JPH05278295A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] When the print area of the print data and the print area of the overlay print data overlap, the overlay print processing is not performed. [Structure] When printing and discharging, in S11, the print area of the print data is compared with the print area of the overlay print data.
Only in the case where the two areas do not overlap, in S12, overlay print data is added to the print data, and the print is discharged. If they overlap, the print data is directly printed out without adding the overlay print data.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printer which receives print data from a host device such as a host computer and prints on a print medium.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in this type of printing apparatus, it is sometimes desired to add a page number, a frame line, or the like when printing print data from a host apparatus. In this case, the data to be added (hereinafter referred to as overlay print data) is stored in the printing device in advance, and the data to be added is printed in addition to the print data when the print is discharged. This processing will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. The printer receives the print data from the host device after performing a predetermined initial setting (S50) (S50).
51). If this print data is not a print discharge command (S52, NO), image data is formed in the page memory according to the print data (S53), and the next print data is received (S51). On the other hand, when the print data is the print discharge command (S52, YES), the overlay print data (for example, page number) is added to the image data formed in the page memory (S54) and printing is performed (S55). .. Such processing is usually called overlay processing. By performing this processing, the processing shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 7, it is possible to output the image with the page number added to the printed image without performing the overlay process shown in FIG.

[0003]

However, in the printing apparatus as described above, this overlay processing is performed regardless of the print data. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6B, printing by print data and overlay printing are performed. There is a problem in that the printed images become unsightly due to overlapping of data printing.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and when printing by print data and printing of overlay print data overlap, the overlay print data is printed without printing. It is an object of the present invention to provide a printing device that improves the appearance of a printed image.

[0005]

In order to achieve this object, a printing apparatus of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1, includes a storage unit for storing overlay print data, a print data printing area and the storage unit. Overlapping detection means for detecting the overlap of the print areas of the stored overlay print data, and print data adding means for adding the overlay print data to the print data according to the detection result of the overlap detection means are provided.

[0006]

In the printing apparatus of the present invention having the above-mentioned structure, the overlap detection means causes the overlay print data print area stored in the storage means to overlap the print data print area when the print is discharged. To detect the range. The print data adding means adds the overlay print data to the print data when the overlapping area is not detected by the overlap detecting means.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the arrangement of the printing apparatus of this embodiment. The printing device includes a CPU 1 of a central processing unit, which is the main body of the control device, a random access memory (RAM) 2, and a ROM 3 which is a read-only memory.
An interface 4 for receiving print data from the outside and a print mechanism 5 for forming an image on a recording medium (paper) are connected to each other.

The RAM 2 has a print range storage area 21 for storing the maximum and minimum values of the X and Y coordinates of the print data as the print range of the print data, and the X and Y coordinates of the overlay print data as the print range of the overlay data. An overlay print range storage area 22 for storing the maximum value and the minimum value, an overlay print data storage area 23 for storing overlay print data, and a page memory 24 for storing image data for printing on a recording medium are provided. It is provided.

The ROM 3 stores a program represented by the flowchart shown in FIG.
Further, a program memory 31 for storing a control program for controlling the entire printing apparatus is provided. Further, the program memory 31 has a print range detection program 31 for detecting the print range of the input print data.
1 and an overlay print range detection program 3 for detecting the print range of the input overlay print data
12, an overlap range detection program 313 for detecting whether or not the print range and the overlay print range overlap, and a print data addition program 314 for adding overlay print data to print data are stored. ing.

The storage means of this embodiment is the overlay print data storage area 23, and the overlap detection means is the overlap range detection program 313. The print data adding means is a print data adding program 314.

The operation of the printing apparatus of this embodiment will be described below with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

The operations described below are performed by the CPU 1 based on various programs stored in the ROM 3.

First, when the power is turned on, the initial setting of step S1 in FIG. 3 (hereinafter referred to simply as S1; the same applies to the other steps) is performed. Subsequently, S2 is executed, and the interface 4 receives data which is a printing device control command from an external host computer or the like. S
If it is determined in 3 that the data is print data, the print range detection program 311 detects the print range in S7, the print range is stored in the print range storage area 21 in S8, and the process proceeds to S6.

When it is determined that the print data is not print data, it is determined in S4 whether the print data is overlay print data. If it is overlay data, the print range of the overlay print data is detected by the overlay print range detection program 312 in S9, and is stored in the overlay print range storage area 22 in S10. After that, the overlay print data is stored in the overlay print data storage area 23 in S14, and the process returns to S2.

If it is determined that it is not the overlay data, it is determined in S5 whether it is a print discharge command, and if it is determined that it is a print discharge command, S1.
When it is determined that the command is not the print discharge command, the process proceeds to S6.

In S6, processing is performed in accordance with print data which is a printer control command, and image data based on the print data is formed in the page memory 24. Then, the process returns to S2 to receive the next data.

On the other hand, in S11, the overlapping range is detected by referring to the printing range storage area 21 and the overlay printing range storage area 22 to determine whether the printing range of the print data and the printing range of the overlay print data overlap. The program 313 is performed, and when it is determined that they overlap, the process proceeds to S13. If they do not overlap, S
At 12, the overlay print data is written to the page memory 24 based on the print data addition program 314,
Proceed to S13.

After the image data of the page memory 24 is formed on the recording medium by the printing mechanism 5 in S13, S2 is executed.
Return to and wait for the next data.

That is, if it is determined in S12 that the print range of the print data and the print range of the overlay print data do not overlap, as shown in FIG. 4A, the overlay print data (in this case, the page number) is printed. Is added and printed. On the contrary, if it is determined that the print range of the print data and the print range of the overlay print data overlap, the overlay print data is printed without being added, as shown in FIG. 4B.

By processing the print data according to the steps as described above, the overlay print data (page number) is added to the print data for printing the image as shown in FIG. 7 by the overlay processing. However, when the print range of the print data and the print range of the overlay print data overlap, the overlay print data is not printed, as shown in FIG. Good.

Here, a method of detecting the overlap of the above-mentioned printing ranges will be described. First, when detecting the print range, the print range detection program 311 calculates the maximum value and the minimum value of the coordinates of the input print data in the X direction and the Y direction, respectively, and stores the maximum value in the print range storage area 21. Those that are larger than the value and smaller than the minimum value are stored in the print range storage area 21. As a result, the coordinate value of the smallest quadrangle surrounding all the print data is obtained, and this is the print range. Similarly, in the detection of the overlay print range, the overlay print range detection program 312 calculates the maximum value and the minimum value of the coordinates of the input overlay print data in the X direction and the Y direction, respectively, and stores them in the overlay print range storage area 22. Those that are larger than the maximum value and smaller than the minimum value are stored in the overlay print range storage area 22. Thereby, the coordinate value of the smallest quadrangle surrounding all the overlay print data is obtained, and this is the overlay print range. By comparing the coordinate values of the quadrangle of the print range with the coordinate values of the quadrangle of the overlay print range by the overlap range detection program 313, the overlap of the print ranges is detected.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described in detail above, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

For example, when there is an overlap, the print data adding means may add only the overlay print data of the non-overlapped portion to the page memory 24.

The overlap detecting means is the page memory 24.
The overlap may be detected by checking all the points of the overlay print data written in.

[0026]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the printing apparatus of the present invention, when the print area of the print data and the print area of the overlay print data overlap, the overlay print data is used as the print data. Since the image is not added, the image based on the print data and the image based on the overlay print data do not overlap each other in the printed image, and the printed image looks good.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a printing apparatus embodying the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart regarding overlay processing of the printing apparatus according to the present exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a print result obtained by performing overlay processing of the printing apparatus of this embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a conventional overlay process.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a print result obtained by performing conventional overlay processing.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a normal print result.

[Explanation of symbols]

 23 Overlay print data storage area 313 Overlap range detection program 314 Print data addition program

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Storage means for storing overlay print data, overlap detection means for detecting the overlap between the print area of the print data and the print area of the overlay print data stored in the storage means, and the overlay print data for overlapping. A printing apparatus comprising: print data adding means for adding print data according to a detection result of the detecting means.