Device for dynamically varying the priority of various processing in a printer
AssigneeSeiko Epson Corporation
InventorToshihiro Shima
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An image can be smoothly generated without delaying the release of a host by dynamically changing the priority of a task for writing to a hard disk for the priority of another task. The dynamic varying of the priorities of the different types of tasks is dependent upon predetermined events or triggers, which thereby prevents the release delay of a host, so that successive images can be smoothly generated.
Claims13
A printer provided with an auxiliary storage, comprising:
- a printing task for executing processing related to the control of a print engine according to a request for printing;
- an image generation task for generating said request for printing based upon print data sent from an external device;
- a task for writing to the auxiliary storage, by which data related to printing is stored in said auxiliary storage;
- and
- a task for reading from the auxiliary storage, by which said data stored in said auxiliary storage is read,
- wherein each of said tasks are exclusively selected and executed according to each priority,
- wherein a relative order of priority based upon the priority of said task for writing to said auxiliary storage and the priority of said image generation task is varied when a predetermined event occurs.
A printer comprising:
- an auxiliary storage for storing data related to printing;
- a print engine for executing printing;
- and
- a controller comprising:
- writing means for storing said data in said auxiliary storage;
- reading means for reading said data stored in said auxiliary storage;
- image generation means for generating a request for printing supplied to said print engine;
- and
- printing execution means for controlling said print engine,
- wherein, if a predetermined event occurs during processing for generating said printing request by said image generation means, said writing mean is executed more precedently than a generation of said request for printing by said image generation means.
A printer control method, comprising:
- a writing process for storing print data as it is received from an external device in an auxiliary storage;
- a reading process for reading print data written to said auxiliary storage;
- a generation process for generating a request for printing based upon said read print data;
- and
- a printing process for printing based upon said request for printing,
- wherein said writing process is controlled so that it is periodically executed by CPU even while said generation process is executed by said CPU.
A record medium for recording a program for operating a printer provided with an auxiliary storage and a print engine by exclusively selecting and executing any of plural tasks according to priority, wherein said program comprises:
- a writing task for storing data in said auxiliary storage;
- a reading task for reading data stored in said auxiliary storage;
- an image generation task for generating a request for printing supplied to said print engine;
- a printing task for controlling said print engine;
- and
- wherein said printing task is controlled so that it is most precedently executed.
A record medium for recording a program for operating a printer provided with an auxiliary storage and a print engine by exclusively selecting and executing any of plural tasks according to priority, wherein:
- said program comprises:
- a writing task for storing data in said auxiliary storage;
- a reading task for reading data stored in said auxiliary storage;
- an image generation task for generating a request for printing supplied to said print engine;
- a printing task for controlling said print engine;
- and
- wherein priority according to which said writing task and said image generation task are executed is controlled so that it is varied according to a predetermined condition.
A printer, comprising:
- an auxiliary storage;
- a print engine;
- printing tasks for controlling said print engine according to requests for printing;
- image generation tasks for generating said requests for printing based upon print data sent from an external device, wherein said print data includes a plurality of pages;
- writing tasks for writing said print data to the auxiliary storage, by which said print data is stored in said auxiliary storage;
- reading tasks for reading from the auxiliary storage, by which said print data stored in said auxiliary storage is read;
- and
- a switching control section for assigning each of said tasks a relative order of priority, wherein each of said tasks are exclusively selected and executed according to said priority of each of said tasks,
- wherein the relative order of said priority of each of said tasks which are unprocessed is varied when a predetermined event occurs,
- wherein a priority of unprocessed writing tasks and a priority of unprocessed reading tasks are lower than a priority of unprocessed printing tasks, and
- wherein a relative order of priority of said unprocessed writing tasks with respect to a priority of unprocessed image generation tasks is dynamically varied when said predetermined event occurs.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.