JPH04122659A - Font controller for printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To find out a specific control code easily by constituting a non-symbol font pattern corresponding to a predetermined non-symbol code so as to be different from a non-symbol font pattern corresponding to other non-symbol code than the predetermined code. CONSTITUTION:When a code is an escape code, a data develop means 3 reads out a pattern data corresponding to the escape code from a pattern data memory means 2 so as to develop the pattern data. A develop data memory means 4 stores the developed pattern data. When the code is not a symbol code nor the escape code, the data develop means 3 reads out a pattern data of a period '.' from the pattern data memory means 2 so as to develop the pattern data. The develop data memory means 4 stores the developed pattern data. A print control means 6 receives the developed data from the develop data memory means 4 so as to control printing operation for 1 line.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a font control device for a printer.

[Prior Art] Some printers with a hex dump function convert a code sent from an external device into a hexadecimal representation and print it, and also print a font pattern corresponding to the code.

FIG. 5 shows a font pattern printed using the conventional dump function. That is, the character (“A”,
a”, etc.), numbers (“1”, “2”, etc.), codes (m#
”, “*”, etc.) (hereinafter, these characters, numbers, codes, etc. are collectively referred to as “symbols”), etc.) When a symbol code representing a symbol is sent from an external device, a symbol font corresponding to the symbol code is sent. A pattern is printed. On the other hand, when a non-symbol code representing a symbol code other than the above-mentioned symbol code is sent from an external device, a period "," is printed. Typical non-symbolic codes include control codes such as escape codes, carriage return codes, and line feed codes.

[Problem to be Solved] In the dumb list shown in FIG. 5, each non-symbol word is printed with the same font pattern. Therefore, specific control codes (e.g. escape codes) could not be found.

An object of the present invention is to obtain a font control device that can easily find a specific control code from a dump list in which font patterns are printed.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The font control device of the present invention is configured such that a non-symbolic font pattern corresponding to a predetermined non-symbolic code is different from non-symbolic font patterns corresponding to other non-symbolic codes. This is what I did.

[Example code] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment.

The code output means 1 outputs codes (symbolic codes and non-symbolic codes) sent from an external device (not shown). Here, "symbol code" refers to letters ("A", "a", etc.), numbers ("1", °2", etc.), codes ("#", "*", etc.), etc. (hereinafter, these letters, numbers,
This refers to a code that collectively represents a symbol (referred to as "symbol 1").

Furthermore, a "non-symbolic code" refers to a code that represents something other than a symbolic code. Typical non-symbolic codes include control codes such as escape codes, carriage return codes, and line feed codes.

The pattern data storage means 2 stores pattern data of code fonts and pattern data of non-symbol fonts in correspondence with each code (each symbol code and each non-symbol code), and is mainly composed of a ROM.

The data development means 3 receives the code output from the code output means 1 and sequentially develops the pattern data stored in the pattern data storage means 2. The data expansion means 3 also has a function of expanding the above code into data expressed in hexadecimal.

The expanded data storage means 4 sequentially stores expanded data (bang data and hexadecimal representation data), and is mainly composed of a RAM.

The pattern data storage means 2, data development means 3, and development data storage means 4 constitute a font pattern generation means 5.

The print control means 6 receives the developed data from the developed data storage means 4 and controls printing of the font pattern.

The carrier feed motor 7, the paper feed motor 8, and the print head 9 constitute printing means, and the print control means 6
It performs printing operations in response to control signals from the printer.

Next, the operation of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 will be explained with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

The code output means 1 outputs a 1-byte code (symbolic code or non-symbolic code) sent from an external device f (not shown) (a). As a result of each operation described below, it is determined whether or not one row of data has been expanded (b). If the expansion of one line of data is not completed, the code is expanded into hexadecimal data and stored in the expanded data storage means 4 (d). If the above code is a symbol code, the data expansion means 3:
Pattern data corresponding to the above code is read from the pattern data storage means 2, and this pattern data is expanded. The developed data storage means 4 stores developed pattern data (developed data) (eSg). If the above code is an escape code, data expansion means 3
Now, enter the escape code (“IB” in hexadecimal).

) is read out from the pattern data storage means 2, and this pattern data is expanded.

The developed data storage means 4 stores developed pattern data (developed data) (fSh). If the code is neither a symbol code nor an escape code, the data expansion means 3 reads period pattern data from the pattern data storage means 2 and expands this pattern data. The developed data storage means 4 stores developed pattern data (developed data) (i). When the above operations are repeated and one line of data has been expanded, the following operation is performed (b).

The print control means 6 receives the developed data from the developed data storage means 4 and controls the printing operation for one line. In response to this control signal, printing for one line is performed by the print head 9 or the like (C). When printing for one line is completed, the expanded data storage means 4 is cleared.

By repeating the above operations, a hex dump list as shown in FIG. 3 is created. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a part of FIG. 3. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the font pattern "ESC" is printed in a single font in response to the escape code "IB" printed in hexadecimal notation. Note that the fonts printed with periods and ``correspond to non-symbolic codes other than the escape code IB''.

[Effect] In the present invention, the non-symbolic font pattern corresponding to the predetermined non-symbolic code is configured to be different from the non-symbolic font pattern corresponding to other non-symbolic codes, so that the font pattern is printed on the dumb list. Among them, you can easily find a specific control code.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is an example of a hex dump list in the present invention, and FIG. The figure is an enlarged view of a part of FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 shows a conventional hex dump list. 1... Code output means 5... Font pattern generation means 6...
・Applicant for printing control means and above: Seikosha Co., Ltd.

Claims (1)

[Claims] Code output means for outputting a symbol code representing a letter, number, code, etc. and a non-symbol code other than the symbol code, and a symbol font pattern corresponding to the symbol code and a symbol code corresponding to the non-symbol code. font pattern generation means for generating a non-symbolic font pattern, and print control means for controlling printing of the font pattern generated by the font pattern generation means, the non-symbolic font generated by the font pattern generation means; A font control device for a printer configured such that a non-symbolic font pattern corresponding to a predetermined non-symbolic code among the patterns is different from non-symbolic font patterns corresponding to other non-symbolic codes.