CN211591863U - Printing device - Google Patents

Abstract

The utility model provides a can shorten the printing device of the required time of printing. The printing device includes: a communication unit capable of communicating with an external device; a print head having a plurality of print pins; a carriage on which the print head is mounted; and a control unit that controls the print head and the carriage, wherein the control unit determines whether or not a ruled line character and a non-ruled line character different from the ruled line character are included in a line to be printed based on the print data received by the communication unit, and controls the line to be printed by one scan of the carriage when the ruled line character and the non-ruled line character are determined to be included in the line and not included in the line, and controls the line to be printed by two scans of the carriage when the ruled line character and the non-ruled line character are determined to be included in the line.

Description

Printing device

Technical Field

The utility model relates to a printing device.

Background

In a printing apparatus, the number of printing pins of a printing head mounted on the printing apparatus is reduced, thereby reducing the cost. In the printing apparatus in which the number of printing pins of the printing head is reduced in this manner, the number of scans during printing is increased to maintain the print quality, as compared with the case where the number of printing pins of the printing head is not reduced. The quality is, for example, resolution.

In addition, in patent document 1, the print speed is improved by thinning print data (thinning) (see patent document 1).

However, in a printing apparatus in which the number of printing pins of the printing head is reduced, when the quality of printing is to be maintained by increasing the number of scans during printing as compared with a printing apparatus in which the number of printing pins of the printing head is not reduced, there is a possibility that the time required for printing becomes long. For example, the time required for printing may be increased to 2 times or more.

In a printing apparatus in which the number of printing pins of the printing head is reduced, the quality of printing may be reduced when the number of scans during printing is the same as compared with a printing apparatus in which the number of printing pins of the printing head is not reduced.

For example, a printing apparatus having a printing head with 12 printing pins is configured by thinning 24 printing pins equally to reduce the number to 1/2 with respect to a printing head with 24 printing pins.

As a specific example, in a printing apparatus on which a printing head having 12 printing pins is mounted, it takes 2 times or more time per 1 line in order to obtain the same printing result as that of the printing apparatus on which the printing head having 24 printing pins is mounted.

Patent document 1: japanese laid-open patent publication No. 7-025069

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

In order to solve the above problem, one aspect of the present invention is a printing apparatus including: a communication unit capable of communicating with an external device; a print head having a plurality of print pins; a carriage on which the print head is mounted; and a control unit that controls the print head and the carriage, wherein the control unit determines whether or not a ruled line character and a non-ruled line character different from the ruled line character are included in a line to be printed based on the print data received by the communication unit, and controls the line to be printed by one scan of the carriage when the ruled line character and the non-ruled line character are determined to be included in the line and not included in the line, and controls the line to be printed by two scans of the carriage when the ruled line character and the non-ruled line character are determined to be included in the line.

In the printing apparatus of the present invention, the printing head may be provided with a plurality of printing pins arranged at a first interval, and the control unit may control the line to perform printing by performing two scans of the carriage, and after the first scan of the carriage, the control unit may transport the medium in the transport direction by a distance equal to half of the first interval, and then perform the second scan of the carriage.

In the printing apparatus of the present invention, the control unit may set the scanning speed of the carriage to a first speed when controlling the printing to be performed by performing the one-time scanning of the line by the carriage, and set the scanning speed of the carriage to a second speed slower than the first speed when controlling the printing to be performed by performing the two-time scanning of the line by the carriage.

Through the utility model discloses a printing device can shorten the required time of printing of ruled line character, from this, can shorten the required time of printing.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a printing apparatus according to an embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a diagram for explaining scanning and sheet feeding according to the embodiment.

Fig. 3 is a diagram for explaining scanning and sheet feeding according to the embodiment.

Fig. 4 is a diagram for explaining printing by two-pass scanning according to the embodiment.

Fig. 5 is a diagram for explaining printing by one scan according to the embodiment.

Fig. 6 is a diagram for explaining printing of a plurality of lines according to the embodiment.

Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a flow of processing executed by the printing apparatus according to the embodiment.

Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a flow of processing executed by the printing apparatus according to the embodiment.

Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a flow of processing executed by the printing apparatus according to the embodiment.

Fig. 10 is a diagram for explaining an example of processing executed by the printing apparatus according to the modified example of the embodiment.

Fig. 11 is a diagram for explaining an example of processing executed by the printing apparatus according to the modified example of the embodiment.

Detailed Description

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

Outline of printing apparatus

Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a printing apparatus 11 according to an embodiment.

An outline of the printing apparatus 11 according to the present embodiment will be described.

In the present embodiment, the printing device 11 is a Serial Impact Dot Matrix (SIDM) printer. The printing apparatus 11 can communicate with a host computer as an external apparatus, and executes a printing process based on print data received from the host computer. The print data is data for instructing the printing device 11 to print from an external device. The host computer is an external device including a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a non-volatile ROM (Read only Memory), a volatile RAM (Random Access Memory), and the like, generates print data by a printer application and a function of a printer driver installed therein, and transmits the print data to the printing apparatus.

Hereinafter, the printing apparatus 11 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to components for explaining the printing apparatus 11, and the other components will not be illustrated or described. The printing device 11 according to the present embodiment may include another general configuration unit, which is not explicitly shown in the present embodiment, for example.

The printing apparatus 11 includes a carriage 31, a paper feeding unit 32, a communication unit 33, a storage unit 34, and a control unit 35.

The carriage 31 mounts the print head 51. The carriage 31 reciprocates in the main scanning direction by driving of a motor along a shaft provided in the printing apparatus 11. This movement is also referred to as scanning. The main scanning direction is a direction orthogonal to and intersecting the transport direction in which the recording paper is transported. In the present embodiment, scanning of the carriage 31 from one end to the other end is referred to as one scan, which is also referred to as one scan.

The print head 51 includes a print pin portion 71. The printing pin section 71 includes a plurality of printing pins. The plurality of printing pins are arranged on the printing head at a first interval. The first interval may be any interval.

The paper feeding unit 32 includes a conveying roller and a driven roller. The paper feeding unit 32 nips a recording paper to be printed by a conveying roller and a driven roller, and is driven by a motor to rotate, thereby feeding the recording paper in a predetermined conveying direction. Further, the nip (nip) means a nip.

In the present embodiment, recording paper is used as a medium to be printed. In addition, other media may be used as the medium to be printed. For example, the sheet may be a single sheet or a folded sheet formed by continuously forming a single sheet.

The communication unit 33 is a communication interface capable of communicating with an external device. The communication interface is a communication circuit and a communication port. The communication unit 33 receives print data transmitted from an external device. In the present embodiment, the print data includes information of characters to be printed and a control command for controlling printing. The information of the character may be, for example, a predetermined character code. The character Code may be, for example, ASCII Code, which is American Standard Code for information exchange Code.

The communication between the communication unit 33 and the external device may be implemented by a wireless communication standard such as Wifi or Bluetooth (registered trademark), a wired communication standard such as USB or Ethernet (registered trademark), or a combination of the wireless communication standard and the wired communication standard.

The storage unit 34 can store data, and is configured by a nonvolatile ROM, a volatile RAM, or the like. In the present embodiment, the storage unit 34 stores a program executed by the control unit 35, parameters used in executing the program, print data to be printed, and the like.

The control unit 35 includes a processor such as a CPU, and controls the printing apparatus 11. In the present embodiment, the control unit 35 controls, for example, the carriage 31, the print head 51, the paper feeding unit 32, and the communication unit 33.

In the present embodiment, the control unit 35 controls driving of the motor of the carriage 31 to move the carriage 31. In the present embodiment, the control unit 35 controls the print head 51 by controlling the driving of the motor of the print head 51.

In the present embodiment, the control unit 35 executes various controls by reading a program stored in the storage unit 34 by a processor and executing the program. The processor uses the parameters stored in the storage unit 34 as needed when executing the program. The control unit 35 may use the storage unit 34 as an area for storing other arbitrary data.

In the printing apparatus 11 according to the present embodiment, an ink ribbon, not shown, is mounted, and dots are printed on recording paper with ink adsorbed on the ink ribbon by tapping the ink ribbon with the print wire under control performed by the control unit 35. At this time, in the printing apparatus 11, the control section 35 controls the carriage 31, the print head 51, and the paper feed section 32 to change the relative position of the print pin and the recording paper, thereby printing dots of characters constituting the printing target over a predetermined range of the recording paper. One tap on the ink ribbon by 1 print wire prints 1 dot on the recording paper, and a plurality of such dots are printed on the recording paper, thereby forming characters from the plurality of dots.

In the present embodiment, the control unit 35 determines whether or not a ruled line character and a non-ruled line character different from the ruled line character are included in a line to be printed, based on the print data received by the communication unit 33. As a result, when it is determined that the ruled line character is included in the line and the non-ruled line character is not included in the line, the control unit 35 performs control so that printing is performed by one scanning of the carriage 31 for the line. When it is determined that ruled line characters and non-ruled line characters are included in the line, the control unit 35 performs control so that printing is performed by two scans of the carriage for the line.

In the present embodiment, when the control is performed so that printing is performed by scanning the line twice by the carriage 31, the control unit 35 performs the second scanning of the carriage 31 after the first scanning of the carriage 31 and after the recording paper is conveyed in the conveying direction by a distance half the first distance.

Here, the transport direction of the recording paper is the direction in which the recording paper is transported. As one example, the conveying direction of the recording paper is a paper feeding direction in which the recording paper is fed.

In the present embodiment, when controlling the printing such that the line is scanned by the carriage 31 once, the control unit 35 sets the scanning speed of the carriage 31 to the first speed. The first speed may be any speed.

In addition, when the control unit 35 controls the printing so that the line is scanned twice by the carriage 31, the scanning speed of the carriage 31 can be set to a second speed lower than the first speed. The second speed may be any speed. As an example, the first speed may also be a speed that is 2 times faster than the second speed. The second speed is referred to as a normal speed as needed.

Here, the scanning speed of the carriage 31 is a speed at which the carriage 31 scans.

Number of printing pins

In this embodiment, the number of printing pins is reduced to 1/2 with reference to a printing head having 24 printing pins arranged at equal intervals. In a print head having 24 printing pins as a reference, it is assumed that printing is performed by one scan for each character.

In the print head 51 according to the present embodiment, the number of printing pins is 12. The 12 printing pins are configured such that the printing pins are removed every 1 for the array of 24 printing pins serving as a reference, and the remaining printing pins remain. Therefore, the interval between the printing needles and the adjacent printing needles in the printing head 51 according to the present embodiment is 2 times larger than the interval between the printing needles and the adjacent printing needles in the standard printing head.

The print head 51 scans in a direction intersecting the direction in which the 12 printing needles are arranged.

In the print head 51 according to the present embodiment, in order to obtain the same result as the result of printing by one scan using the print head having 24 print needles serving as a reference in the direction in which the 12 print needles are arranged, it is necessary to perform two scans.

On the other hand, in the print head 51 according to the present embodiment, the number of dots formed by printing is 1/2 of the number of dots formed by printing in one scan with respect to the result of printing in one scan with the print head having 24 printing pins serving as a reference in the direction in which the 12 printing pins are arranged.

In the print head 51 having 12 printing pins according to the present embodiment, the speed at which the print head 51 scans in the direction intersecting the direction in which the 12 printing pins are arranged is set to the first speed or the second speed, as compared with the print head having 24 printing pins as a reference. In the present embodiment, such setting of the speed is performed by the control unit 35.

Ruled and non-ruled characters

In the present embodiment, ruled line characters and non-ruled line characters are defined as characters to be printed. Information for identifying ruled and non-ruled characters is stored in the storage unit 34. The control unit 35 determines whether the character is a ruled line character or a non-ruled line character based on the character of the printing target specified by the data of the printing target and the information stored in the storage unit 34.

In the present embodiment, a character generating ruled lines is defined as a ruled line character. Further, characters other than ruled characters are defined as non-ruled characters.

The ruled line characters may include characters that form a frame of a table or the like.

As an example, when ASCII code is used, an alphanumeric character, which is a read character including english alphabets and numerals, may be defined as a non-ruled line character, and a mark character other than the non-ruled line character may be defined as a ruled line character.

Furthermore, kanji characters are not alphanumeric characters and may be defined separately as non-ruled characters. In addition, a portion of a kanji character may also be defined as a non-ruled character.

As another example, a ruled line character may be defined for each individual character. For example, a lower case letter "l" or the like may also be defined as a ruled line character.

As another example, the same character may be recognized as either a non-ruled character or a ruled character depending on the situation in which it is used. For example, a predetermined character such as a lower case letter "l" may be a ruled line character when the predetermined character is arranged in series in the vertical or horizontal direction by a number equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value, and a non-ruled line character may be used in other cases.

Scanning and paper feeding

Referring to fig. 2 and 3, scanning and sheet feeding will be described.

Fig. 2 and 3 are diagrams for explaining scanning and sheet feeding according to the embodiment.

Although the print head 51 is described in fig. 2 and 3 with respect to the position where it is arranged in the first scanning and the position where it is arranged in the second scanning with respect to the recording paper to be printed, and the paper feed of the recording paper, the present invention is not limited to the examples of fig. 2 and 3, and various forms can be adopted such as the relative size of the recording paper to be printed and the print head 51.

First, fig. 2 will be explained.

In fig. 2, for convenience of explanation, an XY coordinate system which is a two-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system is shown.

Here, the X-axis direction is, for example, a lateral direction, and the Y-axis direction is, for example, a longitudinal direction. For example, the lateral direction may be referred to as a horizontal direction, and the vertical direction may be referred to as a vertical direction.

In the present embodiment, the direction parallel to the X axis is collectively referred to as a row, and the direction parallel to the Y axis is collectively referred to as a column.

Further, positive (+) and negative (-) are shown for the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, respectively. In the present embodiment, a direction from-to + is referred to as a positive direction, and a direction from + to-is referred to as a negative direction.

Fig. 2 shows an example of a plan view of the recording paper 111 and the print head 51.

The recording paper 111 has a rectangular plane and has a small thickness. In fig. 2, the plane of the recording sheet 111 is parallel to the XY plane. The longitudinal direction of the recording paper 111 is parallel to the Y-axis direction, and the short-side direction of the recording paper 111 is parallel to the X-axis direction.

The recording paper 111 is transported in the positive Y-axis direction by the paper feeding unit 32. This direction is the transport direction.

The print head 51 has a plurality of printing pins 151-1 to 151-12. In the example of FIG. 2, the print head 51 has 12 print pins 151-1 to 151-12.

The printing pins 151-1 to 151-12 are arranged at equal intervals in a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the recording paper 111. The intervals of the intervals are denoted as first intervals K1. K1 is any positive value.

In the example of fig. 2, for convenience of explanation, the print head 51 has a rectangular plane when the recording paper 111 is viewed in a plan view. The longitudinal direction of the plane of the print head 51 is parallel to the Y-axis direction, and the short-side direction of the plane of the print head 51 is parallel to the X-axis direction.

In the example of fig. 2, in the plane of the print head 51, the side parallel to the X axis where the value of the Y coordinate is largest overlaps with a straight line H1 parallel to the X axis. The straight line H1 overlaps the inside of the plane of the recording paper 111.

In the example of fig. 2, the print head 51 is arranged in the negative direction of the X axis with respect to the recording paper 111.

In the example of fig. 2, for convenience of explanation, the print head 51 is shown in a position not overlapping the plane of the recording paper 111 in the negative X-axis direction, but as another example, the print head 51 may be in a position overlapping at least a part of the plane of the recording paper 111.

In the state shown in fig. 2, when the print head 51 is moved in the positive direction of the X-axis, scanning is performed by one time. When the print head 51 scans along the plane of the recording paper 111, printing is performed on the recording paper 111 by the printing pins 151-1 to 151-12 corresponding to the print data among the plurality of printing pins 151-1 to 151-12. Thereby, characters corresponding to the print data are printed on the recording paper 111 for one scan.

Next, fig. 3 will be explained.

Fig. 3 shows the same XY coordinate system as that shown in fig. 2 for convenience of explanation.

Fig. 3 shows an example of a plan view of the recording paper 111 and the print head 51.

Fig. 3 shows an example of a state in which scanning is performed by one amount from the state shown in fig. 2, and then the recording paper 111 is fed by a predetermined interval in the positive direction of the Y axis. The predetermined interval may be any interval, and may be, for example, an interval corresponding to 1/2 of the distance of the first interval K1 where the plurality of printing pins 151-1 to 151-12 are adjacent to each other, that is, K1/2.

In the example of fig. 3, the print head 51 is disposed in the positive direction of the X axis with respect to the recording paper 111.

In the example of fig. 3, the side parallel to the X axis where the value of the Y coordinate is the maximum in the plane of the print head 51 is arranged at a position shifted by K1/2 in the negative direction of the Y axis with respect to the straight line H1 shown in fig. 2.

In the example of fig. 3, for convenience of explanation, the print head 51 is movable in the positive direction of the X axis to a position not overlapping the plane of the recording paper 111, but as another example, a configuration may be adopted in which the print head 51 is movable only to a position overlapping at least a part of the plane of the recording paper 111.

In the state shown in fig. 3, when the print head 51 moves in the negative direction of the X-axis, one scan is performed. When the print head 51 scans along the plane of the recording paper 111, printing is performed on the recording paper 111 by the printing pins 151-1 to 151-12 corresponding to the print data among the plurality of printing pins 151-1 to 151-12. Thereby, characters corresponding to the print data are printed on the recording paper 111 for one scan.

Here, in the example of fig. 2 and 3, the case where printing is performed by the print head 51 both when moving in the positive direction of the X axis and when moving in the negative direction of the X axis with respect to the recording paper 111 is shown. That is, the case where printing is performed in both the outward stroke and the backward stroke when the print head 51 reciprocates in the direction parallel to the X-axis direction is shown. In this case, in the printing apparatus 11, printing can be performed on the recording paper 111 every time the print head 51 moves in the direction parallel to the X axis.

As another example, the print head 51 may perform printing on the recording paper 111 only when moving in either the positive direction of the X axis or the negative direction of the X axis. In this case, in the printing apparatus 11, when the print head 51 moves in the direction parallel to the X axis, printing is performed on the recording paper 111 in one direction of the movement direction, and when the movement direction is the other direction, printing is not performed on the recording paper 111, but the print head 51 is moved.

Printing by two scans and printing by one scan

The printing by two scans and the printing by one scan will be described with respect to the case where the print head 51 according to the present embodiment is used.

First, printing by two scans will be described.

Fig. 4 is a diagram for explaining printing by two-pass scanning according to the embodiment.

Fig. 4 shows an XY coordinate system similar to the coordinate systems shown in fig. 2 and 3 for convenience of explanation.

In fig. 4, as the printed patterns, a pattern 211, a pattern 212, and a pattern 221 are shown.

In the example of fig. 4, a case is shown in which a character "a" as one example of a non-ruled line character is printed. In the example of fig. 4, a frame is shown around the character for clarity of illustration, but the frame is not printed.

In the present embodiment, the non-ruled character is printed by performing two consecutive scans by the print head 51.

The pattern 211 is printed by the first scan of two consecutive scans.

For example, when characters having an aspect ratio of 1 to 1 are printed by all 12 printing pins 151-1 to 151-12, 24 printed dots are formed in the X-axis direction and 12 printed dots are formed in the Y-axis direction in the pattern 211, and 24 × 12 printed dots are formed in general.

The pattern 212 is printed by the second of two consecutive scans. In practice, the pattern formed by the second scanning is printed so as to overlap the pattern printed by the first scanning. The pattern 212 is a pattern obtained by extracting a pattern printed only by the second scanning.

For example, when characters having an aspect ratio of 1 to 1 are printed by all 12 printing pins 151-1 to 151-12, 24 printed dots are formed in the X-axis direction and 12 printed dots are formed in the Y-axis direction in the pattern 212, and 24 × 12 printed dots are formed in general.

The dots of the portion of printed dots that make up pattern 211 are offset from the dots of the portion of printed dots that make up pattern 212 by a distance equivalent to the K1/2 spacing.

The pattern 221 is a pattern in which a portion of printed dots formed by the first scanning and a portion of printed dots formed by the second scanning overlap each other. That is, the pattern 221 indicates the character "a" printed by two consecutive scans.

For example, when characters having an aspect ratio of 1 to 1 are printed by all 12 printing pins 151-1 to 151-12, 24 printed dots are formed in the X-axis direction and 24 printed dots are formed in the Y-axis direction in the pattern 221, and 24 × 24 printed dots are formed in general.

Next, printing by one scan will be described.

Fig. 5 is a diagram for explaining printing by one scan according to the embodiment.

Fig. 5 shows an XY coordinate system similar to the coordinate systems shown in fig. 2 and 3 for convenience of explanation.

In fig. 5, a pattern 241 is shown as a printed pattern.

In addition, in the example of fig. 5, a case where a character "+" as one example of ruled line characters is printed is shown. In the example of fig. 5, a frame is shown around the character for clarity of illustration, but the frame is not printed.

In the present embodiment, the ruled line character is printed by performing one scan by the print head 51.

The pattern 241 is a pattern printed by one scan. The pattern 241 represents a character "+" printed by one scan.

For example, when a character having an aspect ratio of 1 to 1 is printed by all 12 printing pins 151-1 to 151-12, 12 dots are printed in the X-axis direction, 12 dots are printed in the Y-axis direction, and 12 × 12 dots are printed in general.

In the example of fig. 5, "+" is used as a ruled line character, but as another example, a structure may be adopted in which "+" is used as a non-ruled line character.

In addition, although the example of FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 shows the case where characters are printed by all of the 12 printing pins 151-1 to 151-12, as another example, characters may be printed by a part of the 12 printing pins 151-1 to 151-12. The part may be 9 printing pins 151-1 to 151-9 arranged in series.

Refinement of data of printed patterns

In the present embodiment, the control unit 35 divides the non-ruled character into data of a print pattern used by the first scanning and data of a print pattern used by the second scanning, while directly using the data of the print pattern used for printing the non-ruled character. That is, in the present embodiment, printing is performed on non-ruled characters without thinning them.

In the present embodiment, the control unit 35 thins the data of the print pattern for printing the ruled line character to 1/2 at equal intervals to generate the data of the print pattern used by one scan for the ruled line character. In addition, the thinning may be, for example, thinning in which the even-numbered points are removed or thinning in which the odd-numbered points are removed.

At this time, when the ruled line character is printed by one scan, the control unit 35 generates the data by adding a margin, in which printing is not performed every one dot, to the vertical direction. That is, the data is data in which a space is inserted in the removed portion in the vertical direction and a space is not inserted in the horizontal direction. In other words, the data constituted by the continuous dot columns and the continuous blank columns are alternately arranged in the longitudinal direction. Therefore, since continuous dot lines are printed and continuous blank lines are not printed, the data is printed by one scan.

Storage area for print data to be printed

A storage area of print data to be printed will be described.

In the present embodiment, when printing characters by two consecutive scans, the control unit 35 stores the data of the print pattern used in the first scan and the data of the print pattern used in the second scan in different storage areas. As the storage area for these, the control unit 35 uses, for example, the storage area of the storage unit 34.

That is, the control unit 35 prepares a first storage area and a second storage area in the storage unit 34, and stores data of a print pattern used in the first scan in the first storage area and stores data of a print pattern used in the second scan in the second storage area based on print data to be printed. Here, the first storage area and the second storage area are different storage areas.

Then, the control unit 35 reads the data of the print pattern from the first storage area in the first scan, and performs printing based on the data. In the second scanning, the control unit 35 reads the data of the print pattern from the second storage area and performs printing based on the data.

Further, when printing is performed by one scan, the control section 35 uses the first storage area.

That is, the control unit 35 stores, in the first storage area, data of a print pattern used for one scan based on print data to be printed.

Then, the control unit 35 reads the data of the print pattern from the first storage area in one scan, and performs printing based on the data.

As another example, when printing is performed by one scan, the control unit 35 may use the second storage area instead of the first storage area.

Here, the data of the print pattern stored in the first storage area and the data of the print pattern stored in the second storage area are data of print data to be printed when they are combined together.

For example, when it is assumed that printing is performed by a print head having 24 printing pins serving as a reference, the data of the print pattern stored in the first storage area is data corresponding to a portion to be printed by the odd-numbered printing pins, and the data of the print pattern stored in the second storage area is data corresponding to a portion to be printed by the even-numbered printing pins. In addition, the odd-numbered data and the even-numbered data may be reversed.

Examples of printing of multiple lines

An example of printing of multiple lines is shown.

Fig. 6 is a diagram for explaining printing of a plurality of lines according to the embodiment.

Fig. 6 shows an XY coordinate system similar to the coordinate systems shown in fig. 2 and 3 for convenience of explanation.

In fig. 6, one example of the results of printing on 5 lines L1 to L5 is shown.

In the line L1 of the 1 st line, "", "-t" "and" "L" are included as examples of ruled line characters.

In the printing apparatus 11 according to the present embodiment, the carriage 31, the print head 51, and the paper feed unit 32 are controlled by the control unit 35, and the ruled line characters included in the line L1 of the 1 st line are printed by one scan.

After the line L1 in the 1 st line is printed, the control unit 35 causes the paper feed unit 32 to transport the recording paper by a predetermined distance so as to move the print head 51 from the 1 st line to the 2 nd line with respect to the recording paper. The predetermined distance is a distance corresponding to 1 line and corresponds to a distance when a line feed (line feed) is performed.

In line L2 of line 2, "|" as an example of ruled line characters and "a" to "J" as an example of non-ruled line characters are contained.

In the printing apparatus 11 according to the present embodiment, the carriage 31, the print head 51, and the paper feed unit 32 are controlled by the control unit 35, and the ruled line character and the non-ruled line character included in the line L2 of the 2 nd row are printed by two scans.

Here, in the line L2 of the 2 nd row, after printing is performed by the first scanning, the control unit 35 conveys the recording paper by shifting the recording paper by a predetermined distance by the paper feeding unit 32 so as to move the print head 51 with respect to the recording paper from the position of the first scanning to the position of the second scanning. The predetermined distance is distance K1/2.

After the printing performed by the second scanning is performed on the line L2 in the 2 nd row, the control unit 35 conveys the recording paper by shifting the recording paper by a predetermined distance by the paper feed unit 32 so that the print head 51 moves from the 2 nd row to the 3 rd row with respect to the recording paper. The predetermined distance corresponds to a result of subtracting the distance K1/2 from a distance corresponding to 1 line.

In the line L3 of the 3 rd row, "", "+," "┤" is included as an example of the ruled-line character.

In the printing apparatus 11 according to the present embodiment, the control unit 35 performs printing on the line L3 on the 3 rd line by one scan in the same manner as the line L1 on the 1 st line. Further, the controller 35 controls the paper feed for the line L3 on the 3 rd line in the same manner as the line L1 on the 1 st line.

In line L4 of line 4, "|" as an example of ruled line characters and "0" to "9" as an example of non-ruled line characters are included.

In the printing apparatus 11 according to the present embodiment, the control unit 35 performs printing on the line L4 on the 4 th line by two scans in the same manner as the line L2 on the 2 nd line. Further, the controller 35 controls the paper feed for the line L4 on the 4 th line in the same manner as the line L2 on the 2 nd line.

In the line L5 of the 5 th line, "+", "", "+" are included as examples of ruled line characters.

In the printing apparatus 11 according to the present embodiment, the control unit 35 performs printing on the line L5 on the 5 th line by one scan in the same manner as the line L1 on the 1 st line. The controller 35 controls the paper feed for the line L5 on the 5 th line in the same manner as the line L1 on the 1 st line.

Flow of processing performed in a printing apparatus

Fig. 7 to 9 show an example of the flow of processing executed by the printing apparatus 11 according to the embodiment.

Fig. 7, 8, and 9 are diagrams showing an example of a flow of processing executed by the printing apparatus 11 according to the embodiment.

In the present embodiment, it is assumed that at least one of ruled line characters and non-ruled line characters is included in each line to be printed by print data to be printed.

The flow of the process shown in fig. 7 will be described.

In this processing flow, a process of performing printing by one scan is executed.

In step S1, the printing device 11 receives data transmitted from an external device via the communication unit 33. This data is assumed to include print data to be printed. Then, the printing apparatus 11 proceeds to the process of step S2.

The processing of steps S2 to S5 is performed for each line to be printed with print data to be printed. That is, these processes are performed every 1 line.

In step S2, in the printing apparatus 11, the control unit 35 detects a character included in a line to be printed next by the print data to be printed, and determines whether or not a ruled line character is included in the line. Further, the detection of the character can be performed by detecting a character code, for example.

As a result of this determination, in the printing apparatus 11, when the control unit 35 determines that the ruled-line character is included in the row, the process proceeds to step S3.

On the other hand, as a result of this determination, in the printing apparatus 11, when the control unit 35 determines that the ruled line character is not included in the line, the process proceeds to step S5. In this case, the control unit 35 determines that only non-ruled characters are included in the row.

In step S3, in the printing apparatus 11, the control unit 35 detects the character included in the line determined in the process of step S2, and determines whether or not a non-ruled character is included in the line. In addition, the detection of the character may be carried out, for example, by detecting a character code.

As a result of this determination, in the printing apparatus 11, when the control unit 35 determines that the non-ruled character is included in the row, the process proceeds to step S5. In this case, the control unit 35 determines that the non-ruled character and the ruled character are included in the row.

On the other hand, as a result of this determination, in the printing apparatus 11, when the control unit 35 determines that the non-ruled character is not included in the line, the process proceeds to step S4. In this case, the control unit 35 determines that only ruled line characters are included in the row.

In step S4, in the printing apparatus 11, the control unit 35 executes a predetermined first printing process.

In step S5, in the printing apparatus 11, the control unit 35 executes a predetermined second printing process.

The flow of the first printing process shown in fig. 8 will be described.

In this processing flow, a process of printing by one scan is executed.

The processing of steps S21 to S23 is performed for each line to be printed with print data to be printed. That is, these processes are performed every 1 line.

In step S21, in the printing apparatus 11, the control unit 35 stores the data of the print pattern of the line to be printed next in a predetermined image buffer. Then, the printing apparatus 11 proceeds to the process of step S22. In the present embodiment, the first storage area of the storage unit 34 is used as the image buffer.

In step S22, in the printing apparatus 11, the control unit 35 performs processing for printing a line to be printed next based on the data of the print pattern stored in the image buffer. Then, the printing apparatus 11 proceeds to the process of step S23.

The control unit 35 controls the driving of the carriage 31 and the driving of the print head 51 to perform printing.

In step S23, in the printing apparatus 11, the control unit 35 performs paper feeding corresponding to the line feed in order to perform further printing of the next line. Then, the flow of this processing is ended. Here, when there is a next line to be printed, the control unit 35 proceeds to the next line printing process in step S2.

The control section 35 controls the driving of the paper feeding section 32 to feed the paper.

In the printing apparatus 11, the control unit 35 may calculate the amount of paper feed when executing paper feed corresponding to line feed, or may use a preset amount of paper feed, for example.

The flow of the second printing process shown in fig. 9 will be described.

In this processing flow, a process of performing printing by two consecutive scans is executed.

The processing of steps S41 to S45 is performed for each line to be printed with print data to be printed.

In step S41, in the printing apparatus 11, the control unit 35 stores the data of the print pattern of the line to be printed next in a predetermined image buffer. Then, the printing apparatus 11 proceeds to the process of step S42. In the present embodiment, a predetermined storage area of the storage unit 34 is used as the image buffer. As the storage area, an arbitrary storage area may be used.

In step S42, in the printing apparatus 11, the control unit 35 performs printing based on the data stored in the first storage area by the first scanning. Then, the printing apparatus 11 proceeds to the process of step S43.

The control unit 35 controls the driving of the carriage 31 and the driving of the print head 51 to perform printing.

In step S43, in the printing apparatus 11, in order to perform the second scanning, the control section 35 performs the paper feeding between the first scanning and the second scanning. Then, the printing apparatus 11 proceeds to the process of step S44.

The control section 35 controls the driving of the paper feeding section 32 to feed the paper.

In step S44, in the printing apparatus 11, the control unit 35 performs printing based on the data stored in the second storage area by the second scanning. Then, the printing apparatus 11 proceeds to the process of step S45.

The control unit 35 controls the driving of the carriage 31 and the driving of the print head 51 to perform printing.

In step S45, in the printing apparatus 11, the control unit 35 performs paper feeding corresponding to the line feed in order to perform further printing of the next line. Then, the flow of this processing ends. Here, when there is a next line to be printed, the control unit 35 proceeds to the next line printing process in step S2.

The control section 35 controls the driving of the paper feeding section 32 to feed the paper.

In the printing apparatus 11, when the control section 35 executes the paper feed corresponding to, for example, the line feed, the amount of the paper feed may be calculated, or a preset amount of the paper feed may be used.

Modification example 1

In the present embodiment, in the printing apparatus 11, the control unit 35 may set the first speed when the line to be printed includes only ruled line characters and performs printing by one scan, and may set the second speed when the line to be printed includes non-ruled line characters and performs printing by two scans.

In the present embodiment, in the printing apparatus 11, when only ruled line characters are included in the line to be printed, the control unit 35 thins the dots of the print pattern to 1/2 in the vertical direction, but a configuration may be employed as a modification in which the dots of the print pattern are thinned to 1/2 in the vertical direction and the dots of the print pattern are thinned to 1/2 in the horizontal direction.

In such a configuration, in the process of step S22 of the first printing shown in fig. 8, when only ruled-line characters are included in the line to be printed, the control unit 35 sets the first speed to be higher than the normal speed that is the second speed in the case of two scans when printing is performed in one scan.

In such a configuration, for example, the effect of shortening the time can be improved as compared with the case of the present embodiment.

As another example of the modification, in the printing apparatus 11, when only ruled line characters are included in a line to be printed, the control unit 35 may be configured to thin dots of the print pattern to 1/2 in the horizontal direction and not to thin dots in the vertical direction.

In such a configuration, when only ruled line characters are included in the line to be printed in the processing of step S22 of the first printing shown in fig. 8, the control unit 35 performs printing by two scans, and in this case, the first speed is higher than the normal speed.

In such a configuration, for example, the density of ruled line characters can be increased as compared with the case of the present embodiment.

Modification 2

As a modification, in the printing apparatus 11, the control unit 35 performs printing by changing the printing method in stages according to the ink density of the ink ribbon used for performing printing.

In this example, the printing apparatus 11 includes a detection unit that detects the density of the ink. The detection unit may be a sensor, for example.

In the present example, it is assumed that there is a correlation between the shading of the ink and the amount of dots printed, for example. In the printing apparatus 11, information indicating the correspondence relationship between the density of ink and the amount of dots to be printed is stored in the storage unit 34 in advance. The printing device 11 is provided with a sensor for detecting the amount of dots to be printed. In the printing apparatus 11, the control unit 35 detects the density of the ink corresponding to the amount of the printed dots detected by the sensor, based on the amount of the printed dots detected by the sensor and information indicating the correspondence relationship between the density of the ink and the amount of the printed dots.

Here, as the detection result of the sensor, the value of the ink ribbon replacement line counter provided in the printing apparatus 11 may be used. The ribbon replacement line counter displays the value of the result of counting the number of dots printed by the control unit 35. In the present example, the control unit 35 controls such counting processing and display processing. Here, the ink ribbon is a belt-shaped member that supplies ink used for printing.

In this example, a predetermined threshold value is set for the value of the ribbon replacement line counter. In the printing apparatus 11, when determining that the value of the ink ribbon replacement line counter exceeds the threshold value, the control unit 35 executes a process of automatically replacing the ink ribbon or a process of notifying that the ink ribbon should be replaced.

The user who operates the printing apparatus 11 may designate a printing method for the printing apparatus 11 in a predetermined maintenance mode, for example. In the printing apparatus 11, the control unit 35 is configured to receive an operation performed by a user and to use a designated printing method in accordance with the operation.

In the printing apparatus 11, information indicating the correspondence relationship between the ink density and the printing method is stored in the storage unit 34. In the printing apparatus 11, the control unit 35 switches the printing method so that the printing method corresponding to the detected ink density is used based on the detected ink density and the information indicating the correspondence relationship between the ink density and the printing method.

Here, as the correspondence between the density of the ink and the printing method, any correspondence may be used.

For example, when the density of the ink exceeds a predetermined threshold a1, the printing method B1 may be used.

For example, when the density of the ink is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold a2 and equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold a1, the printing method B2 may be used.

For example, when the density of the ink is less than a predetermined threshold value a2, the printing method B3 may be used.

Both a1 and a2 have values greater than zero, and a1 is greater than a 2.

For convenience of explanation, B1, B2, and B3 are symbols marked for identifying the printing method.

Printing method B1 is used when the ink is relatively dense. The printing method B1 is a method of performing printing by two consecutive scans for each line, for example, and is a method of increasing the speed compared with the normal speed. In printing method B1, the thinned data is used for ruled line characters.

Printing method B2 was used when the concentration of ink was medium. The printing method B2 is, for example, a method of performing printing by two consecutive scans for each line, and is a method using a usual speed. In printing method B2, the thinned data is used for ruled line characters.

Printing method B3 is used when the concentration of ink is relatively low. The printing method B3 is, for example, a method of performing printing by two consecutive scans for each line, and is a method using a usual speed. In the printing method B3, for ruled line characters, the original data of ruled line characters, that is, the data that has not been thinned, is used.

In the printing apparatus 11 according to the modification, the printing method is switched so that an appropriate printing method can be used in stages according to the concentration of the ink.

Therefore, in the printing apparatus 11, when the ink becomes light, the removed portion becomes conspicuous in the printed character, but such a problem can be solved.

Modification 3

As a modification, in the printing apparatus 11, the control unit 35 may change the printing speed for each of two consecutive scans. That is, the control unit 35 may set the print speed of the forward stroke and the print speed of the backward stroke to be different when the print head 51 reciprocates in the direction parallel to the X-axis direction.

For example, when alphanumeric characters, kana characters, symbols, and the like having relatively low print density and characters of kanji characters having relatively high print density are mixed in the line to be printed, the control unit 35 may change the printing speed during the reciprocating printing as the case of performing two consecutive scans.

Specific examples are shown.

Fig. 10 is a diagram for explaining an example of processing performed in the printing apparatus 11 according to the modification of the embodiment.

Fig. 10 shows an XY coordinate system similar to the coordinate systems shown in fig. 2 and 3 for convenience of explanation.

In the example of fig. 10, characters "a", "B", "C", 1 or more character of a chinese character, "D", "E", "F", 1 or more character of a chinese character, "@", "milligram", "%", "&" are arranged in the row of the printing target.

In the printing apparatus 11, the control unit 35 performs scanning in the positive direction of the X axis for the line in the first scanning. In this case, the control unit 35 prints a kanji character at a normal speed in a period 311 in which the kanji character is present first, and prints a kanji character at a normal speed in a period 312 in which the kanji character is present next.

Then, the control unit 35 performs scanning in the negative direction of the X axis for the row in the second scanning. In this case, the control unit 35 performs printing on all characters at the first speed faster than the normal speed in the period 321 in which all characters exist. Thus, the control unit 35 performs printing on the line in both the forward stroke and the backward stroke for the kanji character, and performs printing on the other characters in the backward stroke.

In this way, in the printing apparatus 11, the control unit 35 performs printing at the normal speed for the range of kanji characters in the first scan, and performs printing at the 2 × speed by thinning the data by half in the horizontal direction for the entire character string in the second scan.

In the present example, the printing method is made different by distinguishing a kanji character from other characters, but as another example, the printing method may be made different by distinguishing a complicated kanji character from simple kanji characters, english letters, kana, symbols, and the like.

The complicated kanji characters and the simple kanji characters can be set arbitrarily. For example, a kanji character with more than a predetermined number of strokes may be defined as a complex kanji character, or a kanji character with less than a predetermined number of strokes may be defined as a simple kanji character. The information on the number of strokes of a kanji character may be added to the information on the kanji character, or may be determined by the control unit 35 of the printing apparatus 11 based on dictionary information or the like, for example. Information on the number of strokes of a kanji character may also be included in computer graphics, for example. The control unit 35 may also parse the number of strokes for the kanji character.

Modification example 4

As a modification, in the printing apparatus 11, the control unit 35 may change the printing speed for each of two consecutive scans. That is, when the print head 51 reciprocates in the direction parallel to the X axis direction, the control unit 35 may set the print speed of the forward stroke and the print speed of the backward stroke to be different from each other.

For example, when a portion of a relatively thick bitmap and a portion of a relatively thin bitmap are mixed in a line to be printed, the control unit 35 may change the printing speed during the reciprocating printing as a case of performing two consecutive scans.

Specific examples are shown.

Fig. 11 is a diagram for explaining an example of processing performed in the printing apparatus 11 according to the modification of the embodiment.

Fig. 11 shows an XY coordinate system similar to the coordinate systems shown in fig. 2 and 3 for convenience of explanation.

In the example of fig. 11, a lighter bitmap portion, a darker bitmap portion, and a lighter bitmap portion are arranged in a row to be printed.

In the printing apparatus 11, the control unit 35 performs scanning in the positive direction of the X axis for the line in the first scanning. At this time, the control unit 35 prints the portion of the darker bitmap at the normal speed during the period 411 in which the portion of the darker bitmap exists.

Thereafter, the control unit 35 performs scanning in the negative direction of the X axis for the row in the second scanning. At this time, the control unit 35 prints all bitmaps at 2 × speed in the period 421 in which the entire bitmaps exist. Thus, the control unit 35 performs printing on the portion of the bitmap with a darker color on both the forward and backward passes and performs printing on the portion of the bitmap with a lighter color on the backward pass for the row.

Here, the portions of the darker bitmap and the portions of the lighter bitmap may be determined based on, for example, information indicating values of the darker and lighter bitmaps. For example, in the printing apparatus 11, the control unit 35 determines that the bitmap portion is a darker portion when the value of the shade of the bitmap portion indicating the determination target exceeds a predetermined threshold value, and determines that the bitmap portion is a lighter portion when the value of the shade of the bitmap portion indicating the determination target is equal to or less than the predetermined threshold value.

The information of the shading of the bitmap may also be included in, for example, computer graphics. The control unit 35 may analyze the bit map for a darker portion and a lighter portion.

The user operating the printing device 11 may also be, for example, in a predetermined maintenance mode. The printing method is designated for the printing apparatus 11. In the printing apparatus 11, the control unit 35 is configured to receive an operation performed by a user and to use a designated printing method in accordance with the operation.

Modification example 5: examples of different numbers of needles

In the present embodiment, a case is shown in which the print head 51 in which the number of the printing pins is reduced to 1/2 equally is used with reference to the print head having 24 printing pins arranged at equal intervals.

As another example, a print head in which the number of printing pins is reduced to 1/3 equally may be used with reference to a print head having 24 printing pins arranged at equal intervals. The print head has 8 print pins.

In the print head having 8 printing pins, the control unit 35 performs printing of each line by 3 passes in order to obtain a print result having the same quality as that obtained when the print head having 24 printing pins serving as a reference is used. At this time, the control section 35 performs paper feeding at intervals between the adjacent printing pins between the first scanning and the second scanning and between the second scanning and the third scanning, respectively.

As another example, a print head in which the number of printing pins is reduced to 1/4 equally may be used with reference to a print head having 24 printing pins arranged at equal intervals. The print head has 6 print pins.

In addition, a print head having any other number of print pins may be used.

In the print head having 6 printing pins, the control unit 35 performs printing of each line by 4 passes of scanning in order to obtain a print result having the same quality as that obtained when the print head having 24 printing pins serving as a reference is used. At this time, the control section 35 performs paper feeding at intervals between the adjacent printing pins between the first scanning and the second scanning, between the second scanning and the third scanning, and between the third scanning and the fourth scanning, respectively.

With respect to the above embodiments

As described above, in the printing apparatus 11 according to the present embodiment, when the number of printing pins 151-1 to 151-12 is smaller than the reference number of printing pins, the time required for executing the printing process based on the print data can be reduced. In the printing apparatus 11 according to the present embodiment, the control unit 35 analyzes the content of the print, and reduces the number of times of scanning necessary for printing or controls the printing speed based on the analysis result, thereby shortening the time necessary for printing.

In the printing apparatus 11 according to the present embodiment, the time required for printing ruled line characters can be shortened. Therefore, for example, in the printing apparatus 11, when printing a table using many ruled line characters is performed, an effect of significantly shortening the time can be obtained.

As described above, the printing apparatus 11 according to the present embodiment can suppress a decrease in printing speed. In addition, in the printing apparatus 11, the waiting time of the user can be reduced by shortening the printing time. Further, in the printing apparatus 11, the cost required for the print head 51 can be reduced as compared with a print head having the reference number of printing pins. In addition, the printing apparatus 11 can reduce the price of the product.

As one configuration example, the printing apparatus 11 includes: a communication unit 33 capable of communicating with an external device; a print head 51 having a plurality of print pins 151-1 to 151-12; a carriage 31 on which a print head 51 is mounted; and a control unit 35 for controlling the print head 51 and the carriage 31. The control unit 35 determines whether or not a ruled line character and a non-ruled line character different from the ruled line character are included in the line to be printed, based on the print data received by the communication unit 33. When it is determined that the ruled line character is included in the line and the non-ruled line character is not included in the line, the control unit 35 performs control so that printing is performed by one scanning of the carriage 31 for the line. When it is determined that ruled line characters and non-ruled line characters are included in the line, the control unit 35 performs control so that printing is performed by two scans of the carriage 31 for the line.

Therefore, the printing apparatus 11 can shorten the time required for printing ruled line characters, and thus can shorten the time required for printing.

As an example of the configuration, in the printing apparatus 11, a plurality of printing pins 151-1 to 151-12 are arranged at a first interval K1 on the printing head 51. When the control unit 35 controls the printing to be performed by the two scans of the carriage 31, the first scan of the carriage 31 is followed by the conveyance of the medium in the conveyance direction by a distance K1/2 half the first distance K1, and then the second scan of the carriage 31 is performed.

Therefore, in the printing apparatus 11, when printing is performed by scanning a line twice, the non-ruled character can be printed at a sufficient density by combining the two scans by shifting the medium in the conveyance direction between the first scan and the second scan.

As one configuration example, in the printing apparatus 11, when controlling the printing to be performed by performing one scan of the line by the carriage 31, the control unit 35 sets the scanning speed of the carriage 31 to the first speed. When controlling the printing such that the line is scanned twice by the carriage 31, the control unit 35 sets the scanning speed of the carriage 31 to a second speed slower than the first speed.

Therefore, in the printing apparatus 11, when printing is performed by one scan for a line, ruled line characters can be printed in a short time at a first speed that is relatively high, and when printing is performed by two scans for a line, printing can be performed with a sufficient density for non-ruled line characters at a second speed that is relatively low.

As an example of a configuration, in a method for controlling a printing apparatus 11, the printing apparatus 11 includes: a communication unit 33 capable of communicating with an external device; a print head 51 having a plurality of print pins 151-1 to 151-12; a carriage 31 on which a print head 51 is mounted; the control unit 35 controls the print head 51 and the carriage 31, and performs the following control in the printing apparatus 11.

That is, in this control method, it is determined whether or not a ruled line character and a non-ruled line character different from the ruled line character are included in a line to be printed, based on print data received by the communication unit 33. In this control method, when it is determined that ruled line characters are included in the line and non-ruled line characters are not included in the line, printing is performed on the line by one scan of the carriage 31. In this control method, when it is determined that ruled line characters and non-ruled line characters are included in the line, printing is performed on the line by two scans of the carriage 31.

Therefore, the control method of the printing apparatus 11 can shorten the time required for printing ruled line characters, and thus can shorten the time required for printing.

Note that a program for realizing the functions of any component in any device such as the printing device 11 described above may be recorded in a computer-readable recording medium, and the program may be read and executed by a computer system. The term "computer system" as used herein refers to a hardware system including an operating system, peripheral devices, and the like. The "computer-readable recording medium" refers to a storage device such as a flexible disk, a magneto-optical disk, a removable medium such as a ROM or a CD-ROM, or a hard disk incorporated in a computer system. The "computer-readable recording medium" also includes a memory that stores a program for a certain period of time, such as a nonvolatile memory in a computer system serving as a server or a client when the program is transmitted via a network such as the internet or a communication line such as a telephone line.

The operating system is also called an OS in some cases.

In addition, a CD may also be called Compact Disc.

In addition, the volatile memory is, for example, a RAM.

The program may be transmitted from a computer system that stores the program in a storage device or the like to another computer system via a transmission medium or a carrier wave in the transmission medium. Here, the "transmission medium" for transmitting the program is a medium having a function of transmitting information through a network such as the internet or a communication line such as a telephone line.

The program may be a program for realizing a part of the above functions. The program may be a so-called difference file that can be realized by combining the program in which the functions described above are already recorded in the computer system.

The functions of any components in any of the above-described devices such as the printing device 11 may be realized by a processor. For example, each process in the present embodiment may be realized by a processor that operates based on information such as a program, and a recording medium that stores information such as a program and is readable by a computer. Here, in the processor, for example, the functions of the respective units may be realized by separate hardware, or the functions of the respective units may be realized by integrated hardware. For example, the processor may include hardware including at least one of a circuit for processing a digital signal and a circuit for processing an analog signal. For example, the processor may be configured using 1 or more circuit devices mounted on a circuit board, or a part or all of 1 or more circuit elements. An IC or the like may be used as the circuit device, or a resistor, a capacitor, or the like may be used as the circuit element.

Here, the processor may be, for example, a CPU. However, the processor is not limited to the CPU, and various processors such as a GPU and a DSP may be used. Further, the processor may also be a hardware circuit implemented, for example, as an ASIC. The processor may be configured by a plurality of CPUs, or may be configured by a hardware circuit implemented by a plurality of ASICs, for example. Further, the processor may be configured by a combination of hardware circuits implemented by a plurality of CPUs and a plurality of ASICs, for example. The processor may include, for example, 1 or more of an amplifier circuit, a filter circuit, and the like that process an analog signal.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail with reference to the drawings, the specific configurations are not limited to the embodiments, and may include designs and the like within a range not departing from the gist of the present invention.

Description of the symbols

11 … printing device; 31 … carriage; 32 … paper feed section; 33 … a communication part; 34 … storage part; 35 … control unit; 51 … print head; 71 … printing the needle portion; 111 … recording paper; 151-1 to 151-12 … printing pins; 211 to 212, 221, 241 … patterns; 311-312, 321, 411, 421 …; h1 … straight line; lines L1-L5 ….

Claims (2)

1. A printing apparatus is characterized by comprising:

a communication unit capable of communicating with an external device;

a print head having a plurality of print pins;

a carriage on which the print head is mounted;

a control unit that controls the print head and the carriage,

the control part

Determining whether a ruled line character and a non-ruled line character different from the ruled line character are included in a line to be printed based on the print data received by the communication unit,

controlling to perform printing on the line by one scan of the carriage if it is determined that the ruled line character is included in the line and the non-ruled line character is not included in the line,

if it is determined that the ruled line character and the non-ruled line character are included in the line, the control is performed such that printing is performed by two scans of the carriage for the line.

2. Printing device according to claim 1,

a plurality of said print pins are arranged on said print head in a first spacing,

the control unit controls the line to be printed by two scans of the carriage, and after a first scan of the carriage, conveys the medium in a conveying direction by a distance half of the first interval, and then performs a second scan of the carriage.

Images