JPH0452161A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make information that is offerable in the form of portable memory such as an IC card available for print-out by extremely simple operation without depending on operation of a host computer by a method wherein the title device is equipped with, in addition to a function as an on-line terminal of a computer, a function as an off-line terminal with a memory interface and a second printing data generating means prepared. CONSTITUTION:Printable information are written into an IC card 6 by setting said card to various information equipment. In the case of making the IC card 6 in such filling compilation wherein a number of information records are stored, identifiers indicating the records to be printed out are prepared in control information in a register book. The IC card 6 is taken out of the information equipment and is set to a card inserting slit of a printer. Then the printer reads out the control information in the IC card 6 through a memory interface 5, and transfers image information to a work memory 12, a data extender 11, a font memory 10, and others. Then dot patterns are evolved on an image memory 9 and the data thereof are sent in serial order to a printer engine 7 and printout is made after that.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of Industrial Application This invention relates to a printer incorporated into an office computer system, in-house printing (desk top publishing) system, or the like.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, this type of printer is an online terminal device that is connected to a host computer (including word processors, workstations, etc.) via a signal cable.
R8-232C for the interface with the converter,
Those using Centronics, GPIB, etc. are common.

The following is a typical usage format in an office. The operator determines the information to be printed while operating the converter. For example, if you want to select and print a certain document from among the document files stored in the combiner, if you know the registration number of that document, enter that number; if not, call up the file register and display it. , select and specify the desired document from the displayed list. In this way, the computer console (man-machine interface) is used to specify the information to be printed and to issue a print execution command.

Print information (image information, text information, control information, etc.) is then sent from the computer to the printer through an online interface that connects the computer and printer, and the printer operates accordingly to print the provided information on paper.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention As mentioned above, printers whose functions are designed only to be used while being connected online to a host computer are inconvenient for the following usage patterns.

For example, information created using an information device such as a microcomputer, word processor, or electronic notebook without a printer is stored in a small portable memory such as an IC card, and then the information is printed using a separate printer. Assume the situation.

In the conventional system, the IC card is set in an IC card reader/writer, which is one of the online terminals of a computer, and the information written on the IC card is read by the computer and displayed on the console. The operator operates the console while looking at the display, specifies the information to be printed, and issues a print execution command.

Naturally, in conventional systems, printing processing must be performed via a computer as described above, but frequent use of a computer for this type of simple work is not an efficient mode of operation. Although it is a simple printing job, it cannot be executed without operating a console with many keys, so it cannot be performed by someone who does not know the basic operations of a host computer.

Furthermore, when storing information to be printed on an IC card using an information device such as the electronic notebook mentioned above, only that information can be stored in the IC card.
It may be stored on the card or mixed with other information. In the latter case, an identifier is attached to a directory in the information of the IC card to indicate whether the record is to be printed or a record that does not need to be printed.

That is, at the stage of providing the information to be printed in the form of an IC card, which record of the information on the IC card is to be printed has already been designated and embedded in the IC card. Nevertheless, there are procedures for setting this IC card in the host computer reader/writer, displaying the information on the card on the console, specifying what information to print, and procedures for executing printing. The user had to follow the steps of an interactive man-machine interface by operating the keyboard while looking at the display, which was extremely troublesome and troublesome.

This invention was made in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and in addition to the function of being used as an online computer terminal, the present invention aims to transfer information provided in the form of a portable memory such as an IC card to a host computer. To provide a printer capable of printing out with an extremely simple operation without going through.

Means for Solving the Problems The printer of the present invention includes a host interface for transmitting and receiving signals to and from a host computer connected via a signal cable, and a host interface for transmitting and receiving signals from the host computer via the host interface. A first print data generation means that interprets image information, character information, control information, etc. and develops image data on an image memory, and a removably attached portable memory for accessing the memory by being coupled to the first print data generation means. In response to the portable memory being attached to this memory interface, the image information, character information, control information, etc. written in the memory is read and interpreted, and the image data is stored on the image memory. and a printing means that prints the image data written into the image memory by the first and second print data generation means on paper.

Function: The host interface and the first print data generating means function as a conventional online computer terminal. the memory interface and the second
The print data generating means functions as an offline terminal, which is a feature of the present invention. Just by attaching the portable memory storing the information to be printed to the memory interface, the information is automatically printed out without any further operation.

Embodiment FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of a printer according to an embodiment of the present invention. The CPUI centralizes and sequence-controls each part of the printer, and performs overall data processing such as memory control. The host interface 2 is connected to the host computer 4 via the signal cable 3, and is connected to the R
3-232C.

Signals are exchanged with the host computer 4 according to an interface such as Centronics or GPIB.

The memory interface 5 is specifically an IC card reader, and when an IC card 6 as a portable memory is inserted into a card insertion slot provided in the casing of the printer,
A terminal portion of the IC card 6 is connected to the memory interface 5, allowing read access to the IC card 6. Of course, the IC card 6 is detachable from the memory interface 5.

The printer engine 7 is a mechanical system that constitutes the main body of the printer, and in the case of a laser printer, includes an optical system called a laser printer head, an electrophotographic system using a photosensitive drum, a printing paper feeding mechanism, and the like.

The image memory 9 is a memory that expands the image data of the dot pattern that is passed to the printer engine 7.

The video interface 8 sequentially supplies the dot pattern image data in the image memory 9 to the printer engine 7 in synchronization with the drawing operation of the printer engine 7.

In addition, there is a font memory 10 for converting character codes into character drawing data, a data decompression unit 11 for restoring compressed image information such as facsimile image information, and various processing processes. It is equipped with a working memory 12 that serves as a temporary storage location for data.

Figure 2 shows the same general memory map, where P(1 to n
) is image information divided by record in the image information area 13, P (1 to n) hdr indicates the top address where image information is written in the image information management area 14, and P (1 to n) rsv indicates the presence or absence of a printout.

Regarding the printer of the present invention configured as described above, the first aspect is as follows.
The operation will be explained below using FIG.

It receives image information, character information, control information, etc. from a host computer 4 connected with a signal cable 3 via a host interface 2, develops image data into an image memory 9 in a dot pattern according to this information, and sends it to a printer engine. 7. Print on paper. This functional system is exactly the same as a conventional printer, so it will not be explained further.

The IC card 6 is set in an information device such as a microcomputer, a word processor, an electronic notebook, or a facsimile receiving device, and information to be printed is written onto the IC card 6 by these information devices. IC card 6
In the case of a file organization in which a large number of information records are stored, an identifier indicating which records are to be printed out (or which records are not to be printed out) is added to the management information of the register.

The IC card 6 is taken out from the information device and set in the card insertion slot of the printer of the present invention.

Then, a sensor in the memory interface 5 detects the card insertion, and in response to the detection signal, the cPUl starts printing processing. First, I
The management information P (1 to n) rsv of the C card 6 is read out, and it is determined whether or not P (1 to n) should be recorded.

Next, read the management information P (1 to n) hdr P (
1 to n) and transfers the image information to the working memory 12, data decompression unit 11, font memory 10, etc. If it is compressed image information, it is restored to its original state by the data decompression unit 11 and developed into a dot pattern in the image memory 9, and if it is character information based on a code, it is converted into a font in the font memory 10 and the dot pattern is stored in the image memory 9. Dot pattern image data is created by expanding and, in some cases, combining these. The data in the image memory 9 is sequentially sent to the printer engine 7 and printed out.

In other words, just by inserting the IC card 6 into the card insertion slot of the printer, the desired information on the IC card 6 is printed one after another without any further operation. Of course, there is no problem whether the print request information is one page or multiple pages.

Note that the memory interface 5 may be provided with a writing function to the IC card 6, and an identifier indicating that the printed information has been printed may be attached to the printed information.

Incidentally, like the conventional printer, the printer of the present invention has only switches such as a power switch, a start switch related to maintenance and inspection, and a throat switch.
There is no advanced Naman machine interface function including a display that displays the information contents of the C card 6 and a keyboard that performs input operations in correspondence with the display contents (
(With this feature, the printer becomes more like a workstation.)

Effects of the Invention As explained in detail above, the printer of the present invention has an offline function for handling portable memory such as an IC card in addition to the normal function of using it by connecting online with a host computer. , the information written to the portable memory by an electronic notebook or facsimile receiving device can be automatically printed out without any intervention from the host computer, without the need for any troublesome input operations, just by installing the portable memory into the printer. can be out. Therefore, it not only improves the operational efficiency of office computer systems, etc., but also has high practicality, such as printing documents on an IC card by directly setting an IC card mailed from a home worker or a subcontractor into a printer. This creates a very convenient usage pattern.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a printer according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of the same memory structure. 1...CPU, 2...Host interface, 4
...Host computer, 5...Memory interface, 6...IC card, 7...Printer engine, 8...Video interface, 9...Image memory, 1°...Font memory, 11 . . . data expansion unit, 12 . . . working memory, 13 . . . image information area,
14... Image information management area. Figure 2

Claims (1)

[Claims] a host interface for transmitting and receiving signals with a host computer connected via a signal cable;
a first print data generating means that interprets image information, character information, control information, etc. received from the host computer via the host interface and develops image data on an image memory; a memory interface for connecting to and accessing a portable memory; and a memory interface for connecting image information, character information, and control information written in the memory in response to the portable memory being attached to the memory interface; The second step reads and interprets the image data and develops it on the image memory.
A printer comprising a print data generating means, and a printing means for printing the image data written into the image memory by the first and second print data generating means on paper.