JPS636629A - Printer device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To increase the added value by adding the external storage and communication functions for picture data to a printer device. CONSTITUTION:A data buffer 2, a character pattern memory circuit 3, a picture memory 4 and a picture output control part 5 are connected to a processing control part 1 connected to a host computer. The output of the memory 4 is connected to a recording part 6 via the part 5. Then a communication control part 7, a picture input/output control part 8 and a file device 9 are connected to the part 1, etc. Thus the data received from the host computer are turned into the picture data equivalent to a single page by the memory 4 and printed by a printer function. In addition, the picture data can be sent directly to a communication circuit and the picture is also produced directly from the communication circuit and printed. Then the picture data can be temporarily stored in the external device 9 as necessary.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a printer device used as an output device of an information processing system. In particular, the present invention relates to a printer device having image data storage and communication functions.

〔overview〕

The present invention provides a printer device used as an output device of an information processing system, which includes an image memory for generating and storing one page of image data, a communication system connected to a communication line, and a file for storing image data. By equipping the printer with an image input/output control unit that controls data transfer between two devices, a communication function is added to the printer, and in addition to printing image data, it can also directly send and receive the image data. It has been made possible to do so.

[Conventional technology]

Conventional printer devices, particularly electrophotographic printer devices such as laser printer devices, are comprised of a buffer for temporarily storing received data, a character pattern storage memory, an image memory, a processing control section, an image output control section, and a recording section. . Such a printer device generates one page of image data according to data received from a host device, and prints it on paper.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a printer device that can add external image data storage and communication functions to a conventional printer device, increase added value, and strike a balance between functionality and cost.

[Means for solving problems]

The present invention includes an image memory that generates and stores one page of image data from data received from a host device, a recording unit that prints this image data on paper, and sequentially reads out the contents of the image memory and sends it to the recording unit. A printer device that is connected to a communication line and is equipped with an image output control section that controls the image output control section, and a processing control section that is connected to the above-mentioned host device and controls each of the above-mentioned sections. a communication control unit that stores the image data or the data received from the communication line in an exchangeable medium; and a communication control unit that stores the image data or data received from the communication line in an exchangeable medium; and an image input/output control section that controls data transfer between the two communication control sections.

[For production]

In the present invention, data received from a host device is stored in an image memory.
In addition to the conventional printer function of generating and printing image data for a page, it is also possible to send the image data directly to a communication line. Further, data received from a communication line can be directly generated into image data and printed.

Furthermore, depending on the state of the communication line at the time of transmission or the state of the image memory at the time of reception, -time image data or received data is stored in an external file. Thereafter, when transmission or printing becomes possible, the data can be read from an external file and sent or printed.

〔Example〕

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

The figure is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention.

In the figure, a data buffer 2, a character pattern storage circuit 3, an image memory 4, and an image output control section 5 are connected to a processing control section 1 connected to a host computer (not shown). The output of the image memory 4 is connected to the recording section 6 via the image output control section 5.

The present invention is characterized by a configuration including a communication control section 7, an image output control section 8, and a file device 9, which are surrounded by a dashed line. That is, the processing control section 1 is connected to the communication control section 7 which is connected to a communication line (not shown). The image input/output control section 8 is connected to the processing control section 1, the image memory 4, the communication control section 7, and the file device 9.

First, the data output operation from the host computer will be explained.

Data from the host computer is sent to the processing control section 1 and stored in the data buffer 2 by the processing control section 1. The print data stored in the data buffer 2 is sequentially read out via the processing control section 1, and the character pattern corresponding to the print data is read out from the character pattern storage circuit 3 and written to a predetermined address in the image memory 4. This action is 1
The image data of one page is repeatedly stored in the image memory 4.
Form on top. The processing control section 1 issues an output instruction to the image output control section 5 to start image output. The image output control section 5 sequentially reads image data from the image memory 4 and sends it to the recording section 6. The recording unit 6 prints on paper based on this image data.

Next, the operation of sending data from the host computer to the communication line will be explained.

The process until image data is generated in the image memory 4 is the same as the output operation. After the image data is generated, the processing control section 1 issues a transmission request to the communication control section 7. Thereby, the communication control unit 7 performs connection processing with the destination, and if transmission is possible, sequentially reads image data from the image memory 4 via the image input/output control unit 8, performs necessary encoding, and then transmits it.

If transmission is not possible, the communication control unit 7 instructs the image input/output control unit 8 to output to the file device 9, and notifies the processing control unit 1 of the data as transmission-waiting data for registration.

The processing control section 1 checks the status of the communication control section 7, and instructs the communication control section 7 to perform a transmission process if the communication control section 7 is not communicating with another station.

Next, the output operation of data received from the communication line will be explained.

Data from the communication line is received by the communication control unit 7. When receiving a connection request from another station, first an output request is issued to the processing control unit 1. If the output right is granted, the image input/output control unit 8 decrypts the received data.
Image data is generated and stored in the image memory 4 via. The communication control unit 7 decodes the received data and stores the image data in the image memory 4 until the end of one page is detected.
When the end of the page is detected, the processing control unit 1 is notified of the end of reception. Next, the image output control section 5 is activated by the processing control section 1, and a hard copy of the received data is output from the recording section 6.

If the right to output is not obtained, the received data is recorded in the file device 9, and is notified to and registered in the processing control unit 1 as data waiting to be output. The processing control section 1 manages data waiting to be output, and when the image memory 4 becomes empty, it operates the image input/output control section 8 to read image data into the image memory 4. Thereafter, the image output control section 5 is operated to output a hard copy from the recording section 6.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, the present invention is capable of output printing of received data from a host computer, which is a host device, and output printing of received data from a communication line. Furthermore, when data is received from the host device and the communication line at the same time, the negative one can be output and the other can be output after being temporarily stored in the file device. Therefore, there is an effect that it is not necessary to restrict the data transmitting side due to insufficient performance of the recording section.

Furthermore, since high-quality image data generated from data received from the host computer can be sent directly to a communication line, it can be sent without deteriorating image quality.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The figure is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention. 1... Processing fee? 2 [1 copy, 2... data buffer,
3...Character pattern storage circuit, 4...Image memory,
5...Image output side? '! 11th part, 6...recording part, 7
...Communication control unit, 8...Image input/output control unit, 9...
・File device.

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) an image memory (4) that generates and stores one page of image data from data received from a host device; a recording unit (6) that prints this image data on paper; and sequentially reads out the contents of the image memory; A printer device comprising an image output control section (5) for sending out data to the recording section, and a processing control section (1) connected to the above-mentioned host device and controlling each of the above-mentioned sections, which is connected to a communication line and connected to another station. a communication control unit (7) that performs communication with and encodes and decodes data; a file device (9) that stores the image data or data received from the communication line in an exchangeable medium; and a file device (9) that performs the processing control. or the communication control section mentioned above,
A printer device comprising: an image input/output control unit (8) that controls data transfer between the image memory, the file device, and the communication control unit.