JP2001147756A - Information processor, control method and storage medium therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a common edition environment, without having to impart sense of incongruity, even when pictures are switched by plural character methods. SOLUTION: When the purpose is to print out business cards, the company name, section name, etc., are items to be inputted. When each item is inputted, a user selects the most convenient method for himself, by touching the corresponding tag key from among tab keys 302a to 302f. Even when characters are inputted by any input method, the inputted characters are successively stored in an input character display area 301b, formed independently of an area for selecting an input method. Edition buttons 301c to 301g are formed on both the ends of the display area 301b, independently of the area for selecting the input method so that a display format does not depend on the input method.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, a control method thereof, and a storage medium.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a game device installed in a game center or the like, a device for printing and issuing an original sticker with an image in which a self-portrait taken by a built-in camera is placed in an appropriate modification framework, an illustration selected by a user, 2. Description of the Related Art There has been known an apparatus that synthesizes input characters and the like and creates and issues an original seal similar to a Sensha bill attached to a pillar or a ceiling of a temple or shrine.

[0003] In addition, a business card creation device for printing and issuing a business card in which characters input according to a selected form are combined is installed in a shopping center or the like.

[0004] Each of these devices uses a dedicated paper of a predetermined size, and does not require special knowledge for operation, and performs operations such as character input and selection in accordance with screens and voice guidance. Just do it.

[0005]

Considering an apparatus for printing a business card, for example, a business card generally has various items to be set, such as a company name, a department name, a title, a name, and an address.

[0006] In the case of a general word processor or the like, the above items can be edited in a series of text editing, so that those who are accustomed to keyboard-based input are no different from general text creation. Could be created.

However, assuming a device installed in a game facility (game center), a shopping center, or the like, it is not possible to target only a person who can tap a keyboard. What is desired is a means for inputting characters that can be input intuitively.

For this reason, a touch panel is used in many sticker printing apparatuses. This is because, in the case of a touch panel, an extremely simple operation of touching a finger on a character or a menu displayed on the display screen is sufficient, and the input can be performed intuitively.

When characters are input in order to perform business card printing or the like using the touch panel, it is desirable that the displayed characters be large in order to make it easy for everyone to use.

On the other hand, various methods for inputting characters can be considered, such as input by character recognition by handwriting, input by displaying kana character keys on a display screen to perform kana-kanji conversion, and input of numbers and symbols. However, it is desirable that these be selected by the user. However, if all the input areas are displayed, the displayed characters must be reduced this time. To avoid this, the input method must be switched. I can't get it.

Although the input characters are sequentially stored, it is necessary to deal with input errors, that is, to edit the characters. If a button for editing is displayed for each input area, the position of the editing button must be changed every time the screen is switched. Even if the edit button is displayed at the same position in each input screen,
At first glance, the change of the display screen gives a sense of incongruity.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and enables a common editing environment to be provided without giving any sense of incongruity even when screens are switched by a plurality of character methods. An information processing apparatus, a control method thereof, and a storage medium are provided.

[0013]

In order to solve such a problem, for example, an information processing apparatus according to the present invention has the following configuration. That is, an information processing apparatus that performs character input using a touch panel provided on a display screen, outputs a character string input by the character input operation to a desired predetermined printing unit, and performs printing. The storage means for storing the type of the input item to be printed on the print medium, the type information of the character input method that can be used for each input item, and the character input area according to the type of the character input method are specified by the operator. First display means for switching the display in accordance with the character input area, and an input for displaying a character input in a character input area corresponding to any one of the character input methods. Second display means for displaying a character display area;
A third display unit is provided near the input character display area for displaying a button for performing an editing process in accordance with an instruction from the operator.

[0014]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

This embodiment is a card printer that prints characters and the like input according to a design selected by a user on a recording medium for business cards, postcards and stickers (hereinafter, referred to as recording paper), such as a convenience store. It is installed in a store and used in a form in which the user who purchased the recording paper operates himself.

<Outline of Apparatus> FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an appearance of a card printer as an embodiment.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes an entire card printer, and reference numeral 2 denotes a monitor fixing portion for fixing the monitor 3 to a cabinet so as to be rotatable. The monitor 3 displays a demonstration screen and a guide screen, and a front panel is provided with a touch panel 4 as a user input interface. Further, the cabinet is provided with a speaker 5 for outputting audio and the like for explaining operations, a paper feeding unit 6 including a tray for setting recording paper, and an outlet 7 for discharging finally printed recording paper. Have been.

The size of the cabinet of the card printer of the present embodiment is such that it fits in the lower part of the reader portion of the copier already installed in the store.
By combining with a copying apparatus, it can be installed without occupying a new area. In this case, the monitor 3 and the touch panel 4 are fixed by the fixing unit 2 at a position where the operation of the copying apparatus is not hindered.

The operation flow of the card printer of the present apparatus is as follows.

First, the operator purchases desired recording paper from a dedicated recording paper vending machine separately prepared in the store or a shelf displaying the recording paper. There are three types of recording paper: postcards, business card size recording paper, and sticker sheets (all plain). Postcards are individually wrapped in units of five, business cards in units of ten, and stickers in individual units. ing. The selling price differs depending on the recording paper to be purchased. The size of the sealing sheet itself is the same as that of the postcard, and a seal piece removably provided thereon is provided thereon. There are several types of sealing sheets, and there are differences in the shape and number of sealing pieces.

One characteristic feature of the present embodiment is as follows.
Recording paper is sold as a set with a barcode card. As shown in FIG. 2A, the barcode card has a barcode 21 indicating the type of recording paper and an arrow 22 indicating the direction and position of the recording paper set on the paper supply unit. It is set in the paper feed unit of the printer with this arrow as a guide, and by reading this bar code, it is possible to determine what kind of recording paper has been set under it I have.

Since the postcard and the sealing sheet have the same size, the position of the barcode recorded on the barcode card is the same. As for business cards, as described later, when a business card barcode and business card recording paper are set on a tray for setting recording paper of the printer paper feeding unit, the position of the barcode is changed to a postcard or sticker barcode card. The reading position is the same as the barcode position. As a result, it has succeeded in eliminating the need to control the reading position of the barcode reader when reading the barcode.

Further, in order to cope with the case where no recording paper and barcode card are set, the bottom position of the tray where the recording paper in which the barcode is likely to be installed is set to determine that there is no recording paper. Is printed or affixed. As a result, the type of the recording paper can be determined by a single detecting means (bar code reader).
It is also possible to determine the presence or absence of recording paper.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the tray 61 of the paper feeding unit 6 for setting the recording paper. As shown, the business card setting area 62 can be easily discriminated in the postcard / seal setting area 63. Cut portions 66 and 67 are provided, which are separated and are provided so that the ends of the recording paper can be easily aligned when the recording paper is set. At the bottom, a positioning arrow 65 and a bar for discriminating the absence of recording paper in the business card recording paper setting area 62 on the bottom surface when no recording paper is set are provided. The code 64 is printed or affixed.

In the illustrated tray 61, the recording paper for business card and the recording paper for postcard (therefore, the sealing sheet is also the same).
Are arranged at the same position as the bar code 64 for discriminating recording paper shown in the figure.

When the purchased recording paper is set on the tray 61 of the card printer paper feeding unit 6 as described above, as described later in detail, guidance by a screen or sound is provided.
Work is carried out in an interactive manner by an operation using a touch panel provided on the front surface of the display screen, and characters and patterns input / selected by the user himself are printed and output on desired recording paper.

In the above-described sticker making apparatus installed in a game center or the like, the game can be started by inserting a coin. Therefore, there is no configuration related to coin insertion. Also, since the recording paper vending machine itself may be in the form of a normal vending machine,
The description is omitted.

<Description of Control Structure> FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a control structure of the card printer of FIG.

As shown in the figure, the card printer according to the present embodiment is configured so that the entire apparatus is controlled by a motherboard 10 having a CPU supplied with power from a power supply 11, and an E-IDE (Enhanced Integrated Drive E-IDE).
electronics) port to CD-ROM drive 12, R
Monitor 3 and COM1 terminals (RS232
C), a printer 13 for the LPT terminal, a barcode reader for the COM2 terminal (the other of the RS232C), a speaker 5 for the Line Out terminal, and a relay board 140 for the I / O connector. A sensor 707 for detecting a drawer / storing state of the tray of the sheet feeding unit and a solenoid 70 for holding the tray in a stowed state.
6 and the barcode reader 106 is the motherboard 10
Are connected via respective interfaces.

The relay board 140 is provided as necessary to facilitate maintenance and the like.
Although not used in the present embodiment, the motherboard 10 has a video input terminal, and can capture an image captured by a camera or the like.

The motherboard 10 includes a CD-ROM drive 1 in a cabinet of the card printer 1.
2 and the relay board 140 are housed in the same housing to constitute a control unit having the same function as a general personal computer. On the other hand, the printer 13, the paper feeding unit 6, and the barcode reader 106 are housed in the same housing to constitute a printer unit PU.

Next, the configuration of the motherboard 10 will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

As a whole, a power supply circuit 103 connected to a main switch, a clock generator 102 for supplying a clock to each unit, a reset circuit 104 for outputting a reset signal, and a CPU for controlling the entire apparatus
The CPU bus has a secondary cache 11
1. Main memory (main memory) 113, memory controller, cache controller, CPU bus and PC
A peripheral LSI chipset A112 having a function such as conversion of an I (Peripheral Component Interconnect) bus is connected.

As will be described later, the main memory 113 is divided into a normal space 113A for storing programs (including an OS) and execution data and a RAM disk area 113B used as a virtual disk.

Controlled by chipset A112 and C
A PCI bus, which is treated as an external bus directly connected to the PU 101, includes a VRAM for storing image display data, a graphics controller 121 having an RGB output terminal to which the monitor 3 is connected, and an output terminal to a liquid crystal display; PCI and ISA (Industry Standard A)
rchitecture), CD-ROM drive 12
E-IDE port or U to which an external storage device such as
A chip set B122 having functions such as SB control, interrupt and DMA control, a video capture 123 for capturing image data from a camera or the like connected as an option, and a PISA common to the PCI bus and the ISA bus
The bus slot 124 is connected.

ISA controlled by chipset B122
The bus has a COM1 terminal to which the touch panel 4 of the coordinate input device is connected and a COM to which a barcode reader is connected.
A super I / O 131 having two terminals, an LPT terminal to which the printer 13 is connected, and interfaces with a keyboard, a mouse, and a floppy disk; a sound controller 132 having a sound source for outputting to the speaker 5 and a MIDI interface; An output system 133, a parallel I / O 134 to which the coin control unit 14, the lighting device 15, and the like are connected, and a SIMM-ISA conversion connector 135 that outputs an ISA bus via a SIMM socket are connected.

As described above, the motherboard 1 of this embodiment
The configuration of No. 0 is based on the configuration of a general personal computer adopted in PC-AT of IBM Corporation (PC-AT compatible). However, the external storage device used in this card printer is a CD-ROM drive 1
2, which does not include a generally used magnetic recording hard disk. However, a hard disk may be provided to store different data.

<Explanation of Startup Procedure> Next, the processing at the time of starting up the card printer will be described.

The outlet of the card printer is connected to a commercial power source, the power switch of the printer unit is turned on, and the power switch of the control unit is turned on. Finally, the card printer is activated by pressing the soft switch on the upper rear of the monitor 3.

Here, the startup processing in the control unit including the motherboard 10 for controlling the entire card printer of the present embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

First, when the main switch is turned on and the power is turned on in step S41, power is supplied from the power supply circuit 103 to each unit in step S42, the clock generator 102 is started to generate a clock, and the reset circuit 104 A reset signal is input to each part of the device. Next, in step S43, the BIOS 133 is started,
According to the setting of the BIOS set to start the CD-ROM drive 12 with the highest priority, the CD-ROM drive 12
The drive 12 is started up and the booting CD-
Data is read from the ROM and expanded in the main memory 113.

FIG. 7 is a diagram conceptually showing data recorded on the booting CD-ROM. Startup CD-R
The OM 50 includes a DO such as MS-DOS as a primary OS.
There are three types of data: S data (system file) 51, Windows data 52 which is a secondary OS, and application data 53 of a card printer. .

The Windows data 52 recorded on the booting CD-ROM 50 is not data for installation stored on a generally known setup disk or the like, but data in a file format generated by installation. It is. And this Win
By using the data 52 of dows as a file necessary for the application of the card printer, the starting C
The amount of data to be recorded in the D-ROM 50 is reduced, making it easier to manufacture a bootable CD-ROM.
The amount of data to be read from is reduced, and the time from when the power is turned on to when the application is started is reduced.

In step S44, the starting CD-ROM 50
The first to be read into the main memory 113 from
D which is the primary OS recorded in the boot area of the D-ROM
When the data is read, the MS-DOS automatically starts up, and in step S45, the DOS creates a RAM disk 113B on the main memory 113 which is treated as a virtual disk.

Next, at step S46, the DOS
Some files of Windows as the next OS are copied from the booting CD-ROM 50 to the RAM disk 113B. Here, what is copied to the RAM disk 113B are files that are always rewritten (updated) during the operation of the application by the secondary OS, specifically, a swap area, a disk cache, a registry file, and the like. In addition, a startup file (wi) required for starting the secondary OS (Windows in this embodiment) is used.
n.comm).

In this case, in the control unit of the card printer, files that are not rewritten but are frequently accessed during the operation of the application, specifically, device drivers, dynamic link libraries, fonts, etc., are also stored in the RAM disk 113B. Copy above. In this way, during the operation of the application, the CD-
Since the number of times of accessing the ROM is reduced, it is advantageous in that errors occurring in a mechanical operation at the time of accessing the CD-ROM are reduced and the reading time is significantly reduced.

When the copying to the RAM disk 113B is completed, the process proceeds to step S47, where the RAM disk 113B is copied.
Execute the startup file copied to B.
RAM disk 113B and start-up CD-ROM 50
Is used to start Windows as a secondary OS. Then, the process proceeds to step S48, and when Windows starts up, the data of the application 53 is read using the booting CD-ROM 50 and started up, and the operation as a card printer is started.

The above processing is performed, and during operation as a card printer, applications and Windows are operated.
s file is stored in the bootable CD-ROM 50 as necessary.
Read from. The swap area, disk cache, registry file, and the like copied on the RAM disk 113B are rewritten during the operation of the application as described above.

When the power of the card printer is cut off, no special procedure is required as in a normal personal computer equipped with Windows, and the power switches of the control unit and the printer unit need only be turned off. At this time, it is copied to the RAM disk 113B,
The swap area, the disk cache, the registry file, and the like rewritten during the operation of the application are deleted without being saved. Then, at the time of the next startup, the processing according to the above-described flowchart is performed in a fresh state, so that the apparatus can always be started stably. Writing to the RAM disk 113B may be performed by writing data generation by a program instead of copying.

In this way, it is possible to prevent the card printer from accessing a secondary storage device having a mechanical access mechanism such as a readable and writable magnetic recording hard disk for Windows access. It is configured to read data from a CD-ROM that can be read only stably at startup, and holds the file to be written in a RAM disk created on the main memory, which is an electric volatile storage device That's because I tried to do it. However, a hard disk may be used if writing is not performed on the magnetic storage type hard disk. That is, the physical shape of the storage device does not matter.

As described above, in the card printer of the present embodiment, since the above-described motherboard 10 is used as a configuration for controlling the whole, the following effects are obtained.

Since the application program can be developed on the application programming interface of a general-purpose OS having an environment, the time required for the development of the application program can be significantly reduced and the cost can be greatly reduced.

Even when a part of the application is modified or changed, the ROM needs to be changed in the past.
In this card printer, it is only necessary to change the booting CD-ROM, so that an administrator of a game center or the like who does not have specialized knowledge of a personal computer can perform the operation without any problem.

Even though a general-purpose OS such as Windows is installed, the start-up and shut-off of the apparatus can be stably performed simply by turning on / off the main switch.

In the card printer of this embodiment, the primary O
Although a CD-ROM was used as a primary storage medium for storing three types of data: S data, secondary OS data, and card printer application data, these data can be stored and stable. A primary storage medium other than a CD-ROM, for example, a DVD-RAM, a ROM, or the like may be used as long as the medium can be read. In some cases, a hard disk may be used.

Similarly, in the card printer of the present embodiment, a file which is always rewritten during the operation of the application is copied to the RAM disk and rewritten on the RAM disk. Other media and configurations may be used as long as they are capable of a secondary storage device.

In the above embodiment, the primary OS is Microsoft MS-DOS of the United States, and the secondary OS is Windows.
Has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, UNIX is basically a CUI OS like MS-DOS. Then, an X Window System (GUI user interface) may be operated as the secondary OS described in the above embodiment. Note that X is not strictly an OS, but is positioned as a shell serving as a UNIX user interface.

In short, in this embodiment, when finally constructing an environment in which an application can operate, the OS that assists the operation of the application writes to the storage device by the OS itself or a request from the application. Therefore, a high-speed and volatile storage medium such as a RAM drive is used as the storage device.

<Description of Configuration of Printer Unit> The printer unit of this embodiment prints on a sheet-like recording medium in accordance with a well-known recording method such as an ink jet method, except for parts related to the sheet feeding unit 6 and the barcode reader 106. It has almost the same configuration as that of a general printer that performs the operation. Here, parts related to the sheet feeding unit 6 and the barcode reader 106 will be described.

FIG. 8 is a side sectional view of the sheet feeding unit 6 of the present embodiment. Reference numeral 61 denotes a tray for stacking recording paper such as the business card, postcard, and sticker described above with reference to FIG. 3, and the user can set a paper cassette 104 containing the tray 61 and a paper cassette 104 by a user. Cassette slide mechanism 105 for pulling out to the position
Together, they constitute the paper feed unit 6.

Reference numeral 301 denotes a recording medium loaded on a tray;
Reference numeral 703 denotes a sheet feed roller for feeding the sheet to the print unit one by one. Reference numeral 703 denotes a tray raising / lowering drive mechanism for raising the tray 61 at the time of sheet feeding in cooperation with the sheet feed roller 301. The cassette slide mechanism 105 has a lock mechanism by a solenoid 706 for preventing the user from pulling out the paper feed cassette 104 during the recording operation, and detects whether the paper feed cassette 104 is at a position where paper can be fed. For example, a cassette position detection sensor 707 is provided.

Above the paper feed tray 61, a bar code reader 10 for optically reading the bar code of the bar code card at the top of the set recording paper in a non-contact manner.
A bar code 6 is provided to read a bar code of a bar code card set at the start of recording, and transmit the information to the control unit. If the barcode at the bottom of the tray 61 is read by the barcode reader 106 at the start of recording or at the paper feeding timing during recording, it is determined that there is no recording paper, and error processing is performed.

<Overall Processing Flow> The processing when recording is performed on a desired card using the card printer of the present embodiment will be described below.

FIGS. 9A and 9B are overall flowcharts showing the processing of the card printer of this embodiment. The processing shown here is controlled by the control unit according to the selection / input of the user based on the stored program.

When the power of the card printer is turned on and the application is started, a sample of a business card, a postcard, a sticker, or the like printable by the card printer is displayed on the monitor 3, and a demonstration screen for explaining an operation method is displayed. (Step S1001). In this case, a sound effect or a guide sound is played from the speaker 5 in accordance with the display on the screen of the monitor 3. In the following description, the display on the screen of the monitor 3 will be mainly described, but a sound effect and a guide sound are played from the speaker 5 in accordance with the display on the screen.

It is detected whether or not the user has touched the touch panel 4 (step S1002), and the display of this demonstration screen is repeated in a loop until a touch is detected. When the touch on the touch panel is detected in step S1002,
The process enters design selection processing (step S1003). Here, the type of recording paper is first set to business card, postcard, or sticker.
From the types, a desired design is selected from a plurality of types of designs prepared for each recording sheet.

FIG. 10 shows the types of design patterns corresponding to the respective recording sheets of the business card (a), postcard (b), and sticker (c). In the design selection screen, when you select the type of recording paper, next, multiple types of design for each recording paper are displayed, and then multiple design patterns corresponding to that design type are displayed in a hierarchy. The structure is displayed, and one specific design pattern is finally selected.

For the business card (a), there are three types of designs: a speed business card design, a business business card design, and a private business card design. The speed business card has only a character design, and the operation is easy and the items that can be input are limited. On the other hand, business and private designs are designs that are combined with illustrations, in which comments can be input, and the shape (font) and color of characters can be specified.

For postcard (b), New Year's card with zodiac
There are five types of New Year's card without zodiac, moving / relocation notice, celebration notice, greeting card, and when you select a greeting card, you can select a birthday card, thank &
Choose between a letter of thanks or a message card.

There are four types of seals (c): name seals, address seals, E-mail seals, and special seals.
Select from 14 and select a special seal,
Select one of kitchen sticker, notebook sticker, and calendar sticker.

When the design is selected as described above, the bar code reader 106 of the printer section is operated as described above.
To read the bar code card that should be at the top of the recording paper, transmit the read information to the control unit, and determine whether the recording paper corresponding to the tray 61 in the paper feeding unit 6 is correctly set. (Step S100
4).

That is, in the present embodiment, the operation up to this point is configured so that anyone can perform even if the recording paper is not set. This is intended to stimulate the willingness to purchase by displaying various specific design patterns in response to the operation even for users who have not purchased the recording paper, in addition to the advertising effect of the demonstration screen. is there.

In step S1004, when the recording paper and the barcode card are not set, that is, when the barcode at the bottom of the tray 61 is read, a message such as "No paper is present, please insert the paper correctly" is displayed. Prompts you to set the chart paper, and if the selected design does not correspond to the set chart paper, "The paper is incorrect.Please insert the paper correctly."
Error processing for displaying a message such as (Step S1005), and the process returns to Step S1003.

If there is no problem in checking the recording sheet in step S1004, the solenoid 706 is moved to prohibit the slide cassette 105 of the sheet feeding unit 6 from being pulled out (step S1006).

Next, the design is edited (step S1007). Here, as will be described later, input of data corresponding to the selected design pattern, designation of character shape (font) and color, and the like are performed. When the design editing process is completed, user input and
By combining the selected data, an image after printing is displayed on the monitor 3, and it is confirmed whether or not to execute printing (step S1008).

If the user cancels the printing, the solenoid is unlocked (step S1009), and the process returns to step S1003 to select a design again.

On the other hand, when execution of printing is specified, the barcode reader 106 checks the recording paper again (step S1010). If the recording paper is not set correctly, the solenoid is unlocked (step S1011), and the same error processing as in step S1005 is performed.

If the recording paper check in step S1010 is OK, printing is performed on each recording paper according to the design pattern determined in step S1007 (step S1013). At this time, a message indicating that printing is being performed is displayed on the monitor 3.

Then, it is determined whether the printing has been completed normally (step S1014). Here, as described above, the number of sheets to be set at once for each type of recording paper is set in advance, and the type has been confirmed by checking the recording paper. It is. Therefore, when the recording is correctly performed by the number corresponding to the type of the recording paper, it is determined that the printing is normally completed. On the other hand, if the printing process is stopped halfway for a certain period of time due to a recording paper jam or the like, it is determined that the process is abnormally ended.

In the case of abnormal termination, the solenoid is unlocked, a message such as "Please call a clerk" is displayed, and a countermeasure is taken by the clerk or a specialized maintenance person instead of the user (step S1016). In this case, all the recording sheets including the already printed recording sheets are once discarded, the recording sheets are set again, and the printing process is performed from the beginning.

When the printing process has been completed normally, the solenoid is unlocked (step S1017), a message indicating that printing has been completed is displayed on the monitor 3 (step S1018), and the remaining ink amount is checked (step S1019). In the present embodiment, it is determined that there is no ink when the remaining amount of ink is smaller than the amount that can be printed even for every sales unit (one set) of recording paper. Specifically, it is determined whether or not the amount of ink capable of recording the five postcards that consumes the most ink is in the ink tank of each color.

As described above, in this embodiment, the remaining ink amount is determined based on the printable amount of the five postcards that consume the most ink, thereby preventing the ink from running out during the printing process. .

If the remaining amount of ink is insufficient for any of the colors, a message such as "Please call a clerk" is displayed together with the color of the insufficient amount of ink, and not a user but a clerk or professional. The corresponding ink tank is replaced by the maintenance staff of (1) (step S1020).

If there is no problem in the ink remaining amount check, a message for confirming whether or not to continue printing with the same design is displayed on the monitor 3, and the user waits for an input (step S1021). If printing is not to be continued, an end message is displayed on the monitor (step S102).
2) Returning to step S1001, a demonstration screen is displayed.

On the other hand, if printing is to be continued, the solenoid is unlocked (step S1023), and the user is caused to set recording paper (step S102).
4), and return to step S1010. Thus, in the present embodiment, when printing a large number of sheets with the same design,
The configuration is such that it is not necessary to perform the selection of the design pattern, the character input processing, and the like again.

When terminating the operation of the card printer of this embodiment, the power switch of the control unit is turned off at any time other than during the execution of the printing process, and then the power switch of the printer unit is turned off. What should I do?

<Design Edit Screen> Next, step S1
The design editing process in 007 will be described in detail.
FIGS. 11A to 11F show six types of input screens corresponding to input methods that can be selected in the present embodiment.
However, the print target is an example of a business card (horizontal writing).

FIG. 11A shows a screen for handwriting input.
Preview window 301 at the top and right of the screen, input palette 302 at the center, instruction window 303 at the bottom
Are roughly divided into three windows.

A preview window 301 displays a selected design as a whole, and a preview display portion 301a for displaying input items by highlighting or the like.
(Display a print image), a portion 301b for displaying the input characters, and keys 301c and 30 for moving the input position (cursor 310 in FIG. 11F) to the left and right.
1g, one character delete key 301d, and space key 30
1e, a line feed key 301f effective only when the input item extends over a plurality of lines, and 301h to 301h to indicate the input item being edited.
301n keys.

The input pallet 302 has keys 302a to 302f for selecting an input method, and has a display corresponding to the selected input method. The input palette 302 for handwriting input in FIG. 11A includes an area for the user to perform handwriting input,
It indicates conversion candidates for hiragana, alphabets, numbers, and symbols, and includes keys for the user to select and confirm correct candidates and keys for instructing rewriting.

When the corresponding item (company name, department name, etc.) is blank, the message “Input handwritten characters one by one with this finger on this palette” is displayed at the position of the handwriting input area, as shown in the figure. The message is displayed in a light color (gray in the embodiment), the message is deleted as soon as the handwriting is performed, and a line is drawn along the input stroke. At this time, one stroke (until the finger is released from the touched state)
Each time is input, character recognition is performed and the recognized candidates are displayed in each category (in the case of the figure, Kanji candidates, Kana / Hiragana candidates, English / abbreviated character candidates, and symbol candidates). I do.

In this way, when a plurality of strokes are input, the recognition candidates are updated each time. If the user determines that the input of one character has been completed, the candidate displayed at that time is displayed. By touching one of the characters, formal characters (characters in a font prepared by the system) are added to the cursor position in the input character display area 301b.

The instruction window 303 includes a key 303a for erasing all the contents of the current input item, and a window 303b for displaying a description of a user's operation method.
And a key 303c for proceeding to the next item.

The input screens corresponding to the other input methods shown in FIGS. 11B to 11F are different from the screen for handwriting input of FIG. 11A only in the input palette 302. Hereinafter, only this input pallet will be described.

FIG. 11B shows a screen for inputting kana conversion. The input palette 302 shows keys for inputting the Japanese syllabary and the syllabary sound, and conversion candidates for the input kana. And a key for switching the display of conversion candidates back and forth, and a key for instructing input cancellation. The converted kana-kanji character strings are sequentially added to the input character display area 301b. This is the same for the following FIGS. 11C to 11F.

FIG. 11C is a screen for inputting alphanumeric characters.
The input palette 302 includes keys for inputting a part of alphabets, numbers and symbols, and keys for switching uppercase and lowercase of alphabets.

FIG. 11D shows a screen for inputting numbers and symbols, which includes numeric keys and keys for inputting symbols which are considered to be frequently used when inputting contact information.

FIG. 11E shows a screen for inputting pictograms.
There are keys for entering various pictograms that can be used as marks and accents.

FIG. 11F shows a screen for inputting an address, which shows a numeric key, an address corresponding to the postal code entered with the numeric key, and inputs a part for the user to select, a street, an address, and the like. And a key for Here, when the postal code is input on the address input screen, an address may be uniquely obtained from the postal code. In this embodiment, a database in which the postal code and the address data are paired is prepared in the CDROM. . As a result, it is possible to automatically search a certain amount of address data simply by inputting the postal code, and to deal with the user by selecting from the candidates displayed on the display screen. Of course, if the address is not perfect, the screen is switched to a screen for handwriting or kana conversion, and the remaining character strings are input.

The input method in the embodiment is roughly as described above. However, in the preview display area 301a of the preview window 301, one card selected by the user (in the case of a sticker, a plurality of cards are present, Is displayed horizontally if the card is written horizontally, or vertically if the card is written vertically. In other words, when viewed from the user, it is displayed as an erect image.

Also, keys 301h-30 indicating input items
In 1n, the character of the corresponding key is displayed larger than the other characters in order to make the item being edited (input) now visually easy to understand. In the case of FIG. 11A, it is indicated that the “company name” of the business card is currently being input.
Indicates that the "department name" is being edited (note that when the keys 301h to 301n are edited again, by touching this key, the screen directly shifts to the editing screen for the key item). be able to). In other words, the order of the items to be edited (keys 301h to 301n) does not necessarily have to be in the order from top to bottom in the drawing, and is left to the selection of the user.

Further, in the preview display area 301a, the area of the item to be edited at present is highlighted so that the area can be distinguished from other areas. By using this double display, the user can be informed of what he / she is currently inputting, thereby successfully avoiding confusion.

That is, the keys 301h to 301n are associated with the corresponding locations in the preview display area 301a. For example, when the key 301i is touched, the corresponding location in the preview display area 301a (in this case, the department ) Will be highlighted in conjunction with the name.

As described above, a character string is input by using any of the six types of input methods (handwriting, kana conversion, alphanumerics, etc.) or by switching to a convenient method during input. As a matter of course, there may naturally be an input error or the like.

In order to cope with editing such as an input error, it is necessary to delete a character at an arbitrary position in a character string constructed or being created in the process or to insert a new character. Become. In other words, means for instructing which position in the input character string is to be processed is required.

In this embodiment, the input character display area 301b
Key 30 for moving the cursor (displayed when a character is input as shown in FIG. 11F) in the form of
1c and 301f were provided. That is, this key 301c,
301f is separated from the input pallet 302,
In addition, no matter what input method is used (handwriting, kana input ...), since the positions are fixed, a common editing environment can be provided to the user. Moreover, a key for moving the cursor to the left is displayed on the left side of the input character display area 301b, and a key for moving the cursor to the right is displayed on the right side, so that there is no confusion.

In the embodiment, the key 3 for editing is
01d (delete one character immediately before the cursor), 301e
(Insert space) and 301e (line feed) are also provided near the input character display area 301b so that they can be set regardless of each input method. Here, line feed key 3
01e will be supplementarily described.

When the line feed key 301e is touched, a line feed is performed at that position, and the cursor moves to the beginning of the next line.
That is, when inputting a plurality of lines, this line feed key 301
e is used. In the embodiment, the input character display area 301b
Secured three lines. The reason is that postcards, business cards,
This is because it is a seal and it is unlikely that four or more lines are input for one item.

[0109] If input of a plurality of lines is allowed for any item (address, name, and the like), confusion may be caused. For example, company names and person names do not break on the way. Therefore, it is desirable that such an item that does not cause a line break does not function even if the line break key 301e is touched by mistake. Therefore, a table as shown in FIG. 13 is provided for each printing target (business card, postcard, sticker).

As shown in the figure, this table prepares recording paper printable by this apparatus and the layout type (vertical writing or horizontal writing, speed business card or business business card for business cards, etc.). . For each item, setting information indicating whether line breaks are allowed or not for the item is provided. In addition,
Details of this table will be described later.

The CPU determines, based on the type of recording paper and the contents of the table, whether or not line feed is currently permitted for items determined by the recording paper to be input and the set design and the like. In the case of no (impossible), even if the line feed key 301e is touched, it is ignored. However, the user is required to enter the new line key 30
In order to inform whether 1e functions or not, the display form depends on the item. 11A to 11C show that the line feed key 301e cannot function, and FIGS. 11D to 11F show that the line break key 301e is enabled. Since the table in FIG. 13 is a simple table even if the access is made,
The OM drive is referred to, and is not installed in the main memory.

The table of FIG. 13 will be described in more detail below.

Each table is prepared in advance for each recording sheet to be printed, and in the case of a business card, printing is performed in units of five copies, so "5" is set as the number of copies. In addition, information on the direction of the print character (vertical character or horizontal character) at that time, the number of items to be set, and the name of each item are set. The number of items and the names are reflected on the keys 301h to 301n displayed in FIGS. 11A to 11F. Therefore, if the printing target is a New Year's postcard, the number of items and the item names are naturally different.

In the case of business card printing, there are six input methods (handwriting, kana conversion...), But in the case of a sticker, for example, there is no space for inputting an address.
Therefore, in the case of a seal, the input method is less than that. In any case, the type and number of input methods,
The item name and the number (and the printing position of each item) depend on the recording paper, and therefore, a table suitable for each item is prepared.

The printing position (x, y coordinates, width w, height h) for each item is set, and characters can be input within this range.

For each item, an allowable input method is also set.

For example, when “company name” is selected as an input target item in business card creation, “address” in the input pallet 302 cannot be selected. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 13, information indicating that the input method can be selected or not is also provided. This is the same for other recording papers. Therefore, when the input target is “company name” in FIG. 11A, it is displayed in a form distinguishing from other tabs (handwriting, kana conversion, etc.) in order to clearly indicate that “address” in the input pallet 302 cannot be selected. I tried to make it.

<Design Edit Processing> A case where a business design is selected as a business card recording sheet will be described below with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

First, a company name is entered (S1201).
Next, a title is input (step S1202), and then a name is input (step S1203). These input methods can be selected from handwriting, kana, and alphanumeric characters.

Then, an address is input (step S1).
204). Here, the postal code is first input on the address input screen shown in FIG. 11F, and is input by a method of selecting from the displayed address candidates. If the displayed candidate does not have an address to be input, it can be input by another input method.

Thereafter, the user inputs contact information such as a fax and a telephone number (step S1205). Here, FIG.
Input on the screen for inputting numbers and symbols of D. The business card design allows up to two lines to be entered, and each line can be used to enter two contacts.

Next, a comment is input (step S1).
206). Here, handwriting, kana, and alphanumeric input methods can be selected.

Finally, the shape (font) and color of the input character are designated. These are to be selected by the user from a number of preferences.

With the above processing, the editing of the design is completed. Here, all items included in the design of the business card are described as being input. However, unnecessary items can be skipped by pressing the key 303c of the instruction window 303.

If the user wants to edit the title again while inputting a character, for example, while inputting a comment,
By simply touching the key 301j, it is possible to proceed to the operation. At this time, the character string of “comment” which has been input immediately before is stored and held. This is to enable continuous input when returning to the input of "comment" again.

Although the above description has been given of the business card screen and its control, editing of other designs is also performed by inputting input items of each design using the corresponding input palette. .

<Processing of Bar Code Card> As described above, the card printer of the present embodiment is installed in a store such as a convenience store. In a recording device installed in such a store, a counter for counting the number of printed sheets is provided or a coin inserted is checked according to the inserted amount in order to collect a charge for printing from a user. It is common to provide a device for controlling the recording device.

In contrast to such a general configuration, in the present embodiment, a recording paper such as a business card or a card and a barcode card in which information corresponding to the recording paper is recorded in advance are sold. In addition, it is not necessary to provide the above-described counter and special equipment.

That is, the card printer reads the barcode of the barcode card placed on the first sheet and transmits the information to the control unit. If the corresponding barcode is not confirmed, the control unit reads the barcode from the design editor. By controlling not to perform the operation, it is possible to prevent the card printer from being used free of charge.

However, if a bar code card or a copy thereof is set together with the brought recording paper, there is a possibility that the bar code card will be printed on the brought recording paper free of charge. In order to prevent this, in the present embodiment, it is assumed that the purchased recording paper is printed in the store without once going outside, and it is impossible to use the bar code card set at the top again. In the print execution process of step S1013, a predetermined pattern is overwritten on the barcode card before printing the recording paper.

FIG. 2B shows an example in which a predetermined pattern is overwritten on the bar code card 20 shown in FIG. 2A. In this example, a vertical line in the same direction as each line of the bar code that makes it impossible to read the bar code 21 is written, and the character "Done" is displayed in a conspicuous color such as red so that it can be recognized at a glance. I have filled in.

As described above, since the purpose is to prevent the barcode card from being reused, the pattern overwritten on the barcode portion is not limited to the pattern shown here.

As described above, according to the card printer of the present embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

With the same apparatus, data input according to the selected design can be printed on a plurality of different types of recording paper, such as business cards, postcards, and stickers, without complicating the operation of the user.

Whether or not the recording paper is set and whether or not the set recording paper corresponds to the design selected by the user can be easily and accurately determined by reading the bar code card. Problems during printing due to differences in paper size can be prevented beforehand.

The recording paper and the bar code card are sold as a set, and the bar code card which has been used once is invalidated so that the bar code card cannot be used again, thereby preventing printing without charge.

As in the operation area for inputting characters (the input pallet 302 in the embodiment), an area for displaying input characters (input character) while switching between a plurality of character input methods using tabs. A display area 301b) and edit keys (301c to 301g) for input characters, and a preview area (301a) are displayed in an area separated from an area 302 for inputting the same.
In addition, by making the display form common, it is possible to give consistency to the operability related to editing by the user.

In particular, an input method that can be input and an input method that cannot be input are displayed so as to be distinguishable according to the item, and an input method that cannot be input is not selectable, so that an incorrect input method is not selected.

[0139] Also, by letting the user know what item the user is currently inputting in the preview area 301a and the item selection keys 301h to 301n, it is possible to input an incorrect character in the item. You can also prevent it.

[Other Embodiments] In the above embodiment, information on the type and number of sheets of recording paper set using barcodes is obtained. However, codes other than barcodes can be used. Information other than the paper size and the number of sheets may be included.

For example, by including the properties of the recording paper, it is possible to discriminate between those on which ink is good and those on which ink is not good, so that it is possible to change the control at the time of printing accordingly.

In the embodiment described above, the image recordable on the recording medium is selected from image data prepared in advance, but is used as a magnetic storage medium such as a floppy disk or a storage medium of a digital camera. It is also conceivable to read the image data of the user from a semiconductor storage medium such as a compact flash or a smart media, and record the image data on a recording medium in combination with the input character data.

An object of the present invention is to provide a storage medium storing a program code of software for realizing the functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or an apparatus, and to provide a computer (or CPU) of the system or apparatus.
And MPU) read and execute the program code stored in the storage medium.

In this case, the program code itself read from the storage medium realizes the functions of the above-described embodiment, and the storage medium storing the program code constitutes the present invention.

As a storage medium for supplying the program code, for example, a floppy disk, hard disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, CD-ROM, CD
-R, a magnetic tape, a nonvolatile memory card, a ROM, or the like can be used.

When the computer executes the readout program code, not only the functions of the above-described embodiment are realized, but also the OS (Operating System) running on the computer based on the instruction of the program code. ) May perform some or all of the actual processing, and the processing may realize the functions of the above-described embodiments.

Further, after the program code read from the storage medium is written into a memory provided in a function expansion board inserted into the computer or a function expansion unit connected to the computer, based on the instruction of the program code, It goes without saying that the CPU included in the function expansion board or the function expansion unit performs part or all of the actual processing, and the processing realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments.

When the present invention is applied to the storage medium, the storage medium stores program codes corresponding to the above-described flowcharts (shown in FIGS. 9A, 9B and / or 12). Become.

[0149]

As described above, according to the present invention, even if the screen is switched by a plurality of character methods,
It is possible to provide a common editing environment without giving any discomfort.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an appearance of a card printer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2A is a diagram showing an example of a barcode card used in the card printer of FIG. 1;

FIG. 2B is a diagram showing a used barcode card.

FIG. 3 is a top view of a tray for setting recording paper of the card printer of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a control configuration of the card printer of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the motherboard of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing processing at the time of startup in a control unit of the card printer of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating data recorded on a bootable CD-ROM.

FIG. 8 is a side view of a paper feeding unit of the card printer of FIG.

FIG. 9A is a first diagram of a flowchart showing processing of the card printer of FIG. 1;

9B is a second diagram of the flowchart showing the processing of the card printer in FIG. 1;

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a design printable by the card printer of FIG. 1;

FIG. 11A is a first diagram showing a design editing screen of the card printer of FIG. 1;

FIG. 11B is a second diagram showing a design editing screen of the card printer of FIG. 1;

FIG. 11C is a third diagram showing a design editing screen of the card printer of FIG. 1;

FIG. 11D is a fourth diagram showing the design editing screen of the card printer of FIG. 1;

11E is a fifth diagram showing the design editing screen of the card printer in FIG. 1. FIG.

FIG. 11F is a sixth diagram showing the design editing screen of the card printer of FIG. 1;

FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing a design editing process of the card printer of FIG. 1;

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a display form for each input item and a control table for validating or invalidating the function in the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Card printer 2 Fixed part 3 Monitor 4 Touch panel 5 Speaker 6 Paper feed unit 7 Ejection port 10 Motherboard 12 CD-ROM drive 13 Printer 20 Barcode card 21 Barcode 61 Tray 104 Paper feed cassette 105 Cassette slide mechanism 106 Barcode reader 703 Tray elevating drive mechanism 706 Cassette lock mechanism 707 Cassette position sensor

──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme Court ゛ (Reference) 9A001 (72) Inventor Hideyuki Ayukawa 3-11-28 Mita, Minato-ku, Tokyo Canon Sales Inc. (72) Invention 2K061 AP10 AQ05 AS02 BB10 CQ04 CQ05 2H027 GA01 GA20 5B009 KA01 LA01 RB02 RB06 RB11 5B087 AA09 AC05 AE01 CC01 CC05 CC17 CC24 DD11 CB05 CC14 EA05 EA10 EB05 FA13 FB12 FB45 9A001 DD13 HH18 HH22 JJ35 KK54

Claims (14)

[Claims] An information processing apparatus for inputting characters using a touch panel provided on a display screen, outputting a character string input by the character input operation to a desired predetermined printing unit, and performing printing. A storage unit for storing information on types of input items to be printed on a print medium and types of character input methods usable for each input item; and operating a character input area corresponding to the type of character input method. First display means for switching and displaying in accordance with a user's instruction, provided independently of the character input area, and displaying a character input in a character input area corresponding to any of the character input methods. Display means for displaying an input character display area for displaying, and third display means for displaying a button for performing an editing process in accordance with an instruction of an operator near the input character display area. Toss The information processing apparatus. 2. Further, independently of the character input area,
2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an item selection area display unit that displays an item selection area for selecting the input item. 3. A cursor control button for controlling movement of a cursor for designating an editing position for a character displayed in the input character display area, wherein the editing button includes a cursor control button. 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1. 4. The cursor control button is a button for instructing movement to the left and right, and is provided at a position sandwiching the input character display area.
The information processing device according to item. 5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the edit button includes a button for instructing deletion of one character, insertion of a blank space, and line feed. apparatus. 6. The storage unit according to claim 2, wherein the storage unit further stores line feed control information as to whether or not a button for instructing the line feed is operated for each item. Information processing device. 7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising means for changing a display mode of a button for instructing a line feed based on the line feed control information corresponding to an item being input. apparatus. 8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the storage unit further stores type information of a character input method that can be used for each item. 9. A system according to claim 1, further comprising means for discriminating that an input area of an unusable input method cannot be selected based on type information of the character input method corresponding to an item being input. Item 9. The information processing device according to Item 8. 10. An information processing apparatus for performing character input using a touch panel provided on a display screen, outputting a character string input by the character input operation to a desired predetermined printing unit, and performing printing. A control method, wherein the type of the input items to be printed on the print medium and the type information of the character input method usable for each input item are stored in a predetermined storage means; A first display step of switching the displayed character input area in accordance with an instruction from the operator, and a character input area provided independently of the character input area and corresponding to one of the character input methods. A second display step of displaying an input character display area for displaying input characters, and a third display of displaying, near the input character display area, a button for performing an editing process in accordance with an instruction of an operator Process Control method for an information processing apparatus comprising: a. 11. An information processing apparatus for performing character input using a touch panel provided on a display screen, outputting a character string input by the character input operation to a desired predetermined printing unit, and performing printing. A storage medium for storing the program code of the above, wherein the type of the input item to be printed on the print medium and the type information of the character input method usable for each input item are stored in a predetermined storage means. And a program code of a first display step for displaying a character input area corresponding to the type of the character input method so as to be switchable in accordance with an instruction of the operator; and A program code of a second display step for displaying an input character display area for displaying a character input in a character input area corresponding to the character input method; The display area near the storage medium characterized by storing a program code for a third display step of displaying a button for editing processing in accordance with the instruction of the operator. 12. An information processing apparatus for performing character input using a touch panel provided on a display screen, outputting a character string input by the character input operation to a desired predetermined output unit, and performing output. A storage unit for storing the types of input items to be output to the output medium, type information of character input methods usable for each input item, and operating a character input area corresponding to the type of character input method. First display means for switching and displaying in accordance with a user's instruction, provided independently of the character input area, and displaying a character input in a character input area corresponding to any of the character input methods. Display means for displaying an input character display area for displaying, and third display means for displaying a button for performing an editing process in accordance with an instruction of an operator near the input character display area. When That the information processing apparatus. 13. An information processing apparatus for performing character input using a touch panel provided on a display screen, outputting a character string input by the character input operation to desired predetermined output means, and performing output. A storage medium for storing the program codes of the above, wherein the type of input items to be printed on the output medium and the type information of the character input method usable for each input item are stored in a predetermined storage means. And a program code of a first display step for displaying a character input area corresponding to the type of the character input method so as to be switchable in accordance with an instruction of the operator; and A program code of a second display step for displaying an input character display area for displaying a character input in a character input area corresponding to the character input method; The display area near the storage medium characterized by storing a program code for a third display step of displaying a button for editing processing in accordance with the instruction of the operator. 14. An information processing apparatus for performing character input using a touch panel provided on a display screen and outputting a character string input by the character input operation to a desired predetermined output unit. Storage means for storing the type of the input item to be output to the device and the type information of the character input method that can be used for each input item; First display means for displaying the characters in a switchable manner, and an input character display provided independently of the character input area for displaying characters input in a character input area corresponding to any of the character input methods Second display means for displaying an area; and a third display which is provided independently of the character input area and displays a button for performing an editing process in accordance with an instruction of an operator near the input character display area. The information processing apparatus characterized by comprising a stage.