JP2012143986A - Bar code printer and bar code reading and verifying method for bar code printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a bar code printer which enables a verification machine to read and verify only a bar code to be read and verified from a plurality of bar codes printed in a label piece and to provide a bar code reading and verifying method for the bar code printer.SOLUTION: A control part 7 controlling a printing part 6 for printing the bar code in the bar code region 20 of a printing paper 2 and a verification part 10 for reading the bar code printed by the printing part 6 and verifying the right and wrong of the bar code prints a rectangular identification mark 19 formed over the top and bottom of the bar code region 20 on the information display surface of the printing paper 2 and reads and verifies the bar code of the bar code region 20 not formed in association with the identification mark 19.

Description

  The present invention relates to a barcode printer for verifying whether a printed barcode is read or not, and a barcode reading verification method for the barcode printer.

Conventionally, there is known a barcode printer with a verifier that prints a barcode on a label and the like, reads the barcode printed on the label with a reading unit such as a scanner, and checks whether the printing is normally performed (for example, Patent Document 1).
This verifier operates and scans the scanner from the point when printing on the label is started by the bar code printer, performs verification, stops the verifier's scanner when printing is completed, and verifies the barcode data read. It was something to do.

  However, as described above, a verifier such as a bar code in a conventional bar code printer performs scanning by the reading unit from the start of printing to the end of printing on the label, and thus there is a problem that it takes time for reading verification. . In other words, when multiple barcodes are printed on a label by a barcode printer, if the barcode you want to verify is positioned downstream in the transport direction from the middle part of the layout, etc. Even though it is not necessary to perform verification by operating the scanner, all the printed barcodes are read, which causes a delay in reading verification.

  FIG. 3B is a simplified explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a conventional print layout. The drawing buffer B31 has a character area and a barcode area, and the character area is from the start point (MS) to the end point (ME) of the character area. Regarding the barcode area, the start point ( Reading verification can be performed by operating the scanner from the BS) to the end point (BE) of the barcode area. However, since the scan start timing is unknown, it must be read and verified from the beginning (PS) to the end (PD) of the drawing buffer B31 (label piece). Alternatively, it is possible to start scanning from a position that is a predetermined amount away from the beginning (PS) of the label piece, but the scanning position may be shifted due to the transfer accuracy of the print paper, and the print data with a different print layout Each time, a predetermined amount of parameter is set, which is complicated.

Japanese Patent No. 2633726

  The present invention has been considered in view of the various problems as described above. When the barcode area reaches the verification unit, the barcode verification and reading operation is started. It is an object of the present invention to provide a barcode printer capable of maintaining the durability of the barcode and a barcode reading verification method for the barcode printer.

  In addition, the present invention provides a barcode printer that can read only a barcode to be verified from a plurality of barcodes or character information printed on a label piece with a scanner of the verification machine, and a barcode of the barcode printer It is an object to provide a reading verification method.

The present invention solves the above problems by the following means.
According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printing unit that prints a barcode on a barcode region of a printing sheet on which a heat-sensitive layer is formed, and verification for reading the barcode printed by the printing unit and verifying its quality. And a control unit that controls the verification unit and the printing unit, wherein the control unit includes the barcode on the information display surface of the printing paper, and the control unit. An identification mark formed over the top of the non-barcode area excluding the barcode area for printing the barcode, and the barcode specified as an area excluding the non-barcode area corresponding to the identification mark The barcode printer is characterized in that it controls reading and verifying the barcode of the area.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the barcode printer according to the first aspect, the control unit has a printing position of the identification mark within an area of the printing paper and in the transport direction with the barcode area. A bar that is in a position that does not overlap, is outside the barcode area in the width direction of the printing paper, and is at least one of both ends of the printing paper in the width direction of the printing paper. It is a code printer.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printing unit for printing a barcode on a barcode area of a printing paper on which a heat-sensitive layer is formed, and verification for verifying the quality by reading the barcode printed by the printing unit. A barcode reading verification method for a barcode printer, comprising: a detection unit for detecting an identification mark; and a printing sheet from an upstream side. The identification mark is formed on the information display surface of the printing paper, and the identification mark is formed on the top of the non-barcode area except for the barcode area where the barcode is printed. If not detected, the barcode verification is started sequentially. When the identification mark is detected by the detection means, the barcode verification is terminated. A bar code reading method of verifying bar code printer according to claim.

  In the barcode printer according to the present invention, the detection means for detecting the identification mark along with the transfer of the printing paper detects the identification mark added to the printing paper, and using this detection result, the barcode area and the non-barcode are detected. A region can be distinguished. Therefore, when the barcode area reaches the barcode scanner (verification unit), the reading verification by the verification unit can be started. Therefore, there is no waste in the scanning timing and scanning time of the barcode scanner or the like in the verification unit, and the lifetime of the barcode scanner can be kept long. Even if the print layout or design on the label piece is changed and the part of the barcode area where the barcode is printed is changed, or the printing speed is changed, the adjustment work for it will be done to the workers on site. It is feasible without burden. Furthermore, it becomes possible to confirm which part of the printing paper has been read and verified by the bar code using the identification mark.

1 is a schematic side view of a barcode printer 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a top view which shows the printing paper 2 of an information display surface similarly. (A) It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of a printing layout similarly, (b) It is simple explanatory drawing which shows an example of the conventional printing layout. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a reading start position of the verification unit 10. It is explanatory drawing of the memory | storage item in the memory (RAM15) of the control part 7 similarly. FIG. 6 is a flowchart for performing label issuance / reading verification.

  According to the present invention, when the barcode area reaches the verification unit, the barcode verification and reading operation is started. Therefore, the barcode printer and the barcode capable of maintaining durability such as a barcode scanner in the verification unit Realized the printer barcode reading verification method.

(Embodiment)
Next, a barcode printer 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of the barcode printer 1. The barcode printer 1 includes a printing unit 6, an input unit 8, an identification mark detection unit 9, a paper detection unit 5, a verification unit 10, and a control unit 7.

The printing unit 6 includes a thermal head 11 and a platen roller 12. The printing paper 2 is sandwiched between the thermal head 11 and the platen roller 12, and the printing paper 2 is transferred by the rotation of the platen roller 12. The predetermined information including the barcode can be printed on the printing paper 2 by the heat generated by the eleven heating elements 13.
The printing paper 2 can be of any structure, for example, a label-like piece 4 provided with an adhesive layer on the back surface of a plurality of strips 3 and a heat-sensitive layer on the surface. . Further, the printing paper 2 may be a continuous tag (tag).

  The input unit 8 inputs a command for specifying a barcode, such as print data and layout data necessary for forming the display information of the label piece 4, and print data for the product name and price and other necessary product information. The input unit 8 may be a stand-alone type having a keyboard, a display, or any other configuration. Further, as the input unit 8, an external host computer (not shown) such as a personal computer or the like can be used as the input unit 8, and input data from the input unit 8 can be received by the control unit 7.

  The paper detection unit 5 includes a paper sensor 40, detects the position of the printing paper 2, outputs a detection signal to the control unit 7, and can control the operation timing of the printing unit 6 by the control unit 7. .

  The verification unit 10 includes a barcode scanner 16 and an identification mark detection unit 9, and the barcode scanner 16 performs barcode processing in a direction (width direction of the printing paper 2) orthogonal to the transfer direction of the printing paper 2. The barcode data can be read by emitting a reading laser beam and scanning (scanning) the barcode. The identification mark detection unit 9 includes an identification mark sensor 14 and detects an identification mark 19 provided at the end of the barcode region 20 in the horizontal direction (width direction of the printing paper 2). The detection signal is output to 7 so that the control unit 7 can control the timing of the reading verification operation of the barcode scanner 16 of the verification unit 10.

The control unit 7 controls the printing unit 6, the identification mark detection unit 9, the paper detection unit 5, and the verification unit 10 described above, and determines whether or not the barcode signal detected by the verification unit 10 is machine-readable. . That is, for example, it is determined whether or not the barcode has unnecessary dirt or voids (white print missing).
If necessary, it is possible to determine the consistency between the data input as the print data and the data based on the printed barcode.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the printing paper 2. The printing paper 2 is, for example, in the form of a label, and includes a strip-shaped mount 3 and a plurality of label pieces 4 temporarily attached to the mount 3 at regular intervals. Have.
Of course, it can also be in the form of a continuous tag (tag). A heat-sensitive layer is formed on the surface of the label piece 4 so that color development is possible.
A printable area 17 is provided in a rectangular shape in the central area of the label piece 4, and an area (non-printable area 18) other than the printable area 17 at the peripheral edge of the printable area 17 is provided. Note that an identification mark 19 as described later can be displayed in the non-printable area 18.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of storage items in the memory (RAM 15) of the control unit 7. Print data received from a host computer (not shown) or the like via the input unit 8 is stored in the memory (RAM 15) as received data. Data stored in the RAM 15 that are related to the reading verification function include verification / non-verification, barcode type, barcode top, printing content, number of printed sheets, number of verifications.
“With / without verification” is for each label piece, and determines whether or not to read and verify the information printed on the surface of the label piece 4. Of course, it is also possible to provide the presence / absence of verification not in units of label pieces but in units of barcode areas.
The barcode type is an item of a barcode type such as JAN, CODE128, or NW-7.
The barcode top / bottom specifies the length of the barcode.
The printed content is the content of bar code display data.
The number of printed sheets is the number of printed label pieces 4.
The number of verifications is the number of times of verifying reading on one label piece 4. That is, when there are two barcode areas 20 to be verified, the number of verifications is two.

  In the case of verification / non-validation, if there is no verification, as shown in FIG. 3 (b), as shown in FIG. 3B, the drawing buffer is used to draw and develop a bitmap image in the barcode area 20 based on the received input data and commands. It becomes a layout.

  When there is verification, the print layout is as shown in FIG. That is, the barcode is bitmap-developed in the barcode area 20 and the identification mark 19 is added to the non-printable area 18. The identification mark 19 is a rectangular mark formed over the top and bottom of the non-barcode area excluding the barcode area 20. Here, “over the top of the non-barcode area” means that the identification mark 19 is provided in the entire range corresponding to the non-barcode area in the top-and-bottom direction of the non-barcode area. This is because if the top and bottom of the non-barcode area becomes longer, the total length of the identification mark 19 in the top and bottom direction also becomes longer. Note that the total length is the sum of the lengths of the plurality of identification marks 19 because the identification mark 19 is divided into a plurality of parts that are divided at portions corresponding to the barcode area 20. Therefore, the area provided with the identification mark 19 can be specified as a non-barcode area. On the other hand, the area where the identification mark 19 is not provided can be specified as the barcode area 20.

  As a print layout of the label piece 4, printing and reading verification are performed from the upper side to the lower side of the figure. From the start point (PS) of the label piece 4 to the start point (MS) of the character is a non-printing area. The character area is a start point (MS) to an end point (ME), and is a non-printing area from the end point (ME) to the barcode start point (BS). The barcode start area is from the barcode start point (BS) to the barcode end point (BE). The identification mark 19 is a position that does not overlap in the horizontal direction (width direction of the printing paper 2) perpendicular to the vertical direction of the BS and BE of the barcode area 20, that is, the non-barcode area and the horizontal direction (of the printing paper 2). In the width direction) and provided in the non-printable area 18. The width of the identification mark 19 is limited to the non-printable area 18 and is about 4 mm in actual size.

  In FIG. 4, the start point of the position where the identification mark 19 does not exist is BS2, and the end point is BE2. When the identification mark 19 is detected, reading verification of the barcode scanner 16 is not performed, and when the identification mark 19 is no longer detected, reading verification of the barcode scanner 16 is started. Then, when the printing paper 2 is transferred in the paper transfer direction and the identification mark 19 is detected, the reading verification is completed, so that the reading verification time can be minimized. Furthermore, since it is possible to turn on / off reading verification by non-detection / detection by the identification mark sensor 14 without being conscious of the print layout, it is possible to read unnecessary bar code information printed from the beginning. Also has no effect. In this embodiment, the top and bottom of the non-barcode area is printed from the start to the end of the identification mark 19, but it may be marked at the start point and marked at the end point.

Next, a barcode reading verification method for the barcode printer 1 according to the present invention will be described. FIG. 6 is a flowchart for performing label issuance and reading verification.
In step S11, the input unit 8 displays a barcode such as print data and layout data necessary for forming the display information of the label piece 4 such as the product name, price, print format, and other necessary product information (print information). Enter the command to be specified and the print data of the product name, price, and other necessary product information. Next, based on the received input data and command, the drawing buffer draws a bitmap image in the barcode area. For example, a barcode is drawn and developed in the specified barcode area 20, and the rectangular identification mark 19 having the same length as the top of the non-barcode area, which is an area other than the barcode area 20 for printing the barcode, is not displayed. Printing is performed in a non-printable area 18 corresponding to the barcode area. Since the identification mark 19 is usually divided into a plurality, the same length here means that the total length of the plurality of identification marks 19 is the same length as the top of the non-barcode area. It becomes. By adding the identification mark 19 and reading it, the barcode portion where the identification mark 19 is not provided correspondingly becomes a proof of verification. On the contrary, the label piece 4 can be separated after verification by inserting a slit (breaking line) that partitions the printable area 17 and the non-printable area 18.

  In step S12, one line of the printing paper 2 is printed by the printing unit 6, and in step S13, the printing paper 2 is transferred by one line to the downstream side. In step S14, it is determined whether or not the identification mark 19 of the printing paper 2 has been detected. When the identification mark 19 is detected by the identification mark detector 9, it is determined in step S18 whether or not the number of prints has been printed. If the identification mark 19 is not detected by the identification mark detector 9, reading verification is started in step S15.

That is, as shown in FIG. 4, the identification mark 19 can represent the position of the front end BS2 of the barcode area 20 in the label piece 4, and the distance between the front end PS of the label piece 4 and the front end BS of the barcode area 20. If the identification mark 19 is no longer detected when the tip BS2 reaches the identification mark detection unit 9 in the vicinity of the barcode scanner 16, the light emission scanning by the barcode scanner 16 is started and a plurality of readings are performed. Scanning is performed, and the control unit 7 compares the read data with the print contents of the RAM 15 of the input data to make a determination.
The emission time is until the identification mark 19 is detected and becomes the top and bottom of the barcode area 20. However, if the top and bottom are long in the print layout, or if the scanning time is further reduced, the bar It is also preferable to set the top and bottom (between BS2 and BE2) of the area where the identification mark 19 is not provided shorter than the top and bottom of the code area 20 (between BS and BE). That is, the reading time can be shortened depending on the printing speed of the barcode printer 1 and the reading performance of the scanner.

  In step S16, if the control unit 7 determines that it is appropriate, the process proceeds to the next printing. If it is determined to be inappropriate, the printing operation in the printing unit 6 is stopped in step S17, assuming that the printing of the barcode area 20 is defective.

  In step S17, if the required number of prints is not printed, the process returns to step S12 and the printing is repeated. Even if the number of printed sheets is zero, the operation is not completed, and the number of verifications is also confirmed in step S19. This is because there is a case where the identification mark detection unit 9 is provided downstream of the printing unit 6 and the reading verification is not executed even after the printing is completed, so that it is determined whether or not the number of verifications is zero.

Even if the printing layout or design on the printing paper 2 is changed and the part of the barcode area 20 where the barcode is printed is changed, or the printing speed is changed, the adjustment work for that is performed by the on-site worker. It can be executed without burden. Further, the identification mark 19 can confirm which part of the label piece 4 has been read and verified by the barcode.
That is, the barcode area 20 that is not provided with the identification mark 19 can be stored as a verified proof.

  Further, the identification mark 19 is not added only to the barcode area 20 included in the label piece 4 every even number or every plural number of the label pieces 4, thereby reading every even number or every plural number. Sampling verification to perform verification is also possible. This is possible because only the bar code of the portion where the identification mark is not marked is read and verified, thereby further shortening the verification processing time.

  Furthermore, since the identification mark 19 is not provided at a position corresponding to the barcode area 20, the barcode area 20 is cut in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the printing paper 2 and cut. Thus, unnecessary identification marks 19 can be prevented from remaining around the barcode area 20. Therefore, only a necessary barcode can be used as a printed label.

  It should be noted that the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the illustrated examples described above, and it is needless to say that various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

1 Barcode printer (Fig. 1)
2 Printing paper 3 Mount 4 Label piece 5 Paper detection unit 6 Printing unit 7 Control unit 8 Input unit 9 Identification mark detection unit 10 Verification unit 11 Thermal head 12 Platen roller 13 Heating element 14 Identification mark sensor 15 Memory (RAM)
16 Barcode scanner 17 Printable area 18 Non-printable area 19 Identification mark 20 Barcode area 21 Character area 30 Drawing buffer A
31 Drawing buffer B
40 Paper sensor

Claims (3)

A printing section for printing a barcode on a barcode area of a printing paper on which a heat-sensitive layer is formed;
A verification unit for reading the barcode printed by the printing unit and verifying its quality;
A control unit for controlling the verification unit and the printing unit;
A barcode printer comprising:
The control unit prints the barcode on the information display surface of the printing paper and an identification mark formed over the top of the non-barcode area excluding the barcode area for printing the barcode. And reading and verifying the barcode of the barcode area specified as an area excluding the non-barcode area corresponding to the identification mark,
A bar code printer characterized by The barcode printer according to claim 1, wherein
The control unit is configured such that the printing position of the identification mark is within the area of the printing paper and does not overlap the barcode area in the transport direction, and the bar in the width direction of the printing paper. It is outside the code area and is at least one of both ends of the printing paper in the width direction of the printing paper,
A bar code printer characterized by A printing unit that prints a barcode on the barcode area of the printing paper on which the heat-sensitive layer is formed; a verification unit that reads the barcode printed by the printing unit and verifies its quality;
A control unit for controlling the verification unit and the printing unit;
A barcode reading verification method for a barcode printer comprising:
Having detection means for detecting the identification mark;
After printing paper is transferred from the upstream side, the printing unit prints an identification mark formed over the top and bottom of the non-barcode area excluding the barcode area for printing the barcode on the information display surface of the printing paper, When the identification mark is not detected by the detection unit, the verification of the barcode is started sequentially, and when the identification mark is detected by the detection unit, the verification of the barcode is terminated.
A barcode reading verification method for a barcode printer.

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