JP3363538B2 - Color recording method and apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a color recording method and apparatus, and more particularly, it has a plurality of print buffers and can generate cyan, magenta, yellow, and black image data in any of the plurality of print buffers. The present invention relates to a recording method and an apparatus of a form.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Normally, when printing out a color image,
Print output is performed by mixing image data of three colors of yellow, magenta, and cyan, or four colors in which black is added to these. A case will be described below in which a color image is printed out by mixing image data of four colors, which is a mainstream color recording device.

There is a buffer inside the recording apparatus for holding image data generated by external data (hereinafter referred to as a print buffer), and a color recording apparatus has image data for four colors. Therefore, four print buffers are prepared. In addition, since the recording device generally prints one line at a slower speed than the data transfer for one line from the outside, the recording device has a print buffer for a plurality of lines in order to increase the image data generation efficiency. is doing.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a print buffer group 103 of a four-color full-color recording device. The print buffer 501 for one line is composed of a set of four colors of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black, and the buffer for each color is fixed for the image data of that color.

[0005]

As described above, when four print buffers per line are fixedly used so as to generate image data of a specific color, they are included in the line currently to be generated. Even if there is only one color, only the image data for the prepared number of lines can be generated, and the print buffer prepared for the image data of other colors is not used at all. Occur. For example, in the case of image data in which cyan is not used at all, if image data for three lines is generated as shown in FIG. 6, the print output is generated even though the three print buffers 601 for cyan are unused. The image data of the next line cannot be generated unless the print buffer for one line is released by the end of.

The present invention focuses on such a conventional problem,
An object of the present invention is to improve the image data generation efficiency by using the print buffer prepared in the recording device without waste, and to shorten the print output time.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, the color recording apparatus of the present invention has the following constitution.

The data amount for one line is calculated for each color component.
Of the multiple image data that can be generated as a unit of generation ,
Data generating means for generating only image data of color components forming an image, and data for one line only for the image data.
A plurality of memory means for storing the image data as a unit, a selection means for selecting an unused memory means from the plurality of memory means, and a storage means for storing the image data in the memory means selected by the selection means. A correspondence management means that associates the image data with the selected memory means using color information and output position information about the image data, and a correspondence made by the correspondence management means. Day one line from said memory means on the basis of
An output unit that outputs image data in units of data amount .

The color recording method of the present invention has the following configuration.

The data amount for one line is calculated for each color component.
Of the multiple image data that can be generated as a unit of generation ,
A data generating step of generating only image data of color components forming an image, and a process of generating only one line of data for the image data.
Data from multiple memory means that store
A selecting step of selecting a memory means for use, a data storing step of storing the image data in the memory means selected by the selecting step, and a correspondence between the image data and the selected memory means, Based on the correspondence management process performed using the color information and output position information about the data, and the data amount for one line from the memory means based on the correspondence made in the correspondence management process .
And an output step of outputting image data.

[0011]

With the above structure, the image data can be stored in a desired unused memory, and the unusable memory can be eliminated.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail and specifically below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a color recording apparatus according to the present invention. The color recording apparatus according to the present embodiment receives data from the outside, analyzes the data, and generates image data, and a device control unit that controls the recording apparatus according to the information analyzed by the data analysis unit 101. And 102, which operate in parallel. The recording apparatus also has a print buffer group 103 capable of generating image data for a plurality of lines, and the data analysis unit 101 generates image data on the print buffer 103 from the received data, Device control unit 10
2 prints out the image data generated by the data analysis unit 101. While the data analysis unit 101 is generating image data, each print buffer is exclusively controlled between the data analysis unit 101 and the device control unit 102 in order to prevent the image data being generated from being printed out by the device control unit 102. ing.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the print buffer group 103. In this embodiment, 12 print buffers 2
Each of the print buffers has a size sufficient to generate one line of image data of one color. Also, each print buffer is numbered so that they can be distinguished.

Next, the procedure of image generation / print output by the color image recording apparatus having the configuration of FIG. 1 will be described. FIG. 7 is a flowchart of image data generation in this embodiment,
FIG. 8 is a flow chart of a print buffer acquisition method when generating yellow image data. The print buffer acquisition method when generating image data of each color component of magenta, cyan, and black is the same, and therefore these are omitted.

First, the data analysis unit 101 analyzes data from the outside and tests in step S701 whether image data generation is necessary. When it becomes necessary to generate image data, image data for each of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black is generated on the print buffer. For that purpose, the colors to be developed are checked in steps S702 to S704, and the image data of each color is expanded in steps S705 to S708.

FIG. 8 shows the detailed procedure of step S706. First, in step S801, it is tested whether the print buffer has already been acquired for the image data of the color to be generated (yellow in this case). If it has been acquired, the image data of the same color is generated in the already acquired print buffer, but if the print buffer has not been acquired, step S80.
In step 2, one unused print buffer is acquired from the print buffer group 103, and the print buffer is allocated as a print buffer for image data of the color to be generated. In step S803, which print buffer was allocated is determined. Remember. At this time, the print buffer to be acquired may be any print buffer that is unused in the print buffer group 103, and there is no distinction between the print buffers. When a new print buffer is acquired, each color is associated with the print buffer number so that it can be known which color the print buffer is assigned to.

The allocation of the print buffer is shown in FIG.
Can be managed as follows. A FIFO memory 901 corresponding to each print buffer is secured. If the print buffer group 103 is used as a FIFO,
The unused state can be distinguished by the leading pointer on the FIFO memory 901, that is, the pointer H pointing to the buffer being output, and the trailing pointer, that is, the pointer T pointing to the buffer in which the image data is being developed. That is, the buffers from the pointer H to the pointer T are in use, and the other buffers are unused. If the line number and color are stored as the contents of the FIFO memory, the line and color assigned to each print buffer can be known. In the example of FIG. 9, the buffer 204 is being output, "1Y", that is, the yellow on the first line, is being stored therein, and the buffer 210 is being developed, and the content is "3Y", that is, three lines. It is a yellow eye. When the image data is expanded, the data analysis unit 101 acquires a buffer next to the pointer T (buffer 211 in FIG. 9) as a new buffer, advances the pointer T to the next, and stores the line number stored in the acquired buffer. And store the color. Further, when printing out, the image data pointed by the pointer H is output, and when output is completed, the process proceeds to the next buffer (buffer 205 in FIG. 9). When all 12 buffers are in use, new image data is not expanded until output and the buffers are empty. In this way, it is possible to easily distinguish the used buffer from the unused buffer. It should be noted that the method of managing the buffer is not limited to this method, but any method may be used as long as the buffer and the contents thereof are associated with each other, and used / unused can be distinguished. Unlike the FIFO, the buffers are not controlled in order, and the buffers can be used in any order as long as the buffer usage status is indicated by a pointer or an identifier for each buffer.

The print buffer thus acquired by the data analysis unit 101 is excluded from the unused print buffers and released by the data analysis unit 101, or released by the device control unit 102 upon completion of print output. Up to now, the data analysis unit 101 cannot newly acquire. Image data is expanded in the newly acquired print buffer in step S804.

After that, the data analysis unit 101 checks in step S710 whether or not the image data needs to be printed out, and if necessary, the acquired print buffer is transferred to the device control unit 1.
02, and communicates so as to print out this content in step S711. Here, since the data analysis unit 101 and the device control unit 102 operate in parallel, the device control unit 1
Data analysis unit 10 while 02 is executing print output.
1 can perform image generation. That is, while the device control unit 102 is executing print output, the data analysis unit 1
01 generates the image data of the next line, and the efficiency of image data generation can be improved as the number of unused print buffers increases.

When the device control unit 102 finishes the print output of the image in the print buffer received from the data analysis unit 101, these print buffers are released in step S712, and the released print buffer is reused as an unused print buffer. Treated

FIG. 3 shows three colors of yellow, cyan and black.
Image data composed of colors is transferred to the printer buffer group 10
An example expanded to 3 is shown. As described above, since the vacant print buffer is selected from the 12 print buffers for each color, the 12 print buffers can be used as a buffer of 3 colors × 4 lines. 4 shows an example in which monochrome image data is expanded in the print buffer group 103. In the conventional example, buffers other than black could not be used, but in this embodiment, all buffers can be used for black, and 12 buffers can be used as 1 × 12 line buffers.

As described above, the printing apparatus of this embodiment can use the print buffer without waste. Therefore, when the number of colors forming an image is small, the number of lines stored in the buffer can be increased correspondingly, and the efficiency of print output can be improved.

In this embodiment, the buffer is described as a line unit, but in the case of a page printer, at least two buffers each having a size of one page or a fraction thereof are provided for each color. Even if there is, the present invention can be applied to manage each buffer and improve the output efficiency.

An ink jet system can be used as the engine of the recording apparatus of this embodiment, and its structure will be described with reference to FIG.

<Structure of Inkjet Recording Device> FIG.
Is an inkjet recording apparatus IJR to which the present invention can be applied.
It is a general-view figure of A. In the figure, a drive motor 5013
Driving force transmission gears 5011, 500
The carriage HC that engages with the spiral groove 5004 of the lead screw 5005 that rotates via 9 has a pin (not shown) and is reciprocated in the directions of arrows a and b. The carriage HC has an ink jet cartridge IJC.
Is installed. An ink jet head IJH is also provided in the ink cartridge IJC. The inkjet head IJH and the inkjet cartridge IJC are independent for each color of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black. Reference numeral 5002 denotes a paper pressing plate that holds the paper in the platen 500 in the moving direction of the carriage.
Press against 0. Reference numerals 5007 and 5008 denote photocouplers, which are home position detecting means for confirming the presence of the carriage lever 5006 in this area and switching the rotation direction of the motor 5013. Reference numeral 5016 is a member that supports a cap member 5022 that caps the front surface of the recording head. Reference numeral 5015 is a suction unit that sucks the inside of the cap, and performs suction recovery of the recording head through the in-cap opening 5023. Reference numeral 5017 is a cleaning blade, and 5019 is a member that allows this blade to move in the front-rear direction, and these are supported by a main body support plate 5018. Needless to say, a well-known cleaning blade can be applied to this example instead of this form.
Reference numeral 5012 denotes a lever for starting suction for suction recovery, which moves in accordance with the movement of the cam 5020 that engages with the carriage, and the movement of the driving force from the driving motor is controlled by a known transmission means such as clutch switching. To be done.

The capping, cleaning, and suction recovery are configured so that the desired processing can be performed at their corresponding positions by the action of the lead screw 5005 when the carriage comes to the area on the home position side. As long as the desired operation is performed at the timing, any of the above can be applied to this example.

<Description of Control Configuration> Next, a control configuration for executing the recording control of the above-mentioned apparatus will be described with reference to the block diagram shown in FIG. In the figure showing the control circuit, 1700 is an interface for inputting a recording signal, 1701 is an MPU, 1702 is an MPU 1701.
RO storing the control program executed by
M and 1703 are dynamic type ROMs for storing various data (recording data, recording data supplied to the head, etc.). Reference numeral 1704 is a gate array that controls the supply of print data to the print head 1708, and includes an interface 1700, an MPU 1701, and a RAM 17.
It also controls the data transfer between 03. Reference numeral 1710 is a carrier motor for carrying the recording head 1708, and 1709 is a carrying motor for carrying the recording paper. Reference numeral 1705 is a head driver for driving the head, and 1706 and 1707 are motor drivers for driving the carry motor 1709 and the carrier motor 1710, respectively. Needless to say, the head driver 1705 and the recording head 1708 are provided for each color.

The operation of the above control structure will be described. When a recording signal is input to the interface 1700, the gate array 1
A recording signal is converted between the 704 and the MPU 1701 to print data for printing. And the motor driver 1
The recording heads 706 and 1707 are driven and the recording head is driven according to the recording data sent to the head driver 1705, and print output is performed.

The constituent elements of the present invention can be incorporated in the control structure of the ink jet printer as described above. The data analysis unit 101 and the device control unit 102 in FIG.
Can be implemented by the MPU 1701 that executes the programs stored in the gate array 1704 and the ROM 1702. The print buffer group 103 is a DRAM
Allocate to Article 1703. Further, the procedures of FIGS. 7 and 8 can be realized as a program stored in the ROM 1702.

As described above, the print buffer prepared in the recording device can be used without waste, and in the case where the image data is composed of only three colors, printing for four lines is possible. Become a buffer, 2
If it is composed of only colors, it has a print buffer for 6 lines, and if it is a single color, it has a print buffer for 12 lines. Therefore, the generation efficiency of the image data can be improved, and as a result, the printout time can be shortened.

The present invention may be applied to a system composed of a plurality of devices or an apparatus composed of a single device. Further, it goes without saying that the present invention can be applied to the case where it is achieved by supplying a program to a system or an apparatus.

[0033]

According to the color recording method and apparatus of the present invention, the print buffer provided in the recording apparatus can be used without waste, so that the image data generation efficiency can be improved and the printout time can be shortened. There is an effect.

[0034]

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a print buffer in the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a method of assigning a print buffer to each image data.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a method of assigning a print buffer to each image data.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a configuration of a conventional print buffer.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a print buffer allocation method when generating image data in a conventional print buffer configuration.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a procedure for assigning a print buffer to each image data.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a procedure for generating yellow image data.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a structure of data for managing a print buffer.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the configuration of an inkjet recording apparatus.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a control configuration of the inkjet recording apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

101 Data analysis program 102 Device control program 103 print buffer group 201 print buffer

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Claims (7)

(57) [Claims] 1. A data amount for one line is recorded for each color component.
Among the plurality of image data can be generated as a unit of data generation, data generating means for generating only the image data of the color components constituting the image, the data amount of one line only the image data in units
A plurality of memory means for storing the image data, a selecting means for selecting an unused memory means from the plurality of memory means, a storing means for storing the image data in the memory means selected by the selecting means, and the image data And the selected memory means are associated with each other by using the association management means for performing association between the selected memory means and the color information and the output position information for the image data, and the memory based on the association made by the association management means. A color recording apparatus, comprising: an output unit configured to output image data whose unit is a data amount for one line . 2. The color recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the selection unit selects an unused one from the plurality of memory units based on the association by the association unit. 3. Recording on a recording medium line by line
A color recording device for performing the recording of the position information
The line number according to claim 1, characterized in that
On-board color recording device. 4. The associating unit associates the association with
About the color information about the image data and the image data
The position information of the
The color recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the color recording apparatus is a color recording apparatus. 5. The color recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a recording head that records based on the image data output by the output unit. 6. The color recording apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the recording head records by ejecting ink. 7. A data amount for one line is recorded for each color component.
Among the plurality of image data can be generated as a unit of data generation, and data generating step of generating only the image data of the color components constituting the image, the data amount of one line only the image data in units
Unused memory means from multiple memory means to store
A selection step of selecting, a data storage step of storing the image data in the memory means selected in the selection step, a correspondence between the image data and the selected memory means, and a color for the image data. correspondence management process and, image <br/> image data in units of data of one line from said memory means on the basis of the correspondence management association made in step performed using the information and the output position information And an output step of outputting the color recording method.