Data converting apparatus and method, printing apparatus and method, printing controlling apparatus and method, printing system and method, and data transmitting method

A data converting method for converting print data transmitted from a printing control unit to a printing unit via a serial bus, the method comprising:

• a first step of inputting, from the printing control unit, a print data transmitting command informing that the print data is going to be transmitted from the printing control unit to the printing unit;
• a second step of detecting print data specifying information included in the supplied print data transmitting command;
• a third step of judging, based on detected print data specifying information, the type of the print data transmitted from the printing control unit;
• a fourth step of converting, according to the result of the judgment effected in the third step, the print data transmitted from the printing control unit to print data of a type supported by the printing unit;
• and
• a fifth step of outputting the converted print data to the printing unit.

A printer comprising:

• a printing means for making a printing work by the use of print data;
• an input/output means to which the print data and a control command are supplied from a printing control unit via a serial bus;
• a judging means for detecting print data specifying information included in a print data transmitting command supplied to the input/output means and judging, based on the detected print data specifying information, the type of the print data transmitted from the printing control unit;
• means for converting, according to the result of the judgment, the supplied print data to print data of a type supported by the printing means;
• and
• means for controlling the printing means to make a printing work by the use of the converted print data from the converting means.

A printing method comprising:

• a first step of detecting print data specifying information included in a print data transmitting command transmitted from a printing control unit via a serial bus and judging, based on the detected print data specifying information, the type of the print data transmitted from the printing control unit;
• a second step of inputting the print data from the printing control unit via the serial bus and converting, according to the result of the judgment, the supplied print data to print data of a type supported by a printing unit;
• and
• a third step of making a printing work by the printing unit by the use of the converted print data.

A printing control unit including according to the present invention:

• means for generating print data for use by a printing unit connected via a serial bus to make a printing work;
• an input/output means for outputting a control command to control the printing unit and the print data to the printing unit via the serial bus;
• means for generating a print data transmitting command including print data specifying information indicative of the type of the print data transmitted to the printing unit;
• and
• means for controlling the input/output means to output to the printing unit print data of a type indicated by the print data specifying information included in the print data transmitting command generated by the command generating means.

A printing system comprising:

• a printing control unit including:
• means for generating data to be printed by a printing unit connected via a serial bus;
• a first input/output means for outputting a control command to control the printing unit and the print data to the printing unit via the serial bus;
• and
• means for generating a print data transmitting command including print data specifying information indicative of the type of the print data transmitted to the printing unit;
• the printing unit including:
• a second input/output supplied with the print data and control command from the printing control unit;
• and
• means for making a printing work by the use of the print data supplied from the printing control unit via the second input/output means;
• the printing control unit controlling the first input/output means to output to the printing unit the print data transmitting command generated by the command generating means;
• the printing unit detecting the print data specifying information included in the print data transmitting command supplied from the second input/output means via the serial bus, judging, based on the detected print data specifying information, the type of the print data transmitted from the printing control unit, and converting, according to the result of the judgment, the print data transmitted from the printing control unit to print data of a type supported by the printing means.

A printing method in which print data is transmitted via a serial bus from a printing control unit to a printing unit which is thus allowed to print the print data, the method comprising the steps of:

• generating a print data transmitting command including print data specifying information indicative of the type of the print data and outputting it from the printing control unit to the printing unit;
• detecting the print data specifying information included in the print data transmitting command transmitted from the printing control unit to the printing unit and judging the type of the print data transmitted from the printing control unit;
• inputting the print data transmitted from the printing control unit via the serial bus to the printing unit;
• converting, according to the result of the judgment, the supplied print data to print data of a type supported by the printing unit;
• and
• making a printing work at the printing unit by the use of the converted print data.

A printing system comprising:

• a printing control unit including:
• means for generating data to be printed by a printing unit connected via a serial bus;
• a first input/output means for outputting a control command to control the printing unit which makes a printing work by the use of the print data generated by the print data generating means, and the print data to the printing unit;
• and
• means for generating a print data transmitting command including print data specifying information indicative of the type of the print data transmitted to the printing unit;
• and
• the printing unit including:
• a second input/output means connected to the serial bus and to which the print data and control command are supplied from the printing control unit;
• and
• means for making a printing work by the use of the print data supplied from the printing control unit via the second input/output means;
• the printing control unit controlling the first input/output means to transmit the print data transmitting command generated by the command generating means to the printing unit;
• the printing unit judging the type of the print data indicated by the print data specifying information included in the print data transmitting command;
• and outputting to the printing control unit the result of the judgment indicating whether the type of the print data, indicated by the print data specifying information, is supported by the printing means for making a printing work;
• and
• the printing control unit outputting, based on the result of the judgment from the printing unit, print data of a type supported by the printing means to the printing unit.

A printing method in which print data is transmitted from a printing control unit to a printing unit via a serial bus and printed by the printing unit, the method comprising the steps of:

• generating a print data transmitting command including print data specifying information indicative of the type of the print data and outputting it from the printing control unit to the printing unit;
• detecting the print data specifying information included in the print data transmitting command transmitted from the printing control unit to the printing unit;
• judging the type of the print data transmitted from the printing control unit;
• outputting the result of the judgment, indicating whether the type of the print data, indicated by the print data specifying information, is supported by the printing unit;
• and
• outputting print data of a type supported by the printing unit from the printing control unit to the printing unit.

A printing system comprising:

• a printing control unit including:
• a print data generating means for generating data to be printed by a printing unit connected to the print data generating means via a serial bus;
• a first input/output means outputting a control command to control the printing unit which makes a printing work by the use of the print data generated by the print data generating means, and the print data to the printing unit;
• and
• means for generating a print data transmitting command including print data specifying information indicative of the type of the print data;
• and
• a data converting block including:
• means for detecting the print data specifying information included in the print data transmitting command supplied from the printing control unit and judging, based on the detected print data specifying information, the type of the print data transmitted from the printing control unit;
• means for converting, according to the result of the judgment by the judging means, the print data transmitted from the printing control unit to print data of a type supported by the printing unit, and outputting the converted print data to the printing unit;
• and
• the printing unit including:
• a third input/output means supplied with the converted print data and print data transmitting command from the data converting block;
• and
• means for making a printing work by the use of the converted print data supplied from the third input/output means.

A printing method in which print data is transmitted from a printing control unit to a printing unit via a serial bus for printing by the printing unit, the method comprising the steps of:

• generating a print data transmitting command including print data specifying information indicative of the type of the print data and outputting the command from the printing control unit to a data converting block;
• detecting the print data specifying information included in the print data transmitting command transmitted from the printing control unit to the data converting block;
• judging the type of the print data transmitted from the printing control unit;
• transmitting the print data from the printing control unit to the data converting block;
• converting, according to the result of the judgment, the supplied print data to print data of a type supported by the printing unit;
• outputting the converted print data from the data converting block to the printing unit;
• and
• making a printing work at the printing unit by the use of the converted print data from the data converting block.

A data transmitting method in which print data is transmitted from a printing control unit to a printing unit via a serial bus, the method comprising steps of:

• generating, at the printing control unit, a print data transmitting command including print data specifying information indicative of the type of the print data and transmitting the command from the printing control unit to the printing unit;
• judging, at the printing control unit, whether the print data of the type indicated by the print data specifying information can be printed or not, based on the response of the printing unit to the print data transmitting command;
• and
• deciding, at the printing control unit, when it has been judged that the print data of the type designated with the initially designated print data specifying information cannot be printed, to include, into the data transmitting command, print data identification information different from the initially designated one and output the different data transmitting command again to the printing unit, or
• deciding, when it has been judged that the print data of the type designated with the initially designated print data specifying information can be printed, to transmit the print data of the designated type to the printing unit.