Output method and apparatus

Abstract: Output method and apparatus of a printer are provided. A rule which dominates a describing language of reception data is judged and stored. The reception data is processed in accordance with the rule determined. The data which is received before the elapse of a predetermined time after the reception data was processed is processed in accordance with the rule decided. With respect to the data which is received after the elapse of the predetermined time, a rule which dominates such data is newly discriminated. The content of the description of the reception data is discriminated and the resolution of the printer is changed in accordance with the resolution of the image data indicated by the reception data.

Description: The present invention relates to a method of and apparatus for processing printer data, the data being in a control language or the like from, for example, a host computer or the like. In a conventional printing apparatus, the apparatus is set into an automatic switching allowable state such that when data is received and analyzed and processed, whether data which will be received next relates to which control language is judged and a processing mode can be switched to the process according to the control language. A method and apparatus describing such control language switching is outlined in EP-A-0503902 (citable under Article 54(3) EPC only). In the above conventional apparatus, however, there is a problem such that in the case where a long time interval exists between the data while a series of data is received from a host computer as in the case where an amount of data which is transmitted from the host computer is large or the like, the printing apparatus determines that the data to be received ends, so that the processing mode is returned to the automatic switching mode and the data subsequent to the previously received data is not correctly analyzed but is abnormally outputted. On the other hand, since the switching operation is executed each time the reception of data is stopped, there is a case where a processing time becomes slow. The invention is made in consideration of the above conventional apparatus and it is an object of the invention to provide output method and apparatus in which even when data to be received is stopped, data which is subsequently received can be accurately rapidly processed. The present invention provides a method of processing printer data comprising the steps of: receiving input data; discriminating the control language of the input data on the basis of said input data; processing the input data on the basis of the control language as discriminated by said discriminating step; wherein said processing step is carried out on the basis of the previously discriminated control language for input data newly received within a predetermined time after the previous data. The present invention further provides processing apparatus for a printer, the apparatus comprising: means for receiving input data; means for discriminating the control language of the input data on the basis of said input data; means for processing the input data on the basis of the control language as discriminated by said discriminating means; wherein said processing means carries out processing on the basis of the control language previously discriminated, for input data newly received within a predetermined time after the previous data. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing a fundamental construction according to an embodiment; Fig. 2 is a flowchart showing processings of a conventional program; Fig. 3 is a diagram for explaining a transition of a state in a conventional printer; Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing processes of a program according to the embodiment; Fig. 5 is a diagram for explaining a transition of a state in a printer of the embodiment; Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing processes of a program according to the embodiment; Fig. 7 is a cross sectional view of a laser beam printer; Fig. 8 is a perspective view of an ink jet printer; Fig. 9 is a block constructional diagram of the ink jet printer. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing a construction of a printer system according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the diagram, reference numeral 1 denotes a host computer which generates print information comprising print data and a control code to a printer 2. In the printer 2, reference numeral 21 denotes an input buffer to store reception data; 22 denotes a CPU to control a printing apparatus; 23 denotes an ROM in which programs for a control code discriminating process for discriminating a control language which describes the received data and for, an analyzing process of the control language, and the like have been stored; 24 denotes a page buffer to store the received data every page; 25 denotes a bit map memory to store output image data of one page; 26 denotes a printer engine to output the image data stored in the bit map memory 25 to a recording paper; and 3 denotes a printed output paper (or print sheet). An RAM 221 is used as a work memory or the like of the CPU. A timer 222 is used by the CPU 22. An operation panel 27 is constructed by a keyboard and switches to directly give an instruction to the printer by the operator, a display panel, and the like. Fig. 2 is a flowchart showing a procedure of a conventional output processing program stored in the ROM 23 and will be sequentially explained from step 1. When no data is received, the printing apparatus is set in an automatic switching allowable state. When data is received from the host computer (step S1), the control language which describes the data is determined in accordance with the data content and a special analysing control language is set in an automatic switching allowable state in accordance with the result of the determination (step S2). In this case, the determination of the control language is in response to an identifier of the control language associated with the data or the like. Hereinafter, the control language which describes the data is determined and a state in which the control language which should be analyzed has been determined is called an analysis processing state. After that, control commands are read one by one from the input buffer (step S3). The command is analyzed and processed (steps S4, S5, S6). When no data exists in the input buffer (step S4), the processing routine is returned to the automatic switching allowable state. when the command read out from the input buffer is a command accompanied with a paper delivery process (step S5), output image data is formed in the bit map memory 25 (step S7). A printing process is performed and the processing routine is returned to the automatic switching allowable state (step S8). Fig. 3 shows a state of the status transition according to the conventional method described above. That is, at timing t 31 , it is determined that the data which has been received for the first time from the automatic switching allowable state indicates the control language A, so that the data is processed. At timing t 32 , the reception of the data is stopped (step S4 in Fig. 2), so that the processing routine is returned to the automatic switching allowable state. When the subsequent data is received at timing t 33 , the control language which describes the data is again decided. In this instance, however; it is judged such that the data has been described by the control language B instead of the control language A. Such an example is shown in Fig. 3. Therefore, since the data to be inherently processed as a control language A is processed as a control language B, the output result is quite different from the result which was inherently expected. <Output processing procedure> A processing procedure according to the embodiment will now be described. Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure by a program of the embodiment which is stored in the ROM 23. The processing procedure is executed by the CPU 22. When data is received from the host computer 1 (step S41), a check is made to see if the operating mode is at present set to the automatic switching allowable state or not (step S42). A flag indicative of the automatic switching allowable state or the like has previously been stored in the RAM 221 and such a discrimination is made on the basis of the value of such a flag. If YES in step S42, the rule which dominates the description of the reception data, namely, the data describing language is discriminated, the analyzing procedure suitable to the rule, i.e., describing language is determined, and the analysis processing state is started (step S43). The result is stored into the RAM 221. The data which is received after that is analyzed by the analyzing procedure based on the result which had been determined and was stored. After that, step S44 follows. When the operating mode has already been set into the analysis processing mode, the processing routine skips step S43 and directly advances to step S44. Subsequently, commands are read out one by one from the input buffer (step S44). The end of data is judged (step S45). The presence or absence of a paper delivery processing instruction is checked (step S48). The read command is processed (step S49). When no data exists in the input buffer 21 in step S45, after the end of data, a time to subsequently maintain the analysis processing state is set (step S46). The automatic switching is inhibited (step S47). Such an inhibition can be realized by a method whereby a time is set into the timer 222 and when the time is over, the time-over is informed from the timer to the CPU by an interruption or the like. The time which is set into the timer is not limited to the timing at which no data exists in the input buffer 21 but can be also set to the timing when the reception of data from the host computer 1 is stopped. When the data is received from the host computer in the analysis processing mode, it is regarded that the same data as that of the control language which had been processed just before was received, so that the analyzing process is executed. On the other hand, when the set time elapses, an interruption signal or the like by the timer 222 is used as a trigger and a processing procedure shown in a flowchart of Fig. 6 is executed. The automatic switching state is started. When the command read out from the input buffer is a command accompanied with the paper delivery process in step S48, an outputting process is executed and the data in the bit map memory 25 is formed as a visible image on the recording paper (step S50). The processing routine is returned to the automatic switching allowable state (step S51). The image data is outputted to the print paper (step S52). Fig. 5 shows an example of the method of the embodiment. That is, it is determined that the data which was received for the first time is described by the control language A, and the data is processed. Although the data reception is stopped at timing t 51 , since the procedure of the data has been received at timing t 52 before timing t 53 at which the analysis processing state which was set at that time is maintained, it is regarded that the data is described by the control language A, and the analyzing process is executed. A laser beam system can be also used as an image forming mechanism of the printer according to the embodiment. Fig. 7 is a cross sectional view showing an internal structure of a laser beam printer (hereinafter, abbreviated to an LBP) in this case. The LBP can receive character pattern data or the like and can print the data onto a recording paper. In the diagram, reference numeral 740 denotes an LBP main body to form an image onto a recording paper as a recording medium on the basis of the character pattern or the like which is supplied; 700 an operation panel on which switches for operations, an LBP display, and the like are arranged; and 701 a printer control unit to control the whole LBP 740 and to analyze the character pattern information or the like. The printer control unit 701 mainly converts the character pattern information into the video signal and supplies to a laser driver 702. The laser driver 702 is a circuit to drive a semiconductor laser 703 and on/off switches a laser beam 704 which is emitted from the semiconductor laser 703 in accordance with the inputted video signal. The laser beam 704 is swung to the right and left by a rotary polygon mirror 705 and scans on an electrostatic drum 706. Thus, an electrostatic latent image of the character pattern is formed on the drum 706. The latent image is developed by a developing unit 707 arranged around the drum 706 and is copy transferred to the recording paper after that. Cut sheets are used as recording papers. The cut sheet recording papers are enclosed in a sheet cassette 708 set in the LBP main body 740 and are picked up and conveyed into the apparatus by a paper feed roller 709 and conveying rollers 710 and 711 and fed to the drum 706. As an image forming apparatus of the embodiment, the invention can be also applied to an ink jet printer, which will be explained hereinlater, or the like. <Schematic description of apparatus main body> Fig. 8 is a schematic external view of an ink jet recording apparatus IJRA to which the invention can be applied. In the diagram, a lead screw 5005 is rotated in association with the forward/reverse rotation of a driving motor 5013 through driving force transfer gears 5011 and 5009. A carriage HC has a pin (not shown) which is come into engagement with a spiral groove 5004 of the lead screw 5005. The carriage HC is reciprocated in the directions of arrows a and b. An ink jet cartridge IJC is mounted on the carriage HC. Reference numeral 5002 denotes a paper pressing plate to press the paper onto a platen 5000 in the moving direction of the carriage; and 5007 and 5008 photocouplers serving as home position detecting means for detecting the presence of a lever 5006 of the carriage HC in a region of the photocouplers and for performing the switching of the rotating direction of the motor 5013 or the like. Reference numeral 5016 denotes a member to support a capping member 5022 to cap the front surface of a recording head; and 5015 sucking means for sucking the air in the cap. The sucking means performs a sucking recovery of the recording head through an opening 5023 in the cap. Reference numeral 5017 denotes a cleaning blade and 5019 a member for enabling the cleaning blade to be moved in the front/back direction. The cleaning blade 5017 and the member 5019 are supported to a main body supporting plate 5018. The cleaning blade is not limited to the shape shown in the diagram but a well-known cleaning blade can be also obviously applied. Reference numeral 5021 denotes a lever to start the sucking operation in the sucking recovery. The lever 5021 is moved in association with the movement of a cam 5020 which is come into engagement with the carriage. A driving force from the driving motor is transferred and controlled by well-known transfer means such as clutch switching or the like. A desired one of the processes such as capping, cleaning, and sucking recovery can be executed at the corresponding positions by the operation of the lead screw 5005 when the carriage reach the region of the home position side. The embodiment can be also applied to any apparatus so long as a desired operation is executed at a well-known timing. <Description of Control Construction> A control construction to execute the recording control of the above-mentioned apparatus will now be described with reference to a block diagram shown in Fig. 9. In the diagram showing a control circuit, reference numeral 1700 denotes an interface to input a recording signal; 1701 an MPU; 1702 a program ROM to store control programs which are executed by the MPU 1701; 1703 a dynamic RAM to preserve various kinds of data (the above recording signal, recording data which is supplied to the head, and the like); and 1704 a gate array to control the supply of the recording data to a recording head 1708. The gate array also controls the data transfer among the interface 1700, the MPU 1701, and the RAM 1703. Reference numeral 1710 denotes a carriage motor to convey the recording head 1708; 1709 a conveying motor to convey the recording paper; 1705 a head driver to drive the head; 1706 a motor driver to drive the conveying motor 1709; and 1707 a motor driver to drive the carriage motor 1710. The operation of the above control construction will now be described. When a recording signal is supplied to the interface 1700, the recording signal is converted into the recording data for printing between the gate array 1704 and the MPU 1701. The motor drivers 1706 and 1707 are driven and the recording head is driven in accordance with the recording data sent to the head driver 1705, thereby printing. In case of the embodiment, the apparatus has a plurality of kinds of recording heads 1708 and head drivers 1705 in accordance with a resolution and need to be properly switched. Or, a dot diameter can be also changed by the head driver. The component elements of the invention can be assembled into the control construction of the ink jet printer as mentioned above. The invention is not limited to the laser beam printer but can be also obviously applied to the above ink jet printer or the like. As mentioned above, even in the case where the transmission of data is stopped during the processing operation when an amount of data to be printed is large or the like, the printer side is in a standby mode while expecting the input of the subsequent data for a predetermined period of time. Therefore, the data which is received later can be accurately processed. The processing time can be reduced by eliminating the main switching operation. In the embodiment, the time to maintain the analysis processing state has been preset. However, such a maintaining time can be also set to an arbitrary time by a command from the host computer 1 or by an instruction which is inputted from the operation panel 27 by the operator. When the host computer 1 connected to the printer 2 transmits a series of data, the time at which the signal transmission is stopped during the processing operation may be measured and stored, and the time to maintain the analysis processing state may be automatically set to a proper value on the basis of the stored time. The invention can be applied to a system comprising a plurality of apparatuses or one apparatus. The invention can also be applied to the case where it is accomplished by suitable programming of a system. As described above, the printing method and apparatus according to the invention have the effect such that even when the data to be received is stopped during the processing operation, the data which is subsequently received can be accurately promptly processed.

Claims: A method of processing printer data comprising the steps of: receiving input data; discriminating the control language of the input data on the basis of said input data; processing the input data on the basis of the control language as discriminated by said discriminating step; wherein said processing step is carried out on the basis of the previously discriminated control language for input data newly received within a predetermined time after the previous data. A method according to claim 1 wherein the step of processing the input data includes a step of buffering said input data and said predetermined time starts from the emptying of said buffer. A method according to claim 1 wherein said predetermined time starts from a time when data reception from a host is interrupted. A method according to any preceding claim further comprising the step of measuring the time at which said input data transmission is stopped and wherein said predetermined time is determined on the basis of said measurement. Processing apparatus for a printer, the apparatus comprising: means (21) for receiving input data; means (22) for discriminating the control language of the input data on the basis of said input data; means (22) for processing the input data on the basis of the control language as discriminated by said discriminating means; wherein said processing means carries out processing on the basis of the control language previously discriminated, for input data newly received within a predetermined time after the previous data. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said means (21) for receiving input data includes data buffering means and said predetermined time starts from the emptying of said buffer. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said predetermined time starts from a time when data reception from a host is interrupted. Apparatus according to any of claims 5 to 7 further comprising means (222) for measuring the time at which said input data transmission is stopped, wherein said predetermined time is determined on the basis of said measurement.

Inventors: WATANABE YOKO, WATANABE, YOKO, Watanabe, Yoko, c/o Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Applicants: CANON KK, CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Application year: 1993
Main classification: G06K15
IPC codes: B41J29, G06K15, B41J2