Printer and printer control method
AssigneeSeiko Epson Corporation
InventorTakashi Saikawa
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Described are a printer and a method of controlling it, wherein when an out-of-paper error occurs and printing stops, a control unit clears any data in a receive buffer, and reports the out-of-paper error and print stoppage to a host computer. When a clear buffer command is then received from the host computer, the control unit clears the receive buffer again.
Claims3
A method of controlling a printer communicatively connected to a host computer and having a receive buffer for temporarily storing data received from the host computer, and a print buffer for storing a print image generated in response to print data among the data stored in the receive buffer, the method comprising the steps of:
- a) printing based on print data received from the host computer;
- b) stopping printing, clearing the receive buffer, and sending a first report to a host computer if detecting an out-of-paper error;
- c) clearing the receive buffer again if detecting reception of a clear buffer command which is sent from the host computer in response to the first report in step a);
- d) sending a second report to the host computer after receiving the clear buffer command;
- and
- e) printing again based on print data received from the host computer after the second report is sent.
A printer comprising:
- a data receiving unit configured to receive data sent from a host computer;
- a data transmission unit configured to send data to the host computer;
- a receive buffer configured to temporarily store data received by the data receiving unit;
- an interpreting unit configured to interpret data stored in the receive buffer;
- a print buffer configured to store a print image generated in response to print data among the data stored in the receive buffer;
- a print mechanism configured to print the print image stored in the print buffer;
- a detecting unit for detecting an out-of-paper error;
- and
- a control unit for controlling the data receiving unit, the data transmission unit, the receive buffer, the interpreting unit, the print buffer, and the print mechanism,
- wherein the control unit is adapted:
- to cause the print mechanism to print based on print data received from the host computer;
- to cause the print mechanism to stop printing, to clear the receive buffer and to cause the data transmission unit to send a first report to the host computer if the detecting unit detects the out-of-paper error;
- to clear the receive buffer again if the data receiving unit receives a clear buffer command which is sent from the host computer in response to the first report;
- to cause the data transmission unit to send a second report to the host computer after receiving the clear buffer command;
- and
- to cause the printing mechanism to print again based on print data received from the host computer after the second report is sent.
A method of controlling a system including a printer and a host computer which are communicatively connected to each other, the printer having a receive buffer for temporarily storing data received from the host computer, and a print buffer for storing a print image generated in response to print data among the data stored in the receive buffer, the method comprising the steps of:
- a) sending print data from the host computer to the printer;
- b) printing based on the print data sent in the step a), in the printer;
- c) if detecting an out-of-paper error in the printer during the step b), stopping printing in the printer, clearing the receive buffer of the printer, and sending a first report from the printer to the host computer;
- d) sending a clear buffer command from the host computer to the printer in response to the first report sent in the step c);
- e) if detecting reception of the clear buffer command sent in the step d), clearing the receive buffer of the printer again;
- f) sending a second report from the printer to the host computer after the printer receives the clear buffer command;
- g) sending print data from the host computer to the printer after the printer sends the second report in the step f);
- and
- h) printing again based on the print data sent in the step g), in the printer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.