JPH08249143A - Data controller - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] The print data received by multiple receiving interfaces can be received simultaneously, and the data transfer process from the host computer is completed promptly without expanding the storage capacity of the storage medium. (EN) Provided is a data control device in a printing device capable of releasing a computer quickly and efficiently executing a printing process. [Configuration] A reception buffer group for temporarily storing print information received from each host computer, and a reception data control unit for controlling and managing the state of each buffer,
If the data received from the host computer exceeds the capacity of one data reception buffer, and if the data reception interval of the other reception buffer exceeds a certain time, that reception buffer is selected or the data reception interval is the most. It is characterized in that a large receiving buffer is selected and data reception from the host computer is continued.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printing apparatus which prints by temporarily storing print information received from a host computer in a storage medium, and in particular receives data sent from a plurality of host computers by a plurality of interfaces. Then
The present invention relates to a reception data control device in a printing device for speeding up data transfer processing from a host computer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, a plurality of computers are connected to one printer having a plurality of receiving interfaces, and the printers are shared, so that the efficiency of hardware resources is improved. For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-324226
The printer control device disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-324220 discloses a technique for obtaining a printed output as expected without being disturbed by the operation of an operator panel of another user even in a network environment. In the printing device shown in FIG. 1, there is disclosed a technique capable of quickly completing data processing with a host computer and quickly releasing the host computer without expanding the storage capacity of an expensive storage medium.

According to these disclosed techniques, in a printing apparatus for temporarily storing information received from a host computer in a storage medium, the area allocation for the print information or body control information assigned to the storage medium is processed as data. By varying based on the state, the data processing with the host computer is completed promptly, the host computer is released quickly, and the printing process is executed efficiently.

However, the conventional printing device or printer control device does not allow the print data received by a plurality of receiving interfaces to be received simultaneously, but the print data received by a single receiving interface can be stored in the storage capacity of the storage medium. It was processed without expansion.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to enable print data received by a plurality of receiving interfaces to be received at the same time, and to quickly perform data transfer processing from a host computer without expanding the storage capacity of a storage medium. An object of the present invention is to provide a data control device in a printing device which is completed and can speed up the release of the host computer and can efficiently execute the printing process.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a data control apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention provides a reception buffer group for temporarily storing print information received from each host computer and a state of each buffer. If the received data from the host computer exceeds the capacity of one data reception buffer and the data reception interval of the other reception buffer exceeds a certain predetermined time, the reception data control unit for controlling and managing is provided. It is characterized in that the reception buffer is selected and the data reception from the host computer is continued. A data control apparatus according to claim 2, comprising a reception buffer group for temporarily storing print information received from each host computer, and a reception data control unit for controlling / managing the state of each buffer. When the received data from the device exceeds the capacity of one data receiving buffer, the receiving buffer having the largest data receiving interval is selected and the data receiving from the host computer is continued.

[0007]

As a result of providing the above-mentioned configuration, even when the received data from the host computer exceeds the capacity of one data receiving buffer, another receiving buffer is selected to continue the transmission of print data. Because it will be possible to do
By effectively utilizing the hardware resources such as the storage medium, the host computer can be released quickly and the printing process can be executed efficiently.

[0008]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A data control device according to the present invention will be described in detail below based on the embodiments shown in the drawings. In the following description, a printing device will be described as an example.
The present invention is not limited to this, and can be applied to any device having a plurality of ports and a reception buffer corresponding to the ports, such as a page printer, a dot printer or a copying machine. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a reception data control device according to the present invention. In the figure, 1 is a host computer group including a plurality of host computers 11 to 14, 2 is a data control device for receiving an image output request and image data, and 3 is an output device.

The data control device 2 is connected to reception interfaces (reception I / Fs) 21 to 24 for receiving data from the respective host computers 11 to 14 and respective reception I / Fs, and receives data from the host computer. And a reception data control unit 29 for controlling the reception I / F and the data reception buffer. The host computers 11 to 14 and the reception I / Fs 21 to 24 are connected by a standard communication cable, for example, a cable conforming to the specifications of RS232C and Centronics.

The output device 3 also has a reception interface (reception I / F) 31 for receiving the reception data sent from the data control device 2, and an internal processing buffer 32.
And an image output device 33, both the data control device 2 and the output device 3 are standard communication cables, for example RS23.
It is connected by what complies with the specifications of 2C and Centronics.

FIG. 2 shows the concept of the file format of the data stored in each of the data reception buffers 25 to 28, and there is a header block 41 and a data block 42 for one output request from the host computer. The header block 41 is a part for storing output request conditions (output size, data amount, host state, number of sheets, pen type, etc.) from the host computer, while the data block 42 is a part for storing image data.

In the thus configured data control device, for example, when the data from the host computer 11 is received by the reception I / F 21, the reception data control unit 29 gives an instruction to store the data in the data reception buffer 25, and this operation is performed. Is the same when data is transferred to any of the other reception I / Fs 22 to 24, that is, the reception data from the host computer 12 is stored in the data reception buffer 26,
The data from the host computer 13 is controlled to be stored in the data reception buffer 27, and the data from the host computer 14 is controlled to be stored in the data reception buffer 28.

Each of the data reception buffers 25 to 28 has a structure capable of storing some output data from the host computer in units of files, and of course the file capacity changes depending on the size of the image data.
When the image data is stored in any one of the data reception buffers (a plurality of data reception buffers are possible), the reception data control unit 29 determines the priority order, and outputs the file of which data reception buffer 25-28 according to the priority order. It is instructed whether to transmit to the internal processing buffer 32 in 3. The image data received by the internal processing buffer 32 is transmitted to the image output device 33 and processed so that it can be printed on recording paper. Here, as the means for data conversion, printing, and recording, known VRC technology, LED, laser writing, electrophotographic process, or the like may be used, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the reception data control unit 29. In the figure, 51 is a micro CPU that executes the program of the reception data control unit 29, and is a read-only memory ROM 52 and a read / write memory R that are peripheral devices necessary for executing the program.
An AM 53, an input / output port I / O 54 for exchanging signals with an external device, and a memory control controller DMA 55 are connected by an address / data and control signal bus 56.

When data is transmitted from the host computer, the reception data control unit 29 receives a signal from each reception I / F 21, 22, 23, 24 connected to the input / output port 54, and performs an interrupt process, for example. The reception I / F is switched according to the program stored in the ROM 52.

The operation of the data control device according to the present invention will be described below. In the description, the capacity of each data reception buffer is set to 100. Normally, if the capacity of the file requested to be output from the host computer is 100 or less, at least one file can be received. However, file transfer from the host computer often occurs continuously, and in this case, the capacity of one data reception buffer is naturally exceeded.

Therefore, assuming a more specific reception pattern, it is shown in FIGS. As shown in FIG. 4A, the data reception buffer 25 that receives the reception data from the host computer 11 has a file capacity of 1 each.
File names a1, a2, and a3 that are 0, 20, and 20 are sent, and the file names a2 and a3 have file transfer intervals of 30 s and 60 s, respectively. Also, there are two file output requests from the host computer 12,
As shown in (b), the data reception buffer 26 has a total file capacity of 80 and the file reception interval is 30 s at the maximum.

Similarly, from the host computer 13, 4
There is one file output request, and as shown in (c), the data receiving buffer 27 has a total file capacity of 80 and the file receiving interval is 10 s at maximum. Similarly, there are three file outputs from the host computer 14, and as shown in (d), the data reception buffer 28 has a total file capacity of 80 and a file reception interval of up to 50.
s state.

In this state, if the host computer 13 further requests the output of the file capacity 30, the data receiving buffer 27 for the host computer 13 will exceed the capacity of 100, but the present invention is concerned. In the data control device, when data exceeding the maximum capacity of the buffer is received, a signal notifying that the buffer capacity is output is output to the reception data control unit 29 immediately before the maximum capacity is exceeded, and the reception data control unit 29 causes another host computer to receive the data. The data reception interval of each of the reception buffer groups 25, 26, and 28 is checked, and the reception data is controlled to flow to the reception buffer having the file transfer interval exceeding the predetermined value.

For example, the set value of the file transfer interval is 60
If s, the data reception buffer 25 is selected, the reception data is supplied from the data reception buffer 27 to the data reception buffer 25, and the data reception from the host computer 13 is continuously received without interruption. It is possible to release the computer quickly. If the set value of the file transfer interval is 50 s,
The data reception buffers 25 and 28 are selected. However, when there are a plurality of data reception buffers that exceed a predetermined value, the reception data control is performed so that the data reception buffer 25 with a large free space is selected. The part 29 may be controlled.

FIG. 5 shows the control procedure of the reception data control unit described above. First, when data is transmitted from the host computer, the free space of the reception buffer of the reception I / F which received the data is confirmed (step 1), and it is determined whether the reception file size is larger than the free space. Yes (step 2). If the received file capacity is smaller than the free space, the data is transferred to the data reception buffer as it is. On the other hand, when the reception file capacity is larger than the free space, the maximum data reception interval of the other reception buffer is confirmed (step 3), and the reception I / F is switched only when the reception interval is larger than the set value (step 4). ,
5).

As described above, when data exceeding the predetermined capacity of the data reception buffer is transferred, the reception buffer set by another host computer and used infrequently is used to allow the host computer to transmit the data. Since the data transfer process can be continued without interrupting the data transfer or re-starting, the host computer can be released more quickly and the work efficiency can be improved.

Next, a modified embodiment of the data control device according to the present invention will be described. In the above-mentioned embodiment, when the capacity of the data receiving buffer becomes FULL, the data is controlled to flow when the data receiving interval of the other data receiving buffer is equal to or more than the predetermined value. When the reception data control unit 29 receives a signal notifying that the maximum capacity is exceeded, the data reception intervals of the other data reception buffer groups are compared, the reception buffer with the largest interval is selected, and the reception buffer continues to the reception buffer. Data may be received.

A flowchart in this case is shown in FIG.
First, when data is sent from the host computer,
The free space of the receiving buffer of the receiving I / F which received the data is confirmed (step 10), and it is judged whether or not the receiving file capacity is larger than the free space (step 1).
1). If the received file capacity is smaller than the free space, the data is transferred to the data reception buffer as it is. On the other hand, when the reception file capacity is larger than the free capacity, the maximum data reception intervals of the other reception buffers are compared (step 12), the reception buffer having the maximum reception interval is selected, and the reception I / F is switched (step 13). 1
4).

With this configuration, when the capacity of the predetermined data receiving buffer is exceeded,
It is possible to continue the data transfer process without interrupting the data transfer from the host computer or redoing it by using the least frequently used receive buffer among the receive buffers set for other host computers. Therefore, it is possible to improve the use efficiency of the reception buffer in the entire system and improve the work efficiency.

[0026]

As described above, according to the present invention, when the capacity of the data transferred from the host computer exceeds the capacity of the data receiving buffer, it is allocated to the data receiving buffer allocated to another host computer. By doing so, it is possible to continuously perform the data transfer processing without interrupting or redoing the data transfer from the host computer until the buffer has a free space, and to expand the storage capacity of the expensive storage medium. It is possible to effectively utilize the hardware resources and efficiently perform the printing process.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a reception data control device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a concept of a file format of data stored in each data reception buffer.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a reception data control unit of the reception data control device according to the present invention.

4A to 4D are diagrams showing an example of a specific reception pattern.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a control procedure of a reception data control unit of the reception data control device according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing another control procedure of the reception data control unit of the reception data control device according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Host computer group, 2 ... Data control device, 3 ... Output device, 11, 12, 13, 14 ...
Host computer, 21, 22, 23, 24, 31
..Reception I / F, 25, 26, 27, 28 ... Data reception buffer, 29 ... Reception data control unit, 32 ...
.Internal processing buffer, 33 ... Image output device, 51.
..CPU, 52 ... ROM, 53 ... RAM, 5
4 ... I / O port, 55 ... DMA

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A reception buffer group for temporarily storing print information received from each host computer, and a reception data control section for controlling and managing the state of each buffer, wherein the reception data control section is from the host computer. When the received data of 1 exceeds the capacity of the receiving buffer by one data, the receiving buffer whose data receiving interval exceeds the predetermined time is selected from the other receiving buffers, and the data is stored in the selected receiving buffer. A data control device characterized in that data reception from a host computer is continued by transmission. 2. A reception buffer group for temporarily storing print information received from each host computer, and a reception data control unit for controlling and managing the state of each buffer, wherein the reception data control unit is a host. When the received data from the computer exceeds the capacity of the receive buffer by one data, select the receive buffer with the largest data reception interval among other receive buffers and transmit the data to the selected receive buffer. The data control device characterized by continuing to receive data from the host computer.