Abstract: In order to provide a print system capable of push printing a print document consisting of a plurality of files formatted differently, an HDD unit 12 of the print system according to the present invention is a print data providing apparatus which provides a printer unit 13, connected to the print data providing apparatus via a transmission line, with a print document consisting of a plurality of print data files described in different formats and includes a storage subunit 12a which archives the plurality of the print data files into a single file and transmits the archived file to the printer unit 13.

Abstract: An HDD unit (12) holds a print object. A controller (11) issues to a printer unit (13) a print command of acquiring and printing the print object stored in the HDD unit (12), and has the printer unit (13) receive data in which link path information to a file to be printed is described via a connection established between the HDD unit (12) and the printer unit (13). The printer unit (13) captures and prints the print object stored in the HDD unit (12) by requesting the HDD unit (12) to send the print object which is uniquely specified with the link path information, using attribute information which is obtained by inquiring the connection status.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a data transfer method wherein data is broken up into N datablocks (where the number N is a natural number) for transfer from a first node to a second node on a bus system each of whose nodes is assigned a node identifier, wherein the data transfer method comprises, prior to transfer of the datablock, a step in which a control node (1) issues to the second node a datablock reception instruction containing therein a node identifier of the first node and (2) issues to the first node a datablock transmission instruction containing therein a node identifier of the second node, thereafter, a step in which the datablock transfer from the first node to the second node is executed, after the datablock transfer is completed, a step in which the first node notifies the control node of a result of execution of the datablock transfer processing, and a step in which the second node notifies the control node of a result of execution of reception processing on the datablock.

Abstract: In a bus system in which a node identifier is allocated to each node, when a data file is transmitted from a transmission node 1 to a reception node 2, a control node 3 issues, to the node 1, a command including an identifier of the node 2 and a field value representing a number of data files to be transmitted to execute the data transfer, and in the case where the number of the data files is 1 or more, after the transmission of the data files of the number specified in the field is completed, the node 1 directs the node 2 to complete the transfer to thereby complete the data transfer, and in the case where the field value is 0, the transmission of the data files is continued, and thus an automatic disconnection mainly led by the data transmission node is adopted after the data transmission, which reduces issuance of commands to the minimum, attaining a high efficiency in processing.

Abstract: In order to provide a print system capable of push printing a print document consisting of a plurality of files formatted differently, an HDD unit 12 of the print system according to the present invention is a print data providing apparatus which provides a printer unit 13, connected to the print data providing apparatus via a transmission line, with a print document consisting of a plurality of print data files described in different formats and includes a storage subunit 12a which archives the plurality of the print data files into a single file and transmits the archived file to the printer unit 13.

Abstract: A printing system that allows printing of a print object stored in a device (a print data supply device) other than a print control device for issuing a print instruction is provided. For that purpose, the printing system of the present invention includes a controller (11), an HDD unit (12) and a printer unit (13). The HDD unit (12) holds a print object to be printed. The controller (11) issues a print command to the printer unit (13) for acquiring the print object stored in the HDD unit (12) for printing. The printer unit (13), by requesting the HDD unit (12) to transmit the print object according to the parameters specified by the print command, acquires the print object stored in the HDD unit (12) and prints the acquired print object.

Abstract: An HDD unit 12 holds a print object. A controller 11 issues to a printer unit 13 a print command of acquiring and printing the print object stored in the HDD unit 12, and has the printer unit 13 receive data in which link path information to a file to be printed is described via a connection established between the HDD unit 12 and the printer unit 13. The printer unit 13 captures and prints the print object stored in the HDD unit 12 by requesting the HDD unit 12 to send the print object which is uniquely specified with the link path information, using attribute information which is obtained by inquiring the connection status.

Abstract: A font data output method that applies bandwidth limitation to binary font data using a two-dimensional low-pass filter, and applies gain of one or more to a multilevel-value data group obtained by reduction at a predetermined ratio according to the distribution of values in the multilevel-value data group to generate the gradated font data. Using this method, the loss of line and character density in the font data due to a high reduction ratio can be prevented.

Abstract: An image data processor includes a first memory which stores a binary image data of M1 pixels and M2 pixels in the longitudinal and lateral directions and a second memory which stores a multivalued image data of N1 pixels and N2 pixels in the longitudinal and lateral directions. The image data processor is provided with a spatial operation means for operating the binary image data of the first memory with respect to an operation area size of L1, L2 (L1, L2 being a natural number satisfying L1.gtoreq.M1/N1, L2.gtoreq.M2/N2) to generate the multivalued image data of the second memory, an address means for outputting positional information in the first area corresponding to the pixel position in the second area when the image data in the first area is to be reduced to 1/K1, 1/K2 in the longitudinal and lateral directions (1<K1.ltoreq.L1, 1<K2.ltoreq.L2), and a coefficient setting means for setting a correcting coefficient of the spatial operation means corresponding to K1, K2.

Abstract: A printing apparatus is disclosed. A toner image is formed on an image carrier. A solvent supply device supplies a solvent to the toner image in a direction toward such a side that the toner image makes contact with an image bearing medium, the solvent lowering the viscosity of the powder image. A transfer device presses the image bearing medium against the toner image of which viscosity is lowered by the solvent, thereby transferring the toner image to the image bearing medium.