Printer
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorTAKUTO HARADA
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed according to the present invention is a printer in which: input print data is saved in the form of files; the length of a print queue consisting of files is posted to an upper-level unit; if a saved file is of a first type composed of commands described in given printer language, the file is analyzed to produce bit map data and then printing is performed; and if a saved file is of a second type containing a bit image, the bit image is printed as it is.
Claims21
A printer for recording a visible image on a given recording medium using print data sent from an external unit and outputting the result of recording, comprising:
- a saving means for saving input print data in the form of files sequentially in a given storage means;
- a determining means for determining whether a file saved by said saving means is of a first type composed of commands described in printer language or of a second type containing a bit image to be printed;
- a control means that when said determining means determines that a file to be processed is of the first type, produces bit map data using the file and performs printing, and that when said determining means determines that a file to be processed is of the second type, prints a bit image contained in the file;
- and
- a returning means that when receiving given information from said external unit, returns information representing the length of a print queue to said external unit.
A printer for expanding data described in printer language into a bit map image and performing printing, comprising:
- a determining means for determining whether received data is a bit map image or data described in printer language;
- a bit map image expanding means that according to the result of determination made by said determining means, expands data described in printer language into a bit map image;
- and
- a control means for controlling the order of printing based on a bit map image.
An external unit, comprising:
- a determining means that for transferring print data to a printer, transfers given information to said printer and determines the length of a print queue existent in said printer according to information sent from said printer, and
- an output means that according to the result of determination made by said determining means, outputs as print data either data described in printer language or data representing a bit image and deriving from said data described in printer language.
An external unit, comprising:
- a queuing means for queuing data described in printer language;
- an expanding means for expanding data queued by said queuing means into a bit map image;
- and
- a determining means that for transferring print data to a printer, determines whether a bit map image expanded by said expanding means or data queued by said queuing means should be supplied.
A printing system composed of an external unit and a printer, wherein:
- said external unit includes:
- a determining means that for transferring print data to a printer, transfers given information to said printer and determines the length of a print queue existent in said printer according to information sent from said printer;
- and an output means that according to the result of determination made by said determining means, outputs either data described in printer language or data representing a bit image and deriving from said data described in printer language;
- and
- said printer includes:
- a saving means for saving input print data in the form of files sequentially in a given storage;
- a determining means for determining whether a file saved in said saving means is of a first type composed of commands described in printer language or of a second type containing a bit image to be printed;
- a control means that when it is determined that a file to be processed is of the first type, produces bit map data using said file and performs printing, and that when it is determined that a file to be processed is of the second type, prints a bit image contained in said file;
- and a returning means that when receiving given information from said external unit, returns information representing the length of a print queue to said external unit.
A printing system composed of an external unit and a printer, wherein:
- said external unit includes:
- a queuing means for queuing data described in printer language;
- an expanding means for expanding data queued in said queuing means into a bit map image;
- and a determining means that for transferring print data into said printer, determines whether a bit map image expanded by said expanding means or data queued in said queuing means should be supplied, and;
- said printer includes:
- a determining means for determining whether received data is a bit map image or data described in printer language;
- a bit map image expanding means that according to the result of determination made by said determining means, expands data described in printer language into a bit map image;
- and a control means for controlling the order of printing based on a bit map image.
A printing method for a printer that stores and manages print data in the form of files and sequentially prints print data, comprising steps of:
- saving input print data in the form of files sequentially in a given storage;
- determining whether a file saved is of a first type composed of commands described in printer language or of a second type containing a bit image to be printed;
- when it is determined that a file to be processed is of the first type, producing bit map data using said file and performing printing, and when it is determines that a file to be processed is of a second type, printing a bit image contained in said file;
- and
- when receiving given information from said external unit, returning information representing the length of a print queue to said external unit.
A printing method for a printer that expands data described in printer language into a bit map image and performs printing, comprising steps of:
- determining whether received data is a bit map image or data described in printer language;
- expanding data described in printer language into a bit map image according to the result of determination;
- and
- controlling the order of printing based on a bit map image.
A control method for a printer that stores and manages print data in the form of files and sequentially prints print data, comprising steps of:
- when print data to be transferred to said printer is provided, determining an amount of currently unprocessed print data residing in said printer;
- and
- outputting either data described in printer language or data that represents a bit image and derives from said data described in printer language according to the result of determination.
A control method for a printer that expands data described in printer language into a bit map image and performs printing, comprising steps of:
- queuing data described in printer language;
- for transferring print data to said printer, determining whether queued data should be supplied as it is;
- and
- expanding queued data into a bit map image and outputting the bit map image according to the result of determination.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.