JP2001277642A - Printer system and method of printing - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To perform printing corresponding to a paper by obtaining printing information from the paper and to achieve required accuracy of a printing position. SOLUTION: An orientation of the paper is detected from the printing information added to the paper beforehand and then position correction for print data is executed corresponding to the condition of paper based on the information. As a result, even when shift of the paper due to bending or generation of skew of the paper occurs, it is possible to achieve the required accuracy of the printing position. As the printing information includes information of a paper size, a format and a kind thereof, the printing corresponding to the condition of the paper obtained from the printing information can be performed so that the printed result is always in agreement with a displayed printing preview screen. As the information of the paper is obtained from the printing information added to the paper beforehand, it is not necessary to read a whole image of the paper by a device such as a scanner so that it is possible to provide a low cost system.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printer system and a printing method, and more particularly to a system and a method suitable for adjusting the position of print data.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a paper format is read,
As an example of a printer system which displays on a host and adjusts print data, there is a method shown in FIG. 8 disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-290358.

In this method, first, the format of a sheet is read by a scanner 83. The print data is displayed on the screen of the host 81 so as to be superimposed on the print data to adjust the print position of the print data. Further, when the host 81 transmits data, the print data is transmitted after the paper is set on the printing device 82.

[0004]

However, in the above-described printer system, after the format of a sheet is read by a scanner, the sheet must be mounted on a printing apparatus. Therefore, when there is a difference in the paper position detection accuracy between the scanner and the printing apparatus, the required print position accuracy cannot be secured, and the print position may be shifted.

[0005] In addition, when a sheet is bent in a printing apparatus or skew occurs when the sheet is conveyed, there is a possibility that the sheet cannot be handled at all.

Further, as described above, since the paper format is read by the scanner, a scanner device is separately required in addition to the host and the printing device, and the cost for constructing the printer system becomes high.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a method for solving the above-mentioned problems even when paper misalignment occurs due to paper curl when loading paper into a printing apparatus, skew when transporting paper, or the like. It is an object of the present invention to provide a printer system and a printing method which can ensure the accuracy of a given printing position.

[0008]

A printer system according to the present invention comprises a host and a printer which prints data under the control of the host. ,format,
Detecting means for detecting print information of the reference position and type, and notifying means for notifying the host of the detected information, wherein the host generates print data in accordance with the notified print information; And means for transmitting print data to the printer device.

Further, a printing method according to the present invention is a printing method in a printer system including a host and a printer apparatus which prints data under the control of the host. Detecting the print information of the specified paper size, format, reference position and type, notifying the host of the detected information, and generating print data in the host according to the notified print information. And transmitting the print data to the printer device.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 shows an example of a printer system construction according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 11 denotes a host that generates data, and 12 denotes a printing device. FIG. 2 shows an example of setting print information according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 2, reference numerals 21a and 21b denote print information added to the sheet 22 in advance.

Referring to FIG. 3, there is shown a print information detecting mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention, and portions equivalent to those in FIG. 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals. In FIG. 3, reference numeral 31 denotes a print information detection mechanism,
22b is detected. Examples of the print information include print information of a paper size, a format, a reference position, and a type. Reference numeral 33 denotes a print head. Referring to FIG. 4, there is shown a sectional view 1 of a print information detecting mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 4, reference numeral 43 denotes a light source for emitting print information from the back surface of the paper 22, and reference numeral 41 denotes a sensor for detecting the print information.

Next, the operation of the system construction example of FIG. 1 will be described. In FIG. 1, when the host 11 generates print data, as shown in FIG. 2, by using a sheet 22 to which print information 21a and 21b, which are simple information such as slits and marks, are attached in advance. 1 printing device 12
Can receive the contents of this print information. The means for detecting the inclination of the sheet 22 reads the print information 35 at the left end and the right end of the sheet by the print information detection mechanism 31 shown in FIG. 3, and detects the sheet inclination with respect to the reference position of the sheet.

The host 11 shown in FIG. 1 generates print data from the inclination of the sheet and transmits the data to the printing device 12.
The printing device 12 prints the received data on paper.
The host 11 shown in FIG. 1 also performs display based on the print information acquired from the printing device 12 when performing preview display on the screen, and the screen and the print result are always the same.

Next, the print information detecting mechanism sectional view 1 of FIG. 4 will be described. A light source 43 and a sensor 41 are arranged in the printing device 12 of FIG.
3 and the sensor 41. Printing device 1
In step 2, the reference position of the sheet is recognized from the print information detected by the sensor 41. As described above, in the above-described embodiment, the printing information is detected by the printing device 12 and is notified to the host 11, so that printing according to the paper can be performed. The user can also confirm the print result with a preview displayed on the screen of the host 11.

As another embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 5 shows another example of setting print information. In FIG. 5, in this case, the print information 51a and 51b are represented by bar codes, so that more information can be provided. In FIG. 1, when print data is generated by the host 11, print information notified from the printing device 12 includes
In addition to the paper reference position information, paper size, format,
And type information. In the printing device 12, in order to recognize the print information from the paper on which the print information 51a and 51b are written in a bar code as shown in FIG.
The print information is detected by the print information detecting mechanism 31 shown in FIG. The printing device 12 of FIG. 1 notifies the host 11 of information on the size, reference position, format, and type of the paper based on the print information detected from the paper. The host 11
The print data is generated from the print information notified from the printing device 12. Also, when the preview display is performed on the screen of the host 11, the display is performed based on the information notified from the printing apparatus 12.

Next, the print information detecting mechanism sectional view 2 of FIG. 6 will be described. The barcode reader 61 for recognizing the print information reads the print information attached to the sheet 22. Based on the read print information, information on paper size, format, reference position, and type is recognized. As described above, in the above-described embodiment, since the printing information detected by the printing apparatus is provided in the form of a barcode, information of the paper size, format, reference position, and type is notified to the host,
Since the host 11 generates the print data from the print information notified from the printing device 12, an effect that the printing according to the paper can be performed is obtained. Further, since there is no need for the operator to read information on the paper using a device such as a scanner, an inexpensive system can be provided.

FIG. 7 shows a processing flow of the present invention. In the printer system as shown in FIG. 1, the printing device 12 detects print information attached to a sheet in advance in the process of step (hereinafter, referred to as S) 701. In the process of S702, the paper size is read from the print information and notified to the host 11. In the process of S703, the paper format is read out of the print information and notified to the host 11. S70
In the process 4, the printing reference position is read from the printing information, the inclination angle of the sheet is detected by the printing information detecting mechanism 31 shown in FIG.

In the processing of S705, the host 11
A sheet shift with respect to the reference is detected, and if there is a sheet shift, the process of S706 is performed to correct the position of the print data.
If there is no paper misalignment, the process proceeds to S707 without performing the process of S706. In the process of S707, the type of paper is read from the detected print information, and the host 11 is notified. In the process of S708, the host 11 determines whether the sheet is a single sheet or a continuous sheet. In the process of S708, if the sheet is a single sheet, the process proceeds to S709, and if the sheet is continuous, the process proceeds to S710.

In the process of S709, it is determined whether the paper is plain paper or copy paper. In the process of S710, when the sheet is a single-sheet plain paper or continuous, the host 11 generates print data for the required page, and when the sheet is a single sheet and a copy sheet, the host 11 generates the print data for the first page. Generate print data. In the process of S712, the host 11 transmits the print data generated according to the paper to the printer device 12.

[0020]

As described above, according to the present invention,
By detecting print information of the paper size, format, reference position and type attached to the paper in advance, and printing the print data generated corresponding to the print information, it is possible to print according to the state of the paper Printer system and printing method described above.

Further, according to the present invention, the information of the paper is obtained from the print information attached to the paper in advance, so that it is not necessary to read the entire image of the paper by a device such as a scanner. A printing method can be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an example of a printer system construction

FIG. 2 is a setting example of print information.

FIG. 3 is a print information detection mechanism.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a print information detection mechanism.

FIG. 5 shows another example of setting print information.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a print information detection mechanism.

FIG. 7 is a processing flow.

FIG. 8 shows a conventional printer system construction example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Host 12 Printing device 21a, 21b Print information 22 Paper 31 Print information detection mechanism 33 Print head 41 Sensor 43 Light source 51a, 51b Print information in barcode format 61 Barcode reader

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A host, a printer which prints data under the control of the host, and a printer system for detecting print information of a paper size, format, reference position and type applied to paper in advance. A printer having detection means and a notifying means for notifying the host of the detection information, and a host for generating print data in accordance with the notified print information and transmitting print data to the printer; And a printer system capable of performing printing in accordance with paper. 2. The printer system according to claim 1, wherein the host has a unit that detects a sheet deviation from the reference position in the print information and corrects the position of the print data. 3. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the host detects a paper type from the print information and generates the print data corresponding to a cut sheet or a continuous sheet. Printer system. 4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the host has a unit for detecting a paper type from the print information and transmitting the print data corresponding to plain paper or carbon paper. The printer system as described. 5. A printing method in a printer system comprising a host and a printer which prints data under the control of the host, wherein a size and a format of a sheet attached to a sheet in advance in the printer are set. Detecting the print information of the reference position and the type, notifying the detected information to the host, generating print data in the host in accordance with the notified print information, Transmitting print data to the apparatus, and enabling printing in accordance with the paper. 6. The printing method according to claim 5, further comprising the step of: detecting a sheet shift from the reference position in the print information and correcting the position of the print data. 7. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the host detects a paper type from the print information and corresponds to a cut sheet or a continuous sheet.
7. The printing method according to claim 5, further comprising the step of generating the print data. 8. The host detects a paper type from the print information and responds to plain paper or carbon paper.
The printing method according to claim 5, further comprising transmitting the print data.