JP2621971B2 - Printing control device - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a print control device, and more particularly, to a print control device for printing input print data on a print medium.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is a printing apparatus called a page printer which analyzes print information output from a host computer or the like in units of pages and performs printing.

The printing apparatus is configured to print, with high definition, print information in which characters and images created by image editing by the recent DT-publishing are integrated.

As for the text data, character patterns having different numbers of constituent dots are stored in advance in the apparatus, and by appropriately selecting them, it is possible to print the desired size.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, when the paper size specified by the host computer is not loaded in the apparatus itself, reception of data after the paper size specification command is stopped, and processing relating to printing is interrupted. I was

Therefore, when such a situation occurs, the host computer must perform an operation such as changing the format of the print data or replacing the paper loaded in the printing apparatus.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and it is an object of the present invention to form an image based on all print data on a specified recording medium even if the size of the actually loaded recording medium is different. It is intended to provide an image forming apparatus which makes it possible.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to solve the problems, the image forming apparatus of the present invention has the following configuration.

That is, a print control device for printing data input from an external device on a print medium at a designated size, a printing unit capable of changing a print resolution, and when the designated size and the size of the print medium are different, Control means for changing a print resolution of the printing means in order to print the data on the print medium.

[Operation] In the configuration of the present invention, when the designated size of the data to be printed is different from the size of the print medium, the control unit changes the print resolution of the print unit to print the data on the print medium.

Embodiment An embodiment according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

<Explanation of Apparatus Configuration (FIGS. 1 and 2)> FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of a laser beam printer in the embodiment.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes an interface which receives image data processed by a host computer (not shown), text data, and print data including print control parameters. The print control parameters include a paper size for text data, a font type, a font size, an image dot density for fonts and image data, and the like. Reference numeral 2 denotes a page buffer memory which stores print information received via the interface 1 and edits pages while analyzing codes. Reference numeral 3 denotes a work memory which stores print control parameters (to be described in detail later) of the printing unit 7 and the like. Reference numeral 4 denotes a font memory which stores font data of different numbers of dots by size and typeface, for example.
A bit map memory 5 stores a dot image to be transferred to the printing unit 7. 6 is a parallel-serial converter,
The parallel data read from the bit map memory 5 is converted into serial data and transferred to the printing unit 7. A pulse generator 8 generates an image clock having a frequency corresponding to the set resolution (dot density). Accordingly, since the parallel-serial converter 6 outputs a video signal in synchronization with the image clock, the dot density in the main scanning direction can be changed by changing the frequency of the video clock (details are given below). See below).

Reference numeral 9 denotes an MPU that comprehensively controls page editing and print processing based on a control program (including a control procedure shown in FIG. 3 described later) stored in an internal program memory 9a. Reference numeral 10 denotes a scanner driver, which controls a scanner motor (described later) constituting a beam scanning system in this embodiment by an MP.
Drive based on speed data according to the resolution set from U9.

The MPU 9 also serves as detecting means for detecting the paper size specified by the host computer and the paper size in the paper cassette mounted on the apparatus itself, and also as means for setting the print dot density based on the detection result. I have. Specifically, the print dot density is determined from the relationship between the respective paper sizes detected by the detection means, and the data is written into the work memory 3. Then, the pulse generator 8 and the scanner driver 10 are controlled in accordance with the printing dot density, and the printing section 7 prints.

FIG. 2 shows a specific configuration of the printing unit 7. The embodiment shows an optical printer that forms an image by exposing and scanning a photosensitive member with a laser beam.

In the figure, reference numeral 11 denotes a laser driver which turns on / off the laser 12 (turns on / off the generation of laser light) by an image signal (video signal) output from the parallel-serial converter 6.

Reference numeral 13 denotes a scanner motor for rotating the polygon mirror 14, which rotates its drive shaft at a rotation speed according to a value set in the scanner driver 10. Reference numeral 15 denotes a photosensitive member which is rotated at a constant speed by a drive motor (not shown). The laser beam reflected on one side of the polygon mirror 14 is swept in the axial direction of the photosensitive member 15 to form an electrostatic latent image. You. still,
Thereafter, image formation is performed according to a known electrophotographic method.

<Description of Operation Overview> In the image forming apparatus having the above-described configuration, for example, when data output from the host is, for example, B4 size and the actually set paper is A4 size, The print dot density is increased to print on A4 size paper.

The printing dot density is determined by the pulse generator 8.
And data to be set in the scanner driver 10.

For example, in order to obtain twice the printing dot density as usual, the following control is performed.

First, since the rotation speed of the photoconductor 15 is fixed, in order to obtain a double print dot density in the sub-scanning direction, the photoconductor 15 is required.
It is necessary to make the number of scans of the laser beam to be swept twice as usual. That is, the rotation speed of the polygon mirror 14 is doubled.

Next, regarding the printing dot density in the main scanning direction, if the rotation speed of the polygon mirror 14 is simply doubled as described above,
Conversely, the print dot density is halved in the main scanning direction. Therefore, it is understood that the output synchronizing signal of the video signal should be quadrupled as compared with the normal case. That is, the frequency of the video clock is quadrupled.

By controlling in this way, it is possible to obtain a printing dot density twice as large as that of a normal printing dot. In other words, the print dot density in the main scanning and sub-scanning directions can be freely set by controlling the data to be transmitted to the pulse generator 8 and the scanner driver 10.

If it is troublesome to calculate the print dot density individually based on the size of the paper set in the apparatus itself and the size specified by the host, store them in a table and store them. Good. In this case, of course, the data to be set in the pulse generator 8 and the scanner driver 10 for each print dot density is also stored.

There are various methods for detecting the size of the paper loaded in the apparatus itself. For example, in the case of a structure in which a storage cassette for storing printing paper is inserted into the storage opening, a plurality of microswitches or the like are disposed in the storage opening, and the contact between the paper and the microswitch determines which microswitch is used. The paper size is detected depending on whether the micro switch is turned on. However, it is a matter of course that the means for detecting the paper size itself may employ a known method.

<Description of Processing Procedure (FIG. 3)> Next, a control processing procedure of the MPU 9 in the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

First, it is determined whether or not the data input in step S1 is paper size designation information. If so, the process proceeds to step S2, and the designated paper size is stored in the work memory 3.

If the determination in step S1 is "NO", the flow advances to step S3 to determine whether or not this is a printing parameter. If it is determined that the parameter is a printing parameter, the process proceeds to step S2, and the same processing is performed.

If not, in other words, if the input data is a character code or the like, the flow advances to step S4 to store the data in the page buffer 2. In this way, the processing from step S1 is repeated until it is determined in step S5 that the processing for one page of data has been completed.

When the storing process for one page in the page buffer 2 is completed, the process proceeds to step S6. Here, while reconstructing as page data while analyzing various data stored in the page buffer 2, the page number and the head address of the page buffer are stored in the work memory 3. Thereafter, in step S7, the data indicated by the head address is read. In the next step S8, a corresponding character pattern is generated from the font memory and expanded in the bit map memory. Then, in step S9, it is determined whether or not the development processing of the character pattern for one page has been completed, and the processing in step S8 is repeated until the determination becomes "YES".

When the pattern development process for one page is completed, the process proceeds to step S10, and it is determined whether or not the size of the paper loaded in the device itself and the size indicated by the host stored in the work memory 3 match. Judge.

Proceeds to step S12, if the same, the normal printing dots liked Jana driver 10 the value R ₀ so that the density of Deifuoruto value and a value f ₀ the pulse diethyl Nereta 8,
Set to

Further, when the paper size is loaded to the specified size is different calculates whether a number of print dots density from the relationship thereof sizes, in love Jana driver 10 so that the value R _N, pulse setting the f _N to Jienereta 8.

When the data set for the pulse generator 8 and the scan driver 10 is completed in this way, the process proceeds to step S13.
And waits until the printing unit 7 is ready to print at the set print density. Then, in the next step S14, the data expanded in the bit map memory is read, and
The data is output to the parallel-serial converter 6 and output to the printing unit 7 as a video signal. And step
In S15, it is determined whether or not the processing of step S14 for the data of one page has been completed, and if NO, the process returns to step S14. When the data output for one page is completed, the process proceeds to step S16, and it is determined whether or not the set number of images of the same page have been output. Until the output of the set number of sheets is completed, the processing of step S13 and thereafter is repeated.

As described above, according to this embodiment, even if a paper size different from the paper supplied to the apparatus itself is specified by a control command in the print data, an output image is formed on the recording surface of the paper. It becomes possible.

Note that, in the embodiment, the case where the polygon mirror 14 rotated by the scanner motor 13 has a printing mechanism for forming an image of the laser beam modulated based on the video signal on the photosensitive member 15 has been described as an example. The present invention can be applied to an optical printer using an array or a liquid crystal shutter.

For example, in an LED printer using an LED array, in the main scanning direction, the intervals correspond to the dot density.
Since the LEDs are arranged, for example, the dot density is D _{1 to} D
_{3. If} necessary, three types of LED arrays are arranged around the photoreceptor, and the dot density in the main scanning direction is changed by appropriately selecting them. The sub-scanning direction is achieved by controlling a time interval (determined by the rotation speed and dot density of the photoreceptor) for turning on the one-line LED array.

In the main scanning direction, the video signal is not converted into a serial signal, but data read from the bit map memory 5 is sequentially latched into a register corresponding to an element for one line of the LED array, and the processing is completed for one line. At this point, the LED array is turned on. Therefore, one line of data must be transferred to the one-line LED array described above and the processing must be completed.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, when printing data input from an external device at a designated size, even if the designated size and the size of the print medium are different, the print resolution is reduced. By changing the data, the data can be printed on a print medium. Therefore, the printing process is not interrupted or printed in a state where data is missing unlike the related art.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a laser beam printer according to this embodiment, FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of a printing unit in the embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a printing procedure in this embodiment. In the figure, 1 ... Interface, 2 ... Page buffer,
3 Work memory, 4 Font memory, 5 Bit map memory, 6 Parallel-serial converter, 7
…… Printing section, 8… Pulse generator, 9… MPU, 9
a: Program memory, 10: Scanner driver.

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-63-100872 (JP, A) JP-A-62-282831 (JP, A) JP-A-62-248581 (JP, A) JP-A 64-64 86233 (JP, A) JP-A-60-182281 (JP, A)

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A print control apparatus for printing data input from an external device on a print medium at a designated size, wherein the printing means is capable of changing a print resolution, and wherein the designated size and the size of the print medium are different. And a control unit for changing a print resolution of the printing unit in order to print the data on the print medium.