JPH05138977A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To ensure that an operator can print data satisfactorily on a sheet of a standard format size simply and without any manual labor by calculating a vertical and a horizontal size suited for a sheet with data equal to a single page developed on a bit map, then selecting a factor of multiplication suited for the closest size to a fomat sheet size among others or a format size, and printing data at said factor of multiplication. CONSTITUTION:Data received from a host computer 13 is developed in a bit map and an image is recorded in a recording sheet which is fed from a sheet feed cassette. In addition, a means for calculating a vertical size and a horizontal size after the development of data equal to a single page in a bit map, a means for calculating a calculated sheet size and previously determined fomat sheet sizes, and a means for calculating a format sheet size closest to the size calculated using the comparison calculation means are provided on a controller of a printer. Subsequently, an operator can print data satisfactorily on a format size sheet without any manual labor and difficulty.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printer such as a laser printer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional printer, even if the vertical and horizontal sizes of data for one page received from a host device are not appropriate for the currently set paper size, the printer does not check anything. The data was output and printed as it was.

For example, when the data for one page does not fit within the range of the paper size, the data is printed over two pages, and the operator cannot obtain a satisfactory print result.

In order to solve such a problem, an operator sets a reduction ratio by a mode setting so that one page of data fits in a set paper size and performs reduction printing, or the data in the host device is used. It was necessary to rework itself.

In the case of reduction, the reduction rate is generally set in several steps, and it is not easy to determine which reduction rate is appropriate. Therefore, the work was very troublesome.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to solve the above problems of the prior art and to provide a printer capable of easily printing data in an appropriate size.

[0007]

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention firstly develops data received from a host device into a bitmap and records an image on a recording sheet fed from a sheet feeding cassette. In the printer, means for calculating the vertical size and horizontal size after developing one page of data into a bit map, means for comparing the calculated size with a plurality of predetermined standard paper sizes, and the comparison The printer has a means for calculating a standard size calculated by the calculation means and close to the calculated size.

Secondly, the present invention solves the above problems by developing one page of data in a printer which develops data received from a host device into a bitmap and records an image on a recording paper fed from a paper feed cassette. Means for calculating the vertical size and the horizontal size after the data of the above is expanded into a bit map, a means for comparing and calculating the currently set paper size and the size calculated by the calculating means, and a comparison by the comparing and calculating means. As a result, if one page of data does not fit on the paper, the reduction ratio obtained by calculating the ratio between the set paper size and the calculated size is compared with the preset reduction ratio, and the closest setting reduction is performed. A printer characterized by having a means for selecting a rate.

[0009]

According to the present invention, the data received from the host device is expanded into a bit map, and the vertical size and horizontal size of the data for one page are calculated by the calculating means, and compared with a plurality of predetermined standard paper sizes. A standard paper having an appropriate size is selected, or a reduction ratio suitable for one standard paper size is calculated and reduced or enlarged printing is performed.

According to the present invention, it is possible to automatically perform printing in an appropriate size without requiring labor of an operator.

[0011]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The details of the present invention will be described based on the embodiments shown in the drawings.

A controller that connects a host device that outputs image information and a printer engine that forms an image can be constructed, for example, as shown in FIG.

In FIG. 1, the controller 1 is a CPU
2, NVRAM3, program ROM (Prog. ROM)
4, a font ROM (Font ROM) 5, a RAM 6, an engine interface (Engine I / F) 7, a panel interface (Panel I / F) 8, a host interface (Host I / F) 9, and a removable IC card 10. Then, the CPU 2 controls the entire controller by the program of the program ROM 4, the mode instruction from the panel device 12, and the command from the host device 13.

The NVRAM 3 is a non-volatile storage device for storing the contents of the mode instruction from the panel device 12, the program ROM 4 stores the control program of the controller, and the font ROM 5 stores the font pattern data. The RAM 6 is stored and used as a work memory of the CPU 2, an input buffer for input data, a scan buffer in which an image is actually drawn, a memory for download fonts, and the like.

The IC card 10 is used for supplying font data and programs from the outside.

The engine interface 7 communicates with a printing engine (abbreviated as a printer engine) 11 for commands, status and print data.

The panel interface 8 communicates commands and statuses with the panel device 12 which informs the user of the current printer status and gives a mode instruction.

The host interface 9 communicates with the host device 13 as an upper device for outputting image information, and normally uses a Centro I / F or RS232C.

When data is received from the host device 13,
The controller 1 develops one page of data into a bitmap. For example, the bitmap 14 shown in FIG.
The horizontal size variable of the data is X and the vertical size variable is Y, and each time a command or character print data is received, the X, Y values at the cursor position are compared with the designated position.

For example, in the case of controlling according to the flow shown in FIG. 3, initialization is made to X = 0 and Y = 0, information is taken out from the host device (host buffer), it is judged whether or not the data is related to the cursor, and if it is NO. Repeats fetching of information. If YES, the cursor position is calculated and fetched, and it is determined whether the X and Y values are smaller than the cursor position. In the case of YES, the cursor positions are substituted into the values of X and Y, and it is determined whether the processing for one page is completed. If the values of X and Y are not smaller than the cursor position, the process proceeds to the step of determining whether the processing for one page is completed. By performing this processing on the data for one page, the X size and the Y size of the data for one page are finally obtained.

In the first example, as shown in FIG.
Determine whether processing for one page has been completed, and if YES, set i = 1, take out the paper size of the i-th (first is the first) paper feed cassette, and check if the X and Y paper sizes are the same. Determine. If YES, the i-th paper feed cassette is selected. When the answer is NO, the difference value between X and Y and the paper size is calculated, the paper sizes close to X and Y are ranked, and it is determined whether there is a paper cassette to be compared next.

When the answer is NO, the nearest paper feed cassette of the ordered size is selected. When the answer is YES, i + 1 is added to i.
Is set and the paper size of the i-th paper feed cassette is taken out and the steps are repeated.

According to the above flow, the X size and Y size of the data for one page of the bitmap and the plurality of standard sizes stored in advance are compared and calculated by the comparison calculation means, and the X size and the Y size can be accommodated. Select the closest standard size. At that time, the closest size, the second closest size, and the like are extracted from the plurality of standard size data and are extracted. If the nearest size paper is set, feed the paper, and if it is not the size, check No. 2 and No. 3, and select the nearest size paper from the set sizes. Select and feed.

The paper size obtained by selecting the paper size, or the paper size when preset without selecting the paper size, and the X size and Y for one page
It is possible to perform a comparison calculation with the size and select a magnification suitable for recording on a paper of that size, that is, a reduction rate or an enlargement rate. If multiple enlargement ratios and reduction ratios are set in advance for the printer, select the magnification that is closest to them and that is suitable for recording images within the paper size range, and set the printer magnification. Print processing. In this case, as an example, the control is performed according to the flow shown in FIG.

In FIG. 5, it is judged whether or not the processing for one page according to the flow shown in FIG. 3 is completed, and when YES, the currently selected paper size is taken out and the X size of the data for one page is taken out. And the Y size are compared to calculate the percentage of the paper size for X and Y.

A predetermined reduction ratio is taken out, it is judged whether it is equal to the calculated percentage, and YES.
In the case of NO, a reduction rate equal to the percentage is set, in the case of NO, the difference between the percentage and the reduction rate is calculated, and it is judged whether or not all the reduction rates have been taken out. At this time, the steps from the step of extracting a predetermined reduction rate are repeated.

[0027]

According to the present invention, 1 received by the host device
It is possible to calculate the size of the data for a page using a bitmap, calculate the vertical and horizontal dimensions, select an appropriate paper size and feed it, or enlarge or reduce it to a magnification suitable for the set paper size and record. This made it possible to easily and surely perform proper printing without requiring the operator any trouble.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a printer according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a pit map.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the printer according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a control flow following FIG.

5 is a flowchart of another example of FIG.

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Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A printer which develops data received from a host device into a bitmap and records an image on a recording paper fed from a paper feed cassette, has a vertical direction after the data for one page is developed into a bitmap. A means for calculating the size and the lateral size, a means for comparing and calculating the calculated size and a plurality of predetermined standard paper sizes, and a means for calculating a standard size calculated by the comparison and calculating means and close to the calculated size. A printer having: 2. In a printer which develops data received from a host device into a bitmap and records an image on a recording paper fed from a paper feed cassette, a vertical direction after the data for one page is developed into a bitmap. Calculation means for calculating the size and lateral size, means for comparing and calculating the currently set paper size and the size calculated by the calculating means, and a result of comparison by the comparison and calculation means,
If one page of data does not fit on the paper, the reduction ratio obtained by calculating the ratio between the set paper size and the calculated size is compared with the preset reduction ratio and the closest setting reduction ratio is calculated. A printer having means for selecting.