JP2003191564A - Method for printing inverted image by printer - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To realize inverted printing of an image through a common preprocessing regardless of the type of printer, i.e., a column type, a raster type, or possibility of plural printing. <P>SOLUTION: The inverted image printing method comprises a step for receiving image information along with an inverted print request and alignment information, a step for generating inverted image data by rotating the image by 180° based on the image information, a step for generating an alignment setting command at the time of inverted printing determined depending on the content of alignment information, a step for generating an image print command based on the image information and the inverted image data, and a step for delivering the image print command and the alignment setting command to a printer and printing the inverted image data, while erecting, on a print medium according to the alignment setting command. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an inverted image printing method and a printing apparatus for printing an image on a print medium by using a printer. The present invention also relates to a program for executing the inverted printing method and a computer-readable information recording medium recording the program.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Printers called POS printers, which are used for printing receipts in retail stores and the like, have become widespread. In recent years, in this type of printer, various output forms can be realized in accordance with a request from a user, and as one output form, a command for printing an image upside down on a print medium (hereinafter, Inverted print command.) Is prepared.

When an inverted print request is issued from the POS application operating on the host computer, the printer driver prepared on the host computer side preprocesses the inverted print and generates the inverted print according to the specifications of the connected printer. A print command is sent to the printer side to execute printing.

[0004]

However, the inverted print command is executed in a printer, such as an ink jet printer or a dot impact printer, which performs printing in a so-called column format in which a plurality of dots are simultaneously formed in the paper feed direction. In this case, there is a problem in that the printer driver needs to perform a preprocess different from the case of the upright printing, which makes the process complicated.

That is, when printing an image with a column type printer, the image is divided into a plurality of parts in accordance with the number of dots in the paper feed direction that are simultaneously formed, and a print command is generated for each of these. It is necessary to perform a process of sequentially sending commands to the printer side. When the inverted print command is to be executed in the case of such a column format, printing needs to be executed from the lower side of the image, so the sending order of the divided images must be reversed, and If the size of the image in the paper feeding direction is not an integral multiple of the number of dots in the paper feeding direction of the printer, it is necessary to change the dividing position of the image.

When the inverted print command is executed in a so-called raster type printer, such as a thermal printer, which simultaneously forms a plurality of dots in the width direction of the paper, or a printer capable of printing in a plurality of colors. Requires a completely different pretreatment from upright printing, which is difficult to realize.

Further, although it is possible to realize the inverted printing by using the page mode for designating the printing direction of the image, there is a problem that the printing speed is extremely lowered when the printing is performed in this mode.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to identify the type of printer,
That is, an inverted printing method and apparatus are provided that enable inverted printing of an image by common pre-processing regardless of whether it is a column format, a raster format, or capable of multi-color printing. To do.

Another object of the present invention is to perform common pre-processing on the printer driver side, so that inverted printing can be suitably realized without distinguishing between upright and inverted processing on the printer side. An object is to provide an inverted printing method and device.

[0010]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is an inverted image printing method for printing an image on a print medium upside down on a printer, wherein the information of the image is Receiving together with an inverted print request that instructs inverted printing and alignment information that indicates alignment on the print medium; and generating inverted image data obtained by rotating the image 180 degrees based on the information of the image, A step of generating an alignment setting command for inverted printing determined according to the content of the alignment information; a step of generating an image print command based on the image information and the inverted image data; Sending the image print command and the alignment setting command to Constructed and a step of allowed to erect printed on the print medium the inverted image data by the alignment according to Imento setting command.

According to the method, the received instructions for upside-down printing of the image are finally replaced by the instructions for normal or upright printing and provided to the printer. As a result, proper inverted printing can be realized without depending on the type of printer, and without separating the processing of upright and inverted paper on the printer side.

In this case, in the step of generating the alignment setting command, when the alignment information indicates a left margin having a margin amount of N dots, the alignment setting command is calculated by the following equation. It is preferable to include a step of generating an indication of a corrected left margin of the margin amount M dots to be generated. M = maximum number of dots that can be printed on paper- (number of horizontal dots in image + N)

Further, in the step of generating the alignment setting command, when the alignment information indicates left alignment or when the alignment information is not given, N = 0 is set as the alignment setting command. And a step of generating an instruction indicating a corrected left margin of the margin amount M dots at that time.

Further, in the step of generating the alignment setting command, the alignment setting command may not be generated when the alignment information indicates right alignment.

Further, it is preferable that the step of generating the alignment setting command includes a step of generating a command for instructing centering as the alignment setting command when the alignment information indicates centering. .

Here, the information of the image includes information on the number of dots in the horizontal direction of the image, and the step of generating the image print command is based on the number of dots in the horizontal direction of the image and the inverted image data. It is preferably configured to generate a print command.

The present invention also relates to a program for executing the inverted printing method according to any one of the above, and a computer-readable information recording medium recording the program.

The present invention further relates to an inverted image printing apparatus for printing an image on a print medium upside down on a printer. The inverted printing apparatus receives the image information together with an inverted print request for instructing the inverted printing and alignment information for instructing the alignment on the print medium, and the image information 180 based on the information of the image. Means for generating inverted image data rotated by a degree, means for generating an alignment setting command for inverted printing determined according to the content of the alignment information, and based on the image information and the inverted image data, Means for generating an image print command, and means for sending the image print command and the alignment setting command to the printer and causing the inverted image data to be upright printed on the print medium with the alignment according to the alignment setting command. It is equipped with.

[0019]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In the following, an embodiment of the present invention that realizes inverted printing in a POS printer used at a cash register of a retail store or the like will be described. However, the inverted image printing method according to the present invention is not limited to such a printer, and can be implemented in various printers that execute printing according to a print command from the host computer.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an implementation environment of a POS printer in which the present invention is realized. The POS printer 100 is connected to the POS terminal 102 via a communication interface such as RS-232C so that it can receive various control commands from the POS terminal 102. POS terminal 1
Reference numeral 02 denotes software that can be executed on the CPU built into the terminal, that is, communication with a host computer (not shown here), data processing on the POS terminal, and P
A POS application 104 and a POS application 10 for realizing control of an OS printer
The printer driver 106 for pre-processing the printer control request from the printer No. 4 is mounted. Various printer control requests including an inverted image print request are transmitted from the POS application 104 to the printer driver 106.
Upon receiving this, the printer driver 106 preprocesses the control request in accordance with the connected POS printer 100, transmits it to the POS printer 100, and controls it.

In the present embodiment, the inverted printing method in the printer is realized as software processing in the printer driver 106. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the control in the printer driver 106 when a request for inversion printing of a predetermined image (hereinafter referred to as “inversion printing request”) is sent from the POS application 104.

Based on the user's operation, the POS application 104 issues an inverted print request for instructing the inverted print of the predetermined image data to the printer driver 1.
06, the process 200 shown in FIG.
Is started. More specifically, the POS application 104 calls a function for inverted printing provided in the printer driver 106, and executes some parameters, that is, the file name of the image file in which the target image is recorded, the image on the print medium. , The alignment information is passed to the printer driver 106. In addition, the image file includes pixel information that specifies the size and color of the image.

In the first process, the printer driver 106
Receives the inverted print request together with the parameter information (202). Next, the image file specified in the parameter information is acquired based on the file name, and subsequently, inverted image data obtained by rotating the image by 180 degrees is generated from the image file (204). Next, from the acquired image file,
The pixel information of the image, that is, the size and color information of the image is obtained (206). In connection with the present invention, the information about the size of the image is sufficient if at least the number of dots in the lateral direction of the image can be obtained.

The printer driver 106 then analyzes the alignment information received with the inverted print request,
Based on this, an image alignment setting command for inverted printing is generated (208). In this embodiment, the alignment information includes centering, right alignment, left margin N (margin amount N from the left in the printable area).
Print the image with dots) or left justify. The alignment setting command is a command that gives an alignment command by a corrected alignment corresponding to the type of each alignment information. Note that the inverted print request can be generated without accompanying the alignment information, and in this case, the same alignment processing as in the case of left alignment is performed.

FIG. 3 shows the correspondence of the corrected alignment to each alignment information in a table format. As shown in the figure, if the alignment information is "centering", that is, the command to print the image at the center position in the width direction on the print medium, the image layout does not change even in inverted printing. Similarly, "centering" is set as the alignment. If the alignment information is "right-justified", that is, a command to print the image by aligning it to the right side of the printable area on the print medium, the image will be printed at the left-aligned position in inverted printing. Not generated (though a left-aligned alignment setting command may be generated).

The alignment information is "left margin N",
That is, if the command is to print an image at a position N dots away from the left side of the printable area on the print medium, the "left margin M" in which the margin amount is changed from N to M is set as the correction alignment. Here, the margin amount M
Is given by M = maximum number of dots that can be printed on paper D− (number of dots in the horizontal direction of image W + margin amount N) (1)

A specific example of generation of an alignment setting command in inverted printing with the left margin N will be described below. Now, consider a case where a star-shaped image is printed upside down on a print medium with a left margin N. In FIG. 4, the print medium 40
On 0, a star-shaped image 402 printed upright with a left margin amount N, and an identical star-shaped image 404 printed upside down with the same margin amount are shown. The left margin N is the alignment information given by the POS application.
Is specified, the left margin M is set as the corrected alignment by the expression (1). This position is shown in print media 400, as can be seen in inverted image 404 of FIG.
It is equivalent to printing an inverted image with a margin of dot amount N from the right end in the printable area.

Returning to FIG. 3, next, the alignment information is
If it is "left-justified" or there is no alignment designation, this can be regarded as the left margin of N = 0, and thus the corrected alignment is generated by the equation (1) under the condition of N = 0.

By the above-described processing, the corrected alignment is generated based on each alignment information, and the alignment setting command is constructed by this.

In the process shown in FIG.
An image print command is generated from the pixel information acquired from the image data in step 6 and the inverted image data generated in step 204 (210). Next, the alignment setting command and the image print command generated in step 208 are sequentially transmitted to the printer (212). In this way, the inverted print request from the POS application is given to the printer as an upright print command whose alignment is corrected. As a result, the printer does not need to perform special processing for inverted printing, and there is no problem that inverted printing cannot be performed or the processing speed decreases depending on the model.

Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above with reference to the drawings, the present invention is not limited to the matters shown in the above embodiment, and the claims and the detailed description of the invention, and It includes a range in which those skilled in the art can make changes and applications based on well-known techniques.

[0032]

According to the present invention, the type of printer, that is, whether it is in column format or raster format,
Alternatively, it is possible to realize the inverted printing of the image by the common pre-processing regardless of whether the plural printing is possible.

Further, by performing the common pre-processing for the inverted printing, the inverted printing can be preferably realized without distinguishing the processing of the upright and the inverted from the printer side.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an implementation environment of a POS printer in which the present invention is realized.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing control in a printer driver when an inverted print request is sent from a POS application.

FIG. 3 is a table showing the correspondence of corrected alignment with respect to each alignment information.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a method of generating a corrected alignment when performing inverted printing with a left margin amount N.

[Explanation of symbols]

100 POS printer 102 POS terminal 104 POS application 106 printer driver

Continued front page    (72) Inventor Tomohiro Kodama             Seiko, 3-3-3 Yamato, Suwa City, Nagano Prefecture             -In Epson Corporation F-term (reference) 2C062 AA24                 2C087 AB05 BA03 BD01 BD22 BD42                       BD46 CA04 CA10                 5B021 AA04 BB01 LE01 LG09

Claims (14)

[Claims] 1. An inverted image printing method for printing an image upside down on a print medium by a printer, wherein the image information includes an inverted print request for instructing the inverted print and the image on the print medium. A step of receiving together with alignment information for instructing alignment, a step of generating inverted image data obtained by rotating the image by 180 degrees based on the information of the image, and an inverted printing determined according to the content of the alignment information. A step of generating an alignment setting command, a step of generating an image print command based on the image information and the inverted image data, and sending the image print command and the alignment setting command to a printer, Alignment according to the alignment setting command Inverted printing method of an image by the printer which includes a step of allowed to erect print an inverted image data on a printing medium. 2. The step of generating the alignment setting command, wherein the alignment information indicates a left margin whose margin amount is N dots,
The inverted printing method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of generating, as the alignment setting command, a command indicating a corrected left margin of a margin amount M dot calculated by the following equation. M = maximum number of dots that can be printed on paper- (number of horizontal dots in image + N) 3. In the step of generating the alignment setting command, when the alignment information indicates left alignment or when the alignment information is not given, N = 0 is set as the alignment setting command. 3. The inverted printing method according to claim 2, further comprising a step of generating an instruction for a corrected left margin of the margin amount M dots at the time. 4. The inverted printing method according to claim 2, wherein, in the step of generating the alignment setting command, the alignment setting command is not generated when the alignment information indicates right alignment. 5. The step of generating the alignment setting command includes a step of generating, as the alignment setting command, an instruction of centering when the alignment information is an instruction of centering. The inverted printing method according to any one of 4 to 4. 6. The image information includes information on the number of dots in the horizontal direction of the image, and the step of generating the image print command includes image printing based on the number of dots in the horizontal direction of the image and the inverted image data. 6. A command is generated to generate a command.
The inverted printing method described in any one of 1. 7. A program for executing the inverted printing method according to claim 1. 8. A computer-readable information recording medium recording the program according to claim 7. 9. An inverted image printing apparatus for printing an image on a print medium upside down on a printer, wherein the image information is an inverted print request for instructing the inverted print and the image on the print medium. Means for receiving together with alignment information for instructing alignment, means for generating inverted image data obtained by rotating the image by 180 degrees based on the image information, and inverted printing determined according to the content of the alignment information A means for generating an alignment setting command, a means for generating an image print command based on the image information and the inverted image data, and sending the image print command and the alignment setting command to a printer, Alignment according to the alignment setting command Inverted printing apparatus of an image by the printer which includes means for allowed to erect print an inverted image data on a printing medium. 10. The means for generating the alignment setting command is calculated by the following equation as the alignment setting command when the alignment information indicates a left margin with a margin amount of N dots. The inverted printing apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising a step of generating an instruction for a corrected left margin of a margin amount M dots. M = maximum number of dots that can be printed on paper- (number of horizontal dots in image + N) 11. The means for generating the alignment setting command sets N = 0 as the alignment setting command when the alignment information indicates left alignment or when the alignment information is not given. 11. The inverted printing apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising: a unit that generates a unit that indicates a corrected left margin of the margin amount M dots when the printing is performed. 12. The inverted printing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the means for generating the alignment setting command does not generate the alignment setting command when the alignment information indicates right alignment. 13. The means for generating the alignment setting command includes means for generating a command for centering as the alignment setting command when the alignment information indicates centering. The inverted printing apparatus according to any one of 1 to 12. 14. The image information includes information on the number of dots in the horizontal direction of the image, and the means for generating the image print command prints the image based on the number of dots in the horizontal direction of the image and the inverted image data. A command is generated to generate a command.
3. The inverted printing device according to any one of 3.