Seiko Epson Corporation

Norishige Kakuno

Toshihiro Shima

Susumu Shiohara

Hikonosuke Uwai

Kazuhiko Iida

Hideaki Inukai

Tadashi Kobayashi

Ryoichi Shimizu

A printer system flexibly adaptable to various printer languages. The printer system combines a printer device and at least one data processing device. The data processing device and the printer device respectively have an intermediate code generating element for generating the intermediate code compatible with the print data and an intermediate code rasterization element for rasterizing the generated intermediate code into print image information. The printer device further has a printing element for controlling print image information rasterized by an intermediate code rasterization element and prints on the basis of stored print image information. An intermediate code generating element analyzes print data described in a language not corresponding to the intermediate code generating element of the printer device.

Printer system flexibly compatible with plurality of printer control languages (PCL) using intermediate and raster codes

When a plurality of development units holding toner of the same color are mounted in an image formation device, an error or warning or the like is displayed on the image formation device or the error or warning is outputted to a host on the basis of the total amount of toner remaining in the plurality of development units. In addition, printing is executed continuously even when a certain toner has run out or is about to run out. An image formation device in which a plurality of development units holding toner of the same color can be mounted is characterized in that the remaining amount of all the toner of the development units holding toner of the same color is managed.

Image forming apparatus and control method for image forming apparatus

The present invention is a printer controller furnished with a processor for exclusively executing a first task (printing task) for controlling a print engine, a second task (communication task) for controlling communication with host computers, and a third task (language task) for generating image data. These tasks are assigned priorities of execution in the order of the printing task, the communication task, and the language task. When there is a request for the execution of a task with a higher priority during the execution of a task with a lower priority, the processor executes the higher priority task whose execution has been requested instead of the lower priority task currently being executed. Therefore, the processor is able to execute the communication task, language task, and printing task with no conflict.

Printer controller for controlling the priorities of tasks in the printer system

A printer includes an intermediate code preparation section that converts print data into intermediate codes for each band, and the thus-converted intermediate code is stored in memory. The intermediate code is expanded to bit-map data, and the bit-map data are transferred to a print engine. An expansion time measurement section measures the time required for expanding the intermediate code for each band. A comparison-and-determination section determines, for each band, whether or not the time required for expanding the intermediate code into the bit-map data exceeds a threshold value, thereby preparing a band management table. With regard to only the bands which exceed a threshold value, an expansion management table is prepared by copying the band management table. The expansion management table is converted into a sorted expansion management table in which bands are sorted in descending order of expansion time. Intermediate codes for the bands are expanded beforehand into bit-map data in descending order from a higher band to a lower order band in the sorted expansion management table, so long as memory for expansion is reserved.

Printer, printer controller, and image input/output apparatus and method of printing

An intermediate code generating section generates intermediate codes corresponding to a print job on a rectangular block basis, the print job being received by a receiving section, arranges the intermediate codes generated on a rectangular block basis either in a lengthwise direction or in a widthwise direction of a page, and stores the arranged intermediate codes on a band basis in an intermediate code memory, the rectangular block being a square. An actual image data generating section generates actual image data by extracting the intermediate codes on a band basis from the intermediate code memory. In generating the actual image data, if the initially set direction of a page is changed, a direction in which to generate bits forming an intermediate code within each rectangular block having been generated is rotated by 90.degree. and rectangular blocks, each forming an intermediate code, are extracted on a band basis, the band extending in the other direction of the page.

Growing community of inventors

Nagano, Japan

Norishige Kakuno