JP2000158773A - Method and apparatus for printing document or the like with automatic printing correction - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method and apparatus for printing documents or the like with automatic printing correction capable of reducing man-hours by automating printing correction. SOLUTION: This includes stages (St.51-St.54) of collecting printing data in an uncontrolled state, stages (St.55-St.57) of reading the collected printing data by an image scanner, stages (St.59-St.60) of obtaining difference between a printing position and an existing printing position on the basis of the read data, and stages (St.61) of automatically updating a correction value table based on the obtained differential value.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for printing a form with automatic print correction, and more particularly to an automatic print correction to reduce man-hours.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 6 is an external view showing the outline of the configuration of a conventional form printing apparatus. In FIG. 6, a section 62 for inserting forms for printing on forms is provided in the form printing apparatus.
, A numeric keypad 63, and a display unit 64. A printing unit (not shown) displays data designated by the numeric keypad 63 or data previously obtained through communication with the host computer.
It is configured to be able to print by using

This will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. Referring to FIGS.
The document 74 driven by the print roller 75 and transported by the transport roller 73 attached to the transport roller drive shaft 72 is
Required data is printed. The print position of the print head 75 is changed by the print head
74 necessary parts are printed, and are carried out after printing.

In this case, in order to print at a predetermined position on a form, a regular inspection is performed at the time of shipment from a factory or after shipment, for example, about once every three months. At present, however, these tasks rely on manual work by experts.

FIG. 9 shows an example of a positional shift requiring print correction. FIG. 9A shows the deviation of the printing position in the left-right direction. Correction is required unless the position is within a predetermined allowable value centered on the X position from the left end of the form. Similarly, FIG.
(B) shows the degree of deviation of the printing position in the line feed direction, and correction is required unless the position is within a predetermined allowable value centered on the Y position from the upper end of the form. Further, FIG.
Indicates the displacement of the reciprocating position, and the displacement of the second and third lines at a predetermined position from the left end of the form (usually, the first and second lines may be printed from the same direction) Therefore, it is not appropriate to see the deviation of the reciprocating position.) If the deviation is not within the predetermined allowable value, the correction is required. The expert inspects all such inspection items as described above, and performs necessary correction processing manually.

[0006]

However, in the above-described conventional configuration, there is a problem that the correction of the printing position is a work of low productivity and efficiency in which the manual operation by a specialist must be relied on. there were.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a method and an apparatus for printing a form with automatic print correction, which can automate the print correction and reduce the number of steps.

[0008]

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a step of collecting print data in an unadjusted state, a step of reading the collected print data with an image scanner, and a step of reading the read data. The method includes a step of calculating a difference between a printing position and a printing position that should be originally based on the correction value table, and a step of automatically updating a correction value table based on the obtained difference value.

As a result, it is possible to automate the printing correction of the form printing apparatus, which has been manually performed in the past, so that the man-hour can be greatly improved, and an artificial error such as measurement error or input error can be achieved. The effect that errors can be reduced can be obtained.

[0010]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS According to the first aspect of the present invention, a step of collecting print data in an unadjusted state, a step of reading the collected print data by an image scanner,
With automatic print correction, including the steps of obtaining the difference between the print position and the original print position based on the read data, and automatically updating the correction value table based on the obtained difference value This is a form printing method, which has the effect of greatly reducing man-hours and reducing human errors such as measurement errors and input errors.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a print data collecting means for collecting print data in an unadjusted state, a scanner reading means for reading the print data collected by the print data collecting means by an image scanner, and the scanner A printing position difference calculating means for calculating a difference between a printing position and an intended printing position based on the data read by the reading means; and a correction value table automatically based on the difference value obtained by the printing position difference calculating means. It is a form printing apparatus with automatic printing correction characterized by comprising a correction value table updating means for updating, and can significantly reduce man-hours, and also cause human errors such as measurement errors and input errors. Has the effect of reducing

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a form printing apparatus with automatic print correction according to the second aspect, wherein a laser sensor is provided in place of the image scanner. Is significantly improved, and an artificial error such as a measurement error or an input error can be reduced.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
This will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 1 is an external view showing a schematic configuration of a form printing apparatus with automatic print correction according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, the form printing apparatus with automatic print correction according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a part 12 for inserting forms for printing on forms, a numeric keypad 13, and a display unit 14.
And an image scanner 15 are shown.
, Or data obtained in advance by communication with a host computer can be printed by a printing unit (not shown). In addition,
The image scanner 15 is introduced in the present embodiment to execute automatic correction.

This will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. In FIG. 2 and FIG.
The form 24 driven by the transport motor 21 and transported by the transport rollers 23 attached to the transport roller drive shaft 22 prints necessary data with the print head 25. The print position of the print head 25 is changed by a print head drive motor 26 to print a required portion of the form 24, and the print head 25 is carried out after printing.

In this case, in order to print at a predetermined position on a form, a periodic inspection is performed at the time of shipment from a factory or after shipment, for example, about once every three months. However, in this embodiment,
These operations are automated.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a form printing apparatus with automatic print correction according to this embodiment. In FIG. 4, the other components except for the configuration of the control unit are the same as those described in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, and the description thereof will be omitted. The control unit 40 includes a CPU 41 and a nonvolatile memory 42. The nonvolatile memory 42 stores programs and data for controlling the form printing apparatus with automatic print correction.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the form printing apparatus with automatic print correction according to this embodiment. In order to execute the automatic correction in FIG. 5, the following operation is performed by an operator. That is, in step (abbreviated as St. in FIG. 5) 51, the test medium is set. This operation is performed by setting the medium so as to hit the reference position. Next, in step 52, the test medium is transported to the printing position by the rollers 23. In step 53, test printing is performed. In step 54, the printed test medium is ejected. Test printing is performed on the medium ejected so far.

Next, in step 55, the print medium is
Set as in step 51. In step 56,
The print medium is transported to the image scanner position. In step 57, the printed image is read by the image scanner 15. In step 58, the print medium is ejected, and in step 59, the print position is calculated from the image data read by the CPU 41. In this case, x = X1 is read as the position in the left-right direction, and y = Y1 is read as the position in the line feed direction.

As shown in FIG. 9, the CPU 41 executes the difference between X1 and Y1 read at step 60 from the original positions X and Y, as shown in FIG. ΔX and ΔY are obtained as the differences. Next, in step 61, the above-mentioned difference is added to the correction value table stored in the nonvolatile memory 42 by the correction up to the previous time, and the result is stored in the nonvolatile memory 42. Thus, printing is performed based on the correction value table automatically corrected.

In the above description, the automatic correction in the left-right direction and the line feed direction has been described as an example. However, it is possible to perform the automatic correction for the reciprocal displacement shown in FIG. 9 by the same method. The same applies to items.

In the above description, a configuration including an image scanner has been described. However, a laser sensor may be provided instead.

[0023]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to automate what was conventionally a manual operation for the printing correction of a form printing apparatus, so that the man-hour can be greatly improved. This has the effect of reducing human errors such as measurement errors and input errors.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external view showing a schematic configuration of a form printing apparatus with automatic print correction according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view showing a transport system of a form printing apparatus with automatic print correction and an attachment position of an image scanner according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a top view showing a conveyance system of a form printing apparatus with automatic print correction and an attachment position of an image scanner according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a form printing apparatus with automatic print correction according to the embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the form printing apparatus with automatic print correction according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is an external view showing an outline of the configuration of a conventional form printing apparatus;

FIG. 7 is a side view showing a transport system of a conventional form printing apparatus;

FIG. 8 is a top view showing a transport system of a conventional form printing apparatus.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a position shift requiring print correction.

[Explanation of symbols]

 12, 62 Document insertion part 13, 63 Numeric keypad 14, 64 Display 15 Image scanner 21, 71 Transport motor 22, 72 Transport roller drive shaft 23, 73 Transport roller 24, 74 Report 25, 75 Print head 26, 76 Print head drive motor 40 Control unit 41 CPU 42 Non-volatile memory

Continued on the front page F term (reference) 2C059 AA22 AA26 AA29 AA53 AA64 AA78 2C061 AP05 KK04 KK18 KK22 KK26 KK28 2C480 CA01 CA36 EC04 EC13 3F049 DA12 LA01 LB03

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A step of collecting print data in an unadjusted state, a step of reading the collected print data by an image scanner, and a step of calculating a difference between a print position and an original print position based on the read data. And automatically updating the correction value table based on the obtained difference value. 2. A print data collecting means for collecting print data in an unadjusted state, a scanner reading means for reading the print data collected by the print data collecting means by an image scanner, and a data read by the scanner reading means. Print position difference calculating means for calculating the difference between the print position and the original print position based on the correction value, and a correction value table updating means for automatically updating the correction value table based on the difference value obtained by the print position difference calculation means And a form printing apparatus with automatic print correction. 3. The form printing apparatus with automatic print correction according to claim 2, wherein a laser sensor is provided in place of said image scanner.