JPH07246733A - Printer control device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a printer control device wherein the capacity of a frame buffer memory is reduced up to the capacity of a A4 size. CONSTITUTION:A host interface 2 inputting the printing control code sent from a host device, a receiving buffer memory 3 storing the printing control code inputted to the host interface 2 and a microprocessor 1 generating image data according to the printing control code stored in the receiving buffer memory 3 are provided. Further, an operation panel 7 for setting contraction printing by an operator, a density conversion circuit 4 converting the density of image data corresponding to the setting of the operation panel 7, a frame buffer memory 5 storing the image data converted in density by the density conversion circuit 4 and a printing mechanism part 6 applying printing to paper according to the image data converted in density stored in the frame buffer memory 5 are provided.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printer controller, and more particularly to a printer controller having an image data density conversion circuit.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as shown in FIG. 5, in a printer control device of this type, a host CPU 21 is connected to a host device interface part 23 in a printer control part 22 surrounded by a broken line. . The host device interface unit 23 receives the print data from the host CPU 21.

The printer control unit 22 comprises a host device interface unit 23 and a microprocessor 24 connected via an internal bus. Microprocessor 2
4, a program memory 25 for storing a program required for its operation, a main memory 26 for storing print data, a conversion table, a work area for various controls, and the like, and a printer output via the internal bus. A character pattern memory 27 for storing a pattern of characters to be printed, a frame buffer memory 28 for drawing characters, figures, images, etc. output to a printer as a dot pattern, and a microprocessor 2 for the frame buffer memory 28.
4, a frame buffer memory controller 29 for controlling the drawing, a density conversion circuit 30 for reducing and outputting the drawn contents in the frame buffer memory 28, and an operation unit 31 for setting a printing area in the printer are connected. .

The output of the frame buffer memory 28 is connected to a printer recording section 32 for printing on paper.

In the operation of the conventional apparatus having the above-mentioned structure, the host CPU 21 has a print area for print data sent from the host CPU 21 and an A designated by the operation unit 31.
Calculate the size ratio with the print area on 4 size paper,
The result is output to the density conversion circuit 30. The density conversion circuit 30 performs density conversion for reducing the print pattern drawn in the frame buffer memory 28 in accordance with the value of the ratio designated by the host CPU 21, and returns the reduced print pattern to the frame buffer memory 28 again. draw. The reduced print pattern drawn in the frame buffer memory 28 is output to the printer recording unit 32, the printing operation is performed on the paper, and desired reduced print is performed (for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 63-272562).

[0006]

However, in the printer control device described above, the size of the paper to be actually printed is always printed even when the reduced printing is performed in order to draw the image data in the frame buffer memory before the density conversion. In this case, there is a problem in that a frame buffer memory having a size larger than the A4 size, that is, the size of the image data before being reduced must be provided.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to solve the above problems and to provide a printer controller in which the capacity of the frame buffer memory is reduced to the capacity of A4 size.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, a printer control device of the present invention is a printer control device which performs a printing operation in accordance with a print control code containing print data, and the print control code sent from a higher-level device. A host interface for inputting, a receive buffer memory for storing the print control code input to the host interface, a microprocessor for generating image data according to the print control code stored in the receive buffer memory, and an operator reducing the size. An operation unit that sets printing, a density conversion circuit that performs density conversion of image data according to the settings of this operation unit, and image data that has been density-converted or image data that has not been density-converted by this density conversion circuit. Frame buffer memory to save and this frame buffer memory It is equipped with a printing mechanism for printing on paper in accordance with presence image data.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a printer control device showing an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, the present invention is a printer control device which constitutes a printer capable of printing on paper up to A4 size and which performs a printing operation according to a print control code consisting of a control code and a kanji code. A host interface 2 for inputting a print control code sent from a device (not shown), and a reception buffer memory 3 for storing the print control code input to this host interface 2.
A microprocessor 1 for generating image data according to the print control code stored in the reception buffer memory 3, an operation panel 7 for setting reduction printing by an operator, and a setting for the operation panel 7 Density conversion circuit 4 for performing density conversion of image data, a frame buffer memory 5 for storing the image data density-converted by the density conversion circuit 4 or the image data not density-converted, and the frame buffer memory 5. Printing mechanism unit 6 for printing on paper according to the image data
It consists of and.

As shown in FIG. 2, the density conversion circuit 4 includes an address generator 8 for designating dots to be read out in one line of image data according to an instruction from the microprocessor 1.
And a line memory 9 and a line memory 10 which alternately store the dots designated by the address generator 8 line by line.

As shown in FIG. 3, the print control code is composed of a control code and a Chinese character code, and the control code is composed of a page control code and a line digit related control code. The line digit related control code includes a reduced print instruction code.

The frame buffer memory 5 has a capacity capable of storing image data up to A4 size.

The operation of the present invention in the above configuration will be described with reference to the drawings.

First, the operation when a print control code having an A4 size data amount is sent will be described.

A input from the host interface 2
The print control code of 4 size is received buffer memory 3
After being stored therein, the image data is read by the microprocessor 1 and converted into image data composed of A4 size dot patterns. The A4 size image data generated by the microprocessor 1 is sent to the density conversion circuit 4. Since this image data is A4 size image data, it is not necessary to perform density conversion and reduce printing. In this case, the microprocessor 1 outputs to the address generator 8 of the density conversion circuit 4 an instruction to specify all dots. As a result, the A4 size image data is not density-converted but is alternately stored in the line memories 9 and 10 line by line, and is directly output to the frame buffer memory 5 for storage. Then, the image data in the frame buffer memory 5 is sent to the printing mechanism unit 6 and printed on the A4 size paper without being reduced.

Next, the operation when a print control code having an A3 size data amount is sent will be described.

A input from the host interface 2
The print control code of 3 size is the receive buffer memory 3
After being stored therein, the image data is read out by the microprocessor 1 and converted into image data composed of A3 size dot patterns. The image data of A3 size generated by the microprocessor 1 is sent to the density conversion circuit 4, and if reduction printing is set on the operation panel 7,
Density conversion circuit 4 according to an instruction from the microprocessor 1
The dot to be read out in the image data of A3 size is designated to the address generating unit 8 of 1 and the designated dot is set to 1
Alternately store in line memories 9 and 10 for each line,
The image data of A3 size is density-converted into the image data of A4 size. The density-converted A4 size image data stored in the line memories 9 and 10 are alternately output from the line memories 9 and 10 and stored in the frame buffer memory 5. Then, the density-converted image data of A4 size in the frame buffer memory 5 is sent to the printing mechanism unit 6 and is reduced and printed on a sheet of A4 size.

In the present embodiment, whether or not reduction printing is performed is set on the operation panel 7.
As another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, a reduction determination unit 11 for determining whether or not reduction printing is to be performed is provided from a reduction printing instruction code included in the print control code, and based on the result, it is possible to print on A4 size paper It may be possible to determine whether or not to perform reduced printing.

In the operation of the embodiment provided with the reduction determination unit 11, first, the print control code input to the host interface 2 is output to the reduction determination unit 11. This reduction determination unit 1
When it is determined in 1 that the input print control code does not include the reduced print instruction code, the microprocessor 1 outputs a signal to the density conversion circuit 4 so as not to perform density conversion of the image data, and the reduced print instruction code is If it is determined that the density is included, the microprocessor 1 outputs a signal to the density conversion circuit 4 to perform density conversion. The image data obtained according to this output result is stored in the frame buffer memory 5, then sent to the printing mechanism unit 6 and printed on the paper.

[0021]

As described above, the printer control device of the present invention is provided with a host interface for inputting a print control code sent from a host device and a receiving buffer for storing the print control code input to this host interface. A memory, a microprocessor for generating image data according to the print control code stored in the reception buffer memory, an operation unit for setting reduction printing by an operator, and an image data density according to the setting of the operation unit. A density conversion circuit that performs conversion, a frame buffer memory that stores image data that has been density-converted by this density conversion circuit, or image data that has not been density-converted, and printing on paper according to the image data saved in this frame buffer memory Since it has a printing mechanism that performs Since the memory may be able to have the capacity to store up image data of A4-size, as a result, it is possible to reduce the memory capacity.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a printer control apparatus showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a density conversion circuit of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a data configuration diagram of a print control code.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a printer control device showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a conventional printer control device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Microprocessor 2 Host interface 3 Reception buffer memory 4 Density conversion circuit 5 Frame buffer memory 6 Printing mechanism section 7 Operation panel 11 Reduction judgment section

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A printer control device for performing a printing operation according to a print control code including a kanji code, and a host interface for inputting the print control code sent from a higher-level device, and a print control code input to the host interface. A receive buffer memory to be saved, a microprocessor that generates image data according to the print control code saved in this receive buffer memory, an operating unit that is set by the operator to perform reduced printing, and an operating unit that is set according to the setting of this operating unit. A density conversion circuit that performs density conversion of image data, a frame buffer memory that stores image data that has been density-converted by this density conversion circuit or image data that has not been density-converted, and an image data stored in this frame buffer memory With a printing mechanism that prints on paper Printer control apparatus characterized by comprising. 2. A printer control device for performing a printing operation according to a print control code including a kanji code, and a host interface for inputting the print control code sent from a host device and a print control code input to the host interface. A receiving buffer memory for storing, a microprocessor for generating image data according to the print control code stored in the receiving buffer memory, and a density conversion of the image data according to the reduced print command code included in the print control code. A reduction determination unit that determines whether or not the density conversion circuit performs density conversion of image data when the reduction determination unit determines that the image data is density-converted, and image data density-converted by the density conversion circuit. Or a frame buffer that stores image data that has not been density converted A printer control device comprising: a memory; and a printing mechanism section for printing on a sheet according to image data stored in the frame buffer memory. 3. An address generator for designating dots to be read in one line of image data by an instruction from the microprocessor, and a plurality of lines for alternately storing the dots designated by the address generator for each line. The printer control device according to claim 1, further comprising a memory.