Computer readable medium recording a printer control program, printer control method, and printer system

Abstract

The present invention provides a computer readable medium recording a printer control program for executing in a computer a command generation of generating a command that instructs a printer on operation and a command transmission of converting a command containing a predetermined amount of data into a packet and transmitting the packet command, wherein the computer executes: generating a preprocessing command for actuating a printing mechanism before a coloring agent is attached to a printing medium, and generating a dummy command to be included in a packet so as to obtain the predetermined amount of data, which will be discarded by the printer, and generating one or more packets including the dummy command and the preprocessing command.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an explanatory drawing illustrating a hardware configuration of a printer system in an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an explanatory drawing illustrating a functional configuration of the printer system in the embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a perspective drawing of a printing mechanism in the embodiment;

FIGS. 4A1 to 4B2 are explanatory drawings illustrating the contents of a command row and packet row in the embodiment and a comparative example;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the command generation unit in the embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the command transmission unit in the embodiment;

FIG. 7 is a sequence diagram of the printer system in the embodiment; and

FIG. 8 is a sequence diagram of the printer system in a comparative example.

Claims

1. A computer readable medium recording a printer control program for executing in a computer a command generation of generating a command that instructs a printer on operation and a command transmission of converting a command containing a predetermined amount of data into a packet and transmitting the packet command, wherein the computer executes: generating a preprocessing command for actuating a printing mechanism before a coloring agent is attached to a printing medium, andgenerating a dummy command to be included in a packet so as to obtain the predetermined amount of data, which will be discarded by the printer, andgenerating one or more packets including the dummy command and the preprocessing command.

2. The computer readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the computer executes: generating the dummy command with a command length from 1 byte to the packet length.

3. A printer control method having a command generation of generating a command that instructs a printer on operation and a command transmission of converting a command containing a predetermined amount of data into a packet and transmitting the packet command, wherein the method comprising: generating a preprocessing command for actuating a printing mechanism before a coloring agent is attached to a printing medium, andgenerating a dummy command to be included in a packet so as to obtain the predetermined amount of data, which will be discarded by the printer, andgenerating one or more packets including the dummy command and the preprocessing command.

4. The printer control method according to claim 3, generating the dummy command with a command length from 1 byte to the packet length.

5. A command processing system that processes a command used for a printing unit comprising: a command generation portion which generates the command that instructs the printing unit on operation;a storage portion which stores the command generated by the command generation portion;a command transmission portion which converts a command containing a predetermined amount of data into a packet and transmitting the packet command;wherein the command generation portion has a preprocessing command generation portion which generates a preprocessing command that actuates a printing mechanism before a coloring agent is attached to a printing medium and outputting the preprocessing command to the storage portion, and a dummy command generation portion which generates a dummy command to be included in a packet so as to obtain the predetermined amount of data, which will be discarded by the printing unit and outputting the dummy command to the storage portion.

6. The command processing system according to claim 5, wherein the dummy command generation portion generates the dummy command with a command length from 1 byte to the packet length.

7. The command processing system according to claim 5, wherein the preprocessing command causes the printing unit at least one of a cap opening operation and a flushing operation and a paper feed operation.

8. The command processing system according to claim 5, wherein the command transmission portion converts both of the dummy command and the preprocessing command into a packet.

9. The command processing system according to claim 5, wherein the dummy command generation portion output the dummy command subsequently to the preprocessing command to the storage portion if the preprocessing command generation portion generates the preprocessing command.

10. The command processing system according to claim 5, further comprising: a command reception portion which receives a command from the command transmission portion;a control signal generation portion which interprets the command received by the command reception portion and generates a control signal corresponding to the interpretation results to the printing unit;wherein the control signal generation portion discards the dummy command when the dummy command is contained in the command received by the command reception portion.