Printing apparatus and method for storing various printing parameters

Abstract: In a printing apparatus, an operation panel includes an LED display unit for displaying various kinds of states of the apparatus, an LCD display unit, and a switch unit for setting various kinds of parameters of the apparatus, test printing and the like. By operating the switch unit, a plurality of various kinds of parameter settings, such as the selection of paper cassettes, external interfaces, page description languages and the like, and combinations of the setting set by operating the switch unit can be registered in a setting storage unit using a setting registration switch. An arbitrary one of the plurality of set contents registered in the setting storage unit is called using a setting calling switch, and is displayed on the LED display unit or the LCD display unit. After printing has been started, printing is executed in accordance with the set contents displayed on the display unit.

Description: This invention relates to a printing apparatus which can rapidly execute setting of various kinds of parameters. In a conventional printing apparatus, when setting various kinds of parameters, such as the selection of a paper cassette, an external interface, a page description language and the like, various kinds of set items are selected using operation-panel switches, whereby respective items are set. Hence, for each user, various kinds of items must be set from the beginning. Furthermore, in setting the various kinds of items, while a large number of set items are present, the number of switches is small. Hence, a large number of switching operations are needed, and it takes a long time to master a series of switching operations required for switching various kinds of modes and settings, causing a great burden on the user. EP-A-415861 discloses a printing apparatus which has permanent default settings which can be merged with optional parameters. However this apparatus still requires a larger number of switching operations than is acceptable. The present invention aims to provide a printing apparatus which reduces the burden on the user caused by the above-described setting of various kinds of contents, parameters or items. According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printing apparatus comprising set-up means for setting up various set contents relating to print parameters, receiving means for receiving a group of set contents for said printing apparatus as set by an external apparatus, storage means for storing at least one of the groups of set contents received by said receiving means and the set contents set by said set-up means, reading means for reading desired set contents from said storage means, and control means for controlling said printing apparatus according to the set contents read hy said reading means to enable priority to be given to the group of set contents set by the external apparatus, characterised in that the set contents set by the set-up means comprise a plurality of parameters grouped in specific combinations, the desired combination being selectable as a whole, the plurality of parameters including selection of paper cassettes and pitch and print size of font. The various kinds of set contents may further include page description language, and the kind of a font. According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a printing method comprising the steps of setting up various set contents relating to print parameters, receiving a group of set contents for a printing apparatus as set by an external apparatus, storing at least one of the received groups of set contents and the set-up set contents, reading the desired set contents from a storage means, and controlling the printing apparatus according to the read set contents to enable priority to be given to the group of set contents set by the external apparatus, characterised in that the set up set contents comprise a plurality of parameters grouped in specific combinations, the desired combination being selected as a whole, the plurality of parameters including selection of paper cassettes and pitch and print size of font. The various kinds of set contents may further include page description language, and the kind, of a font. Accordingly, in the printing apparatus of the present invention, the reading means reads assigned desired set contents from the storage means for storing a plurality of various kinds of set contents which may include interface information of the printing apparatus, and control means controls the printing apparatus according to the set contents read by the reading means. In the printing apparatus of the present invention, the reading means reads the corresponding set contents according to assigned identifying information from the storage means for storing a plurality of various kinds of set contents which may include interface information of the printing apparatus and identifying information corresponding to the set contents. In the printing method of the present invention, in the reading step, assigned desired set contents are read from a plurality of various kinds of set contents which may include interface information of the printing apparatus which have previously been stored, and in the control step, the printing apparatus is controlled according to the set contents read in the reading step. In the printing method of the present invention, in the reading step, the corresponding set contents are read from a plurality of various kinds of set contents which may include interface information of the printing apparatus and indentifying information corresponding to the set contents which have previously been stored according to assigned identifying information, and in the control step, the printing apparatus is controlled according to the set contents read in the reading step. As described above, according to the present invention, by registering set contents which are frequently used, such as the kinds of paper cassettes, external interfaces and page description languages, the kinds, pitches and point sizes of fonts, and the like, in a setting storage unit, a large number of switching operations required in setting various kinds of parameters of a printing apparatus become unnecessary. As a result, the burden on the user caused by a complicated setting method is reduced, and anybody can easily set and call set contents of the printing apparatus. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a first printing apparatus to which the present invention can be applied; FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an external appearance showing the configuration of a second printing apparatus to which the present invention can be applied; FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a printing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a control program used in the first embodiment; FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a printing apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a control program used in the second embodiment; FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a printing apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention; and FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a control program used in the first, second and third embodiments. Before explaining the configuration of the present invention, an explanation will be provided of the configuration of a laser-beam printer and an ink-jet printer, to which the present invention is suitably applied, with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. The printer to which the present invention is applied is not limited to the laser-beam printer or the ink-jet printer, but any other type of printer may, of course, be used. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a first printing apparatus to which the present invention can be applied, for example, a laser-beam printer (hereinafter abbreviated as an LBP). In FIG. 1, a main body 1500 of the LBP receives and stores printing information (character codes and the like), form information, macro commands and the like supplied from an external apparatus, such as a host computer or the like connected to the main body 1500, forms corresponding character patterns, form patterns and the like in accordance with the received information, and forms an image on recording paper, serving as a recording medium. An operation panel 1501 is provided with switches for operations, an LED (light-emitting diode) display unit and the like. A printer control unit 1000 controls the entirety of the main body 1500, and analyzes character information and the like supplied from the external apparatus. The printer control unit 1000 mainly converts character information into video signals representing the corresponding character patterns, and outputs the video signals to a laser driver 1502. The laser driver 1502 includes circuitry for driving a semiconductor laser 1503, and performs on-off switching of laser light 1504 emitted from the semiconductor laser 1503 in accordance with the input video signals. The laser light 1504 is deflected in rightward and leftward directions by a rotating polygon mirror 1505 so as to scan and expose the surface of an electrostatic drum 1506. An electrostatic latent image corresponding to the character patterns is thereby formed on the electrostatic drum 1506. The electrostatic latent image is developed by a developing unit 1507 disposed around the electrostatic drum 1506, and the developed image is transferred onto recording paper. Cut sheets are used as the recording paper. The cut-sheet recording paper is accommodated within a paper cassette 1508 mounted on the main body 1500. A sheet of the recording paper is fed within the apparatus by a paper feeding roller 1509, a conveying roller 1510 and conveying rollers 1511, and is supplied to the electrostatic drum 1506. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an external appearance of a second printing apparatus to which the present invention can be applied, for example, an ink-jet printing apparatus (an IJRA). In FIG. 2, a carriage HC engaging a screwed groove 5005 of a lead screw 5004 rotating via driving-force transmission gears 5011 and 5009 meshed for movement with the normal/reverse rotation of a driving motor 5013 includes a pin (not shown), and is reciprocated in the directions of arrows "a" and "b". An ink-jet cartridge IJC is mounted on the carriage HC. A paper-pressing plate 5002 presses paper against a platen 5000 over the moving direction of the carriage HC. Photocouplers 5007 and 5008 function as homeposition detection means for, for example, confirming the presence of a lever 5006 of the carriage HC in the region where the photocouplers 5007 and 5008 are present, and performing switching of the direction of the rotation of the motor 5013. A member 5016 supports a cap member 5022 for capping the entire surface of a recording head IJH. A suction pump 5015 sucks the inside of the cap member 5022, and performs a recovering operation of the recording head by suction via an opening 5023 of the cap member 5022. A cleaning blade 5017 is movable in back-and-forth directions by means of a member 5019. A supporting plate 5018 supports the cleaning blade 5017 and the member 5019. A lever 5021 is used to start suction for recovery, and moves in accordance with the movement of a cam 5020 engaging the carriage HC. The driving force of the driving motor 5013 is transmitted by a known transmission means, such as a clutch or the like. As for the above-described capping, cleaning, and recovery by suction, the apparatus is configured so that desired processing is performed at the corresponding position by the operation of the lead screw 5004 when the carriage HC reaches the home-position-side region. Any configuration may be adopted provided that a desired operation can be performed at a well-known timing. Setting of various kinds of parameters of the second printing apparatus shown in FIG. 2 are performed via an operation panel (not shown) in which switches for operations, an LED display and the like are disposed. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a printing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Although an explanation will be provided illustrating the laser-beam printer shown in FIG. 1, the ink-jet printer shown in FIG. 2 or any other type of printing apparatus may also be used. In FIG. 3, an input/output control unit 1 receives document information, image data, commands to call various kinds of settings registered in the apparatus, and the like input from an external apparatus 8, such as a host computer or the like, or outputs setting information of the apparatus, and the like to the external apparatus 8. Image data and the like input from the external apparatus 8 via the input/output control unit 1 are stored in a page memory 2 having a capacity for at least one page. The data to be stored in the page memory 2 comprise image information, document information, control codes for assigning emphasis of characters, and the like. A character-generator unit 3 inputs character-code information when the document information stored in the page memory 2 comprises the character-code information, and outputs the corresponding pattern data to a main control unit 4. A bit-map memory 9 develops bit data and the like patterned by the character-generator unit 3. The main control unit 4 controls the entirety of the printing apparatus, and includes, for example, a CPU (central processing unit ) 4-3, such as a microprocessor or the like, a ROM (read-only memory) 4-1 for storing various kinds of data, such as control programs (flowcharts shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, and the like), and a RAM (random access memory) 4-2 used as a work area, and the like. A scanning buffer 5 includes buffers 5-1 and 5-2 for storing image data used for one-line scanning of a laser beam. The reason why the two buffers are provided is that even if one of them outputs data to a printer-engine unit 7 via a serializer 6, the other buffer can store data for the next line. When one buffer has completed the output of data for one line, the other buffer starts to output data, and data for the next line are transferred to the buffer which has just completed the output of the data. Thereafter, processing is alternately switched to the respective buffers. Thus, high-speed processing is performed. An operation panel 1501 includes a reading device comprising an LED (light-emitting diode) display unit 11-1 and an LCD (liquid-crystal display) display unit 11-2, and a switch unit 11-3 for setting various kinds of parameters of the printing apparatus, test printing and the like. Various kinds of parameter settings, such as a plurality of the kinds of paper cassettes, external interfaces, page description languages, the kinds, pitches, and point sizes of fonts, and the like, or combinations of the settings set by operating the switch unit 11-3 can be registered in a storage device or a setting storage unit 10. The registration and calling or retrieving of a combination of various kinds of settings can be performed by a setting registration switch 11-4 and a setting calling switch 11-5, respectively. The operation of the present embodiment will now be explained in detail with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 4. Various kinds of parameter settings set by operating the operation switch unit 11-3 are displayed on the LED display unit 11-1 or the LCD display unit 11-2. If the setting registration switch 11-4 is depressed when the setting operation has been completed (step S2), the contents of the setting are written and registered in a memory device provided within the setting storage unit 10 (step S3). By repeating the above-described operation, it is possible to register a plurality of set contents in the setting registration unit 10. On the other hand, if the setting calling switch 11-5 is depressed (step S4), the CPU 4-3 within the main control unit 4 reads one of the set contents registered in the setting storage unit 10, and switches the setting of the main body of the apparatus (step S5), and displays the read set contents on the LED display unit 11-1 or the LCD display unit 11-2 (step S6). If the setting calling switch 11-5 is depressed again, the setting is switched to another registered setting. Thus, the desired set contents can be selected. A nonvolatile memory, such as a flash memory, an EEPROM (electrically erasable/programmable read-only memory), an NVRAM (nonvolatile random access memory) or the like, an SRAM (static random access memory) backed up by a battery, or the like, is used as the memory device within the setting storage unit 10 so that the memory's contents are not lost even if the power supply of the main body of the apparatus is turned off. Alternatively, when the power supply of the main body of the apparatus is turned off, the contents set immediately before the turning-off may be written in the memory device within the setting storage unit 10 in accordance with a program stored within the ROM 4-1. When the power supply is turned on again, the CPU 4-3 may read the settings stored in the setting storage unit 10 immediately before the power supply has been turned off stored in the setting storage unit 10, whereby the setting of the main body of the apparatus is performed. When printing data have been actually transmitted while the connection between the printing apparatus and the external apparatus 8 is in an on-line state, a printing operation is performed in accordance with the set contents displayed on the LCD unit 11-2 at that time (step S8). Although in the above-described first embodiment, the registration and calling of various kinds of setting or combinations of the setting are executed by operating the setting registration switch 11-4 and the setting calling switch 11-5 provided on the switch unit 11-3, respectively, the present invention is not limited to such an operation. It is limited to the appended claims. For example, the registration or calling of various kinds of setting or combinations of the setting may be executed by a command from the external apparatus 8. In such a case, priority may be given to a command from the external apparatus 8 in accordance with the flowchart shown in FIG. 8. An explanation will be provided of such an operation with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 8. If a command to call other set contents has been received from the external apparatus 8 in step S81, the setting is switched to the other set contents in accordance with the received command in step S83, and the contents are displayed on the display unit in step S84. This flowchart is inserted after step S6 of the flowchart shown in FIG. 4, or step S67 of the flowchart shown in FIG. 6 (to be described later), and the process returns to step S1 or step S61 shown in FIG. 6 (to be described later). As explained above, according to the first embodiment, by registering setting conditions which are frequently used in the setting registration unit 10, a large number of key operations required when various kinds of setting of the printing apparatus are performed becomes unnecessary, whereby a burden on the user caused by a complicated setting method is reduced, and everybody can easily perform setting of the printing apparatus. Although in the present embodiment, an explanation has been provided illustrating the laser-beam printer shown in FIG. 1, the application of the present invention is not limited to such a printer. In addition, the present invention may, of course, be applied to a case in which the aim of the invention is achieved by supplying a system or an apparatus with a program. Next, an explanation will be provided of a second embodiment of the present invention with reference to FIG. 5. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a printing apparatus which can arbitrarily set the functions of operation-panel switches. Since components other than a switch unit 11-6 and programmable switches 12 are the same as those shown in FIG. 3, an explanation thereof will be omitted. Settings of various kinds of parameters, such as the selection of a paper cassette, an external interface, a page description language and the like, or combinations of the settings set by operating the switch unit 11-6 or by the external apparatus 8 are registered in the setting storage unit 10 using a setting registration switch 11-7. At that time, by setting to which programmable switch 12 each setting corresponds, the user can arbitrarily determine the correspondence between each of the registered contents and each of the programmable switches. The set contents registered in the setting storage unit 10 can be called by operating the programmable switch 12 corresponding to each of the contents. The operation of the second embodiment will now be explained in detail with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 6. Various kinds of setting information set by operating the operation-switch unit 11-6 are dislayed on the LED display unit 11-1 or the LCD display unit 11-2. When the setting has been completed, the setting registration switch 11-7 is depressed (step S62). By depressing any of the programmable switches 12, the set contents registered in step S62 can correspond to the depressed programmable switch 12 (step S63). In step S64, the set contents are written and registered in the memory device within the setting storage unit 10 together with identifying information of the corresponding programmable switch. By repeating the above-described operation, a plurality of set contents can be registered in the setting storage unit 10. If it is determined that the setting registration switch 11-7 has not been depressed in step S62, it is determined whether or not any of the programmable switches 12 have been depressed (step S65). If the result of the determination is affirmative, the CPU 4-3 within the main control unit 4 reads the set contents corresponding to identifying information of the depressed programmable switch (step S66) and switches the setting of the main body of the apparatus, and displays the read set contents on the LED display unit 11-1 or the LCD display unit 11-2 (step S67). As described above, by depressing any of the programmable switches 12, the setting is switched to another registered setting, whereby the desired set contents can be selected. A nonvolatile memory, such as a flash memory, an EEPROM (electrically erasable/programmable read-only memory), an NVRAM (nonvolatile random access memory) or the like, an SRAM (static random access memory) backed up by a battery, or the like, is used as the memory device within the setting storage unit 10 so that the memory's contents are not lost even if the power supply of the main body of the apparatus is turned off. Alternatively, when the power supply of the main body of the apparatus is turned off, the contents set immediately before the turning-off may be written in the memory device within the setting storage unit 10 in accordance with a program stored within the ROM 4-1. When the power supply is turned on again, the CPU 4-3 may read the settings stored in the setting storage unit 10 immediately before the power supply has been turned off, whereby the setting of the main body of the apparatus is performed. When printing data have been actually transmitted while the connection between the printing apparatus and the external apparatus 8 is in an on-line state, a printing operation is performed in accordance with the set contents displayed on the LCD unit 11-2 at that time (step S69). Although in the above-described second embodiment, the registration and calling of various kinds of setting or combinations of the setting are executed by operating the setting registration switch 11-7 and the programmable switches 12 provided on the switch unit 11-6, respectively, the present invention is not limited to such an operation. It is limited to the appended claims. For example, the registration or calling of various kinds of setting or combinations of the setting may be executed by a command from the external apparatus 8. In such a case, priority may be given to a command from the external apparatus 8 in accordance with the flowchart shown in FIG. 8. An explanation will be provided of such an operation with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 8. If a command to call other set contents has been received from the external apparatus 8 in step S81, the setting is switched to the other set contents in accordance with the received command in step S83, and the contents are displayed on the display unit in step S84. This flowchart is inserted after step S67 of the flowchart shown in FIG. 6, and the process returns to step S61 shown in FIG. 6. As explained above, according to the second embodiment, by registering setting conditions which are frequently used in the setting registration unit 10, a large number of key operations required when various kinds of settings of the printing apparatus are performed becomes unnecessary, whereby a burden on the user caused by a complicated setting method is reduced, and everybody can easily perform setting of the printing apparatus. In addition, when performing various kinds of settings for the printing apparatus, by registering the set contents in the setting storage unit 10 so that each of the set contents corresponds to one of the programmable switches 12, a burden on the user caused by a complicated setting method is reduced, and everybody can easily set and call set contents of the printing apparatus. Although in the present embodiment, an explanation has been provided illustrating the laser-beam printer shown in FIG. 1, the application of the present invention is not limited to such a printer. In addition, the present invention may, of course, be applied to a case in which the object of the invention is achieved by supplying a system or an apparatus with a program. An LCD display unit 11-2 shown in FIG. 5 may be individually provided for each of the programmable switches 12, as in the block diagram showing the configuration of a printing apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 7, so that when the user switches the setting of the printing apparatus, the set contents registered in each of the programmable switches 12 can be always confirmed on each of the LCD display units 11-2. The operation of the third embodiment is performed in accordance with the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 6 and 8 in a manner similar to that of the second embodiment. The individual components shown in outline and designated by blocks in the drawings are all well-known in the image recording arts and their specific instruction and operation are not critical to the operation or best mode of carrying out the invention. While the present invention has been described with respect to what is currently considered to be the preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. To the contrary, the invention is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the scope of the appended claims. The scope of the following claims is to be accorded to the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures and functions.

Claims: A printing apparatus comprising set-up means (11.3, 11.6) for setting up various set contents relating to print parameters, receiving means (1) for receiving a group of set contents for said printing apparatus as set by an external apparatus (8), storage means (10) for storing at least one of the groups of set contents received by said receiving means and the set contents set by said set-up means, reading means (4.3) for reading desired set contents from said storage means, and control means (4) for controlling said printing apparatus according to the set contents read by said reading means to enable priority to be given to the group of set contents set by the external apparatus, characterised in that the set contents set by the set-up means (11.3, 11.6) comprise a plurality of parameters grouped in specific combinations, the desired combination being selectable as a whole, the plurality of parameters including selection of paper cassettes and pitch and print size of font. A printing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the plurality of parameters further includes external interfaces. A printing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the plurality of parameters further includes page description language. A printing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the plurality of parameters further includes the kind of font. A printing method comprising the steps of setting up various set contents relating to print parameters, receiving a group of set contents for a printing apparatus as set by an external apparatus, storing at least one of the received groups of set contents and the set-up set contents, reading the desired set contents from a storage means, and controlling the printing apparatus according to the read set contents to enable priority to be given to the group of set contents set by the external apparatus, characterised in that the set up set contents comprise a plurality of parameters grouped in specific combinations, the desired combination being selected as a whole, the plurality of parameters including selection of paper cassettes and pitch and print size of font. A printing method as claimed in claim 5 wherein the plurality of parameters further includes external interfaces. A printing method as claimed in claim 5 wherein the plurality of parameters further includes page description language. A printing method as claimed in claim 5 wherein the plurality of parameters further includes the kind of font.

Inventors: IDE HIROYASU, IDE, HIROYASU, Ide, Hiroyasu, c/o Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Applicants: CANON KK, CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Application year: 1992
Main classification: G06K15
IPC codes: G06K15