JPS6319954A - plotter control device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To print the pictures of a CAD on a sheet having a designated size requested by a user by using a raster conversion controller Which transmits the picture data regenerated from the vector data in response to the designated sheet size and changes the transmitting direction. CONSTITUTION:The data produced through a CAD graphic terminal 111 are transferred to a large-capacity picture disk 106 via a controller 110, modulation MODEM 109 and 108 and then a communication controller 107 by a command given from the CPU of a host computer 101. When the print instruction of a picture file (vector data) is delivered from the terminal 111, the computer 101 reads a designated picture file out of the disk 106 and sends it to a picture processor 103 via an interface 102. The processor 103 first confirms the designat ed sheet size and feeds the sheet after detecting a cassette mounting said sheet.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Technical Field) The present invention relates to an image processing device that performs raster conversion so that input image data can be printed, and particularly to a plotter control device for a CADX terminal.

(Prior art) Conventional laser printers have a structure in which only one paper cassette/paper feed box can be installed, so only one type of sheet is loaded into the laser printer, and once the size of the sheet is detected, it can be scaled and However, in recent years, sheets of different sizes (in this case A3/A4) are loaded into two laser printers at the same time.
, a laser printer with the function of printing on a sheet of a specified size according to the user's request has been released, so when used as a CAD plotter, it should not extend beyond the sheet size requested by the user or have too much margin. Now I need a controller that scales like this.

(Purpose) The present invention was made based on this background,
An object of the present invention is to provide a plotter control device capable of printing a CAD image on a sheet of a specified size requested by a user.

(Structure) For this purpose, the present invention is provided with a rask conversion controller that changes the feeding direction of image data reproduced from vector data according to a designated sheet size.

The present invention will be explained in detail below.

Fig. 1 is an external view of an image processing device and a laser printer according to the present invention, Fig. 2 is a schematic layout diagram of the laser printer, and Fig. 3 is a general-purpose CAD system incorporating the image processing device and laser printer of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the image processing apparatus of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, 1 is a laser printer, and 2 is an image processing device.

In FIG. 2, 11 is a photosensitive drum, 12 is a cleaner,
13 is a static elimination lamp, 14 is a charging charger, 15 is a slit, 16 is a mirror, 17 is a θ lens, 18 is a polygon mirror, 19 is a gear box, 20 is a motor, 21 is a semiconductor laser, 22 is a laser driver,
23 is a developing device, 24 is a toner box, 25 is a toner adder, 26 is a transport roller, 27 is a paper feed roller,
28 is a paper feed roller, 29 is a paper feed cassette, 30 is a paper feed cassette, 31 is a cassette presser, 32 is a cassette presser, 33 is a transfer charger, 34 is a conveyance belt, 35
36 is a fixing roller, 36 is a delivery roller, and 37 is a paper discharge tray. Since these functions are well known, their explanation will be omitted.

The graphic data generated by the CAD graphic terminal 111 in FIG. be transferred. On the other hand, when an instruction to print the image file is issued from the graphic terminal 111, the host computer 101 prints the large-capacity image disk 1.
The specified image file in 06 is read out and sent to the image processing device 103 through the interface 102. The image file at this time is a group of image data called [vector data], and its format varies depending on the purpose, but the format of image data used in the most common large general-purpose computer is the graphic output device. (For example, graphic display, graphic printer/
handler program, color code (or pen number) to activate the plotter, etc.
It is known that the data group consists of an instruction to specify a line segment AB, an instruction to draw a line segment AB, and an instruction to draw a graphic character. It is known that programs other than the handler program are composed of data groups.

Other than the handler program, the data group consists of a header that identifies the format of the data group, and color information, coordinate data, and character information with bits set for each dot.

The image processing device 103 first performs 611 confirmation of the specified sheet size. This is done by installing a magnetic sensor 302 as shown in FIG. 7 or an optical coupler 304 as shown in FIG. 8 at the position where the paper cassette 30 is inserted into the laser printer 1.
Attach a non-contact type sensor such as the paper feed cassette)
As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, information on the size and direction of the sheet is included at the corresponding position of 30 (it is known that this information can be read by providing an R air marker 301 and an optical marker 303).

-m, it is better in terms of cost and operation (sheet feeding) to make a cassette so that the maximum print sheet size is lengthwise and the smaller size sheets are lengthwise.

Now, the image processing device 103 detects a cassette loaded with a sheet of the specified size, recognizes whether the sheet is fed vertically or horizontally, feeds this sheet, inputs the image data group, and inputs the image data group. , the handler program is sent as is to the output image circuit 207, and the line segment data group is
After extraction using an identification code in the MPU 201 of FIG. 4, scaling is performed to match the specified sheet size and screen size is converted, and linear interpolation calculations are performed. At this time, attributes of line segments such as broken lines and dashed-dotted lines are also reproduced, and the X coordinate of each pixel is stored in the X buffer in the order of reproduction, and in the built-in RAM 202 having the X buffer according to the sheet feeding direction information. , for longitudinal direction feed, store the X coordinate data in the X buffer and the X coordinate data in the X buffer, and for the transverse direction feed, store the X coordinate data in the Then, the MPU 2O5 sorts the data and transfers it to the frame memory 204 corresponding to each pixel of the laser plotter (output device) 105.

On the other hand, a data group with an identification code of graphic character data is based on the screen size and its own magnification code (usually arranged in the order of identification code, X coordinate, y coordinate 1 ratio data, and bit map data group). After calculating the scaling and converting it to x and y coordinate data, it is stored in the X or y buffer according to the sheet feed information in the same way as line segment data, then it is sorted by the MPU 201 and transferred to the frame memory 204. . The image reproduction data thus stored in the frame memory 204 is sent to the output image conversion circuit 207 after processing of all data is processed into image data suitable for the output device IO5 and sent out.

9 to 12 are flowcharts, FIG. 9 is a flowchart of the plotter control device, FIG. 10 is a flowchart of the image processing routine, FIG. 11 is a flowchart of the image conversion subroutine, and FIG. 12 is a classification of sorting. It is a flowchart.

(Effects) The present invention is as described above, and according to the plotter control device according to the present invention, the CAD image print does not extend beyond the sheet of the specified size requested by the user or leaves a large margin. , can be output.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is an external view of the image processing device and laser printer according to the present invention, Fig. 2 is a schematic layout diagram of the same laser printer, and Fig. 3 is a general-purpose CAD system incorporating the image processing device and laser printer of the present invention. System diagram, 4th
The figures are block diagrams of the image processing device of the present invention, FIGS. 5 and 6.
The figures are external views of magnetic sensor type and optical sensor type cassettes, Figures 7 and 8 are external views showing their reading states, Figures 9 to 12 are flowcharts, and Figure 9 is a plotter. 10 is a flowchart of the image processing routine, FIG. 11 is a flowchart of the image conversion subroutine, and FIG. 12 is a flowchart of sorting. 2nd figure η 3rd figure 4th figure nE 5th factor. Figure 7 Figure 8 Figure 9 Figure 10 Figure 11 Figure 12

Claims (1)

[Claims] In order to print the input image data, the image processing device that performs raster conversion reads the paper feed box of the specified sheet size and outputs raster data in the longitudinal direction of the display in the longitudinal direction of the fed sheet. A plotter control device comprising means for controlling a plotter.