the print data in the printing device, the remaining print data will be sent from the host computer after initialization.
I had to perform a printer initialization operation many times.

[Means and operations for solving the problems] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a printing device that receives print data and performs printing, including an instruction means for discarding the received print data;
The present invention provides a printing apparatus comprising means for invalidating received data in response to an instruction from the instruction means.

[Example] The present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electric circuit system that controls the printing operation of the printing apparatus.

In FIG. 1, a central processing unit (main CPU) 101
A bus 114 consisting of an address bus, a data bus, and control signals for controlling them is output from the main CP 0101.
It is controlled by the control procedure shown in FIG. Main CPU
101 is ROM1G3. A RAM 102 having a FIFO for storing coat data to be printed and a print buffer for storing its pattern data. data receiving section 104,
It is connected to a switch input section 105, a lamp lighting section 106, and an auxiliary processing unit (sub; CPU) 107. A bus 115 consisting of an address bus, a data bus, and control signals for controlling them is also output from the auxiliary processing unit (sub CPU) 107, and the print head movement drive unit 1
08, paper feed drive unit 109, print head print drive unit 11
O, cylinder drive unit 111, atmosphere communication port opening/closing drive unit 1
12, various sensors are connected to a portion 113 and a timer portion 116.

The operation of the embodiment configured as described above will be explained.

The print information transmitted from the host computer is received by the data receiving unit 104 on the printing apparatus side in step Sl. The data receiving unit 104 receives data and exchanges data such as paper status in steps Sl and S according to a set procedure.
The received printing information performed with the host computer in Step 2 is stored in RAM 1 port 2 in Step S3, and is stored in the sub-C when a printing factor such as a printing command occurs in Step S4.
Give a print command to P U 107. Upon receiving the print command, the sub CPU 107 optimally controls the print head movement drive unit 108, paper feed drive unit 109, print head print drive unit 110, cylinder drive unit 111, and atmosphere communication port opening/closing drive unit 112 in step P2. Various sensors part 113
Check the status before printing.

The print data received by the data receiving unit 104 is
The communication buffer is stored in a part of the communication buffer in the partial area of M 102. The communication buffer is normally created as a buffer on a ring and has a first-in first-out function.
1 reads print data from the communication Halafah of the RAM 102, and if the data is a character code, reads the font pattern from the character generator written in a part of the ROM 103;
It is stored in the print buffer of M 102 in the print image state. If the switch input unit 105 instructs to discard the print data in step S, the main CPU
101 erases the print data currently stored in the communication buffer of a partial area of the RAM 102;
The main CPU 0101 issues a printing stop command to the sub CPU 107, and the main CPU 0101 also issues a command to the switch input section 1 at step SIO.
The print data received by the data receiving unit 104 is not stored in the communication buffer in the RAM 102 and is discarded as is until the instruction to discard the print data in step 05 is completed. The second factor is an example of a switch input section.

In FIG. 2, the interface switch IS is a slide switch, and the other switches, ie, page feed, line feed, and online switches, are tact switches. The online switch controls permission or prohibition of sending and receiving print data from the host computer, and its state changes each time it is pressed. The line feed switch and page feed switch are switches that control paper feed. Interface switch I
S is a switch for instructing the discard of print data, and when the slide instruction section reaches the central clear position, the discard of the print data is instructed. FIG. 2 shows an example in which there are two interface connectors. Assuming that the interface connectors are A and B, respectively, when the slide instruction part is in position A, the interface connector on the A side has a receiving function, and when it is in the position on the B side, the interface connector on the B side has a receiving function. It is assumed that When the slide instruction section moves from the A side state to the central clear position, the data received from the A side connector is discarded.

When the slide instruction section moves from the B-side state to the central clear position, data received from the B-side connector is discarded. The interface switch in Figure 2 can be slid to three positions: A, clear, and B. It is also possible to move from the A side to the clear position, discard the print data, and then move to the A side. It is also possible to move from the position to the B side. Movement from the B side is also possible in the same way as movement from the A side.

[Other Embodiments] In the above embodiments, the user operates a slide switch to discard print data, but the following implementation is also possible.

1. When one block of print data is composed of a block start code, a block end code, and print data indicating the start and end of the block, it is also possible to discard the print data in units of blocks.

FIG. 3 shows an example of the block configuration of print data. For example,
After receiving the block start code, if a print data discard instruction is issued while print data is being received, the print data up to the block end code of the print data currently being received is discarded. The switch input section in this case is as shown in FIG. If you want to discard print data,
Interface clear switch (tact switch, etc.)
Press .If the block start code has been received at this point, the clear lamp will light up. Thereafter, print data is discarded until an end-of-block code is received. When a block end code indicating the end of print data is received, the clear lamp is turned off and the print data discard mechanism is terminated.

2. In 1 above, if each print data block has a different block start code and block end code,
It is possible to discard print data only for specified print data blocks.

FIG. 5 shows a print data stream with different print data block start and end codes, the print data being appended with a suffix indicating the classification of the print data. Only print data specified by identifying the added suffix is discarded. The method of instructing print data to be discarded can be specified using a switch input section and a display device (not shown) capable of displaying characters. The example in FIG. 5 shows that among the print data, the print data included in the suffix 3 is to be discarded.

Note that in the above example, the memory is cleared and no reception is performed, but since printing is not required, invalid attribute information may be added to the data.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, by having the print data discard function in the printing device, 1. Unnecessary print data can be removed.

2. Since unnecessary print data is not printed, the printing device is not operated unnecessarily, and the usage efficiency of the printing device is improved in terms of time.

3. Eliminates waste of printing paper.

4. Printing can not be performed regardless of the print control of the host computer.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electric circuit system for implementing the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a switch section for implementing the present invention, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a switch input section for discarding print data that has a block start/end code, and FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a control procedure. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a control procedure. , Figure 2, Sotsu manual input story, 1,000, 1 row, 3rd Figure 1 p.

Claims (1)

[Claims] A printing device that receives print data and performs printing, the printing device comprising: instructing means for discarding the received print data; and means for invalidating the received data in response to an instruction from the instructing means.