JP2011040844A - Reader, control method of the reader, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a reader for speedily completing reading operation by increasing a conveying speed in reading a conveyed object by the reading part, a control method of the reader, and a program. <P>SOLUTION: A dot impact printer 10 includes a conveying mechanism 100 for conveying a reading object, and a front surface scanner 111 and a rear surface scanner 112 which are placed in a conveying path A of the reading object. The dot impact printer 10 controls conveying speed by the conveying mechanism 100 and determines a target speed at which a part other than a reading object range passes through contact glasses 111A, 112A on the basis of a designated reading object range and reading speed when the reading object range in the reading object and a reading speed at which the reading object range passes through the contact glasses 111A and 112A. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a reader, a control method for the reader, and a program.

  In recent years, in a reading apparatus such as a copying machine, a facsimile apparatus, or a scanner apparatus, a sheet-through method is generally adopted in which an image is read while a reading unit is fixed and a form or the like of a reading object is conveyed (for example, Patent Documents). 1).

JP 2005-229238 A

In the above-described reading apparatus, since the time required for reading is determined by the speed at which the object to be read is conveyed, it is desirable to convey the object as fast as possible. However, the moving speed of the object to be read with respect to the reading unit also affects the reading resolution. Therefore, it is not easy to change the conveyance speed during reading, and it is difficult to increase the speed.
The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances. When a reading object is conveyed and the reading object is read by a reading unit, the reading operation can be completed at high speed by increasing the conveying speed. It is an object to provide an apparatus, a control method for the reading apparatus, and a program.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention includes a transport unit that transports a reading object, a reading unit that is disposed in a transport path of the reading object and that reads the reading object transported by the transport unit, A speed control unit that controls a transport speed by the transport unit, and the speed control unit indicates a reading target range in the reading target and a transport speed while the reading target range passes through a reading position of the reading unit. When a reading speed is specified, a target speed during which a portion other than the reading target range passes through the reading position is determined based on the position of the specified reading target range and the reading speed. And
According to this configuration, when a reading speed during reading of the reading target range is specified, a target speed during which a portion other than the reading target range passes the reading position is determined based on the specified reading speed. The conveyance speed during the period excluding reading can be appropriately determined within a range not departing from the designated reading speed. As a result, the conveyance speed can be increased within a range that does not affect the reading quality, and the entire reading operation can be speeded up.

In the above configuration, the speed control unit may set the target speed to be higher than the reading speed.
In this case, while the part other than the reading target range passes through the reading position, it is transported at a higher speed than the conveying speed during reading of the reading target range, so that the conveying speed is reliably increased within a range that does not affect the reading quality. it can.

Further, in the above configuration, the speed control unit includes a reading speed of the reading target range positioned before the range that is a target for determining the target speed, a reading speed of the reading target range positioned after the range, and The target speed may be calculated based on the rejection between the reading target ranges before and after these.
In this case, based on the target speed while the part other than the reading target range passes the reading position, the reading speed while reading the reading target range located before and after that part, and the rejection between the preceding and following reading target ranges. Since the calculation is performed, it is possible to calculate a target speed that can be accelerated and decelerated so as not to affect the conveyance speed at the time of reading the preceding and following reading target ranges. As a result, the optimum target speed can be determined within a range that does not affect the reading quality, and the conveyance speed can be reliably increased.

Further, in the above configuration, the apparatus includes a storage unit that stores a plurality of acceleration patterns for accelerating from the conveyance speed lower than the target speed to the target speed and deceleration patterns for decelerating from the target speed to the lower conveyance speed, Based on the reading speed of the reading target range positioned before the target range for determining the target speed and the reading speed of the reading target range positioned after the range, the control unit decelerates the acceleration pattern and the deceleration pattern. The pattern may be selected from the patterns stored in the storage unit.
In this case, a pattern of acceleration and deceleration to a target speed while a part other than the reading target range passes through the reading position can be selected from previously stored acceleration patterns and deceleration patterns. As a result, it is possible to determine an acceleration pattern from the reading speed to the target speed and a deceleration pattern from the target speed to the reading speed by processing with a light load, so that the optimum target speed can be determined and the conveyance speed can be reliably increased.

  The reading device is connected to a host computer via an interface, and the speed control unit is configured to read the reading target range of the reading target by the host computer, and while the reading target range passes the reading position of the reading unit. When a reading speed indicating the transport speed is designated, a target speed during which a portion other than the reading target range passes the reading position is determined based on the position of the designated reading target range and the reading speed. May be.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a reading apparatus comprising: a conveyance unit that conveys a reading object; and a reading unit that is disposed in a conveyance path of the reading object and that reads the reading object conveyed by the conveyance unit. To control a conveyance speed by the conveyance unit, and a reading target range in the reading target and a reading speed indicating a conveyance speed while the reading target range passes the reading position of the reading unit are designated. In this case, based on the position and the reading speed of the designated reading target range, a target speed while a portion other than the reading target range passes through the reading position is determined.
According to this method, when a reading speed is specified while the reading target range is read by the reading device, the target speed during which a portion other than the reading target range passes the reading position is determined based on the specified reading speed. Therefore, the conveyance speed during the period excluding reading can be appropriately determined within a range not departing from the designated reading speed. As a result, the conveyance speed can be increased within a range that does not affect the reading quality, and the entire reading operation can be speeded up.

The present invention controls a reading apparatus including a conveyance unit that conveys a reading object, and a reading unit that is arranged in a conveyance path of the reading object and that reads the reading object conveyed by the conveyance unit. A program executed by a computer, wherein the computer controls a conveyance speed by the conveyance unit, and a reading target range in the reading object and a period during which the reading target range passes through a reading position of the reading unit. When a reading speed indicating a conveyance speed is designated, a target speed during which a portion other than the reading target range passes through the reading position is determined based on the position of the designated reading target range and the reading speed. It functions as a speed control unit.
When this program is executed by a computer that controls the reading device, and the reading speed during reading of the reading target range is specified, the portion other than the reading target range is read based on the specified reading speed. Since the target speed while passing through is determined, it is possible to appropriately determine the conveyance speed during the period other than during reading within a range that does not deviate from the designated reading speed. As a result, the conveyance speed can be increased within a range that does not affect the reading quality, and the entire reading operation can be speeded up.

  According to the present invention, the conveyance speed can be increased within a range that does not affect the reading quality, and the entire reading operation can be accelerated.

1 is an external perspective view of a dot impact printer in an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a printer body. FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of the printer body. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of a printer. It is a figure explaining the structure and reading operation | movement of a recording medium. It is a figure which shows the example of the speed change at the time of reading operation. It is a figure which shows the structural example of an acceleration / deceleration pattern table typically. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of a dot impact printer. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of a dot impact printer.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a front perspective view showing an appearance of a dot impact printer 10 as a reading apparatus according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is an external perspective view showing the printer main body 11. FIG. 3 is a side sectional view showing the dot impact printer 10 of FIG. In the following description, the side where the manual feed opening 15 is opened, that is, the left side in FIG. 3 is the front (front) side, and the right side in FIG. 3 is the rear (rear) side.
The dot impact printer 10 shown in FIG. 1 includes a plurality of recording wires (not shown) provided in the recording head 18 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) via an ink ribbon (not shown) fed out from a ribbon cartridge (not shown). By pressing the recording medium 1 and forming dots on the recording surface of the recording medium 1, characters, symbols, images, and the like are recorded.
The dot impact printer 10 has an optical reading device 200 (see FIG. 3). The optical reading device 200 reads characters, symbols, images, and the like displayed on the surface of the recording medium 1, and outputs the read image. To do.

Examples of the recording medium that can be used in the dot impact printer 10 include a cut sheet cut to a predetermined length, a continuous sheet, and a booklet-type medium. Cut sheets include cut paper, cut sheet copy paper, fixed form paper, postcards, envelopes, cards, and the like, and continuous sheets include continuous paper and roll paper in which a plurality of sheets are connected. Moreover, as a booklet-type recording medium, for example, a passbook is used. The passbook here is a booklet in which a plurality of recording papers are bound, and the inner side of the booklet is the recording surface. A magnetic stripe capable of recording / erasing / reading is provided.
In the present embodiment, a case will be described in which the dot impact printer 10 uses the recording medium 1 in the form of a cut sheet shown in FIG. The recording medium 1 is a form made of a single sheet of a standard size, and is used as a check or bill (hereinafter collectively referred to as a check).
Various characters, symbols, and the like are recorded on the recording medium 1, and the dot impact printer 10 optically reads a predesignated range on the recording medium 1. For example, when the recording medium 1 is a check, the name of the financial institution at the place of payment, the serial number of the check, the amount of money, etc. are recorded on the ticket surface, and a reading target range including the portion where these are recorded is set. . The read target range is stored in the dot impact printer 10 in association with each recording medium 1. In the following description, of the four sides of the rectangular recording medium 1, the side inserted toward the dot impact printer 10 is a leading end, and the side facing the leading end is a rear end.

As shown in FIG. 1, the dot impact printer 10 includes an upper case 13 and a lower case 14, and an upper cover 12 is provided above the upper case 13. A manual feed port 15 through which the recording medium 1 is inserted or discharged is opened in front of the upper case 13 and the lower case 14.
As shown in FIG. 2, the dot impact printer 10 has a printer main body 11. The printer main body 11 includes a lower main body portion 11A and an upper main body portion (not shown) supported by a shaft 11C at the rear end portion of the lower main body portion 11A. The lower main body 11A is housed in the upper case 13 and the lower case 14 (FIG. 1), and the upper main body is fixed to the upper cover 12. When the upper cover 12 is opened, the main body is centered on the shaft 11C. By rotating, the inside of the printer main body 11 is exposed.

  2 and 3, the printer main body 11 includes a main body frame including a base frame 16, a right side frame 17A, and a left side frame 17B, a recording mechanism section 20 including a recording head 18 and a carriage 19, and Platen 21, first driving roller 22A, first driven roller 22B, second driving roller 23A, second driven roller 23B, third driving roller 124A, third driven roller 124B, front paper guide 24, rear paper guide 25, medium Recording is performed on a transport mechanism 100 as a transport unit including a transport motor 26 and a drive wheel train 27, an alignment mechanism 30 including an alignment plate 28 that corrects the orientation of the recording medium 1, and a magnetic stripe MS of the recording medium 1. And a magnetic data reading unit 29 including a magnetic head 34 for reading information. The magnetic data reading unit 29 magnetically reads, for example, the magnetic stripe MS provided in the passbook, and is provided with a medium presser 35 that suppresses the lifting of the passbook during reading.

A right side frame 17 </ b> A and a left side frame 17 </ b> B are erected on substantially both ends of the base frame 16. The carriage guide shaft 31 and the platen 21 are spanned in parallel between the side frames 17A and 17B. The front paper guide 24 and the rear paper guide 25 constitute the bottom surface of the conveyance path A through which the recording medium 1 is conveyed, and the recording medium 1 inserted from the manual feed port 15 passes through the conveyance path A to the conveyance mechanism 100. As a result, the sheet is conveyed between the recording head 18 and the platen 21, and further conveyed to the surface scanner 111 side beyond the platen 21.
A recording head 18 is disposed above the platen 21 so as to face the platen 21.

The carriage 19 is slidably inserted into the carriage guide shaft 31 and connected to a drive pulley of a carriage drive motor 56 (FIG. 4) by an endless drive belt (not shown). By reversing, it is reciprocated along the carriage guide shaft 31 in the main scanning direction indicated by X in FIG. The carriage 19 can be moved (scanned) in a range between the pair of side frames 17A and 17B. Note that a direction (reference numeral Y in FIG. 1) orthogonal to the main scanning direction X of the carriage 19 is defined as a sub-scanning direction.
While the recording head 18 mounted on the carriage 19 travels in the main scanning direction together with the carriage 19, the recording wire protrudes from a wire protruding portion (not shown) facing the platen 21 at the front end surface thereof to form an ink ribbon. The ink on the ink ribbon is applied to the recording medium 1 conveyed between the platen 21 and the recording head 18 to perform recording on the recording medium 1. The ink ribbon is folded and stored in a ribbon cartridge (not shown) mounted on the main body frame or the carriage 19 and is fed out as the carriage 19 is scanned.
The platen 21 extends in the traveling direction of the carriage 19 and has a planar shape. The platen 21 is urged toward the recording head 18 by an urging spring 41 and is elastically supported.

The transport mechanism 100 includes a first drive roller 22A and a first driven roller 22B disposed on the front side of the recording head 18 in the printer main body 11, and a second drive disposed on the rear side of the recording head 18 in the printer main body 11. A roller 23A and a second driven roller 23B, and a third drive roller 124A and a third driven roller 124B disposed on the rear side of the surface scanner 111 are configured.
The first driving roller 22A, the second driving roller 23A, and the third driving roller 124A are driving rollers that are rotationally driven by the medium transport motor 26 and the driving wheel train 27, and are a first driven roller 22B and a second driven roller 23B. And the third driven roller 124B are respectively driven by the springs 42A, 42B, and 42C with a predetermined pressing force toward the first drive roller 22A, the second drive roller 23A, and the third drive roller 124A. It is.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a drive wheel train 27 is disposed outside the right side frame 17A. The drive wheel train 27 includes a motor pinion 51 that is fixed to the drive shaft of the medium conveyance motor 26 that can rotate forward and reverse, and the driving force of the motor pinion 51 is second driven via the reduction gear 52. It is transmitted to the second drive gear 53B attached to the second roller shaft 33 of the roller 23A, and further attached to the first roller shaft 32 of the first drive roller 22A from the second drive gear 53B via the intermediate gear 54. Is transmitted to the first drive gear 53A. Further, the rotational force of the second roller shaft 33 of the second drive roller 23A is transmitted to the third roller shaft 134 of the third drive roller 124A by, for example, a drive belt (not shown). Accordingly, the first driving roller 22A, the second driving roller 23A, and the third driving roller 124A rotate in the same direction by the driving force of the medium transport motor 26 and transport the recording medium 1.

  The alignment mechanism 30 adjusts the direction of the recording medium 1 inserted from the manual feed port 15 along the sub-scanning direction, and prevents skewing (skew) when the recording medium 1 is conveyed. The alignment mechanism 30 includes an alignment plate 28 that can be moved back and forth in the conveyance path A from below the conveyance path A, an alignment motor (not shown) that moves the alignment plate 28 up and down, a first drive roller 22A, The first driven roller 22B is provided. The alignment mechanism 30 conveys the recording medium 1 by the first driving roller 22A and the first driven roller 22B in a state where the alignment plate 28 protrudes in the conveyance path A, and the leading end portion of the recording medium 1 with respect to the alignment plate 28. The direction of the recording medium 1 is aligned with the alignment plate 28. Since the recording medium 1 is rectangular, the aligned recording medium 1 is almost straight with respect to the transport direction.

In the vicinity of the first drive roller 22 </ b> A, a plurality of medium edge sensors 47 that detect the presence or absence of the recording medium 1 inserted from the manual feed port 15 are installed along the main scanning direction of the carriage 19. The medium edge sensor 47 is an optical sensor that detects that a light beam is blocked at a predetermined position by the recording medium 1, and specifically, a light source that emits light toward the conveyance path A and a light reception that detects the reflected light. Or a transmissive optical sensor in which a light source and a light receiving unit are arranged so as to face each other across the conveyance path A. The medium edge sensor 47 detects the insertion of the recording medium 1 from the manual feed slot 15 and the completion of discharging the recording medium 1 from the printer main body 11.
The carriage 19 is equipped with a medium width sensor 55 that detects the width of the recording medium 1. The medium width sensor 55 is an optical sensor that scans the platen 21 together with the carriage 19, and the width direction of the recording medium 1 is based on the detection state of the medium width sensor 55 and the position of the carriage 19 when the carriage 19 is scanned. Thus, the lateral width of the recording medium 1 can be obtained.

Between the first drive roller 22A and the alignment plate 28, eight alignment detection sensors 58 are arranged side by side along the main scanning direction of the carriage 19. The alignment detection sensor 58 is an optical sensor that detects that light is blocked by the recording medium 1, for example, similarly to the medium edge sensor 47. For example, the alignment detection sensor 58 is a light emitting unit (LED that faces up and down across the conveyance path A). Etc.) and a light receiving part (phototransistor etc.).
The alignment detection sensor 58 is in a position to detect the tip of the recording medium 1 in contact with the alignment plate 28 when the correction (alignment) of the inclination of the recording medium 1 is completed as described above, and the alignment detection sensor 58 is in the detection state. Based on this, it can be determined whether or not the tilt of the aligned recording medium 1 with respect to the transport direction is within an allowable range. For example, when two adjacent detection sensors 58 arranged in the main scanning direction detect the recording medium 1 at the same time, it is determined that the alignment is completed.
Further, the dot impact printer 10 includes the drive control of the medium transport motor 26, the travel control of the carriage 19, the control of the recording operation by the recording wire of the recording head 18, the control of the reading operation of the optical reading device 200, etc. As a control unit for controlling the whole, for example, a control board unit (not shown) is provided in the lower part on the rear side of the printer main body 11.

The optical reading device 200 includes a front surface scanner 111, a back surface scanner 112, and a transport mechanism 100. The optical reading device 200 corresponds to a reading unit. More specifically, the front surface scanner 111 and the back surface scanner 112 of the optical reading device 200 function as a reading unit that optically reads the recording medium 1. Further, the contact glasses 111A and 112A of the front surface scanner 111 and the back surface scanner 112 correspond to reading positions.
As shown in FIG. 3, the front surface scanner 111 and the back surface scanner 112 arranged at the rear part of the printer main body 11 are image sensors that respectively read information such as characters, symbols, and images recorded on the front and back surfaces of the recording medium 1. It is. For example, the front surface scanner 111 and the back surface scanner 112 are configured by a CIS (Contact Image Sensor) type image reading sensor, and are disposed inside the flat contact glasses 111A and 112A that are in close contact with the recording medium 1 and the contact glasses 111A and 112A. A light source unit (not shown) for irradiating light output from a light source such as an LED to a reading area of the recording medium 1 and a plurality of light receiving elements (not shown) arranged in a line in the main scanning direction (X direction). And a control circuit unit (not shown) for outputting a signal from the light receiving element to the control board unit. The front surface scanner 111 and the back surface scanner 112 are not limited to the CIS type, but may be a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) type.
The front surface scanner 111 and the back surface scanner 112 are arranged between the second drive roller 23A and the third drive roller 124A, and continuously read the recording medium 1 conveyed by the conveyance mechanism 100 including these rollers.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the dot impact printer 10.
A part of the control system of the dot impact printer 10 shown in FIG. 4 is mounted on the control board unit described above.
The dot impact printer 10 includes a CPU 40 that controls the entire dot impact printer 10 based on a control program, an EEPROM 42 that stores a control program executed by the CPU 40, data to be processed, and the like, and is read from the EEPROM 42 by the CPU 40. An interface (I / F) 43 that converts a data format when information is transmitted and received between the RAM 41 that temporarily stores a control program, data, and the like and the host computer 2 that controls the dot impact printer 10 is provided. .
The recording head 18 and the magnetic head 34 are connected to the CPU 40 via a gate array (G / A) 45. The gate array 45 outputs a drive current to the recording head 18 according to the control of the CPU 40, and causes the recording wire to protrude. Further, the gate array 45 outputs a reading current to the magnetic head 34 when reading magnetic information according to the control of the CPU 40, while digitizing the signal current (read signal) output from the magnetic head 34 to the CPU 40. Output.

  A media edge sensor 47, a media width sensor 55, a front surface scanner 111, and a back surface scanner 112 are connected to the gate array 45. The gate array 45 outputs drive currents to the medium edge sensor 47 and the medium width sensor 55 under the control of the CPU 40 to turn on the light sources included in these sensors, and digitizes the detection current flowing in the light receiving unit included in each sensor. To the CPU 40. Further, the gate array 45 outputs a driving current to the front surface scanner 111 and the back surface scanner 112 to turn on the light source unit included in the front surface scanner 111 and the back surface scanner 112 and digitally outputs the output signal of the control circuit unit included in these scanners. The data is output to the CPU 40.

  Furthermore, a motor driver 48 is connected to the gate array 45. The motor driver 48 is connected to the medium transport motor 26, the carriage drive motor 56, and the magnetic head drive motor 64, and supplies these motors with drive currents and drive pulses to operate these motors. The motor driver 48 may be connected to an alignment motor (not shown) that operates the alignment plate 28.

  The CPU 40 controls the recording head 18 and the motor driver 48 via the gate array 45 based on the control program stored in the EEPROM 42 and acquires the detection results of the medium edge sensor 47 and the medium width sensor 55. Then, the CPU 40 drives the medium transport motor 26 to transport the recording medium 1 in the sub-scanning direction indicated by symbol Y, drives the carriage drive motor 56 to scan the carriage 19 in the main scanning direction indicated by symbol X, Further, the magnetic head drive motor 64 is driven to scan the magnetic head unit 62 in the main scanning direction indicated by the symbol X. Further, the CPU 40 controls the gate array 45 to drive the recording head 18 to cause the recording wire to protrude or to perform magnetic information processing by the magnetic head 34.

Next, an outline of the operation of the dot impact printer 10 will be described.
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of the recording medium 1 and a reading operation for reading the surface of the recording medium 1. In FIG. 5, the positions of the contact glasses 111A and 112A of the front surface scanner 111 and the back surface scanner 112 are illustrated.
In the recording medium 1 shown in FIG. 5, read target ranges 1A and 1B to be optically read by the surface scanner 111 are set. The reading target ranges 1A and 1B are provided at different positions in the conveyance direction of the recording medium 1, and are sequentially read by the front surface scanner 111 and the back surface scanner 112. When reading is performed, the recording medium 1 is conveyed in the direction indicated by the arrow in the drawing with respect to the contact glasses 111A and 112A.

The positions of the contact glasses 111A and 112A correspond to the reading positions. While the recording medium 1 passes through the positions of the contact glasses 111A and 112A, the surface of the recording medium 1 is read by the surface scanner 111 and the back surface of the recording medium 1 is read. Is read by the back surface scanner 112.
The recording medium 1 is first conveyed until the reading target range 1A reaches the position of the contact glasses 111A and 112A (section D1), and then the surface scanner 111 while the reading target range 1A passes through the contact glasses 111A and 112A. And / or reading by the back surface scanner 112 is performed (section D2). Thereafter, the recording medium 1 is conveyed until the reading target range 1B of the recording medium 1 reaches the contact glasses 111A and 112A (section D3). Alternatively, reading by the back scanner 112 is performed (section D4). After the reading of the reading target range 1B is completed, the conveyance is performed to the end of the recording medium 1 (section D5).

If the conveyance speed of the recording medium 1 is increased and the time for the recording medium 1 to pass through the contact glasses 111A and 112A is shortened, the reading operation can be speeded up. However, while the reading target range 1A passes over the contact glasses 111A and 112A (section D2), the transport speed of the front surface scanner 111, the light source unit, the light receiving element, and the control circuit included in the back scanner 112, and It is determined corresponding to the designated reading resolution. That is, it is not allowed to freely change the conveyance speed in the section D2. The conveyance speed while the reading target range 1B passes through the contact glasses 111A and 112A (section D4) is the same, and cannot be changed from the conveyance speed designated in advance.
Therefore, the dot impact printer 10 according to the present embodiment is intended to speed up the reading operation by increasing the conveyance speed in a section excluding the time when the reading target ranges 1A and 1B pass through the contact glasses 111A and 112A.

  The reading target ranges 1A and 1B set on the recording medium 1 are both provided on the surface of the recording medium 1 and read by the surface scanner 111, but either or both of the reading target ranges 1A and 1B are used. Is provided on the back surface of the recording medium 1 and can be processed in exactly the same manner even if it is configured to be read by the back surface scanner 112. Since the dot impact printer 10 reads the front and back surfaces of the recording medium 1 simultaneously by the front surface scanner 111 and the back surface scanner 112, the reading target range can be set on both the front and back surfaces of the recording medium 1, and the transport mechanism 100 In the control of the conveyance speed, all reading target ranges provided on the front and back sides can be handled in the same manner.

  FIG. 6 is a chart showing an example of speed change during the reading operation, FIG. 6A shows the reading operation of the dot impact printer 10 of the present embodiment, and FIG. 6B shows a conventional apparatus for comparison. The reading operation by is shown. The upper part of the chart shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B is a graph showing a change in conveyance speed, and the lower part is a graph showing a change in cumulative conveyance rejection. In the lowermost part, correspondence with sections D1 to D5 is shown.

  As shown in FIG. 6B, when the recording medium 1 (FIG. 5) is read by the conventional apparatus, the medium is once transported every time the transport speed, that is, the rotational speed of the medium transport motor 26 (FIG. 4) is changed. It is necessary to stop the motor 26. For this reason, when trying to increase the conveyance speed in the sections D1, D3, and D5 where reading is not performed, it is necessary to stop the medium conveyance motor 26 at the boundary of the sections as shown in FIG. 6B. In general, the medium transport motor 26 is often composed of a stepping motor. However, when the stepping motor is used, a rear lash R1 when the rotation is stopped and a front lash R2 when the rotation is started are generated. For this reason, time is required for acceleration / deceleration accompanying the stop, and time loss of the rear lash R1 and the front rush R2 occurs. The effect of shortening the total processing time T1 required cannot be expected.

As shown in FIG. 6A, the dot impact printer 10 of the present embodiment conveys the recording medium 1 at higher speeds in the sections before and after the sections D2 and D4, and is designated in the sections D2 and D4. In order to carry at a speed, the vehicle decelerates at the end of the previous section and accelerates at the head of the subsequent section. Since the medium transport motor 26 is stopped after the section D5 is transported, the rear lash R1 and the front lash R2 are not generated during the transport of the recording medium 1.
In this way, since the conveyance speed in the sections D1, D3, and D5 where reading is not performed is increased without stopping the medium conveyance motor 26, the total processing time T2 required for the reading operation of the recording medium 1 is set to, for example, FIG. It can be shortened compared to the time T1 shown in FIG.

When the speed is changed while rotating the medium transport motor 26 as shown in FIG. 6A, the time required for acceleration / deceleration is taken into consideration so that the transport can be performed at the speeds specified in the sections D2 and D4. However, it is necessary to appropriately determine the conveyance speed, the acceleration end position, and the deceleration start position in other sections.
For example, in the example of FIG. 6A, the conveyance speed in the section D2, which is the reading target range, is the speed V2, and the conveyance speed in the section D4 is the speed V3. In the sections D1, D3, and D5 outside the reading target range, the speed is accelerated to a higher speed V1, but in the section D1, the speed must be reduced to the transport speed V2 before reaching the section D2, and in the section D3, the section D4 Before reaching the speed V3. For this reason, in the sections D1 and D3, it is necessary to appropriately determine the deceleration start position and the speed change (deceleration pattern) during deceleration. Since this calculation is very difficult, a method of stopping the medium transport motor 26 each time as shown in FIG. 6B is adopted in order to more reliably observe the transport speed.
The dot impact printer 10 to which the present invention is applied stores acceleration / deceleration patterns in the EEPROM 42 (FIG. 4) in advance, and by selecting an appropriate one from the stored acceleration / deceleration patterns, Acceleration / deceleration can be performed.

FIG. 7 is a diagram schematically illustrating a configuration example of an acceleration / deceleration pattern table provided in the dot impact printer 10. In the figure, among the speeds V1 to V3, V1 is the highest speed, and then the speeds are V2, V3 in this order.
The table illustrated in FIG. 7 is stored in, for example, the EEPROM 42 (FIG. 4) of the dot impact printer 10, and the EEPROM 42 in this case corresponds to a storage unit. In this table, an acceleration pattern or a deceleration pattern is registered in association with the conveyance speed in the reading target range and the maximum value (target speed) of the conveyance speed in the section outside the reading target range before and after the reading target range. Has been. The acceleration and deceleration pattern is information that represents a curve of a speed change during acceleration / deceleration as a correlation between the speed and the rejection of conveyance. In the section outside the reading target range, acceleration and deceleration are performed as shown in FIG. 6A. Therefore, it is reasonable to define the maximum speed in the section as the target speed.
This table includes, for example, a deceleration pattern when decelerating from the target speed V1 to the transport speed V2 and the transport speed V2 with respect to the combination of the transport speed V2 in the reading target range and the target speed V1 before and after the combination. An acceleration pattern for accelerating to the target speed V1 is registered. For the combination of the conveyance speed V3 in the reading target range and the target speed V1 before and after that, a deceleration pattern when decelerating from the target speed V1 to the conveyance speed V3 and from the conveyance speed V3 to the target speed V1. Acceleration patterns for acceleration are registered.

The conveyance speed is determined according to the specifications and reading resolution of the front surface scanner 111 and the back surface scanner 112 as described above. For this reason, it is preferable that a plurality of conveying speeds are set in accordance with a plurality of reading resolutions that can be designated from the host computer 2.
For example, a plurality of target speeds are set within the range of the maximum speed that is determined in advance according to the specification, capability, and result of step-out evaluation of the medium transport motor 26 of the dot impact printer 10. The number of target speeds is not limited, and a large number of target speeds may be set finely.
In addition, while the transport speed is determined by factors such as reading resolution, the target speed is equal to or lower than the maximum speed described above, and is added in accordance with the transport speed of the reading target range while transporting the corresponding section. Any speed that can be decelerated is acceptable. Therefore, the minimum value of the target speed is a speed that does not require acceleration / deceleration with respect to the transport speed, that is, a speed equal to the transport speed. That is, the target speed is substantially equal to or higher than the speed set as the conveyance speed in the reading target range, and a target speed lower than the minimum speed that can be set as the conveyance speed is not set. For this reason, in the example of FIG. 7, no acceleration / deceleration pattern is registered for a combination in which the target speed is lower than the conveyance speed (when the conveyance speed is V2 and the target speed is V3).

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation of the dot impact printer 10.
The processing shown in FIG. 8 is realized by the cooperation of hardware and software by the CPU 40 of the dot impact printer 10 reading and executing a control program stored in the EEPROM 42. During the operation shown in FIG. 8, the CPU 40 functions as a speed control unit.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart for explaining processing executed when a check is inserted as the recording medium 1 into the dot impact printer 10.
The CPU 40 provided in the dot impact printer 10 first records the alignment plate 28 when the recording medium 1 is inserted into the manual feed slot 15 and the leading edge of the recording medium 1 is detected by the medium edge sensor 47 (step S11; Yes). The medium 1 is projected into the conveyance path A and the medium conveyance motor 26 is operated to execute alignment processing (step S12). Thereby, the inclination (skew) in the transport direction of the recording medium 1 is corrected and aligned, and alignment of the leading end of the recording medium 1 is executed.

  Next, the CPU 40 determines whether or not the detected recording medium 1 is a target for recording characters or symbols by the recording head 18 (step S13). In step S13, the CPU 40 may acquire information transmitted from the host computer 2 and determine the type of the recording medium 1 based on this information, or may use the medium edge sensor 47 or the medium width sensor 55. The position of the front end or side end of the recording medium 1 may be detected, and the type of the recording medium 1 may be determined based on the position or size. In the present embodiment, the CPU 40 acquires information for specifying the type (check, passbook, etc.) of the recording medium 1 and information on the size of the recording medium 1 from the host computer 2, and records based on the acquired information. It is determined whether or not the target recording medium is used. In step S13, information indicating whether or not the recording medium 1 is a recording target may be received from the host computer 2.

  If it is determined in step S13 that the detected recording medium 1 is a recording target, the CPU 40 stands by until a recording command is received from the host computer 2 (step S14), and recording indicating characters, symbols, and images to be recorded. When the data and the control command for instructing recording are received (step S14; Yes), the CPU 40 transports the recording medium 1 to the recording position on the platen 21, and moves the recording head 18 and the carriage 19 in the main scanning direction. At the same time, the recording wire of the recording head 18 is projected during the movement to record characters, symbols, images, etc. on the recording medium 1 (step S15).

Thereafter, the CPU 40 determines whether or not the recording medium 1 is a target of a reading operation by the front surface scanner 111 and the back surface scanner 112 (step S16). If it is determined in step S13 that the recording medium 1 is not a recording target (step S13; No), the CPU 40 proceeds to step S16.
In step S16, the CPU 40 determines the type and size of the recording medium 1 determined in step S13, the information received from the host computer 2 in step S13, or the information newly received from the host computer 2 in step S16. Based on the above, it is determined whether or not the recording medium is the target of the reading operation.

If it is determined in step S16 that the recording medium 1 is not the target of the reading operation, the CPU 40 proceeds to step S24 and operates the medium transport motor 26 to transport the recording medium 1 to the manual feed port 15 by the transport mechanism 100. Then, the recording medium 1 is discharged from the manual feed port 15 and the present process is terminated.
On the other hand, when it is determined that the recording medium 1 is the target of the reading operation, the CPU 40 waits until a reading command is received from the host computer 2 (step S17), and when the reading command is received (step S17; Yes). ), The process proceeds to step S18. The reading command received by the CPU 40 in step S17 includes a control command instructing the start of the reading operation, the position of the reading target range to be read, and the conveyance while the reading target range is read by the front scanner 111 and the back scanner 112, respectively. Information specifying the speed and the like is included. Based on the information received as the read command from the host computer 2, the CPU 40 acquires the positions of the leading end and the trailing end of the reading target range in step S18. Subsequently, the CPU 40 acquires the conveyance speed in the reading target range (step S19), and further calculates the conveyance rejection outside the reading target range (step S20). In step S20, the size in the conveyance direction of the recording medium 1 acquired in step S13 and the like, the conveyance rejection after the leading end position of the recording medium 1 is aligned with the alignment plate 28 in step S12, and the acquisition in step S17. Based on the information indicating the positions of the reading target ranges 1A and 1B, etc., conveyance rejection in a range other than the reading target range in the conveyance direction is calculated. Here, when there are a plurality of ranges other than the reading target range as in the sections D1, D3, and D5 in FIG. 5, the CPU 40 calculates conveyance rejection in each range.

Then, the CPU 40 executes a speed determination process for obtaining the rejection of each range calculated in step S20 and the conveyance speed (target speed) in each range other than the reading target ranges 1A and 1B in the reading target ranges 1A and 1B ( Step S21).
Thereafter, the CPU 40 performs a reading operation for optically reading the surface of the recording medium 1 by the front surface scanner 111 and the back surface scanner 112 while transporting the recording medium 1 by the transport mechanism 100 based on the speed determined by the speed determination processing. Then, images read by the front surface scanner 111 and the back surface scanner 112 are acquired (step S22). Next, the CPU 40 outputs the acquired read image to the host computer 2 (step S23), proceeds to step S24, ejects the recording medium 1 from the manual feed slot 15, and ends this process.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing in detail the speed determination process executed in step S21 of FIG.
In the speed determination process, the CPU 40 first selects a target range for determining the speed out of the range other than the reading target range (step S31), and acquires the speed of the range located before and after this range (step S32). . When the range selected in step S31 is located at the beginning of the recording medium 1, the transport speed before the target range is determined to be zero, and therefore, only the transport speed in the range after the selected range is acquired in step S32. . When the selected range is located at the rear end of the recording medium 1, the transport speed after the target range is zero, and therefore, only the transport speed of the range before the selected range is acquired in step S32.
In general, the range other than the reading target range is not divided at a location where the reading target range is not related, and therefore the range before and after the range selected in step S31 is the reading target range. For this reason, in step S32, the conveyance speed designated by the read command from the host computer 2 is acquired for the read target range located before and after the selected range.

  The CPU 40 obtains the maximum speed that can be set in the target range based on the conveyance speed in the reading target range after the target range and the conveyance rejection of the target range, and sets this speed as a temporary speed (step S33). The maximum speed obtained in step S33 only needs to be able to decelerate to the conveyance speed in the reading target range after the target range by using all the conveyance refusals in the target range for deceleration. The maximum speed that can be decelerated is determined based on a table (FIG. 7) stored in the EEPROM 42. That is, the deceleration pattern registered in the table of FIG. 7 is associated with a combination of the speed after deceleration and the speed before deceleration, and includes information indicating rejection required for deceleration. In the deceleration pattern, the CPU 40 selects a deceleration pattern in which the transport speed after deceleration is suitable and fits within the target area, and acquires the transport rejection required for this deceleration pattern.

Subsequently, when the speed of the target range is set to the provisional speed obtained in step S33, the CPU 40 obtains the conveyance rejection necessary for deceleration, and the remaining conveyance obtained by removing the deceleration rejection from the rejection of the target range. Rejection is requested (step S34). Here, the CPU 40 determines whether or not the remaining conveyance rejection can be accelerated from the conveyance speed of the reading target range before the target range to the provisional speed (step S35). If the acceleration is not in time, it can be said that the speed is too fast, so the CPU 40 determines whether or not the temporary speed is the minimum speed (step S36). If the speed is not the minimum speed (step S36; No), the temporary speed is determined. Is changed to a lower speed (step S37), and the process returns to step S34.
If the temporary speed is already the minimum speed (step S36; Yes), an acceleration / deceleration pattern connecting the front and rear of the target range is selected from the table of the EEPROM 42 and determined as the speed change pattern of the target range. (Step S38). For example, the target speed of the target range is the conveyance speed in the range before or after the target range. After the process of step S38, the CPU 40 proceeds to step S22 (FIG. 8).

  On the other hand, after determining the provisional speed, if it is determined that acceleration up to the provisional speed is possible in the remaining conveyance rejection of the target range (step S35), the CPU 40 uses the value of the provisional speed as the target speed of the target range. Determine (step S39). And CPU40 determines the acceleration pattern and deceleration pattern in a target range (step S40), and transfers to step S22 (FIG. 8).

The above operation will be described by taking as an example the case where the section D3 in FIG. 6A is selected as the target range.
The CPU 40 acquires the transport speeds V2 and V3 designated for the sections D2 and D4 before and after the section D3 (step S32), and obtains the speed that can be decelerated to the transport speed V3 by the transport rejection in the section D3. (Step S33). The CPU 40 obtains the remaining refusal excluding the conveyance refusal necessary for the deceleration from the temporary speed V1 to the conveyance speed V3 (step S34). With this remaining refusal, the tentative speed is determined from the conveyance speed V2 of the previous section D2. It is determined whether or not acceleration up to the speed V1 is possible (step S35).
Here, when acceleration from the conveyance speed V2 to the temporary speed V1 is possible, the CPU 40 determines the temporary speed V1 as the target speed in the section D3 (step S39), and from the conveyance speed V2 in the section D2 to the target speed V1. And a deceleration pattern from the target speed V1 to the conveyance speed V3 in the section D4 are selected from the table stored in the EEPROM 42 (step S40).

If acceleration from the conveyance speed V2 to the temporary speed V1 cannot be performed (step S35; No), the CPU 40 changes the temporary speed to V2 lower than the temporary speed V1 (step S37), and returns to step S34. . When acceleration is not in time even at the temporary speed V2 (step S35; No), the CPU 40 changes the temporary speed to a lower V3 (step S37) and returns to step S34.
If the temporary speed V3 cannot be accelerated (step S35; No), since the temporary speed is already the lowest speed (step S36; Yes), the CPU 40 transfers the conveyance speed V2 in the section D2 and the conveyance speed V3 in the section D4. Is selected from the table (step S38).

  When the acceleration pattern and the deceleration pattern are determined in step S40, the CPU 40 may perform a process of applying the acceleration / deceleration pattern to the conveyance rejection of the target range. That is, an acceleration pattern is arranged at the beginning of the target range, and a deceleration pattern is arranged at the end of the target range. Thereby, the part which accelerates to the target speed and the part which decelerates from the target speed are determined. The remaining part connecting the end of the acceleration pattern and the start of the deceleration pattern is a part that is kept constant at the target speed. Of course, the CPU 40 can appropriately extend or shorten the acceleration pattern and deceleration pattern selected from the table of the EEPROM 42 in the conveyance rejection direction to generate a new acceleration pattern and deceleration pattern.

  In the operations shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the target speed in the range (section) other than the reading target ranges 1 </ b> A and 1 </ b> B is obtained before the reading operation of the recording medium 1 is started. For example, the target speed of each section may be calculated after the reading operation is started. Specifically, the target speed of the next section D3 can be calculated during reading of the reading target range 1A (section D2). In this case, since there is no time for performing only the calculation before the reading operation is started, the entire reading operation can be speeded up. As a preferred example, if the target speed of the section D3 is determined before the reading of the section D2 is started and the target speed of the section D5 is determined before the reading of the section D4 is started, the target speed may not be determined in time. There is no.

As described above, the dot impact printer 10 according to the embodiment to which the present invention is applied is arranged in the transport mechanism 100 that transports the recording medium 1 and the transport path A of the recording medium 1 and is transported by the transport mechanism 100. The front surface scanner 111 and the back surface scanner 112 for reading the medium 1 are provided, and the CPU 40 has a function of controlling the transport speed by the transport mechanism 100. The CPU 40 reads the target ranges 1A and 1B on the recording medium 1, and the target range for reading. When the conveyance speed while 1A and 1B pass through the positions (reading positions) of the contact glasses 111A and 112A is designated, the reading object is determined based on the position and the conveyance speed of the designated reading object ranges 1A and 1B. A target speed is determined while a portion other than the ranges 1A and 1B passes through the reading position.
As a result, when the conveyance speed during reading of the reading target ranges 1A and 1B is designated by the host computer 2, the portion other than the reading target ranges 1A and 1B does not deviate from the designated conveyance speed. The conveying speed while passing through 112A can be appropriately determined. As a result, the conveyance speed can be increased within a range that does not affect the reading quality, and the entire reading operation can be speeded up.

  Further, since the target speed determined by the CPU 40 is higher than the conveying speed during reading of the reading target ranges 1A and 1B, the conveying speed can be reliably increased. Further, when the CPU 40 cannot determine a target speed higher than the conveyance speed during reading of the reading target ranges 1A and 1B, the CPU 40 does not determine the target speed, but selects an acceleration / deceleration pattern that connects the conveyance speed during reading. The conveyance speed does not become lower than the designated conveyance speed during reading.

The CPU 40 transports the reading target range positioned before the range (section) that is the target of determining the target speed, the reading speed of the reading target range positioned after the section, and the reading target range 1A before and after these. Since the target speed is calculated based on the rejection between 1B, the target speed that can be accelerated / decelerated can be calculated without affecting the transport speed at the time of reading of the preceding and following reading target ranges 1A, 1B. Can be speeded up more reliably.
The EEPROM 42 stores a table storing a plurality of acceleration patterns for accelerating from a conveyance speed lower than the target speed to the target speed and deceleration patterns for decelerating from the target speed to a lower conveyance speed. Among the acceleration / deceleration patterns registered in this table, the conveyance speed of the reading target range located before the range that is the target for determining the target speed, and the conveyance speed of the reading target range that is located after the range. Based on this, an acceleration pattern and a deceleration pattern are selected. Therefore, it is possible to quickly determine the pattern of acceleration from the conveyance speed to the target speed and deceleration pattern from the target speed to the conveyance speed by a light load process, thereby reducing the time required for the process of determining the acceleration / deceleration pattern. There is no problem, and the processing speed is not in time, and the optimum target speed can be determined reliably and the conveyance speed can be increased.

  Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in the present embodiment, the configuration in which the surface of the recording medium 1 is optically read by the front surface scanner 111 and the back surface scanner 112 disposed on the downstream side of the recording head 18 on the conveyance path A of the recording medium 1 has been described. The present invention is not limited to this, and the front scanner 111 and the back scanner 112 may be provided on the manual feed slot 15 side, and reading is performed by both the front scanner 111 and the back scanner 112 or only by one. It is arbitrary whether to do. Further, in the present embodiment, as illustrated in the flowcharts of FIGS. 8 and 9, the case where reading is performed after recording is described as an example. However, recording may be performed after reading, The order is arbitrary.

In addition, the reading target range in the reading target is not limited to the configuration in which the reading target range is distributed in the transport direction as illustrated in FIG. 5, and a reading target range continuous in the transport direction may be provided. In this case, even if the size in the width direction changes, it may be processed as a single read target range as long as it is continuous in the transport direction.
Further, in the present embodiment, as described with reference to FIG. 5, while the recording medium 1 is conveyed in one direction and passed through the positions of the contact glasses 111 </ b> A and 112 </ b> A, reading by the front surface scanner 111 and the back surface scanner 112 is performed. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and reading may be performed by reciprocating on the contact glasses 111A and 112A. Further, although it has been described that the transport mechanism 100 stops transporting the recording medium 1 before the start of the section D1 and after the end of the section D5 shown in FIG. 5, the transport mechanism 100 is operating before the start of the section D1. Alternatively, the recording medium 1 may be conveyed to the manual feed port 15 without stopping conveyance after the end of the section D5.

In addition, each functional block in the block diagram of FIG. 4 is realized by cooperation of hardware and software, and a specific hardware implementation form, software specifications, and the like are arbitrary. The detailed configuration can be arbitrarily changed.
The present invention can be applied not only to a dot impact type printer, but also to an ink jet type printer and a thermal printer that records an image by heating a thermal medium. Furthermore, it is not limited to a device used as an independent printer such as the dot impact printer 10, but may be incorporated in other devices (ATM (Automated Teller Machine), CD (Cash Displacer), etc.) The present invention can be applied to various devices, and further, the present invention can be applied to a reading apparatus that does not include the recording head 18 and the like and optically reads with the same configuration as the optical reading apparatus 200. .

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Recording medium, 1A, 1B ... Reading object range, 2 ... Host computer, 10 ... Dot impact printer (reading device), 40 ... CPU (speed control part, computer), 42 ... EEPROM (storage part), 100 ... Conveyance Mechanism (conveyance unit) 111... Front scanner (reading unit) 112. Back scanner (reading unit) 111 A, 112 A. Contact glass, 200.

Claims (6)

A conveyance unit that conveys a reading object, a reading unit that is arranged on a conveyance path of the reading object and that reads the reading object conveyed by the conveyance unit, and a speed control unit that controls a conveyance speed by the conveyance unit And
The speed control unit is configured to specify a reading target range when a reading target range in the reading target and a reading speed indicating a conveyance speed while the reading target range passes through a reading position of the reading unit are specified. Determining a target speed while a portion other than the reading target range passes through the reading position based on the position of the range and the reading speed;
A reader characterized by. The speed control unit sets the target speed to a speed higher than the reading speed;
The reading device according to claim 1. The speed control unit is configured to read the reading speed of the reading target range positioned before the range in which the target speed is determined, the reading speed of the reading target range positioned after the range, and the reading before and after the reading speed. Calculating the target speed based on the rejection between the target areas;
The reading device according to claim 2. A storage unit storing a plurality of acceleration patterns for accelerating from a conveyance speed lower than the target speed to the target speed and deceleration patterns for decelerating from the target speed to a lower conveyance speed,
The speed control unit includes an acceleration pattern based on the reading speed of the reading target range positioned before the range that is the target for determining the target speed, and the reading speed of the reading target range positioned after the range. Selecting a deceleration pattern from the patterns stored in the storage unit,
The reading device according to claim 3. Controlling a reading device comprising: a conveying unit that conveys a reading object; and a reading unit that is arranged in a conveying path of the reading object and that reads the reading object conveyed by the conveying unit;
When the conveyance speed by the conveyance unit is controlled and a reading target range in the reading object and a reading speed indicating a conveyance speed while the reading target range passes through a reading position of the reading unit are designated, Determining a target speed while a portion other than the reading target range passes through the reading position based on the position of the specified reading target range and the reading speed;
A method for controlling a reading apparatus. It is executed by a computer that controls a reading device that includes a conveyance unit that conveys a reading object and a reading unit that is arranged in a conveyance path of the reading object and that reads the reading object conveyed by the conveyance unit. A program
The computer,
When the conveyance speed by the conveyance unit is controlled and a reading target range in the reading object and a reading speed indicating a conveyance speed while the reading target range passes through a reading position of the reading unit are designated, A speed control unit that determines a target speed while a portion other than the reading target range passes through the reading position based on the position and reading speed of the specified reading target range;
A program characterized by functioning as

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