JPH0520411A - Information processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To increase the efficiency in a processing relating to data output by reading vector data whose printing is requested by one page, obtaining the number of data with an arithmetic operation and generating dot data corresponding to the vector data when the number exceeds the number of previously set reference data. CONSTITUTION:A control part 1 reads the vector data whose output is requested by an operator from a vector data storage part 4, and calculates the number of data by one page when the vector data is transmitted to a printer 20. The number of the data is compared with a reference value which is set in the ROM of the control part 1, and it is decided whether the data is transmitted to the printer at the output mode of the vector data of it is transmitted at the output mode of the dot data by generating the dot data corresponding to the vector data according to the result. When the number of the data is judged to exceed the reference value, the vector data is transferred to a dot data generation part 5 and the dot data corresponding to the vector data is generated and outputted.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention processes coded information including coordinate information and records (prints) according to the information generated by the coded information, such as a CAD system.
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus for performing the above, and particularly to an information processing apparatus having two different output modes.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, in a CAD system, a versatility of generated information is improved to simplify processing such as editing, and the amount of information to be processed is reduced to shorten processing time. ) Handles coded information.

For example, in the case of a single straight line, it is represented by a series of code groups representing the coordinates of one end of the line, the coordinates of the other end, and the attributes of the line (type of line, etc.).

By the way, in a CAD system or the like which employs a line printer having a high recording speed as a recording device, the coded data inside the processing device is processed by the main body of the processing device or the printer, and a large number of dots corresponding to the coded data. Only after the data has been generated and arranged in the order in which it will be recorded can it be printed. This processing is called raster processing, and the signals generated by this raster processing are called raster signals.

Therefore, when the operator makes a print request, a large number of dot data corresponding to the coded data are generated in the processing apparatus main body and arranged in the order of recording and output to a printer for printing, or the processing apparatus main body is printed. From here on, the encoded data is output to the printer, a large number of dot data corresponding to the encoded data is generated by the printer, and the dot data is arranged in the recording order and printed. Either one is selected in advance.

[0006]

For example, in the case of simple picture data such as a few straight lines, the coded data has a smaller amount of data than the dot data, so that the processing device main body can transfer the data to the printer. Since the transmission time required for transmission is short and efficient, the operator selects the output mode in which the encoded data is transmitted from the processing apparatus main body to the printer and output.

On the other hand, when the picture to be created becomes complicated, the number of straight lines or circles increases, so that it is rather time-consuming to transmit the dot data generated by performing the raster processing in the processing apparatus main body as a raster signal. In this case, the operator selects the output mode in which the raster processing is performed by the processing apparatus main body and the generated raster signal is transmitted to the printer and output.

However, it is difficult to judge which output mode the operator outputs in advance, which shortens the transmission time and improves the efficiency, and there are two output modes for an unfamiliar operator. There was a problem that the efficiency was deteriorated because the output was performed in the output mode in which the transmission time was long without knowing the fact.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and provides an information processing apparatus that efficiently executes a process related to data output.

[0010]

According to a first or second aspect of the present invention, a generating means for generating dot data corresponding to vector data, a calculating means for calculating the number of data of the vector data, and a calculating means. Claims: Comparing means for comparing the number of data calculated by the above with a predetermined reference data number, and control means for controlling the generating means to generate dot data according to the result of the comparing means. According to the invention described in No. 3, generating means for generating dot data corresponding to vector data,
A storage means for storing the dot data generated by the generation means, a first calculation means for calculating the number of vector data data, and a number of dot data data stored in the storage means. Second computing means, comparing means for comparing the number of vector data computed by the first computing means with the number of dot data computed by the second computing means, It comprises a selection means for selecting whether to output in the vector data format or the dot data format according to the result of the comparison means.

[0011]

According to the first or second aspect of the present invention, the information processing apparatus reads the vector data for which printing is requested from the storage unit and calculates the number of data for one page by the calculation means. The calculated data number is compared with the preset predetermined reference data number by the comparison means, and when the calculated data number is equal to or larger than the predetermined reference data number, the control means controls the generation means to control the dot data corresponding to the vector data. To generate and output data.

Therefore, the optimum output mode for the amount of data is automatically selected, and the efficiency of the printing process is improved.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the information processing apparatus reads the vector data for which printing is requested from the storage unit and calculates the number of data for one page by the first calculating means. Also, the dot data corresponding to the vector data is generated by the generating means and stored in the storing means. The number of stored data is calculated by the second calculating means. The number of data calculated by the first calculation means and the number of data calculated by the second calculation means are compared by the comparison means, and either one of the data formats having the smaller number of data is selected and output by the selection means.

Therefore, the optimum output mode is automatically selected according to the amount of data, and the efficiency of print processing is further improved.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 and 2 are diagrams showing an embodiment of an information processing apparatus of the invention according to claim 1 or 2.

In FIG. 1, the information processing apparatus main body 10 is R
A control unit 1 configured by a microprocessor including an AM and a ROM, which controls the entire apparatus, a screen display unit 2 for displaying various messages and data to an operator, an input unit 3 for an operator to input operation information,
It has a vector data storage unit 4 in which information about vector data is stored, a dot data generation unit 5 for generating dot data corresponding to the vector data, a data bus 6, and an interface 7 for transmitting / receiving data to / from the printer 20. ing.

Using the block diagram of the information processing apparatus 1 of FIG. 1 as an example, FIG. 2 shows a flowchart of this embodiment.

The flowchart of this embodiment shown in FIG. 2 represents a control program stored in the ROM included in the control unit 1 shown in FIG.

A CPU (not shown) included in the control unit 1
Executed by.

In FIG. 2, step 10 reads the vector data requested by the operator from the vector data storage unit 4 and calculates the number of data for one page when the vector data is transmitted to the printer 20. It is a step.

For example, the vector data has coordinates (10, 2).
If it is a straight line between 0) and (300, 1000), the data is [ESC] 3A 10 20 300 1000
It becomes [CR] [LF], and the data number becomes 19 bytes.

Step 11 is a step of comparing this number of data with a reference value set in the ROM of the control unit 1. Depending on the comparison result, the data is transmitted to the printer in the vector data output mode or the vector data is converted into vector data. It is determined whether to generate the corresponding dot data and transmit in the dot data output mode.

When the number of data is judged to be the reference value or more in step 11, step 12 is executed.

Step 12 is a step of passing the vector data to the dot data generating section 5 in order to generate and output dot data corresponding to the vector data.

Step 13 is a step in which the control section 1 transmits data to the printer 20 via the interface 7 in each output mode.

The reference value set in the information processing device 1 is
It is set according to each print paper size and the resolution of the printing apparatus.

For example, if the printing paper size is A4 size and the resolution is 300 dpi (dot / inch), 1
The number of dots on the line is 2480, and the number of lines is 350.
When the dot data corresponding to one page of A4 size printing paper is generated, the number of data becomes about 1 MByte.

However, normally, all the data for one page is rarely transmitted, and the white line, that is, the line where nothing is written, is not transmitted to suppress the amount of data to be transmitted.

Therefore, the reference value to be set in the ROM in the control unit 1 is set to a certain ratio of 1 MByte (for example, 80% of 1 MByte) considering that the white line is not transmitted in the case of A4 size. deep.

Although the reference value in the above embodiment is fixedly set in the RAM of the control unit 1, the reference value can be freely set and set by the data input by the operator through the input unit 3. It may be a variable one that can be changed.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an embodiment of an information processing apparatus of the invention described in claim 3. The present embodiment is applied to an information processing apparatus similar to the information processing apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 1, and in the description of the present embodiment, the reference numerals used in FIG. To do.

The information processing apparatus 10 of this embodiment is the same as that shown in FIG.
The control processing of the control unit 1 is different from that of the information processing apparatus 10. FIG. 3 shows a flowchart for implementing the present invention.

In FIG. 3, in step 20, the control unit 1 reads the vector data requested by the operator from the vector data storage unit 4, and the number of data for one page when the vector data is transmitted to the printer 20. Is calculated.

Step 21 is a step of passing the vector data to the dot data generator 5 in order to generate dot data corresponding to the vector data. When the dot generation unit 5 generates dot data corresponding to vector data, the control unit 1 reads this vector data from the dot data generation unit 5 and stores it in the vector data storage unit 4 again.

Step 22 is a step of calculating the data number of the dot data generated in step 21.

Step 23 is a step of comparing the number of vector data calculated in step 20 with the number of dot data calculated in step 22.

Steps 24 and 25 are steps for selecting an output mode according to the comparison result of step 23. If it is determined in step 23 that the number of vector data items is smaller than the number of dot data items, step 24 is executed and the vector data output mode is selected. On the contrary, if it is determined in step 23 that the number of vector data is larger than the number of dot data, step 25 is executed and the dot data output mode is selected.

Step 26 is a step in which the control unit 1 transmits data to the printer 20 via the interface 7 in the output mode selected in Step 24 or Step 25. When the output mode of the vector data is selected, the control unit 1 again stores the stored vector data.
Data from the vector data storage unit 4, and the printer 2
0 is transmitted in the output mode of vector data. When the dot data output mode is selected, the control unit 1 causes the dot data generation unit 5 to generate the dot data.
The data is read out and transmitted to the printer 20 in the dot data output mode.

The information processing apparatus embodying the present invention may be any apparatus having a function of creating and editing characters and figures, such as an office computer, a personal computer, an image editing processing system, a workstation,
It can be implemented in various information processing devices such as CAD, CAD / CAM, and graphic processors.

[0039]

According to the invention of claim 1 or 2,
The output that must be performed in a fixed manner by selecting either vector data as it is output to the printer or generating dot data and outputting it to the printer in the dot data output mode is performed. Since the reference value and the number of data to be output are compared and the output mode is selected according to the comparison result, the optimum output mode is automatically selected, and the throughput of the output processing is dramatically improved.

According to the invention described in claim 3, dot data corresponding to vector data is generated without setting the predetermined reference value, and the number of generated dot data is compared with the number of vector data. Then, since the output mode with the smaller number of data is selected, the more optimal output mode is automatically selected, and the throughput of the output processing is dramatically improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing the invention according to claim 1 or 2. FIG.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing a control process according to the invention of claim 1 or 2.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a control process according to the invention of claim 3.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 control unit 2 screen display 3 input section 4 Vector data storage 5 dot data generator 6 data bus 7 interface 10 Information processing device body 20 printers

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁵ Identification code Office reference number FI technical display location G06K 15/22 2116-5L

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A generating means for generating a dot data corresponding to the vector data, having a representative point coordinate value giving a contour line coordinate of a graphic image as vector data, and a dot data generated by the generating means. In an information processing apparatus having a storing means for storing and connected to a printing apparatus through an interface, it is judged whether the amount of data to be transmitted to the printing apparatus by vector data or dot data is small. A predetermined reference value for calculating the number of data of the vector data, a comparing means for comparing the number of data with a predetermined reference data number, and the number of data by the comparing means. Is determined to be greater than or equal to the predetermined reference data number, the control means controls the generation means to generate dot data from the vector data. Information processing equipment to be collected. 2. The information according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined reference data number is set according to a size of printing paper and a resolution of a printing device connected to the information processing device via an interface. Processing equipment. 3. A generating means for generating a dot data corresponding to the vector data, which has coordinate values of representative points giving contour coordinates of a graphic image as vector data, and dot data generated by the generating means. In an information processing device having a storage means for storing, a first calculation means for calculating the number of data of the vector data and a second calculation means for calculating the number of data of the dot data stored in the storage means Computing means, comparing means for comparing the first data number computed by the first computing means with the second data number computed by the second computing means, And a control means for controlling the generating means to generate dot data from the vector data when the comparing means determines that the first data number is greater than or equal to the second data number. Information that is characterized by Information processing device.