JP2002316432A - Dot line printer controller - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To suppress maximum power consumption of a print hammer for one stroke. SOLUTION: Entire print range for one stroke is divided for each print timing and an expected number of driving times of a print hammer is calculated for each print timing from print data transmitted before starting printing. When the total expected number of driving times of the print hammer for one stroke exceeds a predetermined value, printing is performed not by a fixed dividing method but by dividing into a plurality of times of stroke for each print timing depending on the expected number of driving times of the print hammer for each print timing and the number of driving times of the print hammer for one stroke is averaged thus suppressing maximum power consumption of the print hammer.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printing control method for a dot line printer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 4 shows the printing principle of a dot line printer.

[0003] In FIG. 4, a plurality of printing hammers 21 attached to a hammer bank 20 usually have permanent magnets 22.
Is held at the non-printing position by the suction force of. The hammerbank 20 is reciprocated in the row direction by a shuttle mechanism (not shown) composed of, for example, a cam or a linear motor. 23 is excited, the printing hammer 21 is released, and printing is performed on a printing paper (not shown).

In the dot line printer having the above configuration, in order to suppress the maximum power consumption during one-stroke operation of the hammer bank, the total number of scheduled printing hammer drives for one stroke is calculated, and when the number exceeds a specified value, the fixed value is fixed. The printing is performed by dividing into a plurality of strokes at each printing timing.

[0005]

Conventionally, as described above, in order to suppress the power consumption of the printing hammer, the total number of scheduled driving of the printing hammer for one stroke is calculated. Printing was performed with strokes divided for each timing. However, in such control, only the total number of scheduled printing hammer driving times for one stroke is detected, and
Further, since the division printing method is fixed, there is a problem that the maximum power consumption cannot be suppressed depending on the printing pattern.

An object of the present invention is to provide a method of detecting the number of print hammer drives scheduled for each print timing and dividing the print into a plurality of strokes for each print timing in accordance with the detected value, thereby printing one stroke. An object of the present invention is to average the number of times of hammer driving to suppress the maximum power consumption by the printing hammer.

[0007]

According to the present invention, there is provided a print control method for reciprocating a hammer bank having a plurality of print hammers at predetermined pitches along a print line by a shuttle mechanism along the print line. In a dot line printer that performs printing by driving the print hammer at each of a plurality of print timings in the course of this reciprocating movement, the entire print range for one stroke is divided at each print timing and transmitted before the start of printing. The print hammer drive count for each print timing is calculated from the print data obtained, and when the total print hammer drive count for one stroke exceeds a specified value, the print hammer drive for each print timing is not used instead of the fixed dividing method. The print hammer is divided into a plurality of strokes at each print timing in accordance with the number of times of driving, and the print hammer in one stroke. The dynamic number by averaging is to reduce the maximum power consumption by the printing hammer.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an example of a control block diagram for performing the control of the present invention.

While the print data is transferred from the print data transmission circuit 3 to the print buffer 4, the one-hammer-drive-number counting means 2 calculates the expected number of drive times for each print hammer for one stroke by the adder 9, The number of times the print hammer is driven is stored in the RAM 8. Next, before starting printing, the microprocessor 1 reads out the number of times of driving for each printing hammer from the RAM 8 and calculates the data as the number of times of driving of the printing hammer for each printing timing. If the total number of hammer drive times for one stroke exceeds the specified value, the number of hammer drive times for each print timing is compared, and the print hammer is divided into combinations such that the number of hammer drive times for one stroke is uniform. Is set in the divided print control circuit 6. The divided print control circuit 6 transmits a drive timing signal to the hammer driver 5 for each print timing.

Next, an example of the present invention will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

If the print timings are A, B, C, and D, the result of adding the data for each print timing is to read the data in the RAM 8 that stores the number of times the hammer is to be driven after transferring the data 4 to the print buffer. , Dd, Dc, and Dd at the respective print timings. Scheduled total number of hammer drive times for one stroke Da + Db + Dc +
In the case of Dd> 700, A, B, C, and D are divided and printed four times. When 350 <Da + Db + Dc + Dd, the separation printing is performed twice, but (Da + Db + Dc + Dd) / 2
Is calculated, and for each combination of print timings, a combination of divisions is determined so as to approach the calculated value.

Next, the division printing and the number of times the one-stroke printing hammer is driven will be described with reference to FIG.

In Example 1, Da = 250, Db = 250,
When Dc = 0 and Dd = 190, (Da + Db + D
c + Dd) / 2 = 345, and the combination of division is A
+ C (= 250) and B + D (= 430). In Example 2, Da = 250, Db = 100, Dc = 100, Dd
= 50, (Da + Db + Dc + Dd) / 2 =
250, the combination of divisions is A (= 250), B
+ C + D (= 250). On the other hand, if it is a fixed combination in the prior art and a combination of A + B and C + D, in Example 1, A + B = 500 and C + D =
190, and in Example 2, A + B = 350, C + D = 15
It becomes 0. Therefore, the maximum value of the number of times of printing hammer driving for one stroke is lower in the present invention than in the related art, and the maximum power consumption can be suppressed.

[0015]

As described above, according to the present invention, the number of times the print hammer is driven at each print timing is calculated, and divided printing is performed in a combination of print timings according to the calculated value, so that the hammer can be formed in any print pattern. Can reduce the maximum power consumption.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a control block diagram for performing print control as an example of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary control method of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a graph showing a specific example of divided printing and the number of times of one-stroke printing hammer drive.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a main part showing a printing mechanism of the dot line printer.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 is a microprocessor, 2 is a hammer drive number counting means, 3 is a print data transmission circuit, 4 is a print buffer, 5 is a hammer driver, 6 is a divided print control circuit, 7 is an address counter, 8 is RAM, and 9 is addition. Container, 20 is a hammerbank, 21 is a printing hammer, 22 is a permanent magnet, 23
Is a release coil.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A hammer bank having a plurality of printing hammers at predetermined intervals along a printing line is reciprocated along a printing line by a shuttle mechanism. In the course of the reciprocating movement, the printing hammer is moved at a plurality of printing timings. In a dot line printer that performs printing by driving, the entire print range for one stroke is divided for each print timing, and the number of drives to be driven for each print timing is calculated from print data transmitted before the start of printing. If the total number of print hammer drive dots exceeds the specified value, the print hammer is divided into a plurality of strokes for each print timing according to the drive count for each print timing, and the number of print dots in one stroke is reduced. A printing method for a dot line printer, wherein a division method for each printing timing is changed to average. Your way. 2. A print control method for a dot line printer according to claim 1, wherein the divided print can be arbitrarily divided into print timing units.