JPS6312289B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Technical Field of the Invention] The present invention provides a method for continuously printing space data in an incremental printer.
The present invention relates to a print control method for an incremental printer in which a host device counts the number of space data, and when the counted value exceeds a certain value, tab information is sent from the host device.

[Conventional technology and problems]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a conventional print control system, and FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a transfer data string. In FIG. 1, 1 represents a host device, and 2 represents a printer.
The printer 2 includes one that has a data buffer, such as a dot printer, and one that does not have a data buffer, such as an incremental printer. If the printer 2 has a data buffer, the host device 1
When print data is sent from the machine, it is stored in a data buffer and then printed for one line at a time. On the other hand, if the printer 2 does not have a data buffer, it prints one character each time print data is sent from the host device 1. For example, if the printing range is from 1 to N as shown in Figure 2, in an incremental printer, the head moves incrementally regardless of the presence or absence of a space for print data, and prints several consecutive pieces of print data. Conventionally, spaces are printed one character at a time even if spaces are included. In the case of a printer that has a data buffer, the data buffer is stored on the printer side.
The contents of the buffer are searched before printing, and optimal printing can be performed using space printing or tab control depending on the number of spaces.

Conventional incremental printers that do not have a data buffer cannot perform print control according to the number of spaces as described above, and for example, print data such as the one shown in Figure 2 cannot be executed. Even in columns, the number l of space codes all result in space printing, and optimal printing is not achieved.

[Purpose of the invention]

The present invention is based on the above considerations, and includes:
The object of the present invention is to provide a print control method for an incremental printer that is capable of optimal printing according to the number of space data.

[Structure of the invention]

To this end, the print control method of the incremental printer of the present invention includes a host device and an incremental printer that does not have a data buffer, and each time print information is supplied from the host device, the incremental printer This is a print control method for incremental printers that now perform printing operations, and the host device includes an extraction means for retrieving sent data from memory, and a device for determining whether or not the retrieved sent data is space data. a space processing unit that is activated when the determination means determines that the data is space data; and a data sending process that is activated when the determination means determines that the data is not space data. The space processing unit includes a space flag, a tab flag, and a space counter, and when activated, the space processing unit sets the space flag, increments the space counter by 1, and executes the space processing unit. It is checked whether the value of the counter is M or not, and if it is, it performs processing to set the above-mentioned tab flag. If the above space flag is on and the above tab flag is off, the send data retrieved from the memory is immediately sent to the printer, and the above space counter is referred to. Sends the number of space data indicated by the content to the printer, then sends the send data retrieved from memory to the printer, and if the above space flag is on and the above tab flag is also If it is on, the above space/
It is configured to create tab control information by referring to a counter, send the tab control information to the printer, and then send the sending data retrieved from memory to the printer. This is a characteristic feature.

[Embodiments of the invention]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing the flow of processing by the transfer data control section. In FIG. 3, 3 is a host device, 4 is a transfer data control unit, and 5 is a host device.
indicates an incremental printer.

In the present invention, when printing space data,
We focused on the fact that the printing speed is maximized by performing incremental printing when the number of spaces is less than a certain value M (varies depending on the machine), and by tab control when the number is more than M. When the number is M or more, the host device sends tab control information instead of a space code.

In FIG. 3, when the host device 3 is provided with the transfer data control section 4 and print data is sent from the host device 3 to the incremental printer 5,
The transfer data control unit 4 counts the number of consecutive spaces, and if the number is M or more, a process is performed in which a space code is not sent as print data, but a tab control code is sent.

The flow of processing by the transfer data control unit 4 will be explained with reference to FIG.

Clear space counter. Perform the following processing.

Clear the data address register.
Perform the following processing.

Set byte count. Perform the following processing.

Decrement byte count by 1. Perform the following processing.

Check whether the byte count is 0. Yes
In the case of , the data transfer is terminated, and in the case of N, the process of .

Check whether the sent data is a space. Yes
In the case of N, the process of is performed, and in the case of N, the process of is performed.

Check if the space flag is on.
If Yes, process is performed, and if N, process is performed.

Clear the space flag. Perform the following processing.

Checks whether the tab flag is on. If Yes, process is performed, and if N, process is performed.

Clear tab flags. Perform the following processing.

Tab control information is created with reference to the value of the space counter, the tab control information is sent out, and then the send data retrieved from the memory is sent out to clear the space counter. Perform the following processing.

Set the space flag. Perform the following processing.

Increase the space counter by 1. Perform the following processing.

Check whether the space count is M.
If Yes, process is performed, and if N, process is performed.

Set tab flag. Perform the following processing.

Sends print data. Perform the following processing.

Send out the number of space data indicated by the space counter, then send out the outgoing data retrieved from memory, and clear the space counter.

Add 1 to data address register. Return to next process.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention, when the number of spaces is M or more, tab control information is sent from the host device side to perform tab control. In the case of a print data string, the amount of data to be transferred is (N-l) + tab control information, which can significantly reduce the amount of data to be transferred, and tab control allows for optimal printing, similar to printers with data buffers. It is possible to measure the

Increasing the speed of printers is a particularly important issue, and increasing speed by improving only the mechanism involves various difficulties. However, according to the present invention,
Regardless of the mechanism, even incremental printers can perform space printing and tab control on the host device side, achieving the maximum speed printing of the mechanism itself.
The effect is extremely significant.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a conventional printing control system, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a transfer data string, FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a transfer data control unit. This is a flow chart showing the flow of processing. 1 and 3...host device, 2...printer, 4...
. . . Transfer data control unit, 5 . . . Incremental printer.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A computer system comprising a host device and an incremental printer having no data buffer, such that the incremental printer executes a printing operation each time printing information is supplied from the host device. This is a printing control method for an old incremental printer, and the host device includes an extraction means for retrieving sent data from a memory, a determining means for determining whether or not the retrieved sent data is space data, and the above-mentioned determining means. a space processing unit that is activated when the data is determined to be space data by the determination means; a data transmission processing unit that is activated when the determination means determines that the data is not space data; a space flag; The space processing unit includes a tab flag and a space counter, and when activated, the space processing unit sets the space flag, increments the space counter by 1, and determines whether the value of the space counter is M or not. If it is M, it performs processing to set the above-mentioned tab flag, and when the above-mentioned data sending processing section is started, if the above-mentioned space flag is off, the data is taken out from memory. If the above space flag is on and the above tab flag is off, the above space counter is referred to and the number of spaces indicated by the contents is sent to the printer. The data is sent to the printer, and then the data retrieved from the memory is sent to the printer. If the space flag is on and the tab flag is also on, the space is・
It is configured to create tab control information by referring to a counter, send the tab control information to the printer, and then send the sending data retrieved from memory to the printer. Print control method for incremental printers.