JP2006007711A - Printing controller, and printer - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To realize a printing controller which is highly useable for a user, and to provide a printer. <P>SOLUTION: The printing controller which carries out printing to a rolled sheet has a setting part for setting the rolled sheet, a printing head for printing to the rolled sheet set in the setting part, an input receiving part for receiving an input of character strings by the user, and a controller for printing with the use of the printing head the character strings inputted by the input receiving part together with information related to at least either of the printing controller and the rolled sheet to the rolled sheet set in the setting part. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a printing control apparatus and a printing apparatus.

A print control apparatus represented by a computer system including a printing apparatus and a computer is already well known. Such a printing control apparatus includes a mounting unit for mounting roll paper and a print head, and performs printing on the roll paper mounted on the mounting unit using the print head.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-91091

  Before the roll paper is used up, the user may remove the roll paper loaded in the print control apparatus from the print control apparatus. For example, when a user replaces a roll paper mounted on the print control apparatus with another roll paper of another paper type in order to print on the roll paper of another paper type, such a situation may occur. Can occur.

  When the user does not use the removed roll paper for a certain period of time, the user stores the roll paper. However, when the user uses the roll paper again, the following inconvenience occurs. May occur. That is, there is a possibility that the user is confused as to whether or not it is appropriate to use the roll paper mounted on the print control apparatus, and to which print control apparatus the roll paper should be mounted.

  In order to eliminate such inconvenience, a print control device that can print information on the roll paper such as the remaining amount, paper type, and size, and information on the print control device such as the model name of the printing device is effective. It is. If the user prints this information when removing the roll paper before it is used up from the printing control apparatus, the user can refer to the roll paper by referring to the information when the roll paper is used again. It is possible to determine whether or not it is appropriate to use the paper mounted on the print control apparatus, and to which print control apparatus the roll paper should be mounted.

  On the other hand, in addition to these pieces of information, the user may want to print information different from these pieces of information on the roll paper. However, when the print control apparatus can print only predetermined (predetermined) information, it cannot respond to the user's request.

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is that it realizes a printing control apparatus and a printing apparatus that are highly convenient for the user.

  A main aspect of the present invention is a print control apparatus that performs printing on roll paper, a mounting unit for mounting the roll paper, a print head for printing on the roll paper mounted on the mounting unit, and a character by a user An input receiving unit for receiving an input of a row, and the character string input by the input receiving unit on at least one of the print control device and the roll paper on the roll paper attached to the attachment unit And a controller for printing using the print head, together with information on either of them.

  Other features of the present invention will become apparent from the description of the present specification and the accompanying drawings.

  At least the following will be made clear by the description of the present specification and the accompanying drawings.

A printing control apparatus that performs printing on roll paper, and receives a character string input by a user, a mounting unit for mounting the roll paper, a print head for printing on the roll paper mounted on the mounting unit And the character string input by the input receiving unit on the roll paper attached to the attachment unit together with information on at least one of the print control device and the roll paper And a controller for printing using the print head.
In this way, it is possible to realize a print control apparatus that is highly convenient for the user.

The controller may print the character string together with information on at least one of the print control device and the roll paper when the character string is input by the input receiving unit. .
In such a case, the user can cause the print control apparatus to print the character string and information at an arbitrary timing.

Further, the printer may include a printing device and a driver for the printing device, and the input receiving unit may be provided in the driver.
In such a case, the user can easily input a character string using the keyboard.

In addition, the controller may print at least one of the character string and the information as a barcode.
In such a case, printing of part or all of the information printed in a form that can be visually recognized by the user can be omitted, and roll paper can be saved.

Moreover, it is good also as having a reading member for reading at least any one of the said character string and the said information barcode-ized.
In such a case, it is possible to read at least one of the character string and the information that has been bar-coded using the print control apparatus.

In addition, the controller has a cutting member for cutting the roll paper attached to the attachment unit, and the controller does not cut the roll paper by the cutting member after printing the character string and the information. It is good.
In such a case, when the user uses the roll paper again, the character string and the information are reliably referred to by the user.

In addition, a printing control apparatus that performs printing on roll paper, a mounting unit for mounting the roll paper, a print head for printing on the roll paper mounted on the mounting unit, and a character string input by the user An input receiving unit for receiving the character string, and the character string input by the input receiving unit is associated with at least one of the print control device and the roll paper on the roll paper mounted on the mounting unit. And a controller for printing using the print head together with information, and when the character string is input by the input receiving unit, the controller outputs the character string to the print control device and the Printing is performed together with information on at least one of the roll paper, and includes a printing device and a driver for the printing device, and the input receiving unit is provided in the driver. And the controller bar-codes and prints at least one of the character string and the information, and bar-codes at least one of the character string and the information. A reading member for reading, and a cutting member for cutting the roll paper mounted on the mounting unit, and the controller prints the character string and the information and then the roll by the cutting member. It is also possible to realize a print control device characterized by not cutting paper.
In this way, the effects of the present invention can be achieved more effectively because all the effects described above can be achieved.

A printing apparatus that prints on roll paper, a mounting unit for mounting the roll paper, a print head for printing on the roll paper mounted on the mounting unit, and a character string input by the user The character string is printed on the roll paper attached to the attachment unit together with information on at least one of the printing apparatus and the roll paper based on the received data. A printing apparatus having a controller for printing using a head can also be realized.
In this way, it is possible to realize a printing apparatus that is highly convenient for the user.

In addition, the controller includes an input receiving unit for receiving input of a character string by a user, and the controller receives the character string input by the input receiving unit as at least one of the printing apparatus and the roll paper. It is good also as printing with the information regarding.
In such a case, a printing apparatus capable of printing the character string and the information even when not electrically connected to a computer is realized.

=== Configuration Example of Print Control Apparatus ===
First, a print control apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.
FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an external configuration of the print control apparatus 700. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a part of the configuration of the print control apparatus 700 shown in FIG.

  The print control apparatus 700 includes an inkjet printer (hereinafter also referred to as a printer) 10 as an example of a printing apparatus, and a computer 702 that can communicate with the printer 10. The computer 702 includes a computer main body 703, a display device 704 such as a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube), a liquid crystal display device and a plasma display, an input device 708 such as a keyboard 708A and a mouse 708B, and an FD (flexible drive). ) A reading device 710 such as a device 710A, a CD-ROM drive device 710B, a MO (Magneto Optical) disk drive device (not shown), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk) device (not shown), and an internal memory such as a RAM (not shown). ) And an external memory (not shown) such as a hard disk drive unit.

  The printer 10 is a printing apparatus that prints a print image on a medium such as paper, cloth, or film. The printer 10 according to the present embodiment is configured such that the roll paper 1 is detachable, and the printer 10 prints a print image on the roll paper 1 attached to the printer 10. FIG. 1 also shows a roll paper 1 that can be attached to and detached from the printer 10 together with the print control apparatus 700.

  The computer 702 is electrically connected to the printer 10 and includes an operating system, an application program 795 that operates under the operating system, and a printer driver 796 as an example of a driver. The printer driver 796 includes an image processing unit 797, a display interface unit 801, an input interface unit 803 as an example of an input receiving unit, and a user interface processing unit 805.

  The application program 795 is a program on the computer 702 for causing the printer 10 to perform printing. The image data AD on the application program is sent to the printer driver 796 by a print execution command from the application program 795.

  The image processing unit 797 receives the image data AD that can be interpreted by the application program 795, converts the image data AD into print data PD that can be interpreted by the printer 10, and sends the converted print data PD to the printer 10 together with various control signals COM. It has a function to do. That is, the image processing unit 797 of the printer driver 796 instructs the printer 10 to execute printing after performing the above-described image processing. In order to realize the function, the image processing unit 797 performs resolution conversion, color component conversion, and the like, for example.

  The display interface unit 801 has a function of displaying various user interface windows related to the printer 10 on the display device 704. The input interface unit 803 has a function of receiving input information input by the user using the input device 708 on the user interface window.

  The user interface processing unit 805 has a function of interfacing between the display interface unit 801 or the input interface unit 803 and the printer 10. For example, the user interface processing unit 805 receives the input information from the input interface unit 803 and interprets the input information. Then, various control signals COM are sent to the printer 10 and the image processing unit 797. Further, it interprets various control signals COM received from the printer 10 and sends information related to display to the display interface unit 801.

  Note that the printer driver 796 included in the computer 702 is supplied in a form recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. Such recording media include flexible disks, CD-ROMs, magneto-optical disks, IC cards, ROM cartridges, punch cards, printed matter printed with codes such as barcodes, computer internal storage devices (such as RAM and ROM). A variety of computer-readable media such as a memory) and an external storage device can be used. It is also possible to download such a computer program to the computer 702 via the Internet.

  In the above description, the printer 10 is electrically connected to the computer main body 703, the display device 704, the input device 708, the reading device 710, the internal memory, and the computer 702 having an external memory, and the print control device 700. However, the printer 10 may have some of the functions or mechanisms of the computer main body 703, the display device 704, the input device 708, the reading device 710, the internal memory, and the external memory. Good. For example, the printer 10 includes an image processing unit that performs image processing, a display unit that performs various displays, and a recording medium attachment / detachment unit for attaching / detaching a recording medium that records image data captured by a digital camera or the like. It is good.

  Accordingly, the “printing control device” means a computer system including the printer 10 and the computer 702 in a narrow sense, but in a broad sense, printing of the printer 10 or the like having the function or mechanism related to the computer 702. Also means device.

=== Configuration Example of Printing Apparatus ===
Next, a printer 10 as an example of a printing apparatus will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an external configuration of the printer 10. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the printer. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram schematically showing some of the components of the printer 10. In FIG. 3, the roll paper loading unit 14 is shown detached from the casing 12 and the roll paper 1 of the printer 10 in order to clearly show the configuration of a holder 14 a described later.

<<< External Configuration of Printer 10 >>>
First, the external configuration of the printer 10 will be described with reference to FIG. The printer 10 includes a housing 12, a roll paper mounting unit 14 as an example of a mounting unit, a paper feeding unit 16, a paper discharging unit 18, and an operation panel 20.

The housing 12 is a box that houses various components of the printer 10.
The roll paper loading unit 14 is for loading the roll paper 1 and holds the loaded roll paper 1. The roll paper 1 includes a core material 3 and a printing paper wound around the outer periphery of the core material 3. The “roll paper” means a combination of the core material 3 and the printing paper wound around the outer periphery of the core material 3, but in a narrow sense also means only the printing paper.
The roll paper mounting unit 14 is provided with a holder 14a. The holders 14 a are arranged so as to form a pair on both sides of the back surface of the printer 10, and hold the roll paper 1 so that the roll paper 1 is sandwiched therebetween. The roll paper mounting unit 14 is also provided with a mounting detection sensor (not shown) for detecting that the roll paper 1 is mounted on the roll paper mounting unit 14.

  The paper feed unit 16 is an insertion port of the roll paper 1 into the housing 12 provided on the back surface of the printer 10. The paper discharge unit 18 is a discharge port provided on the front surface of the printer 10 for discharging the roll paper 1 to the outside of the housing 12. That is, the printer 10 is configured to discharge the roll paper 1 inserted from the back surface from the front surface. The printer 10 is also provided with a paper discharge tray 19 that closes the paper discharge unit 18 when the printer 10 is not used.

  The operation panel 20 is provided on the front surface of the printer 10 and includes an operation button 20a and a liquid crystal display unit 20b. The user can give various commands to the printer 10 by operating the operation buttons 20a while referring to information (menu screen or the like) displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 20b.

<<< Internal Configuration of Printer 10 >>>
Next, the internal configuration of the printer 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. The printer 10 can print a color image. For example, cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), and black (K) inks are ejected onto the roll paper 1 to form dots. By doing so, a printed image is formed. In addition to the above four colors, light cyan (light cyan, LC), light magenta (light magenta, LM), dark yellow (dark yellow, DY), light black (light black, LK), etc. are used as the color ink. May be.

  The printer 10 includes a transport unit 25, a carriage unit 30, a head unit 35, a cutter unit 40, a detector group 45, a timer 50, and a controller 60.

  The transport unit 25 is for feeding the roll paper 1 to a printable position and transporting the roll paper 1 by a predetermined transport amount in a predetermined transport direction during printing. The transport unit 25 includes a plurality of rollers for feeding, transporting, and discharging the roll paper 1, a motor for applying a rotational force to these rollers, a platen for supporting the roll paper 1 during printing, and the like. (In FIG. 5, some of these components, that is, the transport roller 26, the paper discharge roller 27, and the platen 28 are shown).

  The carriage unit 30 is for moving the print head 36 (FIG. 5) in a predetermined movement direction (a direction penetrating the paper surface in FIG. 5). The carriage unit 30 includes a carriage 31 (FIG. 5), a carriage motor for moving the carriage 31, and the like. A print head 36 is mounted on the carriage 31, and the carriage 31 can reciprocate in the movement direction. As a result, the print head 36 moves along the moving direction. Further, a barcode reader 47 (FIG. 5) as an example of a reading member is mounted on the carriage 31, and the barcode reader 47 also moves in the moving direction as the carriage 31 moves. The carriage 31 detachably holds an ink cartridge that stores ink.

  The head unit 35 is for ejecting ink onto the roll paper 1. The head unit 35 has a print head 36 and the like. The print head 36 has a plurality of nozzles that are ink ejection portions, and ejects ink intermittently from each nozzle. The print head 36 is provided on the carriage 31. Therefore, when the carriage 31 moves in the moving direction, the print head 36 also moves in the moving direction. Then, by intermittently ejecting ink while the print head 36 is moving, dot lines (raster lines) along the moving direction are formed on the roll paper 1.

  The cutter unit 40 is for cutting the roll paper 1 and cutting off the printed portion of the roll paper 1. The cutter unit 40 is a cutter 41 (FIG. 5) as an example of a cutting member, and rotates the rotary blade or moves the cutter 41 in a direction along the moving direction of the carriage 31. It has a motor. When the cutter 41 moves in the above direction while the rotary blade is rotating, the roll paper 1 is cut.

  The detector group 45 includes a linear encoder, a rotary encoder, a temperature / humidity meter and the like in addition to the barcode reader 47 and the attachment detection sensor described above. The linear encoder is for detecting the position of the carriage 31 in the moving direction. The rotary encoder is for detecting the rotation amount of the transport roller 26. The thermohygrometer is for detecting the temperature and humidity in the printer 10.

The timer 50 is a clock for obtaining the current date and time.
The controller 60 is for controlling the printer 10. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the controller 60 includes an interface unit 62, an image buffer 64, a CPU 66, a memory 68, and a unit control circuit 70.
The interface unit 62 is for transmitting and receiving data and signals to and from the computer 702. The image buffer 64 is for storing the print data PD. The CPU 66 is an arithmetic processing unit for controlling the entire printer. The memory 68 is for securing an area for storing programs and various information, a work area, and the like, and includes a RAM, an EEPROM, and the like. The unit control circuit 70 is for controlling each unit (conveyance unit 25, carriage unit 30, head unit 35, cutter unit 40).

  When the controller 60 receives the print data PD and the control signal COM from the computer 702 with the interface unit 62, the print data PD is stored in the image buffer 64. The CPU 66 controls each unit (conveyance unit 25, carriage unit 30, head unit 35, cutter unit 40) via the unit control circuit 70 while reading the print data PD from the image buffer 64 based on the control signal COM. To do. In this way, the controller 60 prints the print image on the roll paper 1 and appropriately separates the portion of the roll paper 1 on which the print image is printed. The state in the printer 10 is monitored by a detector group 45, and the detector group 45 outputs a detection result to the controller 60. The controller 60 receiving the detection result from the detector group 45 controls each unit based on the detection result.

  The controller 60 according to the present embodiment can print a print image on the roll paper 1 even when the computer 702 is not electrically connected to the printer 10. In such a case, the CPU 66 creates the print data PD and the control signal COM while referring to various information in the memory 68 as appropriate based on the program in the memory 68. The print data PD is stored in the image buffer 64, and the CPU 66 controls each unit while reading the print data PD from the image buffer 64 based on the control signal COM. In this way, the controller 60 prints the print image on the roll paper 1 and appropriately separates the portion of the roll paper 1 on which the print image is printed.

=== About printing on roll paper such as comments input by the user ===
When the print control apparatus 700 according to the present embodiment is used, a user inputs information related to the print control apparatus 700 and the roll paper 1 (hereinafter also referred to as print control apparatus related information and roll paper related information). The character string can be printed on the roll paper 1. The character string is input as a comment in the input interface unit 803 of the printer driver 796 described above, and the input character string is printed on the roll paper 1 together with information regarding the print control device 700 and the roll paper 1.

  In the print control apparatus 700 according to the present embodiment, information related to the printer (hereinafter also referred to as printer-related information), that is, the model name of the printer 10, the supplier information of the printer 10, the printer 10 as the print control apparatus related information. ID information for individually specifying the ID is printed. Also, as the roll paper related information, remaining amount information of the roll paper 1, paper type information of the roll paper 1, size information of the roll paper 1, and use start date of the roll paper 1 are printed. Further, the character string and the date on which the information is printed are printed together with the information.

  Here, explanation is added to each piece of information described above. The model name of the printer 10 is the name of the model of the printer 10. The supplier information of the printer 10 is, for example, the name of the supplier who supplies the printer 10 or a logo representing the supplier. Here, the supplier may be a manufacturer of a product, a manufacturer of a product, or a manufacturer, or may receive an OEM supply of a product of a manufacturer who does not substantially manufacture. In some cases, the person who sells. The ID information that individually identifies the printer 10 is, for example, a manufacturing ID number of the printer 10. The remaining amount information of the roll paper 1 is information indicating how many meters of roll paper 1 remain, for example. The paper type information of the roll paper 1 is information indicating the paper type (special paper such as plain paper, special paper, glossy paper, etc.), for example. The size information of the roll paper 1 is information indicating the size of the roll paper 1 (A4, B5, etc.). The use start date of the roll paper 1 is information indicating a date when the roll paper 1 is opened and the roll paper 1 is first loaded in the printer. Further, the user can input an arbitrary comment (character string) to the print control apparatus 700.

  FIG. 6 shows a state in which comments (character strings) and the above-described information are printed on the roll paper 1. In the example shown in this figure, as a comment (character string) input by the user, the name of the user who input the comment (hereinafter also referred to as a comment input person name), the name of the administrator of the roll paper 1 (hereinafter, (Also referred to as an administrator name), the name of the management department of the roll paper 1 (hereinafter also referred to as the management department signature), parameters relating to printing conditions appropriate for the roll paper 1, and points to be noted regarding the roll paper 1 Has been. In addition, comments (character strings) and the above-mentioned information (including the date on which the information was printed) are barcoded so that they can be read by a barcode reader, and printed in the form of a barcode. Is done.

  Of the information described above, the remaining amount (total amount) information of the roll paper 1, the paper type information of the roll paper 1, and the size information of the roll paper 1 are recorded before the roll paper 1 is shipped (the roll paper 1 is manufactured at the factory). Information printed on the roll paper 1 in the form of a barcode. In such a case, a flag (information) indicating that the above-mentioned bar code information has been printed before shipment of the roll paper 1 is also printed on the roll paper 1 in the form of a bar code.

  Next, the operation of the print control apparatus 700 when printing a character string and the above-described information will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 7 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the print control apparatus 700. FIG. 8 is a view showing a user interface screen of the printer driver 796.

  This flowchart starts when the user inputs a character string as a comment through the input interface unit 803 (step S1). For example, the user first causes the display device 704 to display the user interface screen of the printer driver 796 illustrated in FIG. 8 using the input device 708. Then, using the keyboard 708A, a comment (character string) to be printed on the roll paper 1 is input. When “OK” is clicked with the mouse 708B, the input interface unit 803 accepts input of a comment (character string). As described above, the input interface unit 803 is an input receiving unit for receiving input of a character string by a user. When a character string is input by the input interface unit 803 as described below, The controller 60 prints the comment (character string) and the information described above.

  The input interface unit 803 sends data indicating a character string input by the user to the user interface processing unit 805, for example, in the form of a character code (step S2). Upon receiving the data indicating the character string, the user interface processing unit 805 outputs an information print command for printing the character string on the roll paper 1 together with the print control apparatus related information and the roll paper related information, and data indicating the character string. The included control signal COM is sent to the printer 10 (step S3).

  When the controller 60 of the printer 10 receives the control signal COM by the interface unit 62, the CPU 66 in the controller 60 temporarily stores the data indicating the character string in the EEPROM provided in the memory 68 (step S4). .

  Then, the CPU 66 reads the information print command and creates the image shown in FIG. At this time, first, the CPU 66 first determines the model name of the printer 10, the supplier of the printer 10, the ID for individually identifying the printer 10, the remaining amount of roll paper 1, the paper type of roll paper 1, the size of roll paper 1, Information on the use start date of the roll paper 1 and data indicating a character string are acquired from the EEPROM (step S5). Information relating to the printer 10 (information relating to the model name of the printer 10, the supplier of the printer 10, and the ID for individually identifying the printer 10) is stored in advance in the EEPROM as invariant information. Information on the paper 1 (the remaining amount of the roll paper 1, the paper type of the roll paper 1, the size of the roll paper 1, and the information regarding the use start date of the roll paper 1) is always stored in the EEPROM with the latest and accurate information. To be managed within the controller 60. CPU 66 also acquires the current date from timer 50 (step S5).

  Here, a method in which the controller 60 manages information related to the roll paper 1 will be described. When a new roll paper 1 is loaded on the roll paper loading unit 14, the loading detection sensor detects the loading of the roll paper 1. As described above, the new roll paper 1 includes the remaining amount (total amount) information of the roll paper 1, the paper type information of the roll paper 1, the size information of the roll paper 1, and the barcode before the roll paper 1 is shipped. A flag (information) indicating that the above-described information has been printed is printed in the form of a barcode. The controller 60 reads these pieces of information by operating the bar code reader 47 while moving the carriage 31 based on the output of the mounting detection sensor. The controller 60 stores the read remaining amount (total amount) information of the roll paper 1, the paper type information of the roll paper 1, and the size information of the roll paper 1 in the EEPROM. Further, the flag is interpreted, the current date is obtained from the timer 50, and information related to the date is stored in the EEPROM.

  When the user removes the roll paper 1 from the print control apparatus 700 before the roll paper 1 is used up, the roll paper 1 is loaded in the roll paper loading unit 14 in order to reuse the roll paper 1 (that is, Also, when a roll paper 1 that is not new is loaded), the loading detection sensor detects the loading of the roll paper 1. As described above, the print control apparatus 700 relates to information related to the roll paper 1 (remaining amount information of the roll paper 1, paper type information of the roll paper 1, size information of the roll paper 1, and use start date of the roll paper 1). Information) is converted into a barcode and printed on the roll paper 1, the information is printed on the roll paper 1 in the form of a barcode. The controller 60 reads these pieces of information by operating the bar code reader 47 while moving the carriage 31 based on the output of the mounting detection sensor. The controller 60 stores the read information in the EEPROM. When the controller 60 detects that the bar-coded information is not printed when reading the information, the user may be prompted to input the information. In such a case, the information input by the user is stored in the EEPROM.

  Of the information relating to the roll paper 1, the roll paper 1 is not attached to or removed from the paper type information of the roll paper 1, the size information of the roll paper 1, and the information related to the use start date of the roll paper 1. The information regarding the remaining amount of the roll paper 1 is information that changes according to the use of the print control apparatus 700, although it is information that remains unchanged. Such information is updated as needed, for example, by calculating the consumption amount of the roll paper 1 from the rotation amount of the transport roller 26 detected by the rotary encoder described above, and subtracting the calculated consumption amount from the remaining amount. Is done.

  As described above, the character string input by the user, the model name of the printer 10, the supplier of the printer 10, the ID for individually identifying the printer 10, the remaining amount of the roll paper 1, the paper type of the roll paper 1 The CPU 66 having acquired the information relating to the size of the roll paper 1, the use start date of the roll paper 1 and the current date creates an image shown in FIG. 6 including these (step S6). Next, the CPU 66 converts the created image into print data PD and a control signal COM for printing as a print image (step S8), and stores the print data PD in the image buffer 64 (step S10). Based on the control signal COM, the CPU 66 controls each unit while reading the print data PD from the image buffer 64 to print the print image (character string and information) shown in FIG. 6 on the roll paper 1 (step S12). . And after printing the said character string and information, the controller 60 complete | finishes a printing process, without cutting the roll paper 1 by the cutter 41 (step S14).

  As described above, the print control apparatus 700 according to this embodiment includes the input interface unit 803 for accepting input of a character string by the user, and the character string input by the input interface unit 803 as a print control apparatus. 700 and information on at least one of the roll paper 1 (hereinafter, information on at least one of the print control device 700 and the roll paper 1 is also simply referred to as related information) and printed on the roll paper 1 And a controller 60. As a result, a print control device that is highly convenient for the user is realized.

  That is, as described in the section of the problem to be solved by the invention, before the roll paper 1 is used up, the user may remove the roll paper 1 mounted on the print control apparatus 700 from the print control apparatus 700. For example, when the user replaces the roll paper 1 mounted on the print control apparatus 700 with the roll paper 1 of another paper type in order to print on the roll paper 1 of another paper type. This situation can arise.

  When the user does not use the removed roll paper 1 for a certain period of time, the user stores the roll paper 1, but when the user uses the roll paper 1 again, the following Inconvenience may occur. That is, there is a possibility that the user may be confused as to whether or not it is appropriate to use the roll paper 1 mounted on the print control apparatus 700 and which print control apparatus 700 should be loaded with the roll paper 1.

  In order to eliminate such inconvenience, the print control device 700 capable of printing the roll paper related information and the print control device related information on the roll paper 1 is effective. If the user prints these information when removing the roll paper 1 before being used up from the print control apparatus 700, the user can refer to the information when the roll paper 1 is used again. It is possible to determine whether or not it is appropriate to use the roll paper 1 mounted on the print control apparatus 700 and to which print control apparatus 700 the roll paper 1 should be mounted.

  For example, the user can refer to the remaining amount information of the roll paper 1 and determine whether or not to use the roll paper 1 based on whether the remaining amount is large or small. Further, with reference to the paper type information and size information of the roll paper 1, it is possible to determine whether or not the roll paper 1 is a roll paper to be used. Further, referring to the use start date of the roll paper 1, it is possible to determine whether the roll paper 1 should be used after grasping how old the roll paper 1 is. Further, the user can grasp which printer 10 the roll paper 1 should be loaded by referring to the model name of the printer 10, the supplier information of the printer 10, or the ID information that individually identifies the printer 10. it can.

  On the other hand, the user may want to print information different from these pieces of information on the roll paper 1 in addition to these pieces of information. At this time, what kind of information the user wants to print on the roll paper 1 may differ depending on the user.

  For example, a user who is trying to use the roll paper 1 again uses a user who has been using the roll paper 1 in a situation different from the user who removed the roll paper 1 when the user who is trying to use the roll paper 1 again. There is a case where the user wants to print his / her name (comment input person name) on the roll paper 1 when removing the roll paper 1 so that various information about the roll paper 1 can be obtained immediately. . In addition, a user who intends to use the roll paper 1 again (may be the same user as the user who removed the roll paper 1) immediately identifies the administrator or management department of the roll paper 1 and In some cases, when removing the roll paper 1, the administrator name or the management department signature may be desired to be printed on the roll paper 1 so that the use permission can be obtained. In addition, for convenience of a user who intends to use the roll paper 1 again (the user may be the same user who removed the roll paper 1), parameters relating to printing conditions suitable for the roll paper 1, and roll paper There is a case where it is desired to print on the roll paper 1 the points to be noted regarding 1.

  However, when the print control apparatus 700 can print only the predetermined (predetermined) information described above, it cannot respond to the user's request.

  On the other hand, since the print control apparatus 700 according to the present embodiment prints the character string input by the user on the roll paper 1 together with the related information, it can respond to the user's request. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, a printing control device and a printing device that are highly convenient for the user are realized.

=== Other Embodiments ===
The print control apparatus and the like according to the present invention have been described above based on the above embodiment. However, the above embodiment of the present invention is intended to facilitate understanding of the present invention and is intended to limit the present invention. is not. The present invention can be changed and improved without departing from the gist thereof, and the present invention includes the equivalents thereof.

  In the above embodiment, the ink jet printer 10 has been described as an example of the printing apparatus, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the present invention can be applied to a printing apparatus such as a dot impact printer.

  In the above embodiment, both the information related to the print control apparatus 700 and the information related to the roll paper 1 are printed together with the character string. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Only information related to the apparatus 700 may be printed together with the character string, or only information related to the roll paper 1 may be printed together with the character string.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, as the print control apparatus related information (printer related information) to be printed, the model name of the printer 10, the supplier information of the printer 10, and ID information for individually specifying the printer 10 are exemplified. However, the present invention is not limited to these. For example, it may be information indicating a color printer or a monochrome printer.

  In the above embodiment, as the roll paper related information to be printed, the remaining amount information of the roll paper 1, the paper type information of the roll paper 1, the size information of the roll paper 1, and the roll paper 1 are loaded for the first time. The information indicating the date (the start date of use of the roll paper 1) has been described as an example, but is not limited thereto. For example, the color information of the roll paper 1 or the supplier information of the roll paper 1 may be used.

In the above embodiment, the controller 60 prints the character string and related information when the character string is input by the input interface unit 803. However, the character string and the related information are printed. However, the timing is not limited to this. For example, the print control apparatus 700 has a configuration in which the roll paper 1 can be removed only when the roll paper removal button is pressed, and after the character string is input through the input interface unit 803, the user can When the user presses the roll paper removal button, the controller 60 may print the character string and related information.
However, the above embodiment is more preferable in that the user can cause the print control apparatus 700 to print the character string and related information at an arbitrary timing.

  In the above embodiment, when the related information is printed, the character string is always printed. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the user prints the related information. At this time, whether or not to print the character string may be selected.

In the above embodiment, the input receiving unit for receiving the input of the character string by the user is provided in the printer driver 796 of the computer 702 or the like. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Absent. For example, the input receiving unit may be provided in the printer 10 (the operation panel 20 thereof). Further, the print control apparatus 700 is not provided with the input receiving unit, and data indicating a character string input in an external device (for example, a mobile phone) of the print control apparatus 700 is transmitted to the controller of the print control apparatus 700. 60 may be received.
However, when the printer driver 796 included in the computer 702 or the like includes an input receiving unit, the user can easily input a character string using the keyboard 708A. Therefore, the above embodiment is more desirable in this respect.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the creation of the image shown in FIG. 6 (step S6) and the conversion of the created image into the print data PD and the control signal COM (step S8) are performed by the controller of the printer 10. However, the present invention is not limited to this.
For example, the creation and the conversion may be performed in the printer driver 796 included in the computer 702 or the like. In such a case, a combination of the controller 60 and the printer driver 796 of the printer 10 is a controller for printing the character string on the roll paper together with related information.

  In the above embodiment, the controller 60 converts both the character string and related information into barcodes and prints them. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, either the character string or the related information may be printed as a barcode.

In addition, the controller 60 may not print the character string and related information in a barcode.
However, if at least one of the character string and the related information is printed in the form of a barcode, printing of a part or all of the information printed in a form that can be visually recognized by the user is omitted. Therefore, the roll paper 1 can be saved. Therefore, the above embodiment is more desirable in this respect.

In the above embodiment, the print control apparatus 700 includes the barcode reader 47 for reading at least one of the character string and the related information that has been barcoded. It is not limited to this.
For example, the print control apparatus 700 may not include a bar code reader, and the bar code reader that is an external device of the print control apparatus 700 may read at least one of the character string and the related information. . However, the above embodiment is more preferable in that at least one of the character string and the related information can be read using the print control apparatus 700.

In the above embodiment, the controller 60 does not cut the roll paper 1 by the cutter 41 after printing the character string and the related information. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the roll paper 1 may be cut by the cutter 41, and the portion of the roll paper on which the character string and related information are printed may be cut off.
When the roll paper 1 is not cut by the cutter 41 after the character string and the related information are printed, when the roll paper 1 before being used up by the user is removed from the printer 10, the removed roll paper 1 itself is removed. The character string and the related information are printed. Therefore, in such a case, when the user uses the roll paper 1 again, the above embodiment is more preferable in that the character string and related information are surely referred to by the user.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an external configuration of a print control apparatus 700. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a part of the configuration of the print control apparatus 700 illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an external configuration of a printer. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a printer. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram schematically showing some of the components of the printer. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state in which comments (character strings) and information are printed on the roll paper. 5 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the print control apparatus 700. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a user interface screen of a printer driver 796.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Roll paper 3 Core material 10 Inkjet printer 12 Case 14 Roll paper mounting unit 14a Holder 16 Paper feed part 18 Paper discharge part 19 Paper discharge tray 20 Operation panel 20a Operation button 20b Liquid crystal display part 25 Carry unit 26 Carry roller 27 Paper discharge Roller 28 Platen 30 Carriage unit 31 Carriage 35 Head unit 36 Print head 40 Cutter unit 41 Cutter 45 Detector group 47 Bar code reader 50 Timer 60 Controller 62 Interface unit 64 Image buffer 66 CPU 68 Memory 70 Unit control circuit 700 Print control device 702 Computer 703 Computer main body 704 Display device 708 Input device 708A Keyboard 708B Mouse 710 Reading device 710A FD device 710B CD-ROM drive device 795 Application program 796 Printer driver 797 Image processing unit 801 Display interface unit 803 Input interface unit 805 User interface processing unit AD Image data COM control signal PD print data

Claims (9)

A printing control apparatus for printing on roll paper,
A mounting section for mounting roll paper;
A print head for printing on the roll paper mounted on the mounting unit;
An input receiving unit for receiving input of a character string by the user;
Using the print head, the character string input by the input receiving unit is applied to the roll paper attached to the attachment unit together with information on at least one of the print control device and the roll paper. A controller for printing;
A printing control apparatus comprising: The print control apparatus according to claim 1,
The controller prints the character string together with information on at least one of the print control device and the roll paper when the character string is input by the input receiving unit. Control device. In the printing control apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
A printing device and a driver for the printing device;
The print control apparatus, wherein the input receiving unit is provided in the driver. The print control apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The controller, wherein at least one of the character string and the information is converted into a barcode and printed. The print control apparatus according to claim 4.
Bar-coded at least one of the character string and the information,
A printing control apparatus comprising a reading member for reading the image. The print control apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
A cutting member for cutting the roll paper mounted on the mounting unit;
The controller does not cut the roll paper by the cutting member after printing the character string and the information. A printing control apparatus for printing on roll paper,
A mounting section for mounting roll paper;
A print head for printing on the roll paper mounted on the mounting unit;
An input receiving unit for receiving input of a character string by the user;
Using the print head, the character string input by the input receiving unit is applied to the roll paper attached to the attachment unit together with information on at least one of the print control device and the roll paper. A controller for printing;
Have
The controller prints the character string together with information on at least one of the print control device and the roll paper when the character string is input by the input receiving unit.
A printing apparatus and a driver for the printing apparatus, and the input receiving unit is provided in the driver;
The controller prints at least one of the character string and the information as a barcode,
A reading member for reading at least one of the character string and the information, which is bar-coded,
It has a cutting member for cutting the roll paper mounted on the mounting unit, and the controller does not cut the roll paper by the cutting member after printing the character string and the information. The printing control device. A printing apparatus for printing on roll paper,
A mounting section for mounting roll paper;
A print head for printing on the roll paper mounted on the mounting unit;
Data indicating a character string input by a user is received, and based on the received data, the character string is transferred to a roll paper attached to the attachment unit, at least one of the printing apparatus and the roll paper. A controller for printing using the print head, together with information about one;
A printing apparatus comprising: The printing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein
An input receiving unit for receiving input of a character string by the user;
The printing apparatus, wherein the controller prints the character string input by the input receiving unit together with information on at least one of the printing apparatus and the roll paper.

Images