Printer, control method for the same, and control device
First Claim
1. A printer adapted to be connected to a host computer and to receive data including control commands from the host computer, comprising:
- a receive buffer for temporarily storing received data;
a data interpreter for interpreting the data in said receive buffer;
control means responsive to said data interpreter for controlling the printer;
state detection means for detecting whether the printer is in a first state in which data is received and the received data is not printed, or in a second state in which data is received and the received data is printed;
clearing means for clearing the receive buffer,characterized in that said clearing means is effective for automatically clearing said receive buffer immediately after said state detection means detecting said first state without need of a real-time buffer clearing command from said computer; and
a data discarding means for discarding print data and not discarding command data received from said host computer while said printer is in said first state.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
When the printer is off-line and receives a large volume of data, the receive buffer is not filled and the communication interface with the host computer does not enter a busy state. A receive buffer temporarily stores data, including control commands, from the host computer, and the printer operates according to the sequentially interpreted content of data stored to the receive buffer. By detecting whether the printer is on-line or off-line, data in the receive buffer is cleared when the printer goes off-line and data received from the host while the printer is off-line is destroyed without being buffered.
73 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A printer adapted to be connected to a host computer and to receive data including control commands from the host computer, comprising:
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a receive buffer for temporarily storing received data; a data interpreter for interpreting the data in said receive buffer; control means responsive to said data interpreter for controlling the printer; state detection means for detecting whether the printer is in a first state in which data is received and the received data is not printed, or in a second state in which data is received and the received data is printed; clearing means for clearing the receive buffer, characterized in that said clearing means is effective for automatically clearing said receive buffer immediately after said state detection means detecting said first state without need of a real-time buffer clearing command from said computer; and a data discarding means for discarding print data and not discarding command data received from said host computer while said printer is in said first state. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method of controlling a printer, comprising the steps of:
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(a) detecting whether said printer is in a first state in which data is received and the received data is not printed or in a second state in which data is received and the received data is printed; (b) automatically clearing a receive buffer for temporarily storing received data immediately after said printer entering said first state without need of a real-time buffer clearing command from said computer; and (e) discarding print data and not discarding command data received from a host computer after said receive buffer was cleared in step (b) and until step (a) detects said second state. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A printer adapted to be connected to a host computer and to receive data including control commands from the host computer, comprising:
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a receive buffer that temporarily stores received data; a data interpreter that interprets the data in said receive buffer; a controller responsive to said data interpreter that controls said printer; a state detector that detects whether said printer is in a first state in which data is received and the received data is not printed, or a second state in which data is received and the received data is printed; a clearing unit that clears said receive buffer, wherein said clearing unit is effective for automatically clearing said received buffer immediately after said state detector detecting said first state without need of a real-time buffer clearing command from said computer; and a data discarding unit that discards print data and does not discard command data received from said host computer while said printer is in said first state. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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Specification