JP2003118170A - Bar code print system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a relatively inexpensive bar code print system in which printing of a variety of two-dimensional bar codes can be dealt with readily. SOLUTION: The bar code print system comprises a general purpose small computer 6 generating a two-dimensional bar code based on inputted recording information and print dot data for printing the two-dimensional bar code, and an ink jet printer body 7 and a print head 8 for acquiring the print dot data from the small computer 6 through a data communication circuit 12 and printing the two-dimensional bar code 10 on a product 2.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a bar code printing system capable of printing a two-dimensional bar code on an object to be printed by an ink jet printer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An ink jet printer for printing on a product (print object) conveyed on a production line converts input record information into print pattern data (print dot data) and ejects it toward the print object. The ink particles are charged with a charging voltage generated according to the print dot data, and the charged ink particles are electrostatically deflected to print a pattern on the print target.

[0003]

When a two-dimensional bar code printing system for printing a two-dimensional bar code (printing pattern) is constructed using such an ink jet printer, the ink jet printer is based on the inputted record information. A two-dimensional barcode is created, and a process of generating print dot data for printing this two-dimensional barcode is executed.

[0006] The amount of information such as the date of manufacture, the expiration date, the expiration date, and the management data with a relatively small change are printed in the form of characters or a one-dimensional bar code on the product conveyed on the production line as record information. In the general inkjet printer described above, the arithmetic processing capacity required for the internal control device is relatively low, and therefore, it can be configured by using an inexpensive arithmetic device.

On the other hand, the information amount such as containing various kinds of numerical data different for each product and the record information having a relatively large change are input, and the two-dimensional bar code is created based on the record information. However, in order to generate the corresponding print dot data, a lot of arithmetic processing is required, and a two-dimensional bar code that changes for each of a large number of products conveyed at high speed in the production line is created and the corresponding print is performed. In order to generate and print dot data, a control device using an expensive arithmetic device having high-speed arithmetic processing capability is required in the inkjet printer.

Further, since the two-dimensional bar code has many kinds of patterns of different systems depending on the use of the printing system, the two-dimensional bar code has an arithmetic processing capability in order to be an ink jet printer which can be similarly applied to various printing systems. A controller using a large and expensive arithmetic unit is needed.

However, a high-performance ink jet printer capable of meeting a wide variety of required specifications is expensive, and it is difficult to uniformly apply such an ink jet printer to all printing systems (uses). Some are uneconomical. For example, a clock frequency, which is one factor for measuring the arithmetic processing capacity of an MPU used as an arithmetic unit in a control device, is several tens of MHz for an ink jet printer for printing characters and one-dimensional bar codes, but various clock frequencies are available. A high-performance inkjet printer that can also meet the required specifications (two-dimensional bar code printing) needs to have a frequency of several hundred MHz.

It is an object of the present invention to propose a bar code printing system which is easy to handle a wide variety of two-dimensional bar code printing and is relatively inexpensive.

Still another object of the present invention is a bar code printing system suitable for printing a large amount of information about each printed material on a large number of printed materials conveyed in a production line in the form of a two-dimensional bar code. Is to propose.

[0010]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is characterized in that a process of converting recorded information into a two-dimensional bar code and developing it into print dot data is executed by a small computer separate from the ink jet printer main body. A two-dimensional bar code printing system, specifically, in a bar code printing system capable of printing a two-dimensional bar code created based on the recorded information on an object to be printed, by inputting the recorded information, A two-dimensional bar code based on recorded information and a general-purpose computer that executes a process of generating print dot data for printing the two-dimensional bar code, and the general-purpose computer is connected through communication means to obtain the print dot data. Then, by vibrating the nozzle that ejects the pressurized ink at a predetermined cycle, the ink ejected from the nozzle is located. To generate the ink particles by separating the ink particles in a cycle of, and to charge the ink particles by the charge voltage generated according to the acquired print dot data to charge the ink particles to fly in the deflection electric field. And an ink jet printer that prints a two-dimensional bar code on the print object by relatively moving the print object in a direction substantially perpendicular to the deflection of the ink particles.

[0011]

1 is a block diagram of a production system to which a two-dimensional code printing system according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied.

In this production system, the physical properties (outer dimensions, weight, components, characteristics, etc.) of a product 2 which is an object to be printed conveyed by a production line (conveyor) 1 are measured by a measuring device 3, and this measurement is performed. Data production control computer 4
The quality of the product is rejected by the discharge device 5 to the outside of the production line 1 and the measured data (part or all) of the rejected product is output. The management data such as the production number and the date of production are transmitted as recording information to the small computer 6 for assisting printing control, and the small computer 6 creates a two-dimensional bar code based on the management data and the two-dimensional bar. Print dot data for printing a code is generated and transmitted to the inkjet printer main body 7. This print dot data is matrix data of print dots expressing a two-dimensional barcode.

An ink jet printer for printing a two-dimensional bar code on the product 1 will be described later in detail. In addition to the ink jet main body 7, the ink jet printer is made to face the moving track of the product 2 conveyed and moved by the production line 1. And a product arrival sensor 9 for detecting that the product 2 has arrived at a position facing the print head 8. The inkjet printer body 7 is provided with print dot data from the small computer 6. In response to the product arrival detection signal from the product arrival sensor 9,
The two-dimensional barcode 10 is printed on the product 2 by controlling the deflection of the ink particles ejected from the print head 8 based on the print dot data. When the printing of the two-dimensional bar code 10 on one product 2 is completed, the inkjet printer main body 7 sends a print completion signal to the small computer 6.
To obtain the print dot data of the two-dimensional barcode to be printed on the next product 2 sent to.

The production control computer 4 and the measuring device 3 function as a quality control device for controlling the ejector 5 on the basis of various measurement data of the product 2, and the product 2 is in the form of a two-dimensional bar code. It functions as a data input device that organizes the measurement data to be printed and the management data such as the production number and transmits it to the small computer 6 for assisting printing control.

The small computer 6 for assisting print control is
A general-purpose small computer called a personal computer is used to create a two-dimensional bar code based on the control data input from the production control computer 4, and printing for printing this two-dimensional bar code in a dot matrix. A program that generates dot data is recorded in a removable memory (disk or memory card) and installed.

A data communication circuit 1 which is a communication means between the production control computer 4 and the small computer 6 and between the small computer 6 and the ink jet printer main body 7.
Each of 1 and 12 is configured by using a data communication interface of RS-232C standard which a general computer has as a standard.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the construction of an ink jet printer for printing a two-dimensional bar code on a product.

Microprocessor (MPU) 701 in the control unit built in the ink jet printer main body 7.
Is a main circuit element that controls the overall control of the inkjet printer, and is a read-only memory (ROM) 702.
The control process is executed in accordance with the program and control data stored in. Rewritable memory (RAM) 70
3 temporarily stores various data and the like handled by the MPU 701 during program execution.

The bus line 704 is a signal line including a data signal line, an address signal line and a control signal line from the MPU 701.

The input panel 705 is for inputting information for setting the height of a print pattern (characters, bar code, etc.) to be printed by an ink jet printer, print speed, print particle usage rate, and the like.

The communication interface 706 is an RS-232C interface for executing data communication with the small computer 6 for print control assistance.

The charging signal generation circuit for printing 707 generates a charging signal for printing corresponding to information set by input from the input panel 705 and data such as print dot data acquired from the small computer 6 for assisting printing control. It is a circuit to make. The printing charge signal is a charge amount control information signal for deflecting the ink particles so that each dot in the print dot data is printed at a predetermined position in the matrix.

The phase search charge signal generation circuit 708 is a circuit for generating a phase search charge signal for searching the generation phase of the ink particles generated in the print head 8.

The print / non-print changeover switch 709 is
It is a circuit that generates a switching signal that selects the charging signal for printing output from the charging signal generation circuit for printing 707 and the charging signal for phase search output from the charging signal generation circuit for phase search 708. A NAND gate 710 that controls the passage of the charging signal for printing output from the generation circuit 707 is input with a switching signal via the NOT gate 711, and the charging signal for phase search output from the charging signal generation circuit 708 for phase search is input. NAND that controls the passage of
By directly inputting the switching signal to the gate 712, the NAND charging gates 710 and 712 selectively pass the printing charging signal or the phase searching charging signal.
The NOR gate 713 is the NAND gates 710 and 712.
The charging signal for printing or the charging signal for phase search output from is passed. The charging signal up to this point is in the form of a digital signal having print position information of each print dot.

The D / A converter 714 is a circuit for converting a digital signal type charging signal output from the NOR gate 713 into an analog type charging signal. The amplifier circuit (AMP) 715 amplifies the charging signal output from the D / A converter 714 to obtain a charging voltage.

The print head 8 ejects pressurized ink from a nozzle 801 containing an electrostrictive element to form an ink column 802. The ends of the ink columns 802 separate and fly as ink particles 803. By applying an excitation voltage to the electrostrictive element and vibrating the nozzle 801 at a constant cycle, the tip of the ink column 802 ejected from the nozzle 801 is regularly separated in synchronization with the vibration to become an ink particle 803. . From the ink column 802 to the ink particles 80
By applying the charging voltage to the charging electrode 804 installed so as to surround the area where the ink is separated, the ink particles 803 are charged to an amount of charge corresponding to the charging voltage and separated from the ink column 802. By causing the charged ink particles 803 to fly in the deflection electric field generated by the deflection electrode 805, the ink particles 803a unnecessary for printing are captured and collected by the gutter 806, and the ink particles 8 used for printing
03b is attached to a predetermined position of the print pattern (two-dimensional bar code) 10 and is deflected so that dots are printed.
The deflection direction of the ink particles 803 is a direction substantially perpendicular to the moving direction of the product 2 conveyed by the production line 1.

In the print head 8, the charged ink particles 803 are further passed to pass the ink particles 80.
A charge amount detection sensor 807 that generates a detection signal according to the charge amount of No. 3 is provided.

The excitation setting switch 716 is for the nozzle 801.
The frequency of the excitation voltage applied to the electrostrictive element therein is set, and the generation cycle of the ink particles 803 generated from the nozzle 801 and the shape of the ink particles 803 are specified. The frequency division counter 717 frequency-divides the clock signal input from the oscillator 718 at the ratio set by the excitation setting switch 716, and outputs a synchronization signal for generating the charging voltage and the excitation voltage. The excitation synchronization signal is applied as an excitation voltage to the electrostrictive element in the nozzle 801 through the amplifier circuit (AMP) 719. The charging synchronization signal is input to the charging signal generation circuit 707 for printing and the charging signal generation circuit 708 for phase search and used as a synchronization signal for generating each charging signal.

The detection signal detected by the charge amount detection sensor 807 is input to the phase detection circuit 721 by the amplification circuit (AMP) 720, and the ink particles 803 charged by the charging voltage generated based on the phase search charging signal are charged. By discriminating the amount, the optimum relative phase of the ink particle generation timing and the charging signal is detected. The information on the optimum relative phase is fed back to the MPU 701 via the bus line 704.

The product arrival sensor 9 detects that the product 2 conveyed by the production line 1 has arrived at a position facing the print head 8, and the detection signal is
Input to the print start detection circuit 722. The print start detection circuit 722 detects the timing when the print position of the product 2 passes through the print area facing the print head 8 based on the input detection signal, and outputs the print start signal to the bus line 704.
Output to.

The printing operation of the two-dimensional bar code in the production system thus configured will be described with reference to the operation timing charts shown in FIGS. 3 (a) to 3 (e). A
Indicates the data processing timing for the first product 2 conveyed on the production line, B indicates the data processing timing for the next product 2, and C indicates the data processing timing for the next product 2. .

(A) shows the data communication circuit 1 from the production control computer 4 to the small computer 6 for assisting print control.
1 shows the communication timing for transmitting the management data, which is the record information, via 1. As the contents of the recorded information, in addition to data such as the production number, production date, and storage period of the product 2, the physical properties of the product 2 measured by the measuring device 3 (outer dimensions, weight, components, characteristics, etc.) Which is the data for each product 2
The contents are different for each.

(B) is for the small computer 6,
The timing of converting to a two-dimensional bar code including management data and creating print dot data for printing this two-dimensional bar code in a dot matrix is shown including the management data acquisition time.

(C) shows communication timing for transmitting print dot data from the small computer 6 to the ink jet printer body 7 via the data communication circuit 12. At this time, the small computer 6 transmits the print dot data to the inkjet printer main body 7 in byte units.

(D) is the ink jet printer main body 7
Charging time for each print dot by considering the print dot data acquired via the data communication circuit 12 and the set values such as the print pattern height and print speed set from the input panel 705. Signal (voltage data)
It shows the timing of creating.

(E) shows that when the product 2 arrives at the printing position by the print head 8, the ink particles 803 are charged by generating a charging voltage according to a charging signal for each print dot. The timing when the two-dimensional barcode 10 is printed on the product 2 by controlling the deflection of 803 is shown.

Here, t1 is the time for receiving the management data and creating the print dot data for printing the two-dimensional bar code including the management data. To reduce this time, the management is performed. It is necessary to optimize the algorithm for converting the data into a two-dimensional barcode or to speed up the conversion processing speed. In this embodiment, this conversion processing is performed at a relatively low cost and at a high processing speed. The processing time is shortened by causing the general-purpose small computer 6 which is fast to execute. If this conversion into a two-dimensional bar code is executed inside the inkjet printer main body 7 whose operation processing speed is slower than that of the general-purpose small computer 6, the time t1 becomes several times to several tens of times longer.

T2 is a communication time for transmitting the print dot data for printing a two-dimensional bar code from the small computer 6 to the ink jet printer body 7, which is the most standard RS-232 for data communication between computers.
Time is shortened by transmitting data in byte units using a C standard data communication interface. The transmission of the print dot data is performed by the inkjet printer main body 7 to the small computer 6 when the inkjet printer main body 7 recognizes that the printing of the two-dimensional bar code 10 on one product 2 is completed. By transferring the print dot data of the two-dimensional bar code to be printed on the next product 2 from the small computer 6 to the inkjet printer main body 7.

T3 is a set time of the print dot data in the ink jet printer main body 7, which is calculated from the print dot data transmitted in byte units and the set value set by the input from the input panel 705 of the ink jet printer main body 7. , The time for creating a charging signal for printing the print dot data at a predetermined position.

T4 is a preparation time for creating the charging voltage in the ink jet printer main body 7 based on the charging signal. During this preparation time, the functions of the phase search charging signal generation circuit 708 and the phase detection circuit 721 are used to execute the phase matching control for matching the generation timing of the ink particles 803 and the generation timing of the charging voltage.

At t5, the charging voltage is generated by the ink jet printer main body 7, and the print head 8 is controlled to print the two-dimensional bar code 10 on the product 2.

T6 is a printing interval time for printing on the product 2. Considering the production line, the shorter t6 means the higher production efficiency on the production line, and the longer t6 means the production efficiency. It will be worse.

As the symbol (printing pattern) of the two-dimensional bar code, the minimum cell 10 × 10 DataMatrix ECC20
0 or Veri Code, Micro QR Code or Da with minimum cell 13 × 13
There are various kinds of symbols such as taMatrix ECC080 and Aztec Code of the minimum cell 15 × 15. In addition, there is a high possibility that new symbols will appear in the future in order to increase the amount of information and the information density. In order to correspond to these various symbols, various symbols (print dot data) are changed from the management data.
It is necessary to build a conversion software for converting into a small computer 6 for assisting print control using a general-purpose small computer separate from the inkjet printer main body 7 as in the present embodiment. With this configuration, it becomes easy to freely build various software.

In this embodiment, the data communication circuit 1
Although a cable communication system using a data communication interface of RS-232C standard is adopted as 1 and 12, by using a wireless communication system as a communication means,
The degree of freedom in the installation layout of each device can be increased.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention, which is a production system for printing a two-dimensional bar code on a product conveyed on a plurality of production lines.

In the two-dimensional bar code printing system of this embodiment, the ink jet printer main bodies 7a to 8c and the print head 8 are associated with the respective production lines 1a to 1c.
a to 8c and measuring instruments 3a to 3c are installed, and the measurement data obtained by measuring the products 2a to 2c conveyed on the respective production lines 1a to 1c by the measuring instruments 3a to 3c are common to the respective production lines 1a to 1c. The quality control is executed by inputting it to the production control computer 4, and the control data including the measurement data is transmitted as recording information to a general-purpose small computer 6 for assisting printing control, and the small computer 6 causes each of the production lines 1a to 1c. Printing dot data of a two-dimensional bar code to be printed on each product 2a to 2c, and distributing this to each ink jet printer body 7a to 7c and printing the print heads 8a to 8c on each product 2a to 2c. This is a configuration for printing the barcodes 10a to 10c.

The production management computer 4 and the small computer 6 for assisting printing control process the measurement data and the management data (recording information) by assigning an identification number to each of the production lines 1a to 1c and processing them. Lines 1a-1
It is desirable to identify the arithmetic operations for quality control and two-dimensional bar code printing in c.

As described above, in a large-scale production system, the processing functions of the production management computer 4 and the small computer 6 for assisting printing control can be constituted by one general-purpose medium-sized or large-sized computer. . Here, the distinction between the small size, the medium size, and the large size of the computers 4 and 6 does not have a definite boundary, but means the relative largeness, mediumness, and smallness of the processing capability of the computer.

In such a large-scale configuration, the data communication circuit between the production management computer 4, the small computer 6 for print control assistance, the ink jet printer main bodies 7a to 7c, and the measuring instruments 3a to 3c are wireless. A communication method is desirable.

[0050]

According to the present invention, the recording information is converted into a two-dimensional bar code, and the processing for creating the print dot data is executed by a general-purpose computer separate from the ink jet printer main body. It is possible to realize a bar code printing system which is easy to deal with a wide variety of two-dimensional bar codes and is relatively inexpensive.

Further, the recording information is created by a quality control device which controls an ejector for ejecting a rejected product to the outside of the production line based on various measurement data of the product conveyed on the production line. By doing so, it is possible to realize a bar code printing system suitable for printing a large amount of information relating to each print object on a large number of print objects conveyed in a production line in the form of a two-dimensional bar code.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a production system to which a two-dimensional code printing system according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an inkjet printer that prints a two-dimensional barcode on a product.

FIG. 3 is a two-dimensional barcode printing system operation timing chart of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a production system for printing a two-dimensional barcode which is an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Production line, 2 ... Product, 3 ... Measuring instrument, 4 ... Production management computer, 5 ... Ejector, 6 ... Small computer,
7 ... Inkjet printer body, 8 ... Print head, 9
… Product arrival sensor, 10… two-dimensional bar code, 11,
12 ... Data communication circuit.

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification code FI theme code (reference) G06F 3/12 B41J 3/00 F 5B021 G06K 1/12 3/04 104A (72) Inventor Hideyuki Omori Ibaraki Prefecture Hitachi City, Higashi-Taga-cho 1-1-1, Ltd. In Hitachi Taga Electronics Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor, Taka Takashi Kono 1-1-1, Higashi-Taga-cho, Hitachi City, Ibaraki Prefecture (72) Inventor Hisashi Umezu 1-1-1, Higashi-Taga-cho, Hitachi-shi, Ibaraki F-term in Hitate Taga Technology Co., Ltd. (reference) 2C055 JJ00 JJ07 JJ12 2C056 EA01 EA24 EC07 EC37 EC69 FA05 FB01 2C057 DA01 DB02 DB09 DC10 DC15 DD04 DE03 EA01 2C061 APCG AQ05 AS CG15 2C062 RA01 5B021 AA13

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A bar code printing system capable of printing a two-dimensional bar code created on the basis of record information on an object to be printed, by inputting record information, and a two-dimensional bar code based on the record information A general-purpose computer that executes a process of generating print dot data for printing a two-dimensional bar code, a nozzle that is connected to the general-purpose computer via communication means to acquire the print dot data, and ejects pressurized ink. By vibrating at a predetermined cycle, the ink ejected from the nozzle is separated at a predetermined cycle to generate ink particles, and at the same time, the ink particles are charged by a charging voltage generated according to the acquired print dot data. The charged ink particles are deflected by flying in a deflection electric field. Barcode printing system comprising the ink-jet printer for printing a two-dimensional bar code to said printed matter by relatively moving the printing object substantially at right angles. 2. A bar code printing system according to claim 1, further comprising a data input device for inputting management data of a printing object as said recording information to said general-purpose computer via a data communication means. 3. A bar code printing system according to claim 2, wherein said data communication means is constituted by a wireless communication means. 4. A plurality of production lines that convey and move the print object, a plurality of data input devices that correspond to the respective production lines, and a plurality of inkjets that correspond to the respective production lines. A two-dimensional bar code and print dot data for each production line based on recording information input from the plurality of data input devices by sharing the one general-purpose computer with a printer and one general-purpose computer Is generated and the print dot data is distributed to each inkjet printer for printing. 5. The quality control device according to claim 1, wherein the recorded information controls an ejector for ejecting a rejected product to the outside of the production line based on various measurement data of the product conveyed on the production line. A barcode printing system characterized by being created by.