JP2004160743A - Postscript type printer system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a postscript type printer system in which new information can be added to a sheet having no fixed format such as a thermometric table, without requiring any processing by a person and replacement of printer machine type can be dealt with readily without altering the setting. <P>SOLUTION: The postscript type printer system comprises a printer body 1 for printing information from a computer 4 onto a sheet, a sheet sensor 3 fixed to the printer body 1 and detecting presence of sheets set in a sheet tray, a bar code reader 2 for reading a bar code previously printed on the sheets set in the sheet tray, and softwares 7 and 8 for reading out information corresponding to a bar code read out by the bar code reader 2 from a server 6 connected with the computer 4 and delivering print information to the printer body 1. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a write-once printer system that additionally writes new information from a computer on the same sheet.
[0002]
[Prior art]
For example, in a hospital, a nurse performs examinations of a patient's body temperature and pulse, observation of meals, urine, stool, and the like, and performs necessary procedures based on instructions from a doctor, but assists the nurses in their work. At the same time, nursing systems that can input nursing records into a computer and manage and use them as a database have begun to be introduced.
[0003]
As one of them, there is a method in which the information inspected and observed by a nurse is input on the spot with a mobile terminal and input to a host computer, and the past information of the patient is displayed on the mobile terminal. However, there is a problem that it is difficult to input nursing information depending on the mobile terminal, and it is difficult to introduce nursing information in terms of cost when there are many beds or when there are many nurses.
[0004]
In either system, data input to the computer is collected for each patient and can be used as a database.
[0005]
On the other hand, every hospital uses paper called a thermometer. This includes recording daily body temperature and pulse for a week, as well as vital information such as food intake, urine, stool, and observation information such as nausea, vomiting, the presence or absence of abdominal pain and mood. Conventionally, it is recorded by a nurse by hand.
[0006]
From the temperature table, the changes in the symptoms and the like of the patient are understood, and the doctor looks at the changes and performs necessary treatments, and also gives instructions to the nurse for observation and nursing.
[0007]
The present applicant has developed a bedside cordless handset as part of a system for assisting nursing work. In this method, one set is provided at the bedside of the patient, a buzzer sounds at regular intervals, the patient uses the electronic thermometer and the electronic pulse meter, and the information is transmitted to the computer at the center. . As a result, the labor required for the nurse to go around the ward several times a day to perform temperature measurement and pulse measurement is significantly reduced. Vital information and observation information, which are observation items once a day, the amount of meal to be observed after each meal, and the like are manually input to the computer.
[0008]
As a format for outputting a form corresponding to a conventional handwritten temperature reading table from a computer, it is generally conceivable that a sheet to which new information is added is newly output from the printer every day as a temperature reading table of the day. However, up to now, handwritten thermometers that have one week's worth of record items have a column for handwriting memos and instructions from doctors. There is an inconvenience that it is not recorded on the thermometer printed the next day.
[0009]
It is conceivable to print one week or one month of data in the same format as the thermometry table as a medical record, but this is inconvenient because the transition of daily records and the list of observation items cannot be seen. is there.
[0010]
Therefore, it can be said that printing new information on the same sheet in a write-once manner is suitable for automating the thermometry table.
[0011]
Conventionally, as a write-once type printer, a printer described in JP-A-5-189175 (Patent Document 1) and a write-once type described in JP-A-2001-239716 (Patent Document 2) have been used. There is a printer.
[0012]
The printer device described in Patent Literature 1 reads an image of a sheet on which ruled lines and images are printed in advance, displays the image on a display, newly inputs characters and images at predetermined positions in the image, and performs printing at the time of printing. The newly input characters and images are printed on the paper on which the ruled lines and images are printed in a postscript manner.
[0013]
In addition, the write-once printer described in Patent Document 2 continuously prints information stored in a computer on a medical record filled in by doctors at a hospital or the like by hand, and paper for additional printing is arranged on a paper tray. In this state, the start position of the additional printing is set by detecting the position of the print designation mark attached to the paper.
[0014]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-5-189175 [Patent Document 2]
JP 2001-239716 A
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the printer described in Patent Document 1, image information must be fetched into a computer for each sheet, and new information must be entered at a predetermined position while looking at a display. Although it may be convenient to type in, it is not suitable for printing new information from a computer without additional processing on a thermometry table or the like in a fixed format.
[0016]
Further, in the write-once type printer described in Patent Document 2, since the position of the print designation mark is used as a reference for the additional printing, the position of the print designation mark depends on the amount of the printer's feed (for example, the number of rotations of the feed motor). Must be set for each printer, and if the manufacturer and model of the printer are different, it is necessary to change the setting each time, and it is not possible to freely replace the printer with a new model There's a problem.
[0017]
Therefore, the present invention enables additional information to be added to a sheet such as a thermometer table with a fixed format without any processing by a person, and to be able to easily respond to a printer model change without changing settings. It is an object of the present invention to provide a portable printer system.
[0018]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, a write-once printer system according to the present invention includes a printer body for printing information from a computer on paper, and a paper sheet attached to the printer body and detecting the presence or absence of paper set in a paper tray. A sensor, code reading means for reading an identification code pre-printed on the paper set in the paper tray, and reading information corresponding to the identification code read by the code reading means from a database connected to the computer. Print information output means for outputting print information to the printer body.
[0019]
In the present invention, at the time of the first printing, an identification code of what the paper is, for example, the ID of the patient in the case of a thermometer, and the first print data are printed. At the time of the next printing, when the paper is set on the paper tray of the printer body, the code reading means reads the identification code, and requests data corresponding to the code from the computer. The computer reads out new data for the code from the storage device and outputs it to the printer main body. Since the data to be printed also includes the print position from the leading edge of the paper, when a print start signal is output to the printer body, new information is printed at a predetermined position in addition to the previously printed information. Is done. The printer body only receives a print start signal and print information, and does not require a special control signal. As a result, new information can be added without any processing by a person, and the printer model can be easily exchanged without changing the setting.
[0020]
As the “printer main body”, it is preferable to use an ink jet color printer that is easy to understand and that can be introduced at a low cost. This ink jet type includes a bubble jet (registered trademark) type.
[0021]
A commonly used barcode is used as the “identification code”, and a barcode reader can be used as the code reading unit.
[0022]
As the code reading means, a method of optically reading a code is generally used, and if a power supply is always turned on, the life thereof is shortened. Therefore, the power supply of the code reading means is controlled by a paper sensor.
[0023]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a write-once printer system according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, a write-once printer system includes a printer main body 1, a barcode reader 2 and a paper sensor 3 mounted near a paper tray of the printer main body 1, a personal computer (hereinafter, referred to as a PC) 4, A box 5 and a server 6 for storing patient information and information related to its print information are provided. The printer body 1 and the PC 4 are connected by a parallel cable 9. The PC 4 and the server 6 are connected by an Ethernet (registered trademark) cable (LAN cable) 14.
[0024]
The control box 5 is connected to a barcode control cable 10, a barcode reader power control cable 11, and a paper sensor signal cable 12, and is connected to the PC 4 via a control serial cable 13. Software 7 and 8 are installed in the control box 5 and the PC 4, respectively.
[0025]
In this configuration, when paper is set on the paper tray of the printer body 1, the paper sensor 3 informs the control box 5 that the paper has been set. With the signal, the barcode reader 2 is turned on, the barcode printed on the paper is read, and the signal is transmitted to the control box 5. The software 7 of the control box 5 operates in cooperation with the software 8 installed in the PC 4 via the control serial cable 13.
[0026]
When the PC 4 receives the barcode signal from the control box 5, information corresponding to the barcode, for example, if the barcode is a patient ID, which patient's temperature table is used, and which day's data is unrecorded. Then, a print start signal and print information are output to the printer body 1 via the parallel cable 9 as print information for additionally writing the missing information.
[0027]
Thus, new information can be additionally printed by the printer main body 1 at a predetermined position on the previously printed sheet.
[0028]
FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an outline of the processing of the software 8 installed in the PC 4. Each step will be described.
Step S10: When the software 8 of the PC 4 is started, an initialization process is performed.
[0029]
Step S20: Perform task bar registration processing. That is, registration is performed on the application processing screen of the PC 4 so that the processing status can be managed by the task bar of the window. As a result, when the print process starts, the print menu screen is minimized on the window, the process is performed in the background, and other processes can be performed even during the print process.
[0030]
Step S30: Perform message reception and menu processing. That is, it is determined whether the temperature table is to be created or plotted, and the menu screen displayed on the window is switched.
When the menu process is the “temperature measurement table creation process” in S31, a created patient list screen is displayed.
When the menu processing is “drawing processing” in S32, a drawing patient processing status screen is displayed.
When the menu processing is “version information” in S33, a version information screen is displayed.
When the menu processing is “end processing” in S34, the processing is ended.
[0031]
Step S40: Since this application is a program resident type, an idle event process (standby process) is performed in step S60 on the OS of the PC 4 until a double-click instruction is issued. Create) Display the execution screen.
[0032]
FIG. 3 shows a temperature reading table which is an example of a sheet of a format to be added. The temperature table 20 is printed with a barcode 21 when first printed, and is used as an identification code for the next patient ID. Reference numeral 22 denotes a bibliographic entry field that describes the patient's name, age, hospitalization date, assigned nurse, medical department, and the like. Reference numeral 23 denotes a description column for body temperature, pulse, and the like. Numeral 24 is a column for recording vital information such as the amount of meal, urine, stool, and weight. Reference numeral 25 is a column for describing patient symptoms. Reference numeral 26 denotes a column for describing the treatment performed by the nurse on the corresponding day. Numeral 27 is a signature field of a nurse who has performed nursing. In addition, on the back side of the temperature measurement table 20, there are provided one week of handwritten entry fields for examination instructions and prescriptions by the attending physician, and nursing records other than those written by nurses.
[0033]
In this way, the recordable temperature reading table becomes a one-week nursing record, and receives instructions from a doctor or takes over when changing work zones based on the data of the temperature reading table.
[0034]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the write-once printer system of the present invention, a printer main body that prints information from a computer on paper, and a paper that is attached to the printer main body and detects the presence or absence of paper set in a paper tray A sensor, code reading means for reading an identification code pre-printed on the paper set in the paper tray, and reading information corresponding to the identification code read by the code reading means from a database connected to the computer. By providing the printer body with print information output means for outputting print information, new information can be added to paper such as a thermometer table having a predetermined format without any processing by a human, and It is possible to easily cope with model exchange without changing settings.
[0035]
In addition, by using an ink jet color printer as the printer main body, the description contents can be easily understood by color, and the printer can be introduced in a compact and inexpensive manner.
[0036]
A commonly used barcode can be used as the identification code, and a barcode reader can be used as the code reading means.
[0037]
The paper sensor has a function of turning on the power of the code reading means when detecting the paper and giving an instruction to read the code on the paper, and providing a function of turning off the power of the code reading means when the paper runs out. The life of the light source and the sensor of the code reading means can be extended.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a write-once printer system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an outline of processing of software installed in a computer.
FIG. 3 is a front view of a temperature detection table as an example of a sheet.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Printer main body 2 Barcode reader 3 Paper sensor 4 Personal computer (PC)
5 Control Box 6 Server 7, 8 Software 9 Parallel Cable 10 Barcode Control Cable 11 Barcode Reader Power Control Cable 12 Paper Sensor Signal Cable 13 Control Serial Cable 14 Ethernet (registered trademark) Cable (LAN Cable)
20 Temperature reading table

Claims (4)

A printer body for printing information from a computer on paper,
A paper sensor attached to the printer body and detecting the presence or absence of paper set in the paper tray;
Code reading means for reading an identification code pre-printed on the paper set in the paper tray,
Print information output means for reading information corresponding to the identification code read by the code reading means from a database connected to the computer and outputting print information to the printer main body. system. 2. The write-once printer system according to claim 1, wherein the printer main body is an ink-jet color printer. The write-once printer system according to claim 1, wherein the identification code is a barcode, and the code reading unit is a barcode reader. A function of turning on the power of the code reading means when detecting the paper and giving an instruction to read the code on the paper, and turning off the power of the code reading means when the paper runs out; The write-once printer system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising:

Images