JP2007124637A - Printer and driving method of printer and printer controller - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To shorten a time duration after a user pushes a printing start button until a printer unit begins to operate in a halftone processor as compared with the former. <P>SOLUTION: A printer includes an input processor group 11, the printer unit 15 which acquires print data and performs printing, a user interface device 12 which acquires setting instruction information of print media and printing quality from the user, and a halftone processor 14 for transforming a picture acquired through the input processor group 11 into the print data. After a power supply is ON, before the printing starts, the automatic initialization of the input processor group 11, the printer unit 15, the user interface device 12 and the halftone processor 14 is performed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a printer, a printer driving method, and a printer control apparatus that can shorten the time from when a user presses a print start button to when a printer unit starts to operate, as compared with the related art.

  The printer is usually configured to perform printing with a plurality of print media (paper types) and print quality (print resolution). The user can select a target print medium and print quality via a user interface device (operation display device) before printing. The printer has a plurality of look-up tables (LUTs) corresponding to print media and print quality in a non-volatile memory (ROM), and prints by referring to the LUT corresponding to the print medium and print quality selected by the user. An apparatus (halftone processing apparatus) that performs image processing (halftoning) for operation is initialized.

  A CPU used in a printer (for example, a multi-function printer) has a lower processing capability than a CPU used in a personal computer in order to reduce manufacturing costs, and it takes time for initialization for a printing operation.

  That is, it takes time from when the user selects a print medium and print quality via a user interface such as an operation panel and presses the print start button to start printing (until the printer unit starts operating). For the user, a state where nothing appears to move continues, which increases the psychological burden. For the first page, since the time from the print start instruction to the completion of printing (paper discharge) is longer than that after the second page, the user's comfort in using the printer is reduced.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a printer, a printer driving method, and a printer control device that can shorten the time from when a user presses a print start button to when a printer unit starts to operate as compared with the prior art. .

A printer of the present invention includes a plurality of input processing devices, a printer unit that acquires print data and performs printing, a user interface device that acquires setting instruction information of the input processing device, a print medium, and print quality from a user, A halftone processing device that converts an image acquired via the input processing device into the print data, and after the power is turned on, before the start of printing, the input processing device, printer unit, user The interface device and the halftone processing device are automatically initialized.
The printer according to the present invention includes not only a normal printer but also a device having a printing function such as a copying machine and a facsimile, and a multifunction printer (a copying machine, an image scanner, a facsimile, and the like). Printer).

In the printer of the present invention, the halftone processing apparatus can further include a plurality of lookup tables that store setting values of the print medium and the print quality. The lookup table corresponding to the default setting value of the print quality can be selected.
In the printer of the present invention, the default setting values of the print medium and the print quality can be set for each input processing device, and the halftone processing device is initially set after the power is turned on during the automatic initialization. It is possible to select the look-up table corresponding to the default setting value of the print medium and the print quality of the input processing device that is effective for the input.

  In the printer of the present invention, the default setting values of the print medium and the print quality can be set in advance or last set by the user.

  The printer driving method of the present invention includes a plurality of input processing devices, and initializes a halftone processing device that converts an image acquired via the input processing devices into print data. Thereafter, it is automatically performed before printing is started.

  In the printer driving method according to the present invention, the halftone processing device, during the initialization, selects the print medium and the print quality default from among a plurality of look-up tables storing print medium and print quality setting values. A lookup table corresponding to the set value can be selected.

  In the printer driving method of the present invention, the default setting values of the print medium and the print quality can be set for each of the input processing devices, and the halftone processing device is configured to turn on the power supply during the automatic initialization. It is possible to select the look-up table corresponding to the default setting value of the print medium and the print quality of the input processing device that is first effective after being turned on.

  In the printer driving method of the present invention, the default setting values of the print medium and the print quality can be preset values or values set last by the user.

According to the present invention, since the halftone processing device is automatically initialized after the power is turned on and before the print start instruction, the time from when the user presses the print start button until the printer unit starts operating is compared with the conventional one. And can be shortened.
In addition, since printing is performed immediately after the print start button is pressed, a psychological burden on the user does not increase. Also, since the time required for printing the first page does not become longer than the time required for printing the second and subsequent pages, the user can comfortably use the printer.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a printer, particularly a multifunction printer, according to an embodiment of the present invention.
In FIG. 1, the multifunction printer 1 includes an input processing device group 11, a user interface device 12, a layout processing device 13, a halftone processing device 14, and a printer unit 15.

The input processing device group 11 includes a plurality of devices. In this embodiment, the input processing device group 11 includes a scanner 111, a memory card 112, and an external connection interface 113.
The user interface device 12 acquires print setting information including at least one of the input processing device group 11 (scanner 111, memory card 112, external connection interface 113), print medium (paper type), and print quality (resolution) from a user operation. can do. The user interface device 12 includes a print start button and stores default setting values of the input processing device group 11 (scanner 111, memory card 112, external connection interface 113), print medium (paper type), and print quality (resolution). is doing.

  The layout processing device 13 includes print setting information including at least one of selection instruction information, print medium type, and print quality from the user interface device 12 to the input processing device (any one of the scanner 111, the memory card 112, and the external connection interface 113). You can receive these settings.

  The halftone processing device 14 includes a halftone processing unit 141 and a lookup table group 142. The halftone processing unit 141 can convert an image acquired via any one of the input processing devices in the input processing device group 11 into print data with reference to the lookup table group 142. The lookup table group 142 includes a plurality of lookup tables (LUT (1) to LUT (n)) corresponding to print media and / or print quality setting values.

The printer unit 15 can acquire print data from the halftone processing unit 141 and perform printing.
In the multi-function printer 1, when the power is turned on, as shown in FIG. 2A, before starting printing, the input processing device group 11, the user interface device 12, the printer unit 15, and the halftone processing device 14 are turned on. Automatic initialization is performed.

When the halftone processing device 14 is initialized, the halftone processing unit 141 performs a lookup corresponding to the default setting values of the print medium and / or print quality from the lookup tables (LUT (1) to LUT (n)). Select a table.
In the conventional multi-function printer, since the user has initialized the halftone processing device after pressing the print start button, it takes time until the printing is started. Immediately after being turned on, the halftone processing apparatus is automatically initialized before the print start instruction based on the default value of the print medium and / or print quality, so that the time until the start of the printing operation is shortened.

  In normal use of the multifunction printer 1, the print media and print quality setting values are not frequently changed. In the multifunction printer 1, after the power is turned on, before the user presses the print start button, the halftone processing device 14 is automatically initialized based on the default setting values of the print medium and / or print quality. Therefore, unless the user changes the input processing apparatus used when the multifunction printer 1 was used last time or the set print medium and / or print quality setting values, printing is performed after pressing the print start instruction button. There is no inconvenience that it takes time to start.

FIG. 1 is an overall functional block diagram of the multifunction printer 1 and is not a representation of the multifunction printer 1 in hardware blocks. When the multifunction printer 1 is expressed by hardware blocks, although not shown, the printer control device includes an image input processing unit that acquires image data and a halftone processing unit that converts the image data into print data. Prepare. The printer control device enables input of print setting information from the user interface device when printing data is printed on the printer unit.
The image input processing unit processes information input from the input processing device group (11). The halftone processing unit (141) converts an image acquired via any one of the input processing devices in the input processing device group (11) into print data with reference to a lookup table group described later. Further, the printer control device executes processing by the image input processing unit and the halftone processing unit based on information from the user interface device (12).

The process flow in the multifunction printer 1 will be described below. A method for driving a multifunction printer according to an embodiment of the present invention and a method for driving a conventional multifunction printer are also described below.
FIG. 2A is a flowchart showing an initialization process when the power of the multifunction printer 1 of FIG. 1 is turned on. In the multifunction printer 1, when the power is turned on (S101), the input processing device group 11 (the scanner 111, the memory card 112, and the external connection interface 113) is initialized (S102), and the printer unit 15 is further initialized. Is initialized (S103), and the user interface device 12 is initialized (S104). Further, the halftone processing device 14 is initialized based on the default value (S105), thereby completing the automatic initialization process when the power is turned on (S106).

  When initializing the input processing device group 11, the printer unit 15, the user interface device 12, and the halftone processing device 14, the setting value of the print setting information including at least one of the print medium and the print quality is set to a fixed value (one by the user). It can be stored in a non-volatile memory (such as an EEPROM) as a setting value that is considered to be used most frequently and used as a default value. This fixed value can be set at the time of manufacture of the multifunction printer 1 or at the time of factory shipment. The user can also change this fixed value. In this case, when the user performs the first print processing after the power is turned on, if the print medium and / or print quality setting values are the same as the fixed values described above, the halftone processing is performed after the print start instruction. It is not necessary to initialize the device 14.

  It is also possible to store the last set value when used at the previous power-on in the nonvolatile memory before the power is turned off, and adopt this as a default value. In this case, when the user performs the first print processing after the power is turned on, if the print medium and / or print quality set values are the same as the last set values, the halftone after the start of print processing It is not necessary to initialize the processing device 14.

  For comparison, FIG. 2B shows processing when the power of the conventional multifunction printer is turned on. In the conventional multifunction printer, the power is turned on (S301), the input processing device group is initialized (S302), the printer unit 15 is initialized (S303), and the user interface device is initialized (S304). What is performed is the same as that of the multifunction printer 1 of FIG. 2A, but the initialization of the halftone processing device 14 is not performed, and the automatic initialization process when the power is turned on ends (S306). Different from the multifunction printer 1 of FIG.

A process after the automatic initialization process at the time of power-on in FIG. 2A is completed (S106) will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.
The user selects the start of print processing from the user interface device 12 (S201), and selects any one of the scanner 111, the memory card 112, and the external connection interface 113 from the input processing device group 11 (S202). Next, after selecting a layout such as magnification and arrangement (S203), selecting a print medium and print quality (S204), and selecting print target image data (S205), a print start instruction is issued by pressing a print start button. (S206) is performed.

  As a result, the printer unit 15 starts the printing process. The printer unit 15 determines whether the halftone processing device 14 has been initialized (whether the halftone processing device 14 needs to be newly initialized) (S207). When initialization has not been completed (when it is determined that new initialization is necessary), for example, when there has been a change in the input processing device (any one of the scanner 111, the memory card 112, and the external connection interface 113) (S207). “No”), LUT (k) (k is 1 to n) corresponding to the setting value of the print setting information including at least the print medium and the print quality is selected from the look-up table group 142, and the halftone processing device 14 Initialization is performed (S209). Note that an LUT used to initialize the halftone processing device is prepared for each input processing device (some may be common), and when the input processing device is switched, the halftone processing device is initialized.

  In S207, when the initialization is completed, for example, when there is no change in the input processing device (any one of the scanner 111, the memory card 112, and the external connection interface 113) (“Yes” in S207), the print medium and the print quality It is determined whether or not the setting value of the print setting including at least one of the settings is the same as the setting in the previous printing process (S208), and if it is the same (“Yes” in S208), the halftone device 14 is initialized. The print data processing is performed without performing (S210). That is, the print setting value matches the default value of the fixed value used in the automatic initialization in FIG. 2A, or the print setting value is set at the end of the previous power-on and the power is off. When the stored setting value is used as a default value in automatic initialization after power-on, when it matches the default value, initialization is completed, so in S208 it is determined as Yes and a new halftone processing device is added. Do not initialize. It should be noted that the case where the printing process is started after the automatic initialization process when the power is turned on (S106) corresponds to the case where the initialization is completed in S207.

In normal use of the multi-function printer 1, the setting value of the print setting including at least one of the print medium and the print quality is not frequently changed. Therefore, the print medium and the print quality are set in the previous print process. Often the same. Therefore, initialization of the halftone processing device 14 is rarely performed in S209. In addition, when a plurality of print jobs are executed after the power is turned on, the setting value of the print setting including at least one of the print medium and the print quality used in the preceding preceding print job and the setting value of the current print job If they match, “Yes” is determined in S208, and the halftone processing device is not initialized.
In S208, when the print medium and the print quality are different from the setting values used in the previous print process (“No” in S208), the process is passed to S209 described above, and the halftone processing device 14 is initialized.

After the print data processing in S210 is completed, a printer print operation is performed (S211), and a printer paper discharge operation is performed (S212).
Thereafter, it is determined whether or not there is a next page in the printing process (S213), and when there is a next page (“Yes” in S213), the process returns to S110. When there is no next page (“No” in S213), the process is terminated (S214). Do not turn off the power
When executing another print process (print job), the process starts from S201. However, as described above, the setting value of the print setting including at least one of the print medium and the print quality used in the preceding preceding print job matches the setting value of the current print job, and the input processing apparatus is changed. If there is no such as, the halftone processing device is not initialized.

  The default setting value of the print setting information including at least one of the print medium and the print quality can be set for each input processing device (scanner 111, memory card 112, external connection interface 113). In this case, during the automatic initialization, the halftoning processing unit 141 performs the lookup table LUT (k) corresponding to the print medium of the input processing device that is first effective after the power is turned on and / or the default setting value of the print quality. ) Is selected.

It is explanatory drawing which shows one Embodiment of the multifunctional printer of this invention. (A) is a flowchart showing processing when the multifunction printer of FIG. 1 is turned on, and (B) is a flowchart showing processing when the conventional multifunction printer is turned on. FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating processing of the multifunction printer after the automatic initialization processing in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Multifunction printer 11 Input processing device group 12 User interface device 13 Layout processing device 14 Halftone processing device 15 Printer unit 111 Scanner 112 Memory card 113 External connection interface 141 Halftone processing unit 142 Look-up table group LUT (1) to LUT (N) Look-up table

Claims (10)

A plurality of input processing devices;
A printer unit that acquires print data and performs printing;
A user interface device for obtaining from the user the input processing device, the print medium, and print quality setting instruction information;
A halftone processing device for converting an image acquired via the input processing device into the print data;
In the printer with
After the power is turned on and before starting printing, the input processing device, printer unit, user interface device and halftone processing device are automatically initialized.
A printer characterized by that. Furthermore, a printer comprising a plurality of lookup tables storing the print medium and the print quality setting values,
The printer according to claim 1, wherein the halftone processing device selects the look-up table corresponding to default setting values of the print medium and the print quality at the time of the automatic initialization. The default setting values for the print medium and the print quality are set for each input processing device,
The halftone processing device selects the look-up table corresponding to the default setting value of the print medium and the print quality of the input processing device that is first effective after the power is turned on during the automatic initialization. The printer according to claim 2.   4. The printer according to claim 2, wherein the default setting values of the print medium and the print quality are values set in advance or values set last by a user. In a driving method of a printer provided with a plurality of input processing devices,
A method for driving a printer, wherein initialization of a halftone processing device that converts an image acquired via the input processing device into print data is automatically performed after the power is turned on and before printing is started.   The halftone processing device generates a lookup table corresponding to the default setting value of the print medium and the print quality from among a plurality of lookup tables storing the print media and the print quality setting value at the time of the initialization. 6. The method of driving a printer according to claim 5, wherein the selection is performed. The default setting values for the print medium and the print quality are set for each input processing device,
The halftone processing device selects the look-up table corresponding to the default setting value of the print medium and the print quality of the input processing device that is first effective after the power is turned on during the automatic initialization. 7. The method for driving a printer according to claim 5, wherein the printer is driven.   The printer according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the default setting values of the print medium and the print quality are preset values or values set last by a user. Driving method. An image input processing unit for acquiring image data;
A halftone processing unit for converting the image data into print data;
A printer control device that enables input of print setting information when printing the print data on a printer unit via a user interface device,
The print setting information includes at least one of a print medium type and print quality,
The halftone processing unit is controlled to perform an automatic initialization process after turning on the printer and before issuing a print start instruction.
A printer control device.   The halftone processing unit is controlled to perform the automatic initialization processing based on preset print setting information or print setting information last set by a user. The printer control apparatus according to 9.

Images