JPH082071A - Printer with command error or printer status message output function - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To print an output command error or a status of a printer and notify the same to an operator. CONSTITUTION:A printer with command error or printer status message output function is provided with an interface control section 1 for transmitting and receiving the contents of a command and a status in the message to and from a host device 8 and an operation panel control section 2 for processing whether a message is printed or not based on an instruction from an operation panel 3. The printer is also provided with a command control section 4 for processing in compliance with commands or control codes transmitted from the host device 1, a message control section 5 for controlling the print output message, a message print control section 6 for printing the message and a printing mechanism 7 for printing the message based on the instruction of the message print control section 6.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printer with a command error or printer status message output function, and more particularly to a printer with a command error or printer status message output function for printing out a command error or printer status to notify an operator.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, this type of printer outputs command errors and status information through an interface. Further, the printer disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-92674 targets only command errors for print output.

[0003]

In this conventional printer, the operator obtains a command error and printer status information through the interface.
Without a bi-directional interface, command errors or printer status information cannot be obtained. In addition, the printer described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-92674 cannot obtain the printer status information because only the command error is targeted for print output.

[0004]

A printer with a command error or printer status message output function according to the present invention includes an interface control unit for exchanging command and status contents with a host device in a message format, and an instruction from an operation panel for the above-mentioned operation. An operation panel control unit for processing whether or not to print a message, a command control unit for processing according to the command or control code sent from the host device, and a message control unit for managing the message to be printed out. And a message print control unit that prints the message, and a print mechanism that prints the message according to an instruction from the message print control unit.

[0005]

Next, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Referring to FIG. 1, which is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, a printer having a command error or printer status message output function of this embodiment is provided with a host device 8 and information for transmitting the contents of the command and the status to the host device 8. An interface control unit 1 for exchanging messages in the form of a message, and an operation panel control unit 2 for processing whether or not to print a message according to an instruction from the operation panel 3.
A command control unit 4 that performs processing according to a command or control code sent from the higher-level device 8, a message control unit 5 that manages messages to be printed out, and a message printing control unit 6 that performs message printing processing. It is composed of a printing mechanism 7 that prints a message according to an instruction from the message printing control unit 6.

The operator uses the operation panel 3 to send command errors and status in a message format to the higher-level device 8 through the interface, and at the same time, specifies whether or not to print out. The operation panel control unit 2 transmits the command error and the status transmitted from the operation panel 3 in a message format to the higher-level device 8 through the interface, and at the same time, transmits information to the message control unit 5 as to whether or not to print out.

FIG. 2 shows a flow chart of the processing of this embodiment when a command is received. Referring to FIG. 2 together with FIG. 1, the command received from the higher-level device 8 through the interface control unit 1 is transmitted to the command control unit 4 (step A1). When the received command has an error, the error information is transmitted to the message control unit 5. When the message control unit 5 has received from the operation panel control unit 2 the information that the command error is transmitted in the message format to the higher-level device 8 through the interface and at the same time the print output is not performed, the message control unit 5 outputs the details of the command error to the interface. It is transmitted to the higher-level device 8 through the control unit 1 (steps A2, A3, A4). When the message control unit 5 obtains from the operation panel control unit 2 the information that the command error is transmitted in the form of a message to the higher-level device 8 through the interface and is printed out at the same time, the message control unit 5 controls the details of the command error by the interface control. At the same time as transmission to the higher-level device 8 via the unit 1, detailed information on the command error is transmitted to the message print control unit 6 to instruct to print out the details of the command error. Upon receiving the command error details and the instruction to print the command error details from the message control unit 6, the message print control unit 6 prints out the command error details using the printing mechanism 7 (steps A2, A3, A5). ,
A6).

FIG. 3 shows a flow chart of the processing of this embodiment when the control code is received and the status information is transmitted from the printer. Referring to FIG. 3 together with FIG. 1, the control code received from the higher-level device 8 through the interface control unit 1 is transmitted to the command control unit 4 (step B
1). When the received control code is a status request code for inquiring about the internal state of the printer, the command control unit 4 informs the message control unit 5 that the status request code has been received. The message control unit 5 sends the status of the printer from the operation panel control unit 2 in a message format through the interface to the host device 8
When the message control section 5 has obtained the information that the print output is not made at the same time as the transmission to the host computer 8, the message control section 5 transmits the details of the printer status to the higher-level device 8 through the interface control section 1 (steps B2, B3, B4). The message control unit 5 sends the status of the printer from the operation panel control unit 2 in a message format through the interface to the host device 8
If the message control unit 5 has received the information to print out at the same time as the transmission to the host device 8 through the interface control unit 1, the message control unit 5 sends the detailed information about the printer status to the message print control unit 6. And instruct to print out the details of the printer status. Upon receiving the details of the printer status and the instruction to print the details of the printer status from the message controller 5, the message printing control unit 6 prints out the details of the printer status using the printing mechanism 7 (steps B2, B3, B5). , B6).

[0009]

As described above, according to the present invention,
The command and status contents are exchanged with the higher-level device in message format, the message is processed according to the instruction from the operation panel, and the process according to the command or control code sent from the higher-level device is performed and printed. By managing the output message, printing the message, and printing the message according to the instruction, for example, when the upper device does not use an appropriate application program and cannot display the message from the printer, The operator can check the command error or printer status by printing out. Further, when the unidirectional interface is selected as the interface with the host device and the message cannot be returned from the printer, the operator can print out and confirm the command error or the printer status.

[Brief description of drawings]

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

FIG. 2 shows a flow chart of the processing of this embodiment when receiving a command.

FIG. 3 shows a flow chart of processing of this embodiment when a control code is received and status information is transmitted from the printer.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Interface Control Section 2 Operation Panel Control Section 3 Operation Panel 4 Command Control Section 5 Message Control Section 6 Message Printing Control Section 7 Printing Mechanism 8 Upper Device

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An interface control unit for exchanging command and status contents with a host device in a message format, an operation panel control unit for processing whether or not to print the message according to an instruction from the operation panel, and the host device. A command control unit that performs processing according to the command or control code sent from the device, a message control unit that manages the message to be printed out, a message print control unit that performs the printing process of the message, and the message print control A printer with a command error or printer status message output function, which has a printing mechanism for printing the message according to an instruction from a section. 2. The command or control code sent from the host device by exchanging command and status contents with the host device in a message format, processing whether or not to print the message according to an instruction from the operation panel. A method for outputting a command error or a printer status message, characterized in that the message to be printed out is managed, the message is printed out, and the message is printed according to an instruction.