Information processing method and apparatus

Abstract

An information processing apparatus comprises: a memory to store emulation information which is designated from a host computer that is connected to a printer via a general parallel interface; a judging circuit to judge a delimiter of print data; and a control unit to switch the emulation on the basis of the emulation information stored in the memory and the result of the judgment by the judging circuit. When each section of the apparatus is in the inoperative state, they are set into the power saving mode and are sequentially controlled. Thus, the power saving of the whole apparatus can be realized.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An information processing apparatus comprising: 
 memory means for storing emulation information which is designated from a host computer;    judging means for judging a delimiter of print data; and    control means for controlling switching of an emulation on the basis of the emulation information stored in said memory means and the result of the judgment by said judging means.    
     
     
         2 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said judging means judges whether the delimiter of the print data is proper or not, and when it is determined that said delimiter is proper, the switching of the emulation is executed by said control means.  
     
     
         3 . An information processing method, comprising the steps of: 
 storing emulation information which is designated from a host computer; and    controlling a switching of an emulation on the basis of the emulation information stored and a delimiter of print data.    
     
     
         4 . A method according to  claim 3 , wherein in said judging step, a proper delimiter of the print data is judged, and the emulation is switched on the basis of the result of said judgment.  
     
     
         5 . An apparatus or method according to  claim 1  or  3 , wherein said host computer and a printer are connected through a general parallel interface.  
     
     
         6 . An information processing apparatus comprising: 
 information processing means for performing a main control;    control means for performing a control regarding a printing including a power saving control; and    a switch to instruct said control means to stop or restart, particularly, a printer controller to control the printing,    wherein when said printer controller is stopped by the instruction of said switch, said control means resets and starts the printer controller on the basis of information which is transferred from said information processing means, thereby processing the information from the information processing means.    
     
     
         7 . An apparatus according  claim 6 , wherein said control means processes the information from said information processing means and, after that, again stops said printer controller.  
     
     
         8 . An apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein said control means processes the information from said information processing means and determines an operating state of said printer controller in accordance with the information from the information processing means.  
     
     
         9 . An information processing apparatus comprising: 
 information processing means for performing a main control;    control means or performing a control regarding a printing including a power saving control; and    a plurality of instructing means for instructing said control means to reset, particularly, a printer controller to control the printing,    wherein said control means has reset means for resetting said printer controller and a specific register to specify the instructing means to activate said reset means from among said plurality of instructing means, and the processing after completion of the resetting by said reset means is selected on the basis of an output of said specific register.    
     
     
         10 . An apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein said control means processes the information from said information processing means and, after that, again stops said printer controller.  
     
     
         11 . An apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein said control means processes the information from said information processing means and determines the operating state of said printer controller in accordance with the information from t information processing means.  
     
     
         12 . An information processing method comprising the steps of: 
 executing an information processing by a main controller;    storing from which one of a plurality of instructing means for instructing to reset a printer controller to control a printing an instruction has been generated; and    selecting a processing after completion of the resetting of said printer controller based on said instruction.    
     
     
         13 . A method according  claim 12 , wherein said selection is performed on the basis of a content of said information processing.