JP2001199117A - Method and apparatus for controlling driving of printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method and an apparatus for controlling the driving of a printer in which the processing time of the printer can be shortened by performing motor hold in parallel with output image edition or conduction output to a recording head. SOLUTION: A monitor hold control timer 6 is started during edition of output image or at the time of starting edition of output image. If the motor hold control timer 6 designates the execution of motor hold at the time of conduction output to a recording head 1, the operation is controlled to perform motor hold for a predetermined time after starting the designation. If the release of motor hold is designated, the operation is controlled to perform motor hold for a predetermined time after completion of conduction output.

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 controlling the operation of a printer, and more particularly to a method for controlling output image editing, power supply to a recording head, and paper feed by a paper feed motor. The present invention relates to a printer drive control method and apparatus for holding a motor for a predetermined time before and after driving a paper feed motor.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a printer for performing desired recording on recording paper by a recording head, an output image editing of an image to be recorded, a power output to the recording head based on the output image, and a paper after the power output are performed. The paper feed operation of the recording paper by the feed motor is sequentially repeated.

Further, before and after driving the paper feed motor, a so-called motor hold for suppressing the rotation of the paper feed motor by holding the state of the rotor of the paper feed motor with respect to the stator has been performed.

[0004] For example, as shown in FIG. 4, first, an energization output to a recording head is performed at the same time when the output image editing is completed. At the same time as the end of the energization output, a motor hold (hereinafter, referred to as a previous hold) before driving the paper feed motor is performed for a predetermined time. After a predetermined step of driving the paper feed motor (motor phase switching) at the same time as the completion of the previous hold, the drive of the paper feed motor is stopped, and the motor hold after driving the paper feed motor (hereinafter referred to as “rear”). (Referred to as hold).

However, in the conventional drive control of the printer, there is a problem that it takes a long time to hold the motor, so that printing cannot be performed quickly.

To solve such a problem, for example,
As shown in FIG. 5, a technique for editing an output image and outputting power to a recording head while the paper feed motor is being driven (during motor phase switching) without stopping the paper feed motor is already known. That is, for example, as shown in FIG.
The n-th (n = 1, 2, 3,...) Output image editing is performed at least from the (n-1) -th motor phase switching timing corresponding to the preceding (n-1) -th output image editing. If control is performed so that the paper feed motor is completed sooner, it is possible to continuously drive the paper feed motor without stopping it as shown in FIG.

[0007]

However, even in such a case, the n-th output image editing is performed only in the (n-1) -th output image due to factors such as data reception and target image data configuration.
If it is not completed before the timing of the motor phase switching, the stop processing of the paper feed motor and the post-hold must be performed from that point. That is, if it takes time to edit the output image for some reason, and it is not possible to start the motor hold operation, the motor hold time is eventually added to the entire processing time as shown in FIG.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and controls the motor hold so as to be performed as much as possible in parallel with the output image editing or the energization output to the print head, thereby enabling the printer to perform a series of printing operations. It is an object of the present invention to provide a printer drive control method and apparatus capable of reducing processing time.

[0009]

In order to achieve the above object, a feature of a drive control method for a printer according to the present invention is to alternately execute motor hold for a predetermined time and release the motor hold for the same time as the predetermined time. A motor hold control timer for repeatedly instructing is started during output image editing or at the start of output image editing, and when the energization output to the recording head after the output image editing is performed, the motor hold control timer executes motor hold. If instructed, control is performed so that the paper feed motor is driven after performing the motor hold for the predetermined time from the time when the instruction is started. Is instructed to release the motor hold, the motor hole for the predetermined time from the completion of the energization output The lies in controlling to drive the paper feed motor after performing.

By adopting such a method, the motor hold can be performed in parallel with the output image editing or the energization output to the recording head for a certain period of time. Time can be reduced.

[0011] Further, the drive control device of the printer according to the present invention is characterized in that a motor hold control timer for alternately and repeatedly instructing the execution of the motor hold for the predetermined time and the release of the motor hold during the predetermined time, The motor hold control timer is started during output image editing or at the start of output image editing, and when energizing output to the recording head after the output image editing, the motor hold control timer instructs execution of motor hold. If this is the case, control is performed so that the paper feed motor is driven after performing the motor hold for the predetermined time from the time when this instruction is started, while the motor hold control timer is set to If the release of the motor is instructed, the motor There after the de in that a control unit for controlling to drive the paper feed motor.

By adopting such a configuration, the motor hold can be performed in parallel with the output image editing or the energization output to the recording head for a certain period of time. Time can be reduced.

[0013]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a drive control device for a printer according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a drive control device for a printer according to this embodiment.

In this embodiment, a line thermal printer 2 having a thermal head 1 as a recording head is used as an example of the printer. The line thermal printer 1 has a long, substantially cylindrical platen roller rotatably supported at a desired position on a frame (not shown). At a position facing the platen roller, a thermal head 2 in which a plurality of heating elements are arranged and arranged along the longitudinal direction of the platen roller is disposed so as to be able to approach and separate from the platen roller. Also,
A transport roller for transporting recording paper between the platen roller and the thermal head is rotatably disposed on the frame, and the transport roller is a paper feed motor such as a stepping motor shown in FIG. By means of 3, rotation is made by predetermined steps.

Further, the line thermal printer 2
Is an output image editing of an image to be recorded on recording paper, and the thermal head 1 based on the output image is edited.
CPU 4 as a control unit for performing various processes such as selective energization output to each heating element and driving of the paper feed motor 3 (motor phase switching).

Further, the line thermal printer 2 includes:
A motor hold control unit 5 is provided as a control unit for holding the motor for a predetermined time before and after driving the paper feed motor 3.

A motor hold control timer 6 is connected to the motor hold control unit 5. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the motor hold control timer 6
A control signal for alternately and repeatedly instructing execution of the motor hold for a predetermined time and release of the motor hold during the predetermined time is output to the motor hold control unit 5.

The motor hold control timer 6 is connected to a timer control section 7 as a control section for controlling the motor hold control timer 6.

Next, an embodiment of a printer drive control method according to the present invention to which the printer drive control device is applied will be described.

First, an output image is edited under the control of the CPU 4. At this time, if continuous driving (motor phase switching) can be performed without stopping the paper feed motor 3 as in the case shown in FIG. Instead, the paper feed motor 3 is driven continuously.

On the other hand, since the output image editing is slow, the paper feed motor 3 cannot be driven continuously, and after the paper feed motor 3 is once stopped and post-hold is performed, a new output image is obtained. When it is necessary to drive the paper feed motor 3 corresponding to editing and this new output image editing, the following control is performed.

That is, in this case, the motor control timer 6 is started by the timer control unit 7 simultaneously with the stop of the driving of the paper feed motor 3 and the start of editing of a new output image after the post-hold. This allows
Control signals for instructing the motor hold control unit 5 to execute the motor hold for a predetermined time and release the motor hold during the predetermined time are alternately output. The motor hold control unit 5 controls the paper feed motor 3 according to the instruction of the motor hold control timer 6.
Of the motor hold is alternately repeated for a predetermined time.

At the same time when the new output image editing is completed, the CPU 4 outputs a current to the heating elements of the thermal head 1 based on the output image.

The motor hold control unit 5
When the control signal of the motor hold control timer 6 indicates the execution of the motor hold as shown in FIG. 2 at the time of the energization output, that is, when the motor hold is executed by the motor hold control unit 5, The front hold of the paper feed motor 3 is performed for a predetermined time required for the motor hold from the start of the output of the control signal instructing the execution. After the completion of the previous hold, the paper feed motor 3 is driven (motor phase switching).

In this case, the pre-hold processing can be performed in parallel with the output image editing and the energization output for a fixed time, so that the pre-hold has to be performed from the completion of the energization output as compared with the prior art. The overall processing time in a series of recording operations of the thermal printer 2 can be reduced.

On the other hand, when the energization output to the thermal head 1 is output, the control signal of the motor hold control timer 6 is changed as shown in FIG.
When the release of the motor hold is instructed as shown in (2), that is, when the motor hold is released, the motor control timer 6 is temporarily stopped by the timer control unit 7 and the completion of the energization output is completed. At this time, the motor hold control timer 6 is restarted to a state in which execution of motor hold is instructed. Then, a previous hold is performed for a predetermined time from the restart, and after the previous hold is completed, the paper feed motor 3 is driven (motor phase switching). That is, in this case, as before, the previous hold is performed from the time when the energization output to the thermal head 1 is completed.

Therefore, according to the present embodiment, when the motor hold control timer 6 instructs execution of motor hold at the time of energizing output to the thermal head 1, a part of the motor hold is output image editing and Since this can be performed in parallel with the energization output, the processing time in a series of recording operations of the line thermal printer 2 can be reduced.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but can be variously modified as needed. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the driving of the motor hold control timer 6 is started at the start of the new output image editing. However, the present invention is not limited to this.
May be started. Also in this case, after the output image editing is completed, the thermal head 1
When the motor hold control timer 6 instructs the execution of the motor hold at the time of the energizing output to the motor, the motor holding is performed in parallel with the output image editing and the energizing output to the thermal head 1 for a certain period of time as in the above-described embodiment. Therefore, the processing time in a series of recording operations of the line thermal printer 2 can be reduced.

[0030]

As described above, according to the printer drive control method and apparatus according to the present invention, the motor hold can be performed in parallel with the output image editing and the energization output to the recording head for a certain period of time. Processing time in a series of recording operations of the printer can be reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a drive control device for a printer according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a state in which a motor hold control timer instructs execution of motor hold by a control signal at the time of energization output to a print head in the embodiment of the printer drive control method and apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a state in which a motor hold control timer instructs release of motor hold by a control signal when power is supplied to a recording head in the embodiment of the printer drive control method and apparatus according to the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing control of a conventional motor hold.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing continuous drive control of a paper feed motor performed conventionally.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Thermal head 2 Line thermal printer 3 Paper feed motor 4 CPU 5 Motor hold control part 6 Motor hold control timer 7 Timer control part

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An output image editing and energization output to a recording head based on the output image and a paper feeding process by a paper feed motor after the energization output are sequentially repeated, and before and after driving the paper feed motor. A drive control method for a printer that performs a motor hold for a predetermined time, comprising: outputting a motor hold control timer for alternately instructing the execution of the motor hold for the predetermined time and the release of the motor hold during the predetermined time alternately. If the motor start control is started during the image editing or at the start of the output image editing and the motor hold control timer instructs the execution of the motor hold at the time of the energization output to the recording head after the output image editing, this instruction is issued. After holding the motor for the predetermined time from the start time, the paper feed motor If the motor hold control timer instructs the release of the motor hold at the time of the energization output, the motor hold for the predetermined time is performed from the completion of the energization output. A drive control method for driving the paper feed motor after driving. 2. An output image editing and energizing output to a recording head based on the output image, and a paper feeding process by a paper feed motor after the energizing output are sequentially repeated, and before and after driving the paper feeding motor. A drive control device for a printer that performs a motor hold for a predetermined time, a motor hold control timer for alternately and repeatedly instructing execution of the motor hold for the predetermined time and release of the motor hold during the predetermined time; A motor hold control timer is started during output image editing or at the start of output image editing, and the motor hold control timer instructs execution of motor hold at the time of energization output to the recording head after the output image editing. If this is the case, the motor Controlled so as to perform driving of the paper feed motor after the de, whereas, when the current output,
When the motor hold control timer instructs the release of the motor hold, the control unit controls the paper feed motor to be driven after performing the motor hold for the predetermined time from the completion of the energization output. A drive control device for a printer, comprising: