Abstract: A print control device includes a two-step print head, a print data assignment control section and a transportation control section. The two-step print head includes a plurality of printing elements of plural colors for performing color printing. The printing elements are divided into upper printing elements and lower printing elements for each different color separated by a boundary line. The print data assignment control section assigns print data of each color to the upper printing elements and the lower printing elements beginning adjacent the boundary line. The transportation control section controls a transportation amount of a printing medium in accordance with the number of the printing elements to which the print data is assigned.

Abstract: Complex control procedures employ direct memory access by a first DMA processing unit 54 to send control data to a first controller by means of DMA channels 54-1 to 54-n, and by a second DMA processing unit 56 to send control data to a second controller 36 by means of DMA channels 56-1 to 56-m. The first DMA processing unit 54 also has a branching controller 52 as a DMA channel for transferring timing data to a second timer 40. When a time specified by the received timing data passes, the second timer 40 sends an activation signal to DMA channel 56-1 of the second DMA processing unit 56, and the DMA channels 56-1 to 56-m are thereafter sequentially activated.

Abstract: A print control device includes a two-step print head, a print data assignment control section and a transportation control section. The two-step print head includes a plurality of printing elements of plural colors for performing color printing. The printing elements are divided into upper printing elements and lower printing elements for each different color separated by a boundary line. The print data assignment control section assigns print data of each color to the upper printing elements and the lower printing elements beginning adjacent the boundary line. The transportation control section controls a transportation amount of a printing medium in accordance with the number of the printing elements to which the print data is assigned.

Abstract: A stepping motor, head, or other drive mechanism is driven with high precision without using a high speed CPU or dedicated hardware. Timing data controlling the timing at which drive mechanism operation changes, and plural control data controlling drive mechanism operation at each timing change, are stored to memory. After a drive command from the CPU is received, timing data is read from memory by a direct memory access (DMA), and sent to a timer. Based on a time-up signal from the timer, the drive control data is read sequentially from memory by DMA for each of plural control data types and sent to a drive control unit. Afterward, the next timing data is sent to the timer and the operation repeated. The drive control unit drives the drive mechanism based on the control data.

Abstract: An interrupt signal generating device comprises interrupt detection units (20) each adapted to output a detection signal (DET-1 to DET-n) in response to a respective input signal (IN-1 to IN-n) representing an interrupt event; and an interrupt handler unit (15). The interrupt handler has a plurality of input terminals for receiving the detection signals (DET-1 to DET-n) and a plurality of output terminals for outputting corresponding interrupt signals to a CPU, and signal distribution means (16) connecting said input terminals to said output terminals and establishing a predetermined but changeable assignment between the input and output terminals, wherein each of said input terminals is assigned to one of said outputs terminals such that an interrupt signal (INT-1 to INT-n) is output from this output terminal in response to a detection signal (DET-1 to DET-n) applied to the respective input terminal.

Abstract: An interface apparatus having a power-saving function, a control method therefor and an information-storing medium are provided. In the interface apparatus having a receiving means for receiving data from a first host unit and a sending means for sending the data received by the receiving means from the first host unit to a second host unit, a wait-state selecting means for selecting a predetermined wait state from a plurality of wait states according to operation of one of the receiving means and the sending means is provided. The state is shifted to a power-saving state as and when required, thereby allowing power consumption to be reduced; and concurrently, transition to the power-saving state is controlled via the host, thereby allowing commands to be transferred at a high speed. In addition, information required for saving power is received from the host, thereby allowing independently determine a power-saving mode.

Abstract: Waste of consumables and a loss of mechanical durability resulting from interruption of printer initialization processes by reset requests sent to the printer by a host device during the host startup process are prevented. The printer has a power on initialization controller for initializing the printer when printer power is turned on; and a first timer for measuring a first predetermined time after the printer starts operating. The power on initialization controller performs a first initialization process if the first predetermined time monitored by the first timer has not passed. After this first predetermined time passes, the power on initialization controller performs a second initialization process differing from the first initialization process.

Abstract: Complex control procedures employ direct memory access by a first DMA processing unit 54 to send control data to a first controller by means of DMA channels 54-1 to 54-n, and by a second DMA processing unit 56 to send control data to a second controller 36 by means of DMA channels 56-1 to 56-m. The first DMA processing unit 54 also has a branching controller 52 as a DMA channel for transferring timing data to a second timer 40. When a time specified by the received timing data passes, the second timer 40 sends an activation signal to DMA channel 56-1 of the second DMA processing unit 56, and the DMA channels 56-1 to 56-m are thereafter sequentially activated.

Abstract: A control means reduces the change in a main scanning speed when going from one line to the next in a printer using an in-line print head. This may be accomplished by using division driving to drive the print elements so that the drive current is equal to or below a specified level, and/or determining the number of print element blocks per line and adjusting the main scanning speed on a per line basis for printing. This reduces the maximum drive current required to drive a printing operation without noticeably reducing the printing speed of the printer, and further effectively reduces printing irregularities associated with division driving of print elements.

Abstract: A printer and methods of controlling the initialization process(es) of the printer according to the length of a reset signal sent from a host computer. The printer preferably has a printing mechanism for printing text or graphics based on commands and print data received from the host device, a controller for controlling printer operation including the execution of the initialization process(es), an interface for receiving at least one reset signal from the host device; and a timer circuit for measuring the duration of each reset signal. The controller controls which one, if any, of a plurality of specific initialization processes are to be performed based on the duration of a respective reset signal. By controlling the initialization process according to the duration, the printer can perform a reset operation appropriate to the status of the host.

Abstract: Compression-decompression functions provided in the recording device are easily replaceable so that they conform with the compression-decompression function provided in the host computer. A recording device 10 connected with a host computer 20 for operation based on commands from the host computer 20 comprises a interface card 12 mounted in the recording device 10 replaceably with respect to the control board 11 for exchanging data with the host computer 20. A first data decompressor 30 is included in the interface card 12 for decompressing compressed data to be exchanged between the host computer 20 and recording device 10. This allows selection and replacement of decompression function in the recording device in conformance with the compression algorithm in the host computer without replacing the recording device as a whole.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for cleaning a printing apparatus based on printing apparatus status information that is stored to memory in response to an externally generated reset signal. Based on the stored information, a cleaning process appropriate to the printer status is selected and performed, thereby minimizing ink consumption. In particular, when a CPU of the printing apparatus detects an external reset signal, which is based on the reset signal received from a host computer 65, the CPU writes the cleaning time, reset time, and other printing apparatus status information to a non-volatile RAM. The CPU is then forcibly reset by an internal reset signal. After being reset, the CPU reads the status information from the non-volatile RAM, and selects and implements a cleaning process appropriate to the stored status information. Ink consumption by the printing apparatus can thus be minimized, and reliable cleaning and printing can be maintained.

Abstract: An interrupt signal generating device comprises interrupt detection units (20) each adapted to output a detection signal (DET-1 to DET-n) in response to a respective input signal (IN-1 to IN-n) representing an interrupt event; and an interrupt handler unit (15). The interrupt handler has a plurality of input terminals for receiving the detection signals (DET-1 to DET-n) and a plurality of output terminals for outputting corresponding interrupt signals to a CPU, and signal distribution means (16) connecting said input terminals to said output terminals and establishing a predetermined but changeable assignment between the input and output terminals, wherein each of said input terminals is assigned to one of said outputs terminals such that an interrupt signal (INT-1 to INT-n) is output from this output terminal in response to a detection signal (DET-1 to DET-n) applied to the respective input terminal.

Abstract: In a printer 1, if a reset signal Vrst is supplied, an external reset signal V0 that can be recognized by software is supplied to a CPU 61. The CPU 61 stores the time when the signal V0 is recognized as a pause time into a nonvolatile RAM 62. Then, determination of whether or not the reset is intentional is performed based on a reset time interval which is sought from a plurality of the past reset times. If the reset is not intentional, an appropriate level of cleaning is instructed to an ink system 80; and if the reset is intentional, an initialization level of cleaning is instructed to the ink system 80.

Abstract: A stepping motor, head, or other drive mechanism is driven with high precision without using a high speed CPU or dedicated hardware. Timing data controlling the timing at which drive mechanism operation changes, and plural control data controlling drive mechanism operation at each timing change, are stored to memory. After a drive command from the CPU is received, timing data is read from memory by a direct memory access (DMA), and sent to a timer. Based on a time-up signal from the timer, the drive control data is read sequentially from memory by DMA for each of plural control data types and sent to a drive control unit. Afterward, the next timing data is sent to the timer and the operation repeated. The drive control unit drives the drive mechanism based on the control data.

Abstract: A line ink jet head having a plurality of ink jet head units in a staggered pattern enables the staggered ink jet head units to be easily precisely positioned to each other. The line ink jet head has ink jet head units that are staggered to each other in line with the ink nozzles disposed to the first and second head mounting surfaces on both sides of a head unit mounting layer. If the head unit mounting surface is precisely formed, the ink jet heads can be precisely positioned in staggered rows by simply bonding the ink jet head units to respective mounting surfaces.

Abstract: A knitting instrumentality for use in a knitting machine and method of forming the same is provided and includes an elongate body member (10, 110, 210) stamped from sheet metal (11, 111, 211) in a predetermined shape and having a fine concave-and-convex pattern (12, 113, 114, 215) formed in the side faces thereof to reduce the contact area of such knitting instrumentality when placed in the knitting machine to reduce the static frictional forces thereon.

Abstract: A virus-removing filter using, as a virus-capturing body, at least one kind of Streptococcus agalactiae type II culture and Type II polysaccharide.

Abstract: A printer, in which nozzles for printing dots are positioned in a zigzag formation, has a simple circuit for sending to these nozzles printing data that has been expanded into a bit-map image. When sending data to a print head in which odd-numbered nozzles and even-numbered nozzles are alternately positioned, the bit data of string n+l and the bit data of string n that correspond to respective nozzles inside image buffer 20 are converted from parallel to serial before being sent. Odd-numbered bit data and even-numbered bit data are then selected from the bit data using divided clock signals, and are converted from serial to parallel for printing.

Abstract: A latch needle is provided and includes a working needle having a needle head with a hook and a latch and a body portion having a connecting projection extending outwardly therefrom, and a butt needle having a connecting indentation therein which receives the connecting projection to connect the working needle and butt needle together and a butt thereon between the needle head of the working needle and the connecting projection and the connecting indentations. The latch needle also includes reinforcement of the connection between the working needle and the butt needle in the form of a fastening projection and a fastening indentation located between the needle head and the butt on the butt needle.