JPH09309247A - Printing control method and printing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [PROBLEMS] To provide a printing apparatus that correctly detects the end of a print job and prevents dust printing when print data is input in a non-installed control language. SOLUTION: The printer 1 is provided with a plurality of types of language processing units 5 for analyzing / developing a control language consisting of a predetermined control code group, and when a command of an arbitrary control language is detected, the next command is issued. Read skip processing unit 6 that skips data up to, control language determination unit 3 that determines the control language type of input print data, and control language determination unit 3
If the control language determined by is the processing target control language in the language processing unit 5, the language processing unit 5 of the control language is used. If the control language is not the processing target control language in the language processing unit 5, the skip processing unit 6 And a language processing section selecting section 4 for selecting a processing section for print data processing.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a job language (Job Lath) that comprehensively manages each control language in a printing apparatus in which a language processing unit for a plurality of types of control languages is mounted or mountable.
nguage) related to the field of printing devices.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, various control code systems for performing printing processing have been prepared in a printing apparatus, and the control code systems are grouped by manufacturer or specific model. Since these grouped control code systems are used like a kind of language, the group of these control code systems is generally called a control language.

In a printing apparatus equipped with a certain control language, all commands and data (hereinafter, print data) for performing print processing are performed based on this control language. Therefore, the print data described in different control languages cannot be printed correctly. For this reason, in recent printing devices, a plurality of language processing units for analyzing / developing the control language are mounted so as to support various control languages used in a data processing device such as a connected host computer. Alternatively, there are many products that can be installed as options.

In addition, such a printing apparatus is also provided with a language for performing switching control of each control language, which is called a job language in order to comprehensively manage a plurality of control languages. Generally, one block of print data (hereinafter,
As shown in FIG. 3A, the print job) is composed of a job start command, a control language block, and a job end command. As the job language, the language processing unit corresponding to the control language described below is selected based on the job start command, and the language processing unit is deselected based on the job end command.

Specifically, the job start command is described in, for example, the format shown in FIG. 3B and has a function as a control language switching command. In this example, the switching command is such that the subsequent print data is described in the control language "E / PG".

In the control language block, commands and data relating to printing are described by a control language "E / PG", and the printing apparatus side creates image data to be actually printed by the commands and data. In FIG. 3 (c), the three-digit number and English lowercase letters following <GS>,
Command example expressed by uppercase letters, numbers of arbitrary digits (here, 2 digits) and lowercase letters following <GS>, data in data string secured by uppercase letters and arbitrary digits (2 digits) The commands and data represented by and are shown.

The job end command is, for example, as shown in FIG.
It is described in the format shown in (d) and has a function as an escape command from the control language. On the printer side, the exit command confirms the end of the control language block. In addition, in FIGS. 3B to 3D, <L
F>, <GS>, <ESC>, and <SOH> represent general-purpose control character codes.

By the way, in such a printing apparatus, even when the print data is sent in a control language that is not installed in the printing apparatus (hereinafter, non-installed control language),
In order to perform printing processing as much as possible, when such print data is sent, a prescribed control language preset from among the control languages installed in the printing device (hereinafter referred to as the installed control language) is processed. It is configured to select a language processing unit and perform print processing based on the language processing unit.

That is, if the print data in the on-board control language is sent from the data processing device side, the desired printing is correctly performed on the print device side, but if the print data in the non-on-board control language is sent from the data processing device side, Since the printing device attempts to perform the printing process based on the prescribed control language, a completely random character string, which is generally called dust printing, is printed.

To solve such a problem, there is provided a printing apparatus configured to ignore print data until a job end command is confirmed when print data is input in a non-mounted control language. That is, in this printing apparatus, even if the print data is input in the non-installed control language, the print processing is not performed until the job end command is confirmed, so that the dust printing described above can be prevented.

[0011]

However, in such a conventional printing apparatus, when the job end command is confirmed due to its configuration, the preset control language is selected from the on-board control languages. Since the language processing unit to be processed is selected again, there are problems as described below.

That is, the print data sent from the data processing device side includes not only the command but also the binary data representing the image data. This binary data may include the same data as the job end command. In such a case, the data in the binary data is recognized as the job end command,
The operation of ignoring the print data is stopped, and the print processing is restarted from the next print data. Then, the subsequent binary data will be dust printed until the original job end command is confirmed. As described above, when print data is sent in a single stream, it is difficult to find a boundary between print jobs and it is impossible to completely prevent dust printing.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above problems and provide a print control technique for correctly detecting the end of a print job and preventing dust printing when print data is input in a non-mounted control language. Especially.

[0014]

The present invention provides an improved printing control method and printing device.

In the print control method provided by the present invention, a control language consisting of a control code group based on a predetermined specification is used as a processing target language, and a language processing unit for analyzing and expanding the control language is provided according to the type of the control language. A printing control method in a printing device having a plurality of printers, wherein the type of a control language for processing print data input from the outside is specified, and the language processing unit having the specified control language as a processing target language does not exist. In this case, the print data input by the end of the control language is skipped. As a result, the end of the control language can be correctly detected even when print data is input in the non-installed control language.

Further, in the printing apparatus provided by the present invention, a control language consisting of a control code group based on a predetermined specification is set as a processing target language, and a language processing unit for analyzing and expanding the control language is set to a control language type. Accordingly, in a printing device equipped with a plurality of printers, when all commands in the non-mounted control language are detected and the command is detected, the skip processing unit that skips the data up to the next command and the external input A control language determining unit that determines the type of control language used in the print data, and if the control language determined by the control language determining unit is an on-board control language, the control language is set as the processing target language. If the language processing unit is selected as a processing unit for processing print data, and the control language determined by the control language determining unit is a non-installed control language, A processor selection section for selecting a removal processing unit as a processing unit for printing the data processing, the providing.

Here, the corresponding control language in the skip processing unit is a control language other than the processing target language in the language processing unit.

[0018]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a main configuration of a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the printing apparatus 1 includes a reception buffer memory 2, a control language determination unit 3, a language processing unit selection unit 4, a language processing unit 5 (5a, 5b, 5c, ...), and a skip processing unit 6. ,
The expansion memory 7, the print control unit 8, and the print engine 9 are included.

The reception buffer memory 2 is a memory for temporarily storing print data input via an input port (not shown). The control language determination unit 3 determines the type of control language based on the job start command described first in the print data input from the outside. The processing section selecting section 4 selects which of the plurality of language processing sections 5 and the skip processing section 6 should process the control language determined by the control language determining section 3. is there. More specifically, when the language processing unit 5 that uses the determined control language as a processing target language is installed, the language processing unit 5 is used, and the language processing unit that processes the determined control language is also processed. If No. 5 is not installed, the skip processing unit 6 is selected.

Language processing unit 5 (5a, 5b, 5c, ...)
Is composed of a plurality of processing units whose processing target languages are respective control languages such as "E / P", "E / PG", and "PS". Each of the language processing units 5a, 5b, 5c, ... Analyzes and develops the control language using a control language consisting of a control code group based on a predetermined specification as a processing target language.

The read skip processor 6 is a non-installed control language,
That is, print data analysis / skipping processing is performed based on a simple language for processing various control languages other than the control languages supported by the language processing unit 5 (5a, 5b, 5c, ...). is there. In this case, the simple language is not a so-called full-set control language that can create image data by expanding print data, but a read-only language.

Specifically, this simple language may be not installed so that it can be accurately skipped for any command of the control language that can be installed as an option. It has the information needed to interpret the command. That is, it has only the function of understanding the meaning of commands, parameters, arguments, and the like. As a result, the skip processing unit 6 can understand the command and calculate where the next command is, but can proceed to the next command without executing the command itself.

The expansion memory 7 is a memory for storing image data to be expanded as a result of processing the print data by the language processing unit 5, and the print control unit 8 stores the image data in the expansion memory 7. It is transferred to the print engine 9. The print engine 9 forms an image on a print sheet based on the transferred image data.

Next, an operation example of the printing apparatus 1 of the above-described embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory view of the procedure of the skip processing of the non-mounted control language in the printing apparatus of this embodiment. In the following description, S indicates a processing step.

When print data is sent to the input port of the printer 1 from the outside, the reception buffer memory 2 temporarily stores the sent print data. The printing apparatus 1 checks whether or not the print data is input (S11), and when the print data is not input (S11: No), the print processing is ended. When the input of print data is confirmed (S1
1: Yes), the control language determination unit 3 checks whether the stored print data includes a job control command (S12). If there is a job control command (S12:
Yes), it is checked whether or not the control language is designated from the job control command (S13).

In the determination process of S13, if there is no designated language (S13: No), in the same way as when there is no job control command in the determination process of S12 (S12: No), the control language is automatically changed by the known technique. Determine (S1
4). Then, the result of the automatic discrimination, or the above S13
If there is a designated language according to (S13: Yes), the language processing unit selection unit 4 checks whether the control language is the on-board control language (S15). The automatic discrimination is described in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1-64029.

When the control language is determined to be the on-board control language in the determination processing of S15 (S15:
Yes), the command is analyzed by the language processing unit 5 corresponding to the control language, and processing is performed up to the next break (S1).
6). On the other hand, when it is determined that the control language is not the on-board control language in the determination processing of S15 (S15:
No), the read skip processing unit 6 analyzes the command, calculates where the next delimiter is, and performs the read skip processing up to that point (S17).

After the processing of S16 and S17, the processing from S11 is repeatedly executed. By the way, it is assumed that the control language supported by the skipping processing unit 6 is not limited to infinitely wide range, and is actually only a main language that may be added by an option or the like. It Therefore, when inputting print data in a control language that is not supported by the read skip processing unit 6, it is conceivable to use the dust print prevention processing by checking the job end command as in the conventional example.

The printing apparatus 1 to which the present invention is applicable is
As long as it has a processing function of plural control languages,
For example, the printing method is not particularly limited to a page printer such as a laser printer, an inkjet printer, a dot impact printer, a thermal printer, or the like.

[0031]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, even when print data is input by a control language that is not installed, control is performed while correctly recognizing the command of the control language. Since the end of the language is detected, it is possible to accurately grasp the end of the control language and prevent dust printing. As a result, wasteful print output can be suppressed, which is also effective for resource saving.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a main configuration of a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a procedure for skip processing of a non-installed control language in the printing apparatus of this embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a description example of print data.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Printing Device 2 Reception Buffer Memory 3 Control Language Judgment Section 4 Language Processing Section Selection Section 5 Language Processing Section 6 Read Skip Processing Section 7 Development Memory 8 Print Control Section 9 Print Engine

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A printing control in a printing apparatus, wherein a control language including a control code group based on a predetermined specification is set as a processing target language, and a plurality of language processing units for analyzing and expanding the control language are mounted according to the type of the control language. A method for specifying a type of a control language for processing print data input from the outside, and if the language processing unit having the specified control language as a processing target language does not exist, the control language ends. A print control method characterized by skipping print data input up to. 2. A printing apparatus in which a control language including a control code group based on a predetermined specification is set as a processing target language, and a plurality of language processing units for analyzing and expanding the control language are mounted according to the type of the control language. Understand all commands in different control languages,
When the command is detected, a skip processing unit that skips data until the next command, a control language determination unit that determines the type of control language used for print data input from the outside, and the control When the control language determined by the language determination unit is the processing target control language in the language processing unit, the language processing unit having the control language as the processing target language is selected as the processing unit for print data processing, A printing device comprising: a processing unit selection unit that selects the skip processing unit as a processing unit for print data processing when the processing language is not a processing target control language in the language processing unit. 3. The printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the corresponding control language in the skip processing unit is a job language other than the processing target language in the language processing unit. 4. The printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the corresponding control language in the skip processing unit is the same job language as the processing target language in the language processing unit.