JP2003050680A - Printing system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve a printing speed in a simple configuration. SOLUTION: Data for one page are divided and edited into a plurality of bands based on a basic graphic data list where page data are converted by a band editing means, and those divided and edited bands are processed in either a host base system or a PDL system based on a prescribed relational formula by a plotting judging means, and the data processed in either the host base system or the PDL system are transmitted to a printing device as command data by a data transmitting means.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printing system for drawing by both PDL system and host-based system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art There is known a printing system in which a printing device whose operation is controlled by a host computer performs printing based on print data sent from the host computer. This printing system is a host-based method or PD
Printing is controlled by an operation mode of any one of the L (Page description language) methods.

In host-based printing,
Printing is performed by transferring raster data obtained by calculating all print data in the host computer to the printing device. In this case, since there is less calculation processing performed on the printing device side, the cost for the CPU and the memory of the printing device can be reduced, but in many cases, raster data is larger than PDL, and therefore, from the host computer. The amount of data sent to the printing device increases,
The print speed was slow.

In printing by the PDL system, printing is performed by transferring data in the form of a drawing command from the host computer. In this case, since the amount of calculation on the host computer side is small, the host computer can be released from the printing process quickly. In most cases, the drawing command, which is a more abstract representation, has a smaller amount of data than the raster data, so the amount of data transferred from the host computer to the printing device is small, and the printing speed is improved. On the other hand, when the printing performance of the printing device is inferior to that of the host computer because the printing is performed by the printing device, the printing speed may be reduced.

In order to make the most of the features of the host-based method and the PDL method, it is possible to arbitrarily select which mode is used for printing.
There is a proposal of 000-0337929. Furthermore, as a more efficient process, there is a method of dividing the data in the page into a plurality of band parts, host-based processing and PDL processing, and further distributing the data to a high-speed drawing device and a firmware drawing means inside the printing apparatus. -1507
No. 32 publication.

[0006]

However, the above-mentioned prior art has the following problems.

First, since the processing load amount for each band is calculated using only the drawing processing time, the printing time is not optimized. This is because when the band is processed by the host-based method, the amount of data usually increases and the print speed decreases, but the amount of decrease decreases remarkably when the data transfer speed between the host computer and the printing device is low. This is because, no matter how fast the drawing process of the host computer is, the printing speed will eventually decrease due to the delay due to the data transfer time.

Secondly, since a high speed drawing device is required on the printing apparatus side, the structure becomes complicated.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a printing system having a simple structure and capable of improving the printing speed.

[0010]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, a printing system is created as a set of basic figures by either a host-based method using a bitmap image or a PDL method using a command corresponding to each basic figure. A printing system in which document data is sent from a host computer to a printing device, and a band editing means for dividing and editing one page of data into a plurality of bands based on a basic figure data list into which page data has been converted, and a predetermined unit. Based on the relational expression, the drawing determination means for processing the plurality of divided and edited bands by either the host base method or the PDL method, and the data processed by the host base method or the PDL method are printed as command data. And a data sending means for sending to the device. Also,
The band editing means includes a band storage unit that holds a basic figure data list corresponding to a plurality of bands, a pre-drawing capacity determination unit that holds a pre-drawing capacity corresponding to the plurality of bands, and a drawing area corresponding to the plurality of bands. After drawing, the capacity determining unit that holds the drawing data, the drawing time calculation unit that holds the drawing time of the host computer and the drawing time of the printing device corresponding to a plurality of bands, and the basic drawing data list are received. , A band editing unit that outputs the command capacity of the basic figure data to the pre-drawing capacity determination section, the drawing area of the basic figure data to the post-drawing capacity determination section, and the type and drawing area of the basic figure data to the drawing time calculation section. Can be equipped with. In addition, the predetermined relational expression is the pre-drawing capacity corresponding to a plurality of bands in the pre-drawing capacity determination unit is C
(N), the drawing area corresponding to the plurality of bands in the post-drawing capacity determination unit is akB (N), and the host computer drawing time and the printing device drawing time corresponding to the plurality of bands in the drawing time calculation unit are H (N), respectively. ) And P (N),
When the transmission rate output from the transmission rate determination unit is M, (akB (N) -C (N)) / M <P (N) -H
(N), the drawing determination means executes processing by the host-based method for a plurality of bands when a predetermined relational expression holds, and executes processing by the PDL method when it does not hold. be able to. Further, the data sending means draws the basic graphic data list of a plurality of bands on the band bit map image, and further draws the data, and the band bit map image sending when receiving the data compressed band bit map image. When the command is sent and the basic figure data list is received from the drawing determination means, the command generating section that converts the basic figure data in the basic figure data list into the corresponding command and sends the command, and the command data from the command generating section ,
Judges from the port information of the data transmission unit the data transmission unit that sends the port information related to the port and the transmission speed when sending data from the host computer to the printing device while transmitting to the port connected to the printing device. It is possible to provide a transmission rate determining unit for performing the transmission. Further, the data sending means may be provided with a drawing schedule management unit for managing the drawing schedule in the drawing judging means. Further, the drawing determination means sets the time Host (N) required for the data transfer and the band drawing process of the plurality of bands in the host-based method to Hos.
t (N) = H (N) + akB (N) / M,
The time PDL (N) required for data transfer and band drawing processing in the PDL method is PDL (N) = P (N) + C (N)
It can be calculated by / M. Claim 7
In the printing method described in (1), document data created as a set of basic figures is sent from the host computer to the printing apparatus by either a host-based method using a bitmap image or a PDL method using a command corresponding to each basic figure. The printing method is a first step in which the data for one page is divided and edited into a plurality of bands based on the basic graphic data list in which the page data is converted by the band editing means, and the drawing determination means determines a predetermined value. The second step in which the plurality of divided and edited bands are processed by either the host-based method or the PDL method based on the relational expression of P.
And a third step in which data processed by any of the L methods is sent to the printing apparatus as command data. Further, in the first step, a fourth step in which the band storage unit holds basic graphic data lists corresponding to a plurality of bands, and in the pre-drawing capacity determination unit, a pre-drawing capacity corresponding to a plurality of bands Is held, a post-drawing capacity determination unit holds a sixth drawing area corresponding to a plurality of bands, and a drawing time calculation unit holds a host computer drawing corresponding to a plurality of bands. A seventh step in which the time and the printing device drawing time are held;
When the band editing unit receives the basic graphic data list, the band storage unit stores the basic graphic data, the pre-drawing capacity determination unit stores the command capacity of the basic graphic data, and the post-drawing capacity determination unit stores the drawing area of the basic graphic data, The drawing time calculation unit may include an eighth step of outputting the type of basic figure data and the drawing area. Further, in the second step, the predetermined relational expression is that the pre-drawing capacity corresponding to the plurality of bands in the pre-drawing capacity determining section is C (N), and the drawing area corresponding to the plurality of bands in the post-drawing capacity determining section. AkB (N), H (N) and P (N), respectively, the host computer drawing time and the printing device drawing time corresponding to a plurality of bands in the drawing time calculation unit, and the transmission speed output from the transmission speed determination unit. When it is M, (akB
(N) -C (N)) / M <P (N) -H (N),
When a given relation holds, for multiple bands,
It is possible to include the ninth step in which the processing is executed by the PDL method when the processing by the host-based method is executed and is not established. In the third step, the drawing unit draws the basic graphic data lists of a plurality of bands in the band bitmap image, and the data compression is performed in the tenth step, and the command generation unit compresses the data. When the band bit map image is received, a band bit map image send command is sent, and when the basic figure data list is received from the drawing determination means, the basic figure data in the basic figure data list is converted into a corresponding command. First sent out
1st step, the 12th step of transmitting the command data from the command generating section by the data transmitting section to the connected port of the printing apparatus, and transmitting the port information regarding the port, and the transmission speed. The determination unit can include a thirteenth step of determining the transmission speed at the time of sending data from the host computer to the printing apparatus from the port information of the data transmission unit. The drawing schedule management unit may include a fourteenth step in which the drawing schedule in the drawing determination unit is managed. Further, the time Host (N) required for data transfer and band drawing processing of a plurality of bands in the host-based method is Host (N) = H (N) +
The time PDL (N) calculated by akB (N) / M and required for data transfer and band drawing processing by the PDL method is
A fifteenth step calculated by PDL (N) = P (N) + C (N) / M can be included. In the printing system according to the present invention, the band editing means divides and edits one page of data into a plurality of bands based on the basic figure data list into which the page data has been converted, and the drawing determination means determines a predetermined relational expression. Based on
Multiple bands that have been divided and edited are either host-based or P
It is processed by any of the DL methods, and by the data transmission means,
Data processed by either the host-based method or the PDL method is sent to the printing apparatus as command data.

[0011]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below.

(First Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a first embodiment of a printing system of the present invention, FIG.
3 to 3 are diagrams for explaining the printing method by the printing system of FIG.

The printing system shown in FIG. 1 comprises a host computer 100 and a printing device 113.

The host computer 100 includes a display list generation unit 101, a band editing unit 102, a band storage unit 103, a pre-drawing capacity determination unit 104, a post-drawing capacity determination unit 105, a drawing time calculation unit 106, a drawing cost database 107, and a drawing. Judgment unit 108, transmission rate judgment unit 10
9, a drawing unit 110, a command generation unit 111, and a data transmission unit 112.

Here, the band editing unit 102, the band storage unit 103, the pre-drawing capacity determination unit 104, the post-drawing capacity determination unit 105, and the drawing time calculation unit 106 constitute band editing means. The drawing determination unit 108 constitutes a drawing determination unit. Further, the transmission speed determination unit 109, the drawing unit 110, the command generation unit 111, and the data transmission unit 112.
Constitutes data transmission means.

The display list generation unit 101 converts page data, which is a set of basic graphic data in a page received from an application or OS, into a display list (basic graphic data list) to convert the band edit unit 10 into a band.
2 is output. The display list is a record of basic graphic data in a page on a storage medium (not shown) together with drawing order information.

Upon receiving the display list sent from the display list generator 101, the band editor 102 receives the basic graphic data in the band storage 103 and the command capacity of the basic graphic data in the pre-drawing capacity determiner 104.
The drawing area of the basic figure data is output to the post-drawing capacity determination section 105, and the type and drawing area of the basic figure data is output to the drawing time calculation section 106. Also, the band editing unit 10
In the case of printing one page of data, for example, 2 divides one page into bands. That is, for example, as shown in FIG. 2, one page is divided into band 0 to band 7. At this time, for example, the character string 114a is included in band 0 to band 2.

The band storage unit 103 holds a basic graphic data list corresponding to each band. However, in the initial state, each band contains nothing. The pre-drawing capacity determination unit 104 holds the pre-drawing capacity corresponding to each band. However, it is 0 in the initial state. Here, the pre-drawing capacity for the Nth band (hereinafter referred to as band N) is C (N).

The post-drawing capacity determination unit 105 holds the drawing area corresponding to each band. However, it is 0 in the initial state. Here, the drawing area for the band N is B (N).

The drawing time calculation unit 106 holds a host computer drawing time and a printing device drawing time corresponding to each band. However, both are 0 in the initial state. Here, the host computer drawing time and the printing device drawing time are the times required by the host computer 100 and the printing device 113, respectively, to draw the basic graphic data of the corresponding band into the band bitmap image. Further, the drawing time of the host computer and the drawing time of the printing device for the band N are H (N) and P, respectively.
(N).

In the drawing cost database 107, for example, as shown in FIG. 3, the processing time per unit drawing area for each basic figure type is described for the host computer 100 and the printer 113.

The drawing determination unit 108 is a pre-drawing capacity determination unit 1
Printing capacity C (N) output from 04, post-writing capacity akB (N) output from post-drawing capacity determination unit 105, host computer drawing time H (N) output from drawing time calculation unit 106, and printing From the device drawing time P (N) and the transmission speed M output from the transmission speed determination unit 109, (ak
When the relationship of B (N) -C (N)) / M <P (N) -H (N) is established, the band N is processed by the host-based method, and when it is not satisfied, it is processed by the PDL method. Is.

In the case of processing by the host-based method, the drawing determination unit 108 outputs the basic figure data list of the band N of the band storage unit 103 to the drawing unit 110. At this time, the drawing unit 110 draws the basic figure data list of band N on the band bitmap image,
Further, the data is compressed and sent to the command generator 111. When processing by the PDL method, the drawing determination unit 10
Reference numeral 8 sends the basic figure data list of band N of the band storage unit 103 to the command generation unit 111.

The transmission speed determination unit 109 determines the transmission speed M at which data is sent from the host computer 100 to the printing apparatus 113 from the port information of the data transmission unit 112. When the port is a parallel port or a serial port, the transmission speed is determined by the type of port. If the port is a network port and the host computer is connected to the printing device via a network, the transmission speed will fluctuate depending on the load condition of the network. In this case, use the average transmission speed or other As a method, the transmission speed may be obtained by actually communicating dummy data with the printing apparatus and measuring the time required for transmission.

The drawing unit 110 draws the basic figure data list of band N on a band bitmap image, further compresses the data, and sends it to the command generating unit 111.

When the command generation unit 111 receives the compressed band bitmap image from the drawing unit 110, the command generation unit 111 sends a band bitmap image sending command to the data sending unit 112, and the drawing decision unit 108 sends the basic figure data list. When received, the basic graphic data in the basic graphic data list is converted into a corresponding command and sent to the data transmitting unit 112. At this time, the command is created by truncating as much as possible the data of the portion of the basic graphic data that is outside the band.

The data transmission section 112 is the command generation section 1
The command data sent from 11 is sent to the connected port of the printing device 113 designated by the user. Further, the data transmission unit 112 sends port information indicating to which port the printing apparatus 113 is connected to the transmission speed determination unit 109.

The printing device 113 transmits the command transmitted from the data transmitting unit 112 in units of band to the band in the host base mode band as it is, and in the case of the PDL system band to the band by an internal drawing means (not shown). It draws on a bitmap image and sequentially prints each band on one page.

Next, a printing method in the printing system having such a configuration will be described.

In the following description, the case of printing the data of one page will be described, but when printing the data of a plurality of pages, it is sufficient to repeat the number of pages.

First, the display list generation unit 101 converts page data, which is a set of basic graphic data in a page received from an application or OS, into a display list and outputs the display list to the band editing unit 102. The display list here is, as described above, the basic graphic data in the page recorded on a storage medium (not shown) together with the drawing order information.

When the band editing unit 102 receives the page data converted into the display list, the band editing unit 102 causes the band storing unit 10 to store the band data.
3, pre-drawing capacity determination unit 104, post-drawing capacity determination unit 10
5, output is performed to the drawing time calculation unit 106,
Since the same processing is performed in all the bands, the processing will be described here with the band N to be output.

That is, when the band editing unit 102 includes each basic graphic data in the display list in the band N, the basic graphic data is stored in the band storage unit 103.
Band N basic graphic data list. In addition, the command capacity when the basic figure data is converted into a command corresponding to the basic figure data is added to the pre-drawing capacity C (N) of the band N of the pre-drawing capacity determination section 104.
Further, the area of the basic graphic data when drawn in the band bitmap image is added to the drawing area B (N) of the band N of the post-drawing capacity determination unit 105. Further, the host computer drawing time of the basic figure data is calculated from the drawing cost database 107 by a method described later, and the host computer drawing time H of the drawing time calculation unit 106.
(N) is added. Further, the printing device drawing time is calculated from the drawing cost database 107 by a method described later and added to the printing device drawing time P (N) of the drawing time calculation unit 106.

At this time, the band storage unit 103 holds the basic graphic data list corresponding to each band.
Further, the pre-drawing capacity determination unit 104 holds the pre-drawing capacity corresponding to each band. Further, the post-drawing capacity determination unit 105 holds the drawing area corresponding to each band. Further, the drawing time calculation unit 106 holds the host computer drawing time and the printing device drawing time corresponding to each band.

Here, the post-drawing capacity of the band in the post-drawing capacity determining section 105 is estimated from the drawing area, because the actual capacity cannot be known until drawing is performed. Use the sum of areas on the band bitmap image, but the other way is
For using the area of the band as it is, for finding the smallest rectangular area where there is an object to be drawn in the band and using that area, and for basic figure data that is a monotone filled figure other than a bitmap. There is a method of using the sum of the areas of only the bitmap graphics that make a large contribution to the increase in the capacity, considering that the capacity is extremely small when the data is output to the printer 113.

Next, the drawing determination unit 108 outputs the pre-drawing capacity C (N) output from the pre-drawing capacity determination unit 104,
Post-drawing capacity ak output from post-drawing capacity determination unit 105
B (N), host computer drawing time H (N) and printing device drawing time P output from the drawing time calculation unit 106
(N), from the transmission rate M output from the transmission rate determination unit 109, the relationship of (akB (N) -C (N)) / M <P (N) -H (N) ... In this case, the processing based on the host-based method is executed on the band N, and if it does not hold, P
The DL method is executed.

Here, when processing is performed by the host-based method, the drawing determination unit 108 outputs the basic figure data list of the band N of the band storage unit 103 to the drawing unit 110. At this time, the drawing unit 110 draws the basic figure data list of the band N on the band bitmap image, and after the data compression, the command generation unit 111.
Sent to. When processing by PDL method,
The drawing determination unit 108 sends the basic figure data list of the band N of the band storage unit 103 to the command generation unit 111.

Next, when the command generation unit 111 receives the compressed band bitmap image from the drawing unit 110, the command transmission unit 112 transmits a band bitmap image transmission command to the data transmission unit 112. When the basic graphic data list is received from the drawing determination unit 108, the basic graphic data in the basic graphic data list is converted into a corresponding command and sent to the data transmission unit 112. At this time, as for the data of the portion of the basic graphic data that extends outside the band, the command is created by truncating as much as possible, as described above.

At this time, the port information indicating which port the printing apparatus 113 is connected to is transmitted from the data transmission unit 112 to the transmission speed determination unit 109. The transmission speed determination unit 109 that receives the port information determines the transmission speed M at which data is sent from the host computer 100 to the printing apparatus 113 from the port information of the data transmission unit 112. When the port is a parallel port or a serial port, the transmission speed is determined by the type of port. When the port is a network port and the host computer 100 is connected to the printing apparatus 113 via a network, the transmission speed varies depending on the load state of the network. In this case, an average transmission speed is used, or another transmission speed is used. As a method of
The transmission speed may be obtained by actually communicating dummy data with 13 and measuring the time required for transmission.

Next, the data transmission unit 112 transmits the command data transmitted from the command generation unit 111 to the connected port of the printing device 113 designated by the user.

When the printer 113 receives the command transmitted in band units from the data transmission unit 112, it is as it is in the case of the host-based system band, and in the case of the PDL system band, the internal drawing is shown. A band bitmap image is drawn by a drawing unit that does not exist, and each band is sequentially printed on one page.

As described above, in the first embodiment, the band editing means edits the data for one page into a plurality of bands on the basis of the basic figure data list into which the page data has been converted, and the drawing determining means. According to the predetermined relational expression, the plurality of bands that have been divided and edited are processed by either the host-based method or the PDL method, and the data processed by the data transmission means is processed by the host-based method or the PDL method. Since the command data is sent to the printing apparatus, the printing speed can be improved with a simple configuration.

By the way, whether each band is transmitted in the host base system or in the PDL format is automatically determined at the time of printing from the capacity before drawing, the capacity after drawing, the drawing time of the host computer, the drawing time of the printing device, and the data transmission speed. It is determined.

The printing device 113 is a host-based system or PD that is sent from the host computer 100 side.
Since the printing is executed by the command data processed by any of the L methods, a complicated structure such as a high-speed drawing device is not required, so that the printing speed can be increased even with a simple structure.

(Second Embodiment) FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a second embodiment of the printing system of the present invention, and FIG.
FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a printing method by the printing system of FIG. 4. In the drawings described below, the same parts as those in FIG. 1 are designated by the same reference numerals, and overlapping description will be omitted.

In the second embodiment, the drawing schedule management unit 114 is added to the host computer 100. The drawing determination unit 108A has a different function from the drawing determination unit 108 in FIG.

That is, the drawing determining unit 108A calculates the time Host (N) required for the data transfer and band drawing processing in the host-based system of the band N in the data transfer and band drawing processing in the PDL system by the following Expression 2. This time PDL
(N) is calculated by Equation 3 described later. Host (N) = H (N) + akB (N) / M ... Equation 2 PDL (N) = P (N) + C (N) / M ... Equation 3

The drawing schedule management unit 114 also
It manages the drawing schedule. Here, the drawing schedule is, for example, as shown in FIG.
It shows that the DL method and the band 1 are processed by the host-based method.

Next, printing in the printing system having such a configuration will be described.

First, the drawing determination unit 108A acquires the host base before band N and the drawing schedule of PDL from the drawing schedule management unit 114. Also,
Past band schedule and PDL for PDL drawing
The smaller of the sum of (N) and the schedule of the host-based band until now and Host (N) is selected,
It is determined whether the current band is the host-based method or the PDL method.

In the example of FIG. 5, the sum of the PDL band 0, band 2 and PDL (3) is used to determine the host base band 1,
Host-based processing is selected for band 3 because the sum of Host (3) is smaller.

When the host-based system is used, Host (N) is added to the host-based drawing schedule of the drawing schedule management unit 114, and when the PDL system is used, PDL (N) is added to the PDL drawing schedule of the drawing schedule management unit 114. ) Is added, and band determination is performed sequentially.

As described above, in the second embodiment, in addition to the effects described above, the drawing schedule management section 114 manages the drawing schedule to reliably determine each band.

[0054]

As described above, according to the printing system of the present invention, the band editing means divides and edits one page of data into a plurality of bands based on the basic figure data list in which the page data is converted, The drawing determination means processes the plurality of divided and edited bands based on a predetermined relational expression by either the host base method or the PDL method, and the data transmission means processes the host base method or the PD.
Since the data processed by any of the L methods is sent to the printing apparatus as command data, the printing speed can be improved with a simple configuration.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a first embodiment of a printing system of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a printing method by the printing system of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a printing method by the printing system of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a second embodiment of the printing system of the present invention.

5 is a diagram illustrating a printing method by the printing system of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

100 host computer 101 display list generation unit 102 band editorial department 103 band storage 104 Pre-drawing capacity determination unit 105 Capacity determination unit after drawing 106 Drawing time calculation unit 107 Drawing cost database 108, 108A drawing determination unit 109 Transmission rate determination unit 110 Drawing unit 111 Command generator 112 Data transmitter 113 printing device 114 Drawing Schedule Management Unit

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    F-term (reference) 2C087 AB05 BA03 BC02 BC05 BD40                       BD42 BD46                 5B021 AA01 AA02 BB01 BB05 CC05

Claims (12)

[Claims] 1. Printing in which document data created as a set of basic figures is sent from a host computer to a printing device by either a host-based method using a bitmap image or a PDL method using a command corresponding to each of the basic figures. The system is a band editing means for dividing and editing one page of data into a plurality of bands based on a basic figure data list into which page data has been converted, and the plurality of divided and edited parts based on a predetermined relational expression. Drawing means for processing the band of the above-mentioned band by either the host-based method or the PDL method, and data transmission for transmitting the data processed by the host-based method or the PDL method to the printing apparatus as command data. And a printing system. 2. The band editing unit, a band storage unit that holds a basic figure data list corresponding to the plurality of bands, a pre-drawing capacity determination unit that holds pre-drawing capacities corresponding to the plurality of bands, A post-drawing capacity determination unit that holds a drawing area corresponding to the plurality of bands, a drawing time calculation unit that holds a host computer drawing time and a printing device drawing time corresponding to the plurality of bands, and the basic figure data list When receiving the basic graphic data in the band storage unit, the command capacity of the basic graphic data in the pre-drawing capacity determination unit, the drawing area of the basic graphic data in the post-drawing capacity determination unit, the drawing time calculation 2. The printing system according to claim 1, wherein the unit includes a band editing unit that outputs the type of the basic graphic data and the drawing area. 3. The predetermined relational expression is C (N) which is a pre-drawing capacity corresponding to the plurality of bands in a pre-drawing capacity determining section, and is a drawing area corresponding to the plurality of bands in a post-drawing capacity determining section. akB (N), the drawing time of the host computer and the drawing time of the printing device corresponding to the plurality of bands in the drawing time calculation unit are H (N) and P (N), respectively, and the transmission speed output from the transmission speed determination unit is When M is set, (akB (N) −C (N)) / M <P (N) −H (N), and the drawing determination unit is configured to: 2. The printing system according to claim 1, wherein the band is processed by the host-based method, and if it is not satisfied, the process is executed by the PDL method. 4. The data sending means draws the basic graphic data list of the plurality of bands on a band bitmap image, and further performs a data compression, and a receiving unit that receives the data compressed band bitmap image. A command generating unit for transmitting a band bitmap image transmission command and receiving the basic figure data list from the drawing determination means, converting the basic figure data in the basic figure data list into a corresponding command and transmitting the command. A data transmission unit for transmitting command data from the command generation unit to a port connected to the printing device and transmitting port information regarding the port; and transmitting data from the host computer to the printing device. Judgment of the transmission speed at the time of transmission from the port information of the data transmission unit The system according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a transmission speed determination section that. 5. The data transmission means comprises a drawing schedule management unit for managing the drawing schedule in the drawing determination means.
Printing system described in. 6. The drawing determination means sets a time Host (N) required for data transfer and band drawing processing of the plurality of bands in the host-based system, where Host (N) = H (N) + akB (N). / M, and the time PDL (N) required for data transfer and band drawing processing in the PDL method is calculated by PDL (N) = P (N) + C (N) / M. The printing system according to 1 or 3. 7. A printing method in which document data created as a set of basic figures is sent from a host computer to a printing device by either a host-based method using a bitmap image or a PDL method using a command corresponding to each of the basic figures. A first step in which the data for one page is divided and edited into a plurality of bands based on the basic figure data list into which the page data has been converted by the band editing means; A second step in which the plurality of divided and edited bands are processed based on a relational expression in either the host-based system or the PDL system, and the data transmission means allows the host-based system or the PDL system to be processed. A third step in which the data processed by any one is sent to the printing device as command data. A printing method characterized by the following. 8. A fourth step of storing a basic graphic data list corresponding to the plurality of bands in a band storage section, and a plurality of bands in a pre-drawing capacity determination section in the first step. A fifth step in which the pre-drawing capacity corresponding to the above is held; a sixth step in which the post-drawing capacity determination section holds the drawing areas corresponding to the plurality of bands; Seventh step in which the drawing time of the host computer and the drawing time of the printing device corresponding to each band are held, and when the band editing unit receives the basic graphic data list, the basic graphic data is stored in the band storage unit. The command capacity of the basic figure data in the capacity determination unit before drawing,
The eighth step of outputting the drawing area of the basic figure data to the post-drawing capacity determination section and outputting the type and drawing area of the basic figure data to the drawing time calculation section is included. Item 7. The printing method according to Item 7. 9. In the second step, the predetermined relational expression is: pre-drawing capacity C (N) corresponding to the plurality of bands in the pre-drawing capacity determination section; The drawing area corresponding to the band is akB (N), the drawing time of the host computer and the drawing time of the printing device corresponding to the plurality of bands in the drawing time calculation unit are H (N) and P (N), respectively, and the transmission speed determination unit When the transmission rate output from is M, (akB (N) -C (N)) / M <P (N) -H (N), and when the predetermined relational expression holds, The processing by the host-based method is executed for a plurality of bands,
9. The method according to claim 7, further comprising a ninth step of performing the process according to the PDL method when the condition is not satisfied.
The printing method described in. 10. The tenth step of drawing a basic graphic data list of the plurality of bands on a band bitmap image by the drawing section and further compressing the data in the third step, and a command generating section. When the data-compressed band bit map image is received, a band bit map image sending command is sent, and when the basic figure data list is received from the drawing determination means, the basic figure in the basic figure data list is received. An eleventh step in which the data is converted into a corresponding command and sent, and the data sending unit sends the command data from the command creating unit to a port connected to the printing device, and A twelfth step of transmitting port information about the port, The printing method according to claim 7 in which the transmission speed at the time of delivering data to the printing apparatus from the list the computer is characterized to include a thirteenth step is determined from the port information of the data transmission unit. 11. The method according to claim 7, further comprising a fourteenth step in which the drawing schedule management unit manages the drawing schedule in the drawing determination means.
The printing method described in 0. 12. The time Ho required for data transfer and band drawing processing of the host-based method for the plurality of bands.
st (N) is calculated by Host (N) = H (N) + akB (N) / M, and the time PDL (N) required for data transfer and band drawing processing by the PDL method is PDL (N) = P The printing method according to claim 7, further comprising a fifteenth step calculated by (N) + C (N) / M.