JPS6319277A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a printing apparatus that manually prints print information from a data source such as a host computer.

[Prior Art] A printing device that receives print information sent from a data source such as a host computer and prints it, prints in various character fonts and uses various commands as shown in Figure 2. Some devices are equipped with removable ROM cartridges 200 to 203 to accommodate system data, and have built-in character fonts and various control programs.

However, in such printing devices, the ROM cartridge must be replaced with the printing device's power turned off.For example, when replacing the ROM cartridge and changing the character font, the printing device must be If the power is turned off, all print data in the memory will be erased, and furthermore, when printing, if the ROM cartridge that stores pattern information is replaced, the printing will be distorted and unnecessary characters will be printed. Ta.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional example, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a printing device in which the ROM cartridge can be replaced without turning off the power.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a printing apparatus that can prevent unnecessary printing even when pattern information of a ROM cartridge is printed.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above object, the printing apparatus of the present invention has the following configuration.

That is, it is a printing device that receives print information from a data source and performs printing, and includes storage means for storing a first control program and a second control program or character/symbol pattern information. a removable storage means, a control section that performs control according to the first or second control program, and a printing means that performs printing based on pattern information;
a detection means for detecting attachment/detachment of the storage means; a transition means for visiting the detection means and transferring control to a first control program; and a signal connection for electrically connecting the storage means and the control section. and a prohibition means for inhibiting output of the pattern information to the printing means in response to the detection means during printing.

[Operation] In the above configuration, when the storage means is attached or removed during printing, the output of pattern information to the printing means is prohibited and blank printing is performed.

[Embodiments] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[Description of Configuration of Printer (FIG. 1)] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a printer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a control unit that controls the entire printer, and includes, for example, a CPU such as a microprocessor. 2 is a letter.
Font ROM that stores font information such as symbols,
3 is a program ROM containing a control program for the CPU of the control unit 1 and various data. 4 includes a page buffer 4-1 for storing text information, a pattern data storage section 4-2 for storing pattern data, and a CPU.
This is the main memory used as a work area.

Detachable cartridge ROMs 6 to 9 correspond to cartridge ROMs 200 to 203 in FIG. 2, and store character font information and program information. 5 is R
This is a cartridge interface unit that interfaces the OM cartridges 6 to 9 and the system bus 17.

Reference numeral 11 denotes an operation panel for setting the printer on-line or offline, specifying the print line pitch, etc. Reference numeral 12 denotes a double buffer type scan buffer, which stores dot pattern data as print information, reads out the pattern data by a readout control section 13, and outputs serial print data to the printing mechanism section 15 via a parallel-to-serial conversion circuit 14. do. 16 is a host interface that receives data from an external data source such as a host computer. 2
1 is a detection signal for detecting that the lid covering the cartridges is opened when replacing the ROM cartridges 6 to 9.

The operation of the printer of this embodiment having the above configuration will be described below.

When the control unit 1 completes an internal self-test etc. when the power is turned on, it refers to the contents of the ROM cartridges 6 to 9, and if the ROM
If program information is to be stored in the M cartridge, subsequent operations are performed according to the program in the cartridge. By storing a program in a replaceable cartridge, this system can be used with data sources such as host computers that have various command systems. If no program information is stored, the program in the program ROM 3 is executed.

Next, to explain the printing operation, document information consisting of commands, character codes, etc. sent from a data source such as a host computer is sent to the host interface unit 16.
The data is stored in the page buffer 4-1 of the main memory 4 by the control unit 1 via the system bus 17.

The document information stored in the page buffer 4-1 is transferred to the font ROM2 or ROM according to the command in the document information.
By referring to the font data of the cartridges 6 to 9, it is converted into dot pattern data, stored in the dot pattern storage section 4-2 of the main memory 4, and transferred to the scan buffer 12 by the control section 1.

The scan buffer 12 has a so-called double buffer format, and each buffer has a capacity to store several lines of dot pattern data in the horizontal scanning direction. When the dot pattern data for printing is stored in the scan buffer 12, the control section 1 outputs a print start command 18 to the printing mechanism section 15, and also issues a read start command 19 for the scan buffer 12 to the readout control section 13. The read control section 13 reads out the scan buffer 12, converts it into serial dot pattern information 20 by the parallel-to-serial conversion circuit 14, and sends the dot pattern data to the printing mechanism section 15 to perform printing.

The scan buffer 12 is a double buffer, so while one side is being read out by the readout control unit 13, the control unit 1 is writing dot pattern data from the dot pattern storage unit 4-2 in the main memory 4 into the other side. This makes it possible to print dot patterns at high speed. When printing for one page is completed, the control section 1 turns off the reading comparison start command 19 and also turns off the printer start command 18.

[Description of Cartridge Replacement Detection (FIGS. 3A and 3B)] FIGS. 3A and 3B are diagrams for explaining the cartridge replacement detection mechanism of this embodiment.

FIG. 3(A) is a diagram showing a state in which the lid 30 is closed;
1 is a switch such as a microswitch that detects opening/closing of 130, and 32 is a ROM cartridge. In this state, the switch 31 is pressed down by the 3i30, so it is in the on state.

FIG. 3 CB) shows a state in which the M2O is opened in the direction of the arrow in order to replace the ROM cartridge 32. At this time, the switch 31 is turned off, and the detection signal 21 is transmitted to the control unit 1.
is output to.

[Explanation of operation of control unit (Figure 4) Figure 4 shows program ROM 3 or cartridge 6~
9 is a schematic flowchart of a control program for the printer according to the present embodiment, which is stored in either of the printers.

This program starts when the power is turned on or reset is input to the printer, and first the program ROM is
3 built-in control programs are executed. After starting the program, first an internal self-test and various initializations are executed, and then in step S1 it is checked whether the detection signal 21 is on, that is, whether M2O is open. When the M2O is opened, the process proceeds to step S5, but when it is closed, the process proceeds to step S2 and the cartridge interface section 5 is enabled. In step s3, the ROM cartridges 6 to 6 are connected via the cartridge interface section 5.
Check the contents of 9. When the control program is stored in the ROM cartridges 6 to 9, the process advances to step S4, and control is given to the program in the cartridge. On the other hand, R
If the OM cartridge does not contain a control program, the process advances to step S5, and the control program in the program ROM 3 is executed. Therefore, steps 36 to Sit are executed by the control program of either the program ROM 3 or the ROM cartridges 6 to 9.

In step S6, it is checked whether the detection signal 21 from the switch 31 is turned on. If the detection signal 21 is not on, the process proceeds to step s7, where data is received from the host computer, and it is checked in step S8 whether printing has started. If printing has not started, the process returns to step S6, but when printing has started, the process proceeds to step S9, in which a print start command 18 is output to the printing mechanism section 15 to start the printing operation, and the document information is developed into a dot pattern. Perform printing operation.

When the detection signal 21 turns on in step S6, step S
Proceed to step 10 to check whether the ROM cartridge control program is being executed. When the program in the ROM cartridge is being executed, the process advances to step Sll, and six lines of control are executed in the control program in the program ROM3. In step 312, the cartridge interface section 5 is connected to the signal 1.
Disable R by setting o to “H”
The OM cartridges 6 to 9 are disconnected from the system bus, and the power to the ROM cartridges 6 to 9 is cut off. This allows you to store the ROM cartridge 6 without turning off the power.
-9 can be removed.

In step S13, it is checked whether printing is in progress, and if printing is in progress, the process advances to step S14, where reading of the scan buffer 12 is prohibited and blank data is output to the printing mechanism section 15. At step S15, the printing operation waits for the end of the printing operation, and when the printing operation ends, the process returns to step S1 and the above-described operations are executed.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the cartridge can be replaced without turning off the power even while the printing apparatus is operating.

Furthermore, even if the cartridge is replaced during printing, there is no problem such as stopping printing midway or jamming of paper due to stopping printing, and furthermore, there is an effect that unnecessary characters etc. are not printed.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, there is an effect that the cartridge can be replaced without turning off the power.

Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to prevent disturbances in printing caused by replacing the ROM cartridge during printing.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a block diagram of the printer of this embodiment, and Fig. 2 is a block diagram of the printer of this embodiment.
An external view of a printing device in which the OM cartridge can be replaced from the outside. Figures 3 (A) and (B) are diagrams for explaining the cartridge difference LA replacement detection mechanism of this embodiment. Figure 4 is a diagram of the printer of this embodiment. 3 is an operation flowchart of the control section of FIG. In the figure, 1... control unit, 2... font ROM 13.
...Program ROM, 4...Main memory, 4-1
...Page buffer, 4-2...Pattern data storage section, 5...Cartridge interface section, 6-9
...ROM cartridge, 11...Operation panel, 1
2... Scan buffer, 13... Read control unit,
14... Parallel-to-serial conversion circuit, 15... Printing mechanism section, 16
... host interface section, 17 ... system bus, 21 ... detection signal, 30 ... lid, 31 ... switch. Patent applicant: Canon Co., Ltd. 1', Muny, :J Figure 2

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) A printing device that receives print information from a data source and performs printing, which includes storage means for storing a first control program and a second control program or character/symbol pattern information. a control unit that performs control according to the first or second control program; and a printing device that performs printing based on pattern information;
a detection means for detecting attachment/detachment of the storage means; a transition means for shifting control to a first control program in response to the detection means; and a signal connection means for electrically connecting the storage means and the control section. and a prohibition means for inhibiting output of the pattern information to the printing means in response to the detection means during printing. (2) When the detection means detects attachment and detachment of the storage means, the first control program deactivates the signal connection means and separates the storage means. Printing device as described. (3) The printing device according to claim 1, wherein the storage means is a ROM cartridge.