JP2002002024A - Method and apparatus for printing code and recording medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reproduce the data of an original voice, or the like, correctly from printed codes by means of a reader when it is printed, as optically readable codes, on a print medium, e.g. a paper, using a printer. SOLUTION: When codes comprising one or a plurality of blocks for defining the read out unit are printed on a print medium by moving a print head 103B, comprising a plurality of print elements arranged in the main scanning direction, in the main scanning direction while moving the print medium in the sub- scanning direction, the codes are printed such that the print boundary 10 between a first print area served by a first print element (No.N print element or No.M print element) and a second print area served by a second print element (No.1 print element) located at a position noncontiguous to the first print area is located substantially in the center of the block in the sub-scanning direction.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a code printing method and a code printing method for printing on a print medium such as paper as an optically readable code obtained by encoding data such as audio data. The present invention relates to a printing device, and a computer-readable recording medium storing a program including instructions for causing a computer to execute the operation of such a code printing device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a readable image such as a character, a symbol, a figure, a picture, a photographic image, or a computer graphic image, which can be directly read by human eyes, and data such as audio data are obtained by encoding. Various image recording methods and image recording apparatuses for printing an optically readable code including a one-dimensional or two-dimensional barcode on a sheet-like printing medium such as paper or film have been proposed. I have.

For example, JP-A-60-244146, JP-A-6-231466, and 7-18160
No. 6, No. 10-51645, and the like.

[0004] According to the documents disclosed in these publications, since voice and the like can be printed on the paper surface, integration of image information and voice information can be realized on the paper surface, and a dedicated reading device can be used. By reading the code, the user can easily hear the sound on the spot while viewing the readable image.

[0005] Above all, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No.
In JP-A-31466, JP-A-7-181606 and JP-A-10-51645, data such as voice is converted into a dot code as a code which can be easily optically read by manual scanning. It is disclosed that this is printed on a sheet-like print medium such as paper together with a readable image.

Hereinafter, the physical format configuration of the dot code will be described with reference to FIG.

That is, the dot code 1 is constituted by a plurality of blocks 2 arranged two-dimensionally adjacently.

[0008] Each block 2 is composed of a black dot or a white dot (actually, data corresponding to the value "1" or "0") of data divided for each block of data such as audio to be recorded. Is used as it is as the ground color of the print medium.) A data dot pattern portion 3 which exists in a predetermined two-dimensional array as a dot image, and dots (data dots 4) in the data dot pattern portion 3 Between the marker 5 having a fixed number of continuous black dots arranged at the four corners of each block used to find a reference point for reading the marker, and the marker 5 so that the plurality of different blocks can be identified at the time of reading. And a block address pattern 6 including an error detection or error correction code.

The data dots 4 arranged in the data dot pattern section 3 and the dots in the block address pattern section 6 are constituted by dots of the same size. For example,
The data dots 4 are recorded as dots having a size of 40 to 80 μm. The marker 5 is configured as a dot having a larger area than these dots, and is recorded on the print medium as a circular dot having a diameter five times as large as the data dot 4, for example.

According to the dot code 1, even if the entire size is larger than the imaging field of view 7 of the reading device, in other words, the dot code 1 can be imaged by the reading device in one shot. Even if this is not possible, as long as each address given to each block 2 can be detected in block units together with the data dots 4 included in the block, the entire original data is reconstructed from the data included in each block. It becomes possible.

Accordingly, data such as voice on a paper surface can be practically recorded, and can be easily read even by manual scanning.

[0012]

By the way, in actually printing such a dot code on paper or the like,
It is conceivable to perform printing using a printer having a print head such as an ink jet system or a thermal print system capable of high-definition printing.

In the above-mentioned printer, a plurality of printing elements are usually arranged as print heads, and the print head is moved by moving in the main scanning direction (paper horizontal direction) and feeding paper in the sub-scanning direction (paper vertical direction). Printing is performed on the entire surface of the paper.

When printing the code with the above-described printer, the code printing width in the sub-scanning direction (vertical direction of the paper 8) is determined by the number of printing elements arranged on the print head 9 as shown in code 1A in FIG. If the print width is shorter than the print width that can be printed by the printer, printing can be performed by controlling only the movement of the print head 9 in the main scanning direction. In this case, print dots adjacent to each print dot printed by each print element in the vertical direction are print dots printed by adjacent print elements in the print head 9 (hereinafter, print dots are referred to as print dots, respectively). A dot printed by one printing by each printing element arranged in the print head 9 indicates a dot which is the same as a constituent unit of each data dot 4 in the code. The configuration of each data dot 4 may be composed of a plurality of print dots.)

As shown in code 1B in FIG. 9, the code printing width in the sub-scanning direction (vertical direction of the paper) is the printing width (total length) that can be printed by the number of printing elements arranged on the print head 9. If the print head 9 is longer, the code is printed by moving the print head 9 in the main scanning direction and feeding the paper by the number of print elements of the print head 9 a plurality of times in the sub-scanning direction. In this case, in accordance with the printing by the paper feed for the number of print elements of the print head 9 in the sub-scanning direction, the No. assigned to the upper end of the print head at several places of the printed code. Dot printed by the printing element of No. 1 and No. 1 arranged at the lower end. A printing boundary 10 is formed in which dots printed by n printing elements (when the number of printing elements of the print head 9 is n) are adjacent to each other. Due to the mounting angle of the print head 9 to the carriage and the accuracy of paper feed, the dots at the print boundary 10 are smaller than those in the case where there is no error in print head 9 inclination and paper feed as shown in FIG. A position shift (pitch shift) of the print dots 11 as shown in FIG. In addition, the positional deviation of the print dots 11 becomes larger as the print boundary 10 is printed using the print elements separated from each other on the print head 9. Normally, the displacement amount of the printing dots 11 is very small, about several tens of μm, and does not cause much problem in printing characters and the like.

However, when printing fine dots such as the dot code 1, the displacement of the print dots 11 at the print boundary 10 has a great effect when reading the data dots 4, and the data dot An erroneous reading of the presence / absence (in some cases, a black dot is originally determined as a white dot, or conversely, a white dot is determined as a black dot) may occur.

For example, as shown in FIG. 11, when the printing boundary 10 exists in the block 2, which is one code reading unit of an actual code, the data dot 4A and the data dot 4B are on the same vertical coordinate. Although it is a data dot, there is a possibility that it is mistaken as a data dot on an adjacent vertical coordinate due to a positional shift of the print dot 11.

Normally, if the number of dot displacements is small, there is no problem in restoring the original data by the error correction process.
If the number of dot misregistrations is large enough to exceed the corresponding range in the error correction processing, information such as original sound may not be able to be reproduced.

As a measure to deal with such a problem,
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-3509 by the present applicant discloses a method in which a code to be printed is divided into units in which the print head can print only by one movement in the main scanning direction so that the code is not printed on a printing boundary line. Alternatively, there is disclosed a method of inserting a dummy block at a position in a code that is a printing boundary.

However, according to the above method, a printed result different from a code laid out on a screen of a computer or the like is obtained. For example, when printing is performed by laying out images or characters other than the code on the same sheet of paper. Inconvenience will occur in the positional relationship between the code and its image or character.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and has been developed in consideration of the fact that data such as audio data is printed as an optically readable code on a print medium such as paper using a printer. Code printing method and code printing apparatus capable of correctly reproducing and outputting original data such as voice from the printed code, and a computer storing a program containing instructions for causing a computer to execute the operation of such a printing apparatus It is an object of the present invention to provide a readable recording medium.

[0022]

In order to achieve the above object, a code printing method according to the present invention is directed to a code scanning method comprising: A code printing method for printing data on the print medium as an optically readable code while moving the print medium in a sub-scanning direction along the predetermined direction while moving the print medium in the predetermined direction. Is configured to include one or a plurality of reading unit codes for defining the reading unit of the code, and the first printing element of the plurality of printing elements is included in one reading unit code. A first printing area that is assigned to the first printing element and a second printing element that is different from the first printing element among the plurality of printing elements and that is arranged at a position that is not adjacent to the first printing element. When the boundary between the second print area printing elements takes charge occurs, characterized in that the border is printed the code such that the approximate center position in the sub-scanning direction of the reading unit code.

That is, according to this code printing method, when a boundary between the printing areas covered by two non-adjacent printing elements is generated in the optically readable code, the boundary is determined by the reading unit code in the sub-scanning direction. , The code reading error caused by this boundary can be minimized, and code printing can be performed without changing the code layout.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a code printing apparatus including a print head having a plurality of printing elements arranged in a predetermined direction, wherein the print head is orthogonal to the predetermined direction. A code printing device that prints data as an optically readable code on the print medium while moving the print medium in a sub-scanning direction along the predetermined direction while moving the print medium in the main scan direction. , The code is configured to include one or more read unit codes for defining a read unit of the code, and the one of the plurality of printing elements is included in one read unit code. A first printing area assigned to the printing element, and a printing element different from the first printing element among the plurality of printing elements and located at a position not adjacent to the first printing element. When a border between the read second code element and the second print area is generated, the code is controlled so that the border is substantially at the center of the position of the read unit code in the sub-scanning direction. It is characterized by comprising control means.

That is, according to this code printing apparatus, when a boundary between the printing areas covered by two non-adjacent printing elements occurs in an optically readable code, this boundary is determined by the sub-scanning direction of the reading unit code. , The code reading error caused by this boundary can be minimized, and code printing can be performed without changing the code layout.

In order to achieve the above object, a computer readable recording medium according to the present invention comprises a printing head having a plurality of printing elements arranged in a predetermined direction. While printing in the scanning direction, while moving the printing medium in the sub-scanning direction along the predetermined direction, when printing data on the printing medium as an optically readable code, the code is It is configured to include one or a plurality of read unit codes for defining a code read unit, and the first print element of the plurality of print elements assigned to one read unit code is included in one read unit code. And a second mark arranged at a position different from the first printing element of the plurality of printing elements and not adjacent to the first printing element. An instruction for causing a computer to execute a process of printing the code such that when the boundary with the second print area covered by the element is generated, the boundary is substantially at the center position of the reading unit code in the sub-scanning direction. Is stored.

That is, according to the computer-readable recording medium, when a boundary between two non-adjacent print elements in the optically readable code occurs in a printing area, the boundary is determined by a read unit code. , The code reading error caused by this boundary can be minimized, and code printing can be performed without changing the code layout.

[0028]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Before describing the embodiments of the present invention in detail, first, the principles of the present invention will be described to assist in understanding the present invention.

First, a method of reading the data dots 4 of each block 2 in FIG. 8 will be described with reference to FIG. First, four corner markers 5 constituting the block 2 are searched, and the center 5A of each of the four corner markers 5 is obtained. After that, as shown in FIG.
A is connected by a virtual line 12, and then the virtual lines 12 on the four sides are equally divided by a predetermined number based on the arrangement interval of the data dots 4. Next, further virtual lines are drawn on the matrix at intervals equally divided for each facing virtual line. The data dot 4 is read with the intersection of the virtual lines drawn in a matrix as the data dot read point 13. If the read dot 13 has the data dot 4, “1”; In this case, data such as the original voice is constructed.

However, as described above, the print head 9 usually has an inclination, and a data dot misalignment occurs at a print boundary covered by a second print element that is not adjacent to the first print element. It is on the street. For example, FIGS. 3A and 3B are enlarged views of the print boundary vicinity portions 14A and 14B generated when the vertical code 1B of FIG. 9 is printed.

As can be seen from FIGS. 3A and 3B, when the print boundary 10 in FIG. 3B is at the center of the block 2, the print boundary 10 in FIG. 5, the virtual line 15 for reading data dots
It can be seen that the area where the data dot 4 deviates from the data dot reading reference point 13 (the area 16 where a reading error occurs) is narrower.

This is because the print boundary 10 is located at the center of the block in a state where the print dots are misaligned due to the print boundary 10, and the positional error between the data dot read point 13 and the printed data dot 4 is reduced. Averaged (data dots 4 that are significantly deviated from data dot reading point 13)
), The number of data dots 4 in which a reading error occurs is reduced, and the area 16 in which a reading error occurs is also reduced.

Data dot 4 depending on the position of print boundary 10
FIG. 4A is a graph showing the reading error rate of the data dot. The data dot reading error rate becomes lower toward the center of the block, and increases as the distance from the marker 5 at both ends increases.

Further, even when there is a deviation in the paper feed pitch in the sub-scanning direction, the printing boundary 10
Is set at the center position of the block 2, the reading error of the data dot 4 can be minimized.

Therefore, in the present invention, the code is printed so that the printing boundary 10 is located substantially at the center of the block 2.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[First Embodiment] FIG. 2B is a diagram showing a configuration of a code printing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
A RAM 102 and a printer engine 103 are connected via a bus line 104.

Here, the CPU 100 controls the entire code printing apparatus, and the ROM 101 is a memory storing a program to be executed by the CPU 100. The RAM 102 is a memory used for storing data accompanying the execution of the CPU 100, and is used as a code image data memory 102A for storing code image data to be printed.

The printer engine 103 includes a control unit 103
A and a print head 103B. Control unit 103A
Is for performing drive control and paper feed control of the print head 103B in the main scanning direction. Also, the print head 103B
Is a device in which a plurality of printing elements are arranged in a predetermined direction, and each printing element records characters, images, and codes as shown in FIG. 8 on paper as a printing medium.

FIG. 1A shows an operation flowchart executed by the CPU 100.

That is, first, the sheet is fed to the code printing start position (step S1). And the CPU 10
The CPU resets the read pointer of the code image data configured inside 0 or on the RAM 102 to “0” (step S2).

Thereafter, the number of dots in the vertical direction (sub-scanning direction) of the code to be printed is set (step S).
3). This is because, when printing (first printing) in the area 105A at the upper end of the code as shown in FIG. 1B, the number of dots is set so that the printing end is located at the center of the block in the code (N dots). ). In the case of printing in the area 105B between the upper end of the code and the lower end of the code, the number of dots is set so that the end of each print is the center of the block in the code (M dots). In this case, the number of dots to be set is
By specifying a value obtained by multiplying the dot size of one block by an integer, the end of each print is the center position of the block 2. Then, in the case of printing the area 105C at the lower end of the code, the number of dots from the printing start position of the area 105C to the end position of the code is set (L dots).

Next, in accordance with the read pointer of the code image data, the data for the number of printing vertical dots set in step S3 is stored in the code image data memory 10.
2A, and outputs the data to the printer engine 103 (step S4). And print head 1
03B is driven once in the main scanning direction to print the code image data output to the printer engine 103 in step S4 (step S5).

After the printing in step S5 is completed, the paper is fed by the number of printing vertical dots set in step S3 (step S6). By this operation, the print head No. The vertical position of one printing element is the head position of the code area to be printed next.

Then, the read pointer of the code image data is updated to the next data acquisition position (step S).
7). This updates the current read pointer to a value obtained by adding the number of code image data for the number of print vertical dots to the current read pointer. Then, it is determined whether or not the entire code has been printed (step S8). If all the codes have been printed, the printing is terminated. If the code is still being printed, the process returns to step S3 to perform the same processing.

By the above code printing operation, as shown in FIG. 1B, the first print element (No. N print element or No. M print element) is adjacent to the first print element. The print boundary 10 caused by the second print element (No. 1 print element) can be controlled almost at the center of the block in the code.

The printing element in the present embodiment is
In the case of an ink jet printer, each ink nozzle that ejects ink droplets corresponds to the ink nozzle.In the thermal print printer, each heating element for melting the ink film with heat and transferring the ink film onto the paper corresponds. Respectively,
This is the minimum printing unit for printing.

[Second Embodiment] Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.
An embodiment will be described.

In some cases, the interval between the printing elements (the pitch resolution of the printing elements) arranged in the print head 103B and the printing resolution of the vertical dots to be printed may be different.

For example, as shown in FIG. 4B, when the interval between the printing elements arranged on the print head 103B is wider than the interval between the vertical printing dots of the code to be actually printed. It is. That is, FIG. 2 shows an example in which the spacing between the printing elements corresponds to four printing dots in the vertical direction for printing. Therefore, when printing such continuous printing dots in the vertical direction, the print head 103B
In the single movement in the main scanning direction, the entire printing cannot be performed. Therefore, the paper is fed a plurality of times (four times) in the sub-scanning direction for one dot, and printing is performed.

That is, when the code is printed by the print head 103B as described above, as shown in FIG. 5, the operation of feeding the paper one dot at a time for the number of print dots with respect to the arrangement interval of the print elements, and ((use The number of print elements to be printed-1) * the number of print dots with respect to the arrangement interval of print elements) The paper is alternately fed by the number of dots to print a code.

FIG. 6 is an operation flowchart of the CPU 100 for performing such a printing operation.

That is, first, the paper is fed to the code printing start position (step S11). Then, the read pointer of the code image data is reset to "0" (step S12).

Thereafter, the number of printing pitches of the printing elements is calculated (step S13). That is, this printing pitch number is
(Resolution of printing element / resolution of code printing).

Then, the number of dots in the vertical direction (sub-scanning direction) of the code to be printed is set (step S1).
4). Here, when printing (the first printing) the area 105A at the upper end of the code, the number of dots is set so that the printing end is located at the center of the block in the code. In the case of printing in the area 105B between the upper end of the code and the lower end of the code, the number of dots is set so that the end of each print is the center of the block in the code. In this case, the number of dots to be set is specified as an integer multiple of the dot size of one block,
The end of each print is the center position of the block. In the case of printing the area 105C at the lower end of the code,
Set the number of dots from the print start position of C to the end position of the code.

Next, a printing element is provided inside the CPU 100 for performing printing for the number of printing pitches or a RAM 102.
The counter i provided above is reset to "0" (step S15).

Then, from the position of the code image data (the read pointer + the head of the i-th dot line of the code image), the data corresponding to the number of printing vertical dots set in step S14 is written for every several lines of the printing element printing pitch. The data is obtained from the image data memory 102A and output to the printer engine 103 (step S16).
Here, since the interval between the printing elements is wider than the vertical printing dots to be actually printed, it is necessary to acquire the code image data in accordance with the interval between the printing elements. Therefore, for example, when printing the area 105A at the upper end of the code, as shown in FIG. 7, the code image is acquired while thinning out the dot image in dot row units according to the value of the counter i of the print pitch number.

By driving the print head 103B once in the main scanning direction, the code image data output to the printer engine 103 in step S16 is printed (step S17).

Thereafter, the paper is fed by one dot at the printing resolution in the vertical direction of the code to be printed (step S1).
8) Then, "1" is added to the counter i which counts the printing for the number of printing pitches (step S19). And
It is determined whether or not the value of the counter i is smaller than the number of print pitches (step S20). If it is smaller, the process returns to step S16.

If the value of the counter i counting the number of prints equal to or greater than the number of print pitches is equal to or greater than the number of print pitches, then the vertical print dot set in step S14 is set. The paper is fed by the number of dots obtained by subtracting the number of print pitches from the number (step S21).
At this stage, the printing boundary 10 becomes the center of the block 2.

Thereafter, the read pointer of the code image data is updated to the next data acquisition position (step S2).
2). This is performed by adding the number of code image data for the number of printing vertical dots to the current read pointer. Then, it is determined whether or not the entire code has been printed (step S23). If all the codes have been printed, the printing is terminated. If the code is still being printed, the process returns to step S14 to perform the same processing.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

For example, a recording medium recording software program codes for realizing the functions of the above-described embodiments is supplied to a system or an apparatus, and a computer (or CPU or MPU) of the system or the apparatus stores the recording medium in the recording medium. Obviously, this can also be achieved by reading and executing the program code thus executed.

In this case, the program code itself read from the recording medium realizes the functions of the above-described embodiment, and the recording medium on which the program code is recorded constitutes the present invention. become. In addition,
As a recording medium for supplying the program code, for example, a floppy disk, a hard disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a CD-ROM, a CD-R, a magnetic tape, a nonvolatile memory card, a ROM, and the like can be used. it can.

When the computer executes the readout program code, not only the functions of the above-described embodiment are realized, but also the operating system (OS) running on the computer based on the instruction of the program code. It is a matter of course that the present invention includes a case in which the functions of the above-described embodiments are implemented by performing some or all of the actual processing.

Further, after the program code read from the recording medium is written into a memory provided in a function expansion card inserted into the computer or a function expansion unit connected to the computer, based on the instruction of the program code, It goes without saying that the CPU or the like provided in the function expansion card or the function expansion unit performs part or all of the actual processing, and the processing realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, a code formed in a dot shape is described. However, the present invention can be applied to a code such as a two-dimensional bar code having a two-dimensional bar code. It is possible.

Here, the gist of the present invention is summarized as follows.

(1) A print head having a plurality of printing elements arranged in a predetermined direction is moved in a main scanning direction orthogonal to the predetermined direction, and a printing medium is moved in a sub-scanning direction along the predetermined direction. A code printing method for printing data as an optically readable code on the printing medium while moving the code, wherein the code includes one or a plurality of read unit codes for defining a read unit of the code. And a first printing area assigned to a first printing element of the plurality of printing elements and a first printing area of the plurality of printing elements in one reading unit code. When a boundary is formed between the second printing area and the second printing element, which is a printing element different from the first printing element and is located at a position not adjacent to the first printing element, A code printing method, characterized in that the code is printed so as to be substantially at the center of the reading unit code in the sub-scanning direction.

That is, according to this configuration, the code reading error can be minimized, so that there is no need to change the code layout, and the editing work accompanying the code printing can be improved.

(2) The method according to (1), wherein the total length of the plurality of printing elements arranged in the predetermined direction is shorter than the length of the code to be printed in the sub-scanning direction. Code printing method.

In other words, according to this configuration, a code reading error can be minimized, so that there is no need to change the code layout, and the editing work accompanying the code printing can be improved. Various code layouts are possible.

(3) The code printing method according to (1) or (2), wherein the code includes at least a plurality of the read unit codes in the sub-scanning direction.

In other words, according to this configuration, since a code reading error can be minimized, there is no need to change the code layout, and the editing work associated with code printing can be improved. Various code layouts are possible.

(4) The read unit code is configured to represent binary data "1" and "0" depending on the presence or absence of a dot at a predetermined read position. (1) to (3) ).

That is, according to this configuration, the code reading error can be minimized, so that there is no need to change the code layout, and the editing work accompanying the code printing can be improved. It can be said that this is optimal for implementing the code printing method of the present invention.

(5) A print head having a plurality of printing elements arranged in a predetermined direction is provided, and while the print head is moved in a main scanning direction orthogonal to the predetermined direction, the print medium is moved to the predetermined direction. A code printing device that prints data as an optically readable code on the printing medium while moving in a sub-scanning direction along the direction, wherein the code is for defining a reading unit of the code. One or a plurality of read unit codes, wherein a single print unit code includes a first print area assigned to a first print element of the plurality of print elements and the plurality of prints. A boundary between a second printing area which is a printing element different from the first printing element and which is arranged at a position not adjacent to the first printing element and which is assigned to a second printing element. Raw A code printing device comprising: a printing control unit configured to control the code printing so that the boundary is substantially at a center position of the reading unit code in the sub-scanning direction.

In other words, according to this configuration, a code reading error can be minimized, so that there is no need to change the code layout, and the editing work associated with code printing can be improved.

(6) While moving a print head having a plurality of printing elements arranged in a predetermined direction in a main scanning direction orthogonal to the predetermined direction, the printing medium is moved in a sub-scanning direction along the predetermined direction. When printing data on the printing medium as an optically readable code while moving the data, the code includes one or more reading unit codes for defining a reading unit of the code. And the first printing element of the plurality of printing elements assigned to one of the plurality of printing elements in one reading unit code.
And a second printing element, which is a printing element different from the first printing element among the plurality of printing elements and arranged at a position not adjacent to the first printing element. When a boundary with the second print area occurs, a process of printing the code such that the boundary is substantially at the center position of the reading unit code in the sub-scanning direction,
A computer-readable recording medium storing a program including instructions to be executed by a computer.

That is, according to this configuration, the code reading error can be minimized, so that there is no need to change the code layout, and the editing work accompanying the code printing can be improved.

[0081]

As described in detail above, according to the present invention,
When data such as audio data is printed as an optically readable code on a print medium such as paper using a printer, the original data such as audio can be correctly reproduced and output from the printed code by a reading device. It is possible to provide a computer-readable recording medium storing a code printing method and a code printing apparatus, and a program including an instruction for causing a computer to execute the operation of such a printing apparatus.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1A is an operation flowchart of a CPU of a code printing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention,
(B) is a diagram showing a code printing method according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 2A is a diagram for explaining a method of reading data dots in each block, and FIG. 2B is a block diagram showing a configuration of a code printing apparatus according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 3A is a diagram for explaining an area where a reading error occurs when a printing boundary is near a marker,
FIG. 6B is a diagram for explaining an area where a reading error occurs when a printing boundary is at the center of a block.

FIG. 4A is a graph showing a data dot reading error rate according to a position of a printing boundary;
FIG. 6B is a diagram for explaining a print head having a wider spacing between printing elements in a code printing apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention than a spacing between printing dots in a vertical direction of a code to be actually printed. It is.

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a printing degree method when a code is printed by a print head as shown in FIG. 4B.

FIG. 6 shows a CP of the code printing apparatus according to the second embodiment.
6 is an operation flowchart of U.

FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining an operation of acquiring a code image while thinning it out in units of dot rows.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a physical format configuration of a dot code.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a relationship between a printing direction of a code and a moving direction of a print head of the printer.

FIG. 10A is a diagram showing a print dot displacement when there is no print head tilt and paper feed error,
FIG. 6B is a diagram illustrating a positional shift of a print dot when there is an error.

FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a reading error due to a displacement of a print dot.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 dot code 1A, 1B code 2 block 3 data dot pattern part 4, 4A, 4B data dot 5 marker 5A center 6 block address pattern 7 imaging field of view 8 paper 9 print head 10 print boundary 11 print dot 12 virtual line 13 data dot read Point 14A, 14B Near print boundary 15 Virtual line for reading data dot 16 Area where reading error occurs 100 CPU 101 ROM 102 RAM 102A Code image data memory 103 Printer engine 103A Control unit 103B Print head 104 Bus line 105A, 105B, 105C region

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A printing medium comprising a plurality of printing elements arranged in a predetermined direction is moved in a main scanning direction orthogonal to the predetermined direction, and a printing medium is moved in a sub-scanning direction along the predetermined direction. A code printing method for printing data as an optically readable code on the print medium while moving the code, wherein the code includes one or a plurality of read unit codes for defining a read unit of the code. In one reading unit code, a first printing area covered by a first printing element of the plurality of printing elements, and a first printing area of the plurality of printing elements are included. A second printing element, which is different from the printing element and is assigned to a second printing element disposed at a position not adjacent to the first printing element.
Wherein the code is printed such that the boundary is substantially at the center of the position of the read unit code in the sub-scanning direction when the boundary with the print area occurs. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a total length of the plurality of printing elements arranged in the predetermined direction is shorter than a length of the code to be printed in the sub-scanning direction.
Code printing method described in. 3. The code printing method according to claim 1, wherein the code includes at least a plurality of the read unit codes in the sub-scanning direction. 4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the read unit code is configured to represent binary data “1” and “0” depending on the presence or absence of a dot at a predetermined read position. Code printing method described in Crab. 5. A print head comprising a plurality of print elements arranged in a predetermined direction, wherein the print medium is moved in a main scanning direction orthogonal to the predetermined direction while moving a print medium in the predetermined direction. A code printing device that prints data as an optically readable code on the print medium while moving the code in a sub-scanning direction along the line, wherein the code is read for defining a reading unit of the code. A unit code including one or a plurality of unit codes; a single read unit code, a first print area assigned to a first print element of the plurality of print elements, and the plurality of print elements And a second printing element, which is different from the first printing element and is assigned to a second printing element arranged at a position not adjacent to the first printing element.
A print control unit that controls printing of the code so that the boundary is located substantially at the center of the position of the read unit code in the sub-scanning direction when the boundary occurs. Code printing device. 6. A printing medium having a plurality of printing elements arranged in a predetermined direction is moved in a main scanning direction orthogonal to the predetermined direction, and a printing medium is moved in a sub-scanning direction along the predetermined direction. When printing data on the print medium as an optically readable code while moving the code, the code includes one or more read unit codes for defining a read unit of the code. In one read unit code, a first print area of a first print element of the plurality of print elements, and a first print element of the plurality of print elements, A second printing element, which is a different printing element and is assigned to a second printing element arranged at a position not adjacent to the first printing element.
When a boundary with the print area is generated, a program including an instruction for causing a computer to execute a process of printing the code such that the boundary is substantially at the center position of the reading unit code in the sub-scanning direction is stored. Computer readable recording medium.