Printing Device Prefetching for Character Form Selection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing printing devices cannot easily print multiple-character-form characters in desired character forms due to encoding schemes that cannot distinguish between various forms of these characters.
Innovation Solution
A printing device with a control unit that prefetches data from a buffer to determine and select the appropriate character form for printing, allowing users to print multiple-character-form characters in specific forms by identifying and processing character codes associated with multiple forms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If an encoding scheme where a character code represents a multiple-character-form character is used, then the character code can represent multiple character forms, but the user cannot easily print the character in a desired character form
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit prefetches data from the buffer before processing the character code, examining upcoming data to determine if a character form designation follows the character code. This preliminary examination allows the system to prepare for character form selection in advance, resolving the contradiction by enabling character form specification without requiring additional user input steps
2Measurement precision
If the control unit examines prefetched data to determine character form, then accurate character form selection is achieved, but data processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit performs prefetching of buffer data before character code processing, examining upcoming data to identify character form designations in advance. This preliminary action allows accurate character form identification without adding significant processing time during the critical printing path, as the examination occurs during the natural data flow preparation phase
3Adaptability or versatility
If the control unit prefetches data from the buffer before printing, then character form can be determined, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit integrates the prefetching and character form determination functionality into its existing data processing pipeline, using the same control unit for both general printing control and character form selection. This multi-functional approach enables character form printing capability without requiring separate dedicated hardware components, thus limiting the increase in device complexity
Data Source
AI summary
A printing device includes a printing unit, a buffer, and a control unit. The control unit reads out data from the buffer as target data. When the read-out target data is a character code, the control unit determines whether the target data is a character code associated with a plurality of character forms or not. When the target data is the character code associated with the plurality of character forms, the control unit prefetches data stored in the buffer after the target data, as prefetched data, before printing the target data, and determines whether the prefetched data is a predetermined code or not. When the prefetched data is the predetermined code, the control unit selects a character form indicated by the predetermined code as a target character form and causes the printing unit to print a character represented by the target data, in the selected target character form.