JPH06237352A - Facsimile equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To print out a picture in a beautiful state even when a thermosensitive paper sheet other than a sheet designated by a manufacturer is in use by print ing out a prescribed test picture onto recording paper, thereby confirming the picture while a pulse width of a print element drive signal from a print output section is differently revised. CONSTITUTION:The facsimile equipment is provided with a pulse width setting means 2a freely setting a pulse width of a print element drive signal fed to a printer head and a means 2b printing out sequentially test picture data in response to the pulse width while revising the pulse width of the print element drive signal into plural kinds. Then which pulse width gives a preferred picture printed on thermosensitive paper set to the facsimile equipment is discriminated by confirming plural test picture data to be printed out. Thus, after the test picture data are confirmed, a beautiful picture with a desired density selected by the user is obtained on the thermosensitive paper set actually to the facsimile equipment by controlling the pulse width setting means 2a.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a facsimile machine, and more particularly to an improvement of a facsimile machine of the type which can use thermal paper as recording paper.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Facsimile machines for thermal paper are simpler, more compact and cheaper to manufacture than those for plain paper.
Widely used. With this type of thermal paper, the density of the printed image may differ depending on the type of thermal paper, so the manufacturer of the fax machine generally specifies the type of thermal paper that is compatible with the fax machine. However, it is customary to ask the user to use the thermal paper.

[0003]

However, even if the manufacturer specifies the type of thermal paper suitable for the facsimile apparatus as described above, the thermal paper actually used by the user is the specified one. However, other types of thermal paper are often used. On the other hand, in the conventional facsimile apparatus, the fact is that no means is provided for coping with the case where a thermal paper other than the designated thermal paper is used. Therefore, conventionally, when a thermal paper other than the one specified by the manufacturer is used, the density of the image to be printed out may be unduly high or low, so that a beautiful image cannot be printed out with an appropriate density. Was causing some difficulties.

The present invention has been proposed in view of the above points, and it is possible to adjust the density of an image to be printed out to a desired proper density even when using a thermal paper other than the one specified by the manufacturer. It is an object of the present invention to provide a facsimile apparatus capable of printing and outputting an image in a beautiful state.

[0005]

A facsimile apparatus according to the present invention, which has been proposed to achieve the above object, is a facsimile apparatus including a printer head capable of printing output on a thermal paper. Pulse width setting means for changing and setting the pulse width of the print element drive signal supplied to the printer, and the test image data corresponding to each pulse width while sequentially changing the print element drive signal to plural kinds of pulse widths. And a means for printing out.

[0006]

In the facsimile apparatus according to the present invention having the above structure, the test image corresponding to each pulse width is changed while changing the pulse width of the print element drive signal supplied to the printer head to plural kinds of pulse widths. Since the data can be printed out on the thermal paper, it is preferable to confirm the plural test image data printed out, and the image printed with any pulse width on the thermal paper set in the facsimile machine is preferable. You can judge whether. Then, after confirming the test image data, the pulse width of the printing element drive signal can be set to the most preferable value by operating the pulse width setting means. After this setting, the print element drive signal with the optimum pulse width can be supplied to the printer head for print output to the thermal paper actually set in the facsimile machine, and the desired density selected by the user can be output. A beautiful image will be obtained.

[0007]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the entire facsimile apparatus F according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of a print output section, and FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a plurality of types of pulse width print element drive signals. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example. The facsimile apparatus F is configured by connecting a signal processing unit 4 to the facsimile communication control unit 1 to control the print output unit 3 and other units to a predetermined state described later in accordance with the operation of the key operation unit 2. ing. Here, the facsimile communication control unit 1 includes a line control unit 1a connected to the telephone line L, a modem 1b for image data transmission / reception, a protocol signal generation circuit 1c for transmitting / receiving a protocol signal, and a protocol signal detection circuit 1d. And so on.

The signal processing unit 4 is composed of a CPU or the like. The signal processing unit 4 is composed of a key operation unit 2, a print output unit 3, an image reading unit 5, a liquid crystal display and the like. The display unit 6, the storage unit 7, and the like are connected. this house,
As the print output unit 3, a thermal printer is applied as an example of a device capable of printing output on the thermal paper K. Its configuration is, as shown in FIG. 2, composed of a plurality of printer heads H arranged in a line. The printing element 3a is heated by transmitting a printing element driving signal S from the driving circuit 3b to each of the printing elements 3a. The amount of heat generated by the print element 3a increases or decreases according to the pulse width of the print element drive signal S. The drive circuit 3b outputs the print element drive signal S with the pulse widths 1 to 6 shown in FIG. As described above, it is possible to change to a plurality of types of signal modes whose pulse widths are different from each other. As a means for changing the pulse width, a method of changing the entire width by multiplying the width of the reference pulse with a pulse having a constant width as a reference pulse, or a method of changing the pulse width by timer control is appropriately used. You can apply.

The key operation section 2 is, in addition to the ten keys and other general operation keys, a pulse width setting switch 2a for setting the pulse width of the print element drive signal S of the print output section 3 to a predetermined width, which will be described later. A test print start switch 2b for operating the test print is provided. Each of the switches 2a and 2b is configured as a dedicated one-touch key, a DIP switch, or the like, or by a combination operation of a function key and a ten-key.

The storage unit 7 includes a print pattern memory 7b, a font data storage memory 7c, etc. in addition to the system memory 7a composed of ROM, RAM and the like. Among them, the print pattern memory 7b is for storing the data of the test image for performing the test printing, and the font data storage memory 7c is input to the print pattern memory 7b with a predetermined code. The data is output as image data.

The signal processing unit 4 stores the storage unit 7 when the test print start switch 2b of the key operation unit 2 is operated.
The test image data registered in the print pattern memory 7b is controlled to be printed out by the print output unit 3. However, at that time, the print output unit 3 sequentially supplies the print element drive signals S having a plurality of different pulse widths to the print element 3a, so that one test image data becomes
It is configured so as to be sequentially printed on the thermal paper K for different pulse widths in a form conforming to a predetermined form. The signal processing unit 4 controls the pulse width of the print element drive signal S in the print output unit 3 to be the pulse width designated by the pulse width setting switch 2a except when the test printing is performed. Is.

Next, an example of use and operation of the facsimile apparatus F having the above configuration will be described. First, when using thermal paper K different from the one specified by the manufacturer as recording paper,
After setting the thermal paper K at a predetermined position of the print output unit 3, the test print start switch 2b of the key operation unit 2 is operated to perform test printing. In such test printing, for example, the print element drive signal S having a total of 6 pulse widths shown in FIG. 3 is sequentially supplied from the drive circuit 3b to the print element 3a, so that the test stored in the print pattern memory 7b is performed. The image data will be printed out in a predetermined form, in a total of 6 types of patterns. FIG. 4A shows an example of the test-printed image. As the pulse width of the print element drive signal S increases from 1 to 6, the test image D1 to be printed out is output.
The density of D6 is gradually increased (however, since it is difficult to illustrate the change in the image density, the high and low of the density are represented by the high and low of the linear density for the sake of convenience in the figure and subsequent figures). Also, FIG.
The test image shown in (a) is one in which all of the print elements necessary for print output of the test images D1 to D6 function as black pixels.

According to the test image shown in FIG. 4 (a), the pulse width of the print element drive signal S can be selected from 1 to 6 levels by visually confirming the plurality of types of images D1 to D6 printed out. It is possible to determine which of the two should be used. Further, in order to make the judgment easily and accurately, it may be compared with a sample M or the like having an appropriate density as shown in FIG. The sample M may be created in advance by the user, or may be attached in advance to the instruction manual or the like by the manufacturer of the facsimile apparatus F.

Next, when it is determined that the optimum pulse width of the print element drive signal S for the thermal paper K to be actually used is the pulse width 4 of the pulse widths 1 to 6, as described above, By operating the pulse width setting switch 2a of the key operation unit 2, the pulse width of the print element drive signal S in the print output unit 3 may be designated to be the pulse width 4. By performing such a designation operation, when the predetermined image is printed out on the thermal paper K in the facsimile reception mode or the copy mode thereafter, the printing element drive signal S having the optimum pulse width for the thermal paper K can be used. The density of the printed image can be set to the optimum state. Steps 100 to 107 of the flowchart of FIG. 5 show an example of the above-mentioned series of operation procedures.

The test image shown in FIG. 4A is obtained when the entire area of the test image is black pixels, that is, when the ratio of black pixels to all pixels is 100%. However, the present invention is in no way limited to this. Figure 6 (a)
Is a pulse width of 1 to 6 when test printing is performed by sequentially changing the pulse width of the print element drive signal S from 1 to 6.
When each test printing is performed, the ratio of black pixels in the test image is sequentially changed to a plurality of steps of 1 to 7, and the test printing is performed in which the number of black pixels is also changed along with the change of the pulse width. It is a thing. The density of the image printed out on the thermal paper changes not only according to the pulse width of the print element drive signal but also according to the ratio of black pixels. Therefore, for example, a halftone image such as a photograph is printed out. In that case, it is preferable to determine the pulse width of the printing element drive signal in consideration of the ratio of black pixels, but the test printing shown in the figure is most suitable in such a case. The figure (b) shows an example of the sample Ma for selecting the optimal image and pulse width from the figure (a). When such a sample Ma is used, the pulse width corresponding to the density of the sample Ma and the image of the pattern closest to the density change pattern may be selected.

Similar to FIG. 6A, FIG. 7A shows that the pulse width of the print element drive signal is sub-scanned in accordance with changing the ratio of black pixels in the main scanning direction in 1 to 7 steps. It shows the case where the test printing is performed by sequentially changing in 1 to 6 steps in the direction. In the case shown in the figure, a plurality of images with different pulse widths are output as shown in FIG. 6 (a). In contrast to the above, the image density in the relationship between the ratio of black pixels and the pulse width is summarized in one graph state. According to the test printing in such a mode, the space efficiency of the recording paper in the test printing is better than that shown in FIG. 6A, and the image density can be judged by the correlation between the ratio of black pixels and the pulse width. Advantages such as simplification are obtained. Also in this case, the optimum pulse width can be selected by comparison with the sample Mb shown in FIG.

In each of the above-described embodiments, the case where the pulse width of the print element drive signal is changed in six steps has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the number of steps is less than or more than that. The test print may be performed with the pulse width of. In addition, according to the present invention, the printout form of the test image when performing the test printing is not limited to the pattern shown in each of the above figures.

[0018]

As can be understood from the above description, according to the facsimile apparatus of the present invention, the predetermined test image is printed on the recording paper while changing the print element drive signal of the print output section to a different pulse width. By outputting and checking this, it is possible to select and set the optimum pulse width of the print element drive signal for the thermal paper, so even when using thermal paper other than that specified by the manufacturer, The special effect that the printout density of the image can be set to a desired optimum state and the image can be printed out in a beautiful state is obtained.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a facsimile apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a configuration of a print output unit of the facsimile apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of print element drive signals having a plurality of types of pulse widths.

4A is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a printout pattern of a test image, and FIG. 4B is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a sample.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a series of operation procedures when using a thermal paper other than that specified by the manufacturer.

FIG. 6A is an explanatory diagram showing another example of a print output pattern of a test image, and FIG. 6B is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a sample in that case.

FIG. 7A is an explanatory diagram showing another example of a printout pattern of a test image, and FIG. 7B is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a sample in that case.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Key operation unit 2a Pulse width setting switch 2b Test print start switch 3 Print output unit 3a Print element 3b Drive circuit 4 Signal processing unit 7 Memory unit 7b Print pattern memory H Printer head K Thermal paper S Print element drive signal F Facsimile device

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Hiroyasu Yoshikawa, 136, Takeda Mukoyo-cho, Fushimi-ku, Kyoto Murata Machinery Co., Ltd. Headquarters factory (72) Inventor, Shinichi Miyazaki 136, Takeda-Mukoyo-cho, Fushimi-ku, Kyoto Murata Machinery Co., Ltd. Head Office Factory

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A facsimile apparatus having a printer head capable of printing output on thermal paper, comprising pulse width setting means capable of changing and setting a pulse width of a print element drive signal supplied to the printer head. A facsimile apparatus comprising: a unit for sequentially printing out test image data corresponding to each pulse width while sequentially changing the print element drive signal to a plurality of types of pulse widths.