JPH0416368A - Controlling method for external character printing - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make external character codes registerable in the number more than the registration in an external character table on the main body side of a printer by a method wherein external character codes exceeding the maximum capacity of the external character table member are registered in a sub-external character table member. CONSTITUTION:An external character table member GTB is provided in conformity with a main body side external character table of a printer 1, and codes for once-used characters are registered therein. A sub-external character table member SGTB puts external character codes and external character patterns for registration therein. A printer control firmware consists of a CPU 11, the external character table member GTB, and the sub-external character table member SGTB. The external table is a table provided on the main body side of the printer 1, and is different from both the external character table member GTB and the sub-external character table member SGTB. In the case where the codes of the external character provided in conformity with the external character table on the main body side of the printer 1 for registration in the external character table member GTB exceed the maximum capacity of said external character table member in such structure, excess external character codes are registered in the sub-external character table member SGTB.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to an external character printing control method in a printer having a preload function, and in particular, a system for controlling external character printing by providing an external character table section and a sub-external character table section in the printer control firmware section. Related to a high-speed external character printing control method.

[Prior Art] A conventional printer control firmware section is provided with one external character table section.

Regarding the external characters in the range registered in this external character table section, high-speed external character printing operation can be performed without accessing the external character file.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, the number of external character codes that can be registered in the external character table section provided in the conventional printer control firmware section mentioned above and the external characters that can be registered in the external character table provided on the main body side of the printer device are limited. The number of codes is the same, so if you want to register new custom character codes that exceed the number of custom character codes that can be registered, these codes will be stored in both the printer control firmware's custom character table and the printer main body's custom character table. A new private character code will be registered starting from the top area, and as a result, the private character code already registered in the top area will be deleted.

Therefore, when printing such erased external character codes, it is necessary to newly access the external character file, resulting in a problem that the printing operation of the external character codes becomes slow.

[Means for solving the problem] An external character table part is provided corresponding to the external character table on the main body side of the printer device and registers the external character code once printed, and an external character table section is provided corresponding to the external character table on the main body side of the printer device. When the number of registered external character codes exceeds the maximum capacity of the external character table section, the sub-external character table section is provided for registering the excess external character codes.

[Operation] If the number of registered external character codes exceeds the maximum capacity of the external character table section, the excess external character codes are registered in the sub-external character table section.

[Example] Next, the present invention will be explained with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a printer device to which the external character printing control method of the present invention is applied. In the figure, ] is a printer device, 2 is a host device such as a personal computer or a word processor, and 11 is a C controller that controls the printer device 1.
PU and 12 are print drive units that receive print data from the CPU 11 and perform printing; GTB is a table unit that registers external character codes; and 5GTB is a sub external character table unit that registers external character codes and external character buttons. In addition, CPU11,
External character table section GTB and sub external character table section 5GT
The firmware including B is called printer control firmware.

Next, the CP in the printer device 1 configured as described above
The operation of the UII will be explained based on the flowchart in FIG.

First, in step 50, the value of the counter is "0".
” is set. Next, in step 51, the external character code G
ET, that is, input the external character code sent from the host device 2. Then, in step 52, the table section G in which the external character code is registered based on the received external character code.
Search TB and find the external character code in step 53? In other words, it is determined whether or not the received external character code exists in this table section GTB.
Y", this external character code is output to the print drive unit 12 in step 54, the print drive unit 12 is printed in step 55, and it is determined in step 56 whether or not there is data to be printed (external character code). If the result is "N", the process returns to step 51, the external character code sent from the host device 2 is input, and the processing from step 52 onwards is executed; however, if the result is "Y", the process ends.

As a result of searching the external character table GTB, if the received external character code cannot be found, the result is "N" in step 53.
In this case, in step 60, the external character table section G
Detects that the 2nd flag of TB is on and displays the external character table section G.
It is determined whether or not the second registered access to the TB has been made, and if this is "N", it means that it is the first round, and in step 61, the external character file that takes time to access is accessed, and as a result, it is received. The custom character code and custom character button corresponding to the custom character code are stored in the sub-table section 5 in step 62.
At the same time as registering them in GTF3, in step 63 these private character codes and private character buttons are registered in the private character table GTH, and in step 64 the counter is incremented by one.

In this way, each daple part is
) A private character code and a private character button are registered in the situation shown in the figure. Although the explanation is omitted here, the external character table shown in FIG. 3 is a table provided on the main body side of the printer device 1, and the external character table section GT
B. This is different from the sub-external character table section 5GTB. At this time, the external character codes A, B, ... and the external character button A' are also displayed on the external character table on the main body side.
, B", etc. are sequentially registered in the counter value, that is, the address indicated by the table number. In addition, in the case of this embodiment, the number of external character codes that can be registered in each table section is , is indicated by the maximum value of the table number, which is a maximum of 256 for each, and the external character codes are registered sequentially from table number 1 to table number 256, and when this goes around, it enters the second round and is registered again. Daple N
It is to be registered starting from 001.

As described above, when the counter value is incremented by 1 in step 64, it is then determined in step 65 that the count value is 100H or less, that is, it is determined whether the count value is 256 or less, and this is [ In the case of YJ, the external character code and external character pattern are outputted to the print drive unit 12 in step 66, and as a result, the printing process from step 55 onwards is performed.

Further, if the count value is larger than 1001-1, it is determined as "N" in step 65, and in this case, step 6
At step 7, it is determined whether the count value is 200H or less, that is, 512 or less.9 If this is determined to be "Y", it means that the registration access to the external character table section GTB has entered the second round. , In step 68, 2 nri of GTB is turned on, and the output and printing process of the external character code and external character pattern from step 66 onwards is performed.

In addition, if the count value becomes larger than 512, it is judged as "N" in step 67, and in this case, it means that the registration access of the external character table section GTB has entered the third round, and in this case, the first round GT in step 69 to return to
The 2nd flag of B is turned off, and then the count value is set to "0" in step 70, and the output and printing process of the external character code and external character pattern from step 66 onwards is performed.

Next, in step 60, if the registered access to the external character table part GTB is in the second round and the 2nd flag of GTB is detected to be on and it is judged as "Y", the received external character code is stored in the external character table part GTB. is not registered, the received external character code is sent to the external character table section GTB.
At the same time, at step 71, the sub-external character table section 5GTB is searched, and at step 72, an external character code is found? That is, it is determined whether the received external character code exists in this sub-external character table section 5GTB. and if a custom character code is found, step 72
In this case, the print code that could not be found in the external character table part GTR is displayed in the sub print table part 5.
Since it was discovered in GTB, the access time for external files that require a long access time is omitted,
Therefore, high-speed operation of the printer device 1 is enabled, and outputting and printing of the external character code and external character pattern in and after step 66 are then performed.

In addition, if the custom character code is not found in the sub custom character table 5GTB, the answer is "N" in step 72. In this case, the external file that takes time to access is accessed in step 61, and the custom character code,
Processing such as registering the pattern in the sub-external character table section 5GTB is performed. Note that the printing operation in this case accesses an external file, which slows down the operation time.

As a result, the registration status of the external character code and the external character pattern in each table section becomes as shown in FIG. If the external character code is not found but is found in the sub-external character table section S G T H, different external character codes will be registered in the external character table section GTR and the sub-external character table section.

As explained above, the present invention provides the printer control firmware section with the sub-external character table section S G Tn. Since codes can now be registered, there is no need to access external files, and printing operations can be expected to be faster than conventional non-standard character printing operations.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the external character printing control method of the present invention, the external character table section and the sub-external character table section are provided,
Custom character codes that exceed the maximum registration capacity of the external character table section are now registered in the sub-external character table section, making it possible to register more external character codes than can be registered in the external character table on the main body of the printer device. Since there is no need to access external files, this method has the effect of making it possible to speed up the external character printing operation compared to conventional external character printing control methods.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a printer device to which the external character printing control method of the present invention is applied, Fig. 2 is a flowchart explaining the operation of this device, and Fig. 3 is an external character table used in this device. It is an explanatory diagram explaining the composition of. 1... Printer device, 2... Host device, 11...
...CPU, 12-...Print drive section, GTB...
・External table part, 5GTB-・Sub external character table part.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] In an external character code printing control method of printer control firmware that controls a printer device that has a preload function and has an external character table for registering external character codes on the main body side, the external character table on the main body side of the printer device is provided. an external character table section for registering external character codes once printed, which is provided corresponding to the external character table on the main body side of the printer device, and an external character code provided and registered corresponding to the external character table on the main body side of the printer device, which exceeds the maximum capacity of the external character table section. and a sub-external character table section for registering an excess external character code when the external character code is exceeded, and the external character code is printed by controlling the external character table section and the sub-external character table section. method.