JP2013077187A - Medium processing device, control method of medium processing device, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce an influence of error occurrence in a medium processing device, which performs processing on a medium, on work efficiency by enabling an external device to control the medium processing device as much as possible even when the error occurs in the medium processing device.SOLUTION: A medium processing device 1 is configured to be able to connect with a host computer 5, and comprises processing means for performing processing on a medium. The medium processing device 1 also comprises a control unit 70 which shifts a state of the medium processing device 1 to an off-line state that stops operation of the processing means while maintaining a communicative state with the host computer 5 when an error occurs in the medium processing device 1, and on receiving a command which does not require operation of the processing means from the host computer 5 while the medium processing device 1 is in the off-line state, executes the received command.

Description

  The present invention relates to a medium processing apparatus for processing a medium, a control method for the medium processing apparatus, and a program.

  Conventionally, a medium processing apparatus such as a printer that is connected to an external apparatus such as a host computer and processes the medium is known. In this type of medium processing device, it is known to rewrite a control value stored in a memory from an external device when an error occurs in a processing unit for processing a medium and the operation stops. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).

JP 2001-225532 A

By the way, in the medium processing apparatus, even when an error occurs in a part of the processing unit that processes the medium, there may be a case where other processing not involving the processing unit can be executed. Even in such a case, conventionally, when an error occurs in the processing unit, the operation of the entire medium processing apparatus including those other than the processing unit in which the error has occurred is stopped. As described above, processing such as rewriting of memory is performed by a command transmitted from an external device, but operation of processing a medium cannot be performed. If an error occurs in the control unit that controls the processing unit, for example, information stored in the memory cannot be referred to. For this reason, there has been a problem in that work efficiency is greatly reduced due to the occurrence of an error.
The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and even if an error occurs in a medium processing apparatus that processes a medium, control by an external apparatus is possible as much as possible, and work due to the occurrence of an error is possible. The objective is to reduce the impact on efficiency.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is a medium processing apparatus configured to be connectable to an external apparatus and having a processing means for processing a medium. When an error occurs, the present invention Error control means for maintaining the communicable state and stopping the operation of the processing means, and the error control means is a command that does not require the operation of the processing means in a state where the operation has been stopped due to the occurrence of the error. Is received from the external device, the command is executed.
According to the present invention, even if an error occurs, a command transmitted from an external device can be executed as long as the command does not require the operation of the processing means in which the error has occurred. When an error relating to an error occurs, a memory related command is executed, information relating to the error is acquired by an external device, and the error can be promptly dealt with, and the influence on work efficiency can be minimized. In addition, since a command that does not require the operation of the processing means is executed, there is no possibility of causing a more serious error or failure by operating the processing means in which an error has occurred.
Further, in the above configuration, the apparatus includes a plurality of the processing means, and when an error occurs in any of the processing means, the error control means sends a command that does not require the operation of the processing means in which the error has occurred. The command may be executed when received from the external device. In this case, since the command relating to the processing means in which no error has occurred can be executed, even if an error has occurred, the processing can be continued so as not to make the error serious. For this reason, the influence on work efficiency can be suppressed more lightly.

In the present invention, the error control unit executes the command when the command received from the external device in a state where the operation has been stopped due to the error is a preset executable command. It is characterized by doing.
According to the present invention, since an executable command is preset, the command is executed within a range that does not adversely affect the processing unit and the like, and the command that affects the processing unit in which the error has occurred is not executed. Can be set.

The present invention is characterized in that a command that can be executed when the error occurs and the type of the error are set in association with each other.
According to the present invention, different commands can be set as executable commands depending on the error type, so that the setting of executable commands and non-executable commands can be optimized for each error type.

In the present invention, the error control means may stop the operation of the processing means while maintaining a state communicable with the external device when the generated error is an irrecoverable error. Features.
According to the present invention, an unrecoverable error can be appropriately and promptly handled using an external device.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is a method for controlling a medium processing apparatus that is configured to be connectable to an external apparatus and includes a processing means for processing a medium. When a command that does not require the operation of the processing unit is received from the external device while the operation of the processing unit is stopped while maintaining a state in which communication with an external device is possible And executing the command. A method for controlling a medium processing apparatus, comprising:
According to the present invention, even if an error occurs, a command transmitted from an external device can be executed as long as the command does not require the operation of the processing means in which the error has occurred. When an error relating to an error occurs, a memory related command is executed, information relating to the error is acquired by an external device, and the error can be promptly dealt with, and the influence on work efficiency can be minimized. In addition, since a command that does not require the operation of the processing means is executed, there is no possibility of causing a more serious error or failure by operating the processing means in which an error has occurred.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is a program that is configured to be connectable to an external apparatus and that can be executed by a control unit that controls a medium processing apparatus including a processing unit that processes a medium. In the case where an error occurs, the control unit maintains the state in which communication with the external device is possible, stops the operation of the processing unit, and does not require the operation of the processing unit in a state where this operation is stopped. When a command is received from the external device, it functions as an error control means for executing the command.
If the program of the present invention is executed, even if an error occurs, any command that does not require the operation of the processing means in which the error has occurred can execute a command transmitted from an external device. When an error related to the machine part occurs, a command related to memory can be executed, information related to the error can be acquired by an external device, and the error can be dealt with promptly, thus minimizing the impact on work efficiency. . In addition, since a command that does not require the operation of the processing means is executed, there is no possibility of causing a more serious error or failure by operating the processing means in which an error has occurred.

  According to the present invention, even if an error occurs, a command that does not require the operation of the processing means in which the error has occurred can be executed, and the influence on work efficiency can be minimized.

1 is an external perspective view of a medium processing apparatus. It is a figure which shows the internal structure of a medium processing apparatus. It is a block diagram which shows the functional structure of a medium processing apparatus. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the medium processing device. It is a figure which shows the structure of a command table typically. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the medium processing device.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a medium processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment.
The medium processing apparatus 1 reads magnetic ink characters, optically reads both sides of a reading object, and records (prints) characters and images on the reading object on a sheet-like check 4 and forms. It is a device to perform. Further, the medium processing apparatus 1 has a function as a reader for reading magnetic information recorded on a card-type medium such as a credit card, and an image is recorded by recording and cutting the image on a thermal roll paper. A function of issuing a predetermined piece of paper is provided.

In the present embodiment, a case where a check 4 is processed as a processing target medium of the medium processing apparatus 1 will be described as an example. As shown in FIG. 1, the check 4 is a form in which an amount, a payer, a serial number, a signature, and the like are recorded on a sheet with a predetermined pattern or decoration. The amount, the maker, serial number, signature, etc. are recorded on the surface 4a. A magnetic ink character string 4 c extending in the long side direction of the check 4 is formed on the surface 4 a of the check 4. The magnetic ink character string 4c is a sequence of a plurality of magnetic ink characters (MICR characters) printed with magnetic ink, and can be read magnetically or optically.
An endorsement column is provided on the back surface 4 b of the check 4. In this endorsement column, an image related to the endorsement is recorded by the inkjet head 10 described later. Although the sizes of the short side direction and the long side direction of the check 4 are standardized, since there are various standards, there are actually various sizes. In the medium processing apparatus 1, a maximum size that can substantially include the size of a general check 4 is defined, and any check 4 within this maximum size can be processed.

The medium processing apparatus 1 has an exterior composed of a lower case 11 that covers the lower part of the main body and a cover 12 that covers the lower case 11, and the main body 13 of the medium processing apparatus 1 is accommodated inside the exterior. An insertion slot 14 into which the check 4 is inserted is opened on the front surface of the medium processing apparatus 1, and a stocker 15 in which a plurality of checks 4 can be stacked and stored is provided behind the insertion slot 14. The stocker 15 is configured to be able to be pulled out toward the front side, and after the stocker 15 is pulled out according to the size of the check 4 to be stored in the stocker 15, the checker 15 can store the check 4 therein. Is possible.
In addition, the cover 12 is formed with a slit 18 serving as a conveyance path W for the check 4 in a substantially U shape when viewed from above. The slit 18 communicates with the stocker 15 described above, and the slit 18 communicates with a pocket 19 provided on the front side of the medium processing apparatus 1. The checks 4 stored in the stocker 15 are taken into the inside of the medium processing apparatus 1 one by one as will be described later, processed while passing through the slit 18, and the processed checks 4 are discharged into the pocket 19. A plurality of checks 4 can be stored in the pocket 19.
As shown in FIG. 1, a magnetic card reader unit 20 is provided on the side of the stocker 15. The magnetic card reader unit 20 includes a card slit 21 formed in the cover 12 and an MCR (Magnetic Card Reader) 22 (FIG. 3) provided corresponding to the card slit 21, and a card passing through the card slit 21. The magnetically recorded information is read by the MCR head 22.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the configuration of the main body 13 accommodated in the exterior of the medium processing apparatus 1. A hopper 25 is provided on one side of the stocker 15. The hopper 25 is configured to be rotatable in the direction of the arrow in the figure by a hopper drive motor 26 (FIG. 3), and urges the check 4 stored in the stocker 15 to the other side face.
A pickup roller 28 driven by an ASF (Automatically Sheet Feeder) motor 27 (FIG. 3), which will be described later, is disposed on the other side surface of the stocker 15, and when the hopper 25 rotates to the pickup roller 28 side, this rotation is performed. One of the checks 4 in the stocker 15 is urged by the pickup roller 28 in response to the movement, contacts the roller, and is drawn into the transport path W according to the rotation of the roller.
An ASF roller 29 composed of a pair of rollers is disposed in the back of the stocker 15. Two rollers of the ASF roller 29 are arranged on both sides of the transport path W, one of which is rotated by the power of the ASF motor 27 described later, and the other roller is a driven roller. The check 4 in contact with the pickup roller 28 is sandwiched between the ASF rollers 29 and conveyed downstream in the slit 18.

An ASF paper detector 31 (FIG. 3) is provided at a predetermined position of the stocker 15. The ASF paper detector 31 is composed of, for example, a transmissive optical sensor, and detects the presence or absence of the check 4 in the stocker 15.
In the stocker 15, a hopper position detector 32 (FIG. 3) is provided at the standby position of the hopper 25. The hopper position detector 32 is composed of, for example, a transmissive optical sensor, and detects whether or not the hopper 25 is located at the standby position.
A MICR (Magnetic Ink Character Recognition) head 35 that magnetically reads the magnetic ink character string 4c (FIG. 1) is disposed in contact with the surface 4a of the check 4 on the downstream side of the ASF roller 29. A MICR roller 36 is disposed opposite to the MICR head 35. The MICR roller 36 is urged toward the MICR head 35 and rotates while pressing the check 4 against the MICR head 35 to convey the check 4 at a constant speed suitable for reading MICR characters. On the upstream side of the MICR head 35, an assist roller 37 composed of a pair of rollers for guiding the check 4 fed out by the ASF roller 29 to the MICR head 35 is disposed.

Further, a sheet length detector 38 is disposed between the assist roller 37 and the MICR head 35 on the transport path W. The paper length detector 38 is constituted by, for example, a reflection type optical sensor, and detects the front end and the rear end of the check 4 by detecting the presence or absence of the check 4 passing on the conveyance path W. The detection value of the paper length detector 38 is acquired by the control unit 70 described later, and the length of the check 4 is obtained based on the change in the detection value.
On the downstream side of the MICR head 35 on the conveyance path W, a first conveyance roller 40 having a pair of rollers facing each other across the conveyance path W is provided. Further, on the downstream side of the first conveyance roller 40, a first conveyance roller 40 is provided. Two transport rollers 41 are provided. The first transport roller 40 and the second transport roller 41 are rollers that are rotationally driven by a transport motor 42 (FIG. 3), and the check 4 is transported to the inkjet printer unit 44 by these rollers.

The ink jet printer unit 44 (processing means) includes the ink jet head 10. The ink jet head 10 is an ink jet type recording head that receives ink supplied from an ink cartridge 45 accommodated in the front portion of the main body 13 and discharges ink to the check 4. The inkjet head 10 is a so-called line inkjet head, and when recording on the check 4, ink is ejected from the fixed inkjet head 10 to the back surface 4 b of the check 4 conveyed at a constant speed. The image is recorded. The image recorded on the back surface 4b of the check 4 is a so-called endorsement character or symbol.
An intermediate detector 46 is provided on the upstream side of the inkjet head 10 and between the inkjet head 10 and the second transport roller 41. The intermediate detector 46 is composed of, for example, a reflective optical sensor, and detects the presence or absence of the check 4 at the detection position.

A CIS (Contact Image Sensor) unit that optically reads the check 4 is disposed downstream of the inkjet head 10. This CIS unit has a front surface CIS unit 47 (processing means) for reading the front surface 4a of the check 4 and a back surface CIS unit 48 (processing means) for reading the back surface 4b, and can optically read both sides of the check 4. is there. The front surface CIS unit 47 and the rear surface CIS unit 48 are arranged to face each other across the conveyance path W. The first CIS roller 50 is arranged on the upstream side of these units, and the second CIS roller 51 is arranged on the downstream side. ing. The first CIS roller 50 and the second CIS roller 51 are rollers that are rotationally driven by a conveyance motor 42, and the check 4 being read by the CIS unit is stably conveyed by these rollers.
A discharge detector 52 is provided downstream of the second CIS roller 51. The discharge detector 52 is composed of, for example, a reflective optical sensor, and detects the presence or absence of the check 4 at the detection position.

The pocket 19 described above is provided on the downstream side of the front surface CIS unit 47 and the rear surface CIS unit 48. The pocket 19 is divided into a main pocket 19 a and a sub-pocket 19 b, and the slit 18 is branched to communicate with each pocket 19. A plurality of checks 4 can be stored in each of the main pocket 19a and the sub pocket 19b.
A switching plate 54 for switching the pocket 19 from which the check 4 is to be discharged to either the main pocket 19a or the sub pocket 19b is disposed at the position where the slit 18 branches. The switching plate 54 is a guide that guides the check 4 to the other by closing either one of the route communicating with the main pocket 19 a and the route communicating with the sub pocket 19 b, and is driven by the switching plate drive motor 55. A discharge roller 56 is provided in a path connecting the switching plate 54 to the main pocket 19a, and a discharge roller 57 is provided in a path connecting the switching plate 54 to the sub pocket 19b. The check 4 is switched by these rollers. It is smoothly discharged into any of the pockets 19 guided by the plate 54.
As will be described later, when the medium processing apparatus 1 determines that the check 4 is set correctly based on the reading result of the magnetic ink character string 4c by the MICR head 35, the medium processing apparatus 1 discharges the check 4 into the main pocket 19a. On the other hand, if it is determined that the check 4 is not set correctly, the check 4 is discharged into the sub pocket 19b.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a thermal printer unit 60 (processing means) that issues a piece of paper on which an image is recorded is provided at the center of the medium processing apparatus 1.
As shown in FIG. 1, the thermal printer unit 60 includes a printer cover 61 that covers an upper portion of the unit main body. The printer cover 61 is attached to the cover 12 so as to be openable and closable. When the printer cover 61 is opened, a roll paper storage unit 62 that is a space that can store thermal roll paper (medium) is exposed, and the thermal roll is exposed. Paper can be replenished and replaced. The printer cover 61 is provided with a paper discharge port 63, and the thermal roll paper stored in the roll paper storage unit 62 is discharged through the paper discharge port 63.
The thermal printer unit 60 includes a roller-shaped platen (not shown) that feeds out the thermal roll paper stored in the roll paper storage unit 62 and transports it on the transport path, and a thermal head 65 (FIG. 3) disposed opposite the platen. And a cutter unit 66 that cuts the thermal roll paper in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction. When issuing a piece of paper, the thermal printer unit 60 drives the platen to convey the thermal roll paper in the conveyance direction, records an image on the thermal roll paper by the thermal head 65, and the thermal roll at a predetermined position by the cutter unit 66. A piece of paper is issued by cutting the paper.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the composite processing system 8 configured by connecting the medium processing apparatus 1 and the host computer 5 (external apparatus).
The medium processing apparatus 1 includes a control unit 70 (error control unit) that centrally controls the entire medium processing apparatus 1, a printer control unit 71 that controls the inkjet printer unit 44 and the thermal printer unit 60, a head drive circuit 72, and the like. The motor driver 73, the reading control circuit 74, the sensor driving circuit 75, the interface unit 76, and the flash ROM 77 are connected to each other so that they can communicate with each other.

The control unit 70 includes a CPU and other peripheral circuits, and controls each unit of the medium processing apparatus 1 by reading and executing a control program stored in the flash ROM 77 by the CPU.
The printer control unit 71 supplies a drive current to the inkjet head 10 via the head drive circuit 72 under the control of the control unit 70 and performs recording on the check 4. In addition, the printer control unit 71 supplies a drive current to the thermal head 65 via the head drive circuit 72 under the control of the control unit 70, and performs recording on the thermal roll paper.
The motor driver 73 is connected to the hopper drive motor 26 and rotates the hopper 25 under the control of the control unit 70. The motor driver 73 is connected to the ASF motor 27 and the transport motor 42, outputs drive currents and drive pulses to these motors, operates these motors according to the control of the control unit 70, Drive the connected roller.
Further, the motor driver 73 is connected to the switching plate driving motor 55, and under the control of the control unit 70, the switching plate 54 is moved by outputting a driving current and a driving pulse to the motor, and the check 4 is discharged. The pocket 19 is switched to the main pocket 19a side or the sub pocket 19b side.

The reading control circuit 74 is connected to the MCR head 22, the MICR head 35, the front surface CIS unit 47, and the back surface CIS unit 48.
The reading control circuit 74 causes the MCR head 22 to read magnetic information when the cards are passed through the card slit 21 (FIG. 1) and digitizes the reading signal output from the MCR head 22 according to the control of the control unit 70. To the control unit 70.
Further, the read control circuit 74 causes the MICR head 35 to read magnetic information under the control of the control unit 70, digitizes the read signal output from the MICR head 35, and outputs it to the control unit 70.
In addition, the reading control circuit 74 causes the front surface CIS unit 47 and the back surface CIS unit 48 to read the front surface 4 a and the back surface 4 b of the check 4 under the control of the control unit 70.
The sensor driving circuit 75 is connected to the ASF paper detector 31, the hopper position detector 32, the paper length detector 38, the intermediate detector 46, and the discharge detector 52, and supplies current to each of these detectors. The output value is acquired at a predetermined cycle, and the acquired output value is converted into digital data and output to the control unit 70.
The interface unit 76 is connected to the host computer 5 in a wired or wireless manner, and transmits and receives various data including control data to and from the host computer 5 under the control of the control unit 70.
The flash ROM 77 stores various data in a rewritable manner. The flash ROM 77 stores a control program for controlling the medium processing apparatus 1, and also stores a command table 77a. The command table 77a will be described later. Further, the flash ROM 77 is provided with a log area 77b for storing a history (log) of errors that have occurred in the medium processing apparatus 1.
The RAM 78 is a volatile memory and functions as a work area for the control unit 70. The RAM 78 is printed with a reception buffer 79 for temporarily storing commands and data received from the host computer 5, an inkjet head buffer 80 for developing a print image to be printed by the inkjet head 10, and a thermal head 65. A thermal head buffer 81 for developing a print image is formed.

Next, the basic operation of the medium processing apparatus 1 when processing the check 4 will be described.
As described above, the stocker 15 can store a plurality of checks 4. Then, the medium processing apparatus 1 sequentially feeds the plurality of checks 4 stored in the stocker 15 onto the transport path W at a predetermined timing, and continuously performs a series of processes described below for each check 4. It is feasible.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a series of processing executed for one check 4 stored in the stocker 15.
As a premise of the following description, it is assumed that the control command input from the host computer 5 includes a command and data necessary for processing one check 4 to be processed without any shortage.
When a control command related to the processing of the check 4 is input from the host computer 5 (step SA1), the control unit 70 of the control unit 70 of the medium processing apparatus 1 detects the detection value of the hopper position detector 32 or the ASF paper detector. While monitoring the detected value 31, the hopper drive motor 26 and the ASF motor 27 are driven, and one of the checks 4 stored in the stocker 15 is sent to the transport path W to start transporting the check 4. (Step SA2).
Thereafter, the control unit 70 executes various processes on the check 4 while conveying the check 4 at a substantially constant speed.
Next, the control unit 70 reads the magnetic ink character string 4c of the check 4 by the MICR head 35 while managing the position of the check 4 by monitoring the detection value of the paper length detector 38 (step SA3).
Next, the control unit 70 determines whether the check 4 is set correctly without being set upside down and upside down based on the reading result of the MICR head 35 (step SA4). Specifically, the control unit 70 performs magnetic ink character recognition by comparing the detected waveform obtained by reading the magnetic ink character with the reference waveform for the magnetic ink character constituting the magnetic ink character string 4c, and thereby the magnetic ink character. It is determined whether or not the check 4 is correctly set based on the success or failure of character recognition.

  Next, the control unit 70 switches the switching plate 54 based on the determination result of step SA4 (step SA5). More specifically, in this embodiment, when the upper and lower sides and the front and back sides of the check 4 are correctly set, the check 4 is discharged into the main pocket 19a, while when the check 4 is not set correctly, the check 4 is It is assumed that it is discharged into the sub pocket 19b. In step SA5, the control unit 70 switches the switching plate 54 to the main pocket 19a side when the check 4 is set correctly, and switches the switching plate 54 to the sub pocket 19b side when the check 4 is not set correctly. .

Next, the control unit 70 monitors the position of the check 4 by monitoring the detection value of the intermediate detector 46, drives the various motors by driving the transport motor 42, and further transports the check 4. Thus, the print image developed in the ink jet head buffer 80 is printed on the back surface 4b of the check 4 (step SA6). If the check 4 is not set correctly, printing may not be performed in step SA7.
Next, the controller 70 optically reads the front surface 4a of the check 4 by the front surface CIS unit 47 and optically reads the rear surface 4b by the back surface CIS unit 48 and outputs the read result to the host computer 5 (step SA7). . If the check 4 is not set correctly, the check 4 may not be read in step SA7.
Next, the control unit 70 monitors the detection value of the discharge detector 52 to monitor whether or not the check 4 is normally discharged, and drives the various motors by driving the transport motor 42 to check the check. 4 is discharged into the pocket 19 (step SA8). At that time, the check 4 is guided to the switching plate 54 and discharged into the appropriate pocket 19 corresponding to the reading result of the MICR head 35 out of the main pocket 19a and the sub pocket 19b.

  When the thermal printer unit 60 issues a piece of paper, a recording command for issuing the piece of paper is input from the host computer 5 to the medium processing apparatus 1. This recording command includes a command for instructing conveyance of the thermal roll paper, a command for instructing cutting of the thermal roll paper, and a command for instructing recording of an image on the thermal roll paper. The command for instructing recording includes image data of an image to be recorded. If the built-in font of the medium processing apparatus 1 can be used, information specifying the built-in font may be included instead of the image data or together with the image data. The control unit 70 develops a print image in the thermal head buffer 81 based on the input recording command. Then, the control unit 70 drives the head driving circuit 72 and drives the thermal head 65 based on the print image developed in the thermal head buffer 81 while appropriately transporting the thermal roll paper, thereby driving the thermal roll paper. Dots are formed and an image is recorded. After completing the recording of the image on the thermal roll paper, the control unit 70 cuts the thermal roll paper based on a command for instructing cutting of the thermal roll paper. As a result, a sheet of a predetermined length is separated from the thermal roll paper, and a piece of paper on which a predetermined image is recorded is issued.

  As described above, the medium processing apparatus 1 has a MICR head 35, an ink jet printer unit 44 including the ink jet head 10, a front surface CIS unit 47, and a back surface CIS unit 48 as processing means for processing the check 4 or thermal roll paper as a medium. And a thermal printer unit 60 provided with a thermal head 65.

The control unit 70 functions as an error control unit and detects an error that occurs in the medium processing apparatus 1. This function is realized by executing a control program stored in the flash ROM, and the medium processing apparatus 1 generates an error regardless of whether the check 4 or the thermal roll paper is being processed or is in a standby state. If this occurs, an error is detected immediately.
Specifically, the control unit 70 detects the detection state of each detector via the sensor driving circuit 75 at a predetermined time period set in advance, and if it is determined that the detection state corresponds to the error, an error occurs. Detect as (abnormal).

There are various errors detected by the control unit 70. As an error relating to the entire medium processing apparatus 1, for example, the opening of the cover 12 or the printer cover 61 is detected by a cover open detector (not shown) ( Cover open), and the hopper position detector 32 detects that the hopper 25 has not returned to the initial position in the initial state. Further, the error relating to the check 4 includes the absence of the check 4 in the stocker 15 after receiving the processing command, the conveyance jam of the check 4, and the like. The jam of the check 4 is, for example, an intermediate detector 46 or a discharge detector with respect to the carry amount in which the check length is not detected by the paper length detector 38 even though the carry amount of the check 4 is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount. 52, based on an event such as the timing at which the leading edge or trailing edge of the check 4 is detected is late.
In addition, as errors related to the ink jet printer unit 44, the ink cartridge 45 is out of ink, the capacity of the waste liquid tank storing the ink discharged by cleaning or flushing the ink jet head 10, and the nozzle check of the ink jet head 10 are used as a reference. An error or the like in which a defective nozzle exceeding the maximum is detected.
In addition to a transport error related to the transport of the check 4 and the heat-sensitive roll paper, a temperature abnormality (high temperature error) of the motor driver 73, a temperature abnormality of the thermal head 65 (high temperature error), the inkjet head buffer 80 of the RAM 78 or the thermal head. Errors such as buffer errors that cause abnormalities during the development of the print image in the buffer 81, out of paper in the roll paper storage unit 62, data reading errors (memory errors) such as control programs and setting values stored in the flash ROM 77, etc. There is.

  When an error occurs, the control unit 70 stops the overall operation of the medium processing apparatus 1, notifies the host computer 5 of the occurrence of the error, and shifts to an offline state. A general medium processing apparatus enters a busy state in which data (including a command) transmitted from an external apparatus such as a host computer is not received when an error occurs, but the medium processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is offline. Transition to the state. The offline state is a standby state in which at least all the above processing units are stopped and cannot be operated. The control unit 70 notifies the host computer 5 that the printing, magnetic reading, and optical reading operations cannot be performed. On the other hand, in the offline state, the control unit 70 maintains a state in which data can be transmitted to and received from the host computer 5 via the interface unit 76. If a command is transmitted from the host computer 5, the command Receive. In the offline state, the control unit 70 may stop data processing such as development of a print image together with the operation of the processing unit.

When the control unit 70 receives a command from the host computer 5 in an offline state after error detection, the control unit 70 executes a specific command set in advance and discards other commands. For example, if a command for instructing the conveyance of the check 4 is executed in a state where the check 4 is jammed, the check 4 may be contaminated or the conveyance system of the medium processing apparatus 1 may be broken. That is, a command accompanied by the operation of the processing means should not be executed when an error has occurred. For this reason, in the offline state after error detection, the control unit 70 discards the command accompanied by the operation of the processing unit and executes only the executable command without requiring the operation of the processing unit.
The controller 70 refers to the command table 77a stored in the flash ROM 77 in order to quickly determine whether or not the command received in the offline state after the error detection is an executable command.

FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically illustrating a configuration example of the command table 77a.
As illustrated in FIG. 5, the command table 77 a is a table that determines whether or not execution is possible in an offline state after error detection for each error type and each command type. In the example of FIG. 5, five error types are set in the field for storing the error type: conveyance error, motor driver temperature abnormality, thermal head temperature abnormality, buffer error, and memory error.

In the field for storing the command type of the command table 77a, command types of a firmware rewrite command, a log acquisition command, a set value acquisition command, an inkjet (IJ) print command, a thermal print command, and an auto cut command are set. The firmware rewrite command is a command for instructing rewriting of the control program (firmware) of the medium processing apparatus 1 stored in the flash ROM 77. When executing the firmware rewrite command, the control unit 70 receives a new control program transmitted from the host computer 5 following the command, and rewrites the control program in the flash ROM 77. For example, if an error occurs due to an abnormal read-out of the control program stored in the flash ROM 77, the error can be resolved by rewriting the control program in the flash ROM 77 to a factory default control program by a firmware rewrite command, or Since the media processing apparatus 1 can execute at least some basic functions, control for eliminating errors can be performed.
The log acquisition command is a command for acquiring an error log stored in the log area 77 b of the flash ROM 77 by the host computer 5. When executing the log acquisition command, the control unit 70 transmits the log stored in the log area 77b to the host computer 5 as a response to the command or a status notification. When an error occurs, the control unit 70 causes the log area 77b to store information such as the detector that detected the error factor, the type of error, and the time when the error was detected. The log area 77b always stores the accumulated number of checks 4, the accumulated operation time of the medium processing apparatus 1, the date and time of the latest maintenance, and the like. Since the host computer 5 can acquire various information stored in the log area 77b by the log acquisition command, the error can be appropriately and promptly dealt with by analyzing the information.

The setting value acquisition command is a command for acquiring various setting values stored in the flash ROM 77 by the host computer 5. This set value is a set value that can be arbitrarily set by the user after the use of the medium processing apparatus 1 is started, and a command is transmitted from the host computer 5 or an operation panel (not shown) provided in the medium processing apparatus 1 is operated. It is set by doing. If this setting value is not appropriate, errors may occur frequently. For example, when the temperature threshold value or the reference value for detecting the temperature abnormality of the thermal head 65 is set to a temperature lower than the upper limit of the rating of the thermal head 65, the thermal head 65 is particularly executing during printing. Even if it does not cause a failure, the temperature of the thermal head 65 reaches a threshold value or a reference value, and an error is detected. In this case, even if the medium processing apparatus 1 is reset, the temperature abnormality of the thermal head 65 is detected immediately. Therefore, if the medium processing apparatus 1 is left for a considerable period of time and the thermal head 65 is not allowed to cool, the error is resolved. do not do. When the set value acquisition command is executed, the control unit 70 transmits the set value stored in the flash ROM 77 to the host computer 5 as a response to the command or notification of status, so that the host computer 5 is stored in the flash ROM 77. The setting value can be acquired. Thereafter, by analyzing the set value by the host computer 5, it is possible to know whether or not the cause of the error is the set value, and it is possible to appropriately and promptly cope with the error. If the set value is abnormal, the set value can be written back to the factory default value by a firmware rewrite command.
The inkjet printing command is a command for instructing printing by the inkjet head 10, the thermal printing command is a command for instructing printing by the thermal head 65, and the auto cut command is a cutting operation by the cutter unit 66 that cuts the thermal roll paper. It is a command to instruct.

In the command table 77a, whether various commands can be executed or not is set for each error type. In the figure, executable is indicated by the symbol “◯”, and unexecutable is indicated by the symbol “x”. In the example of FIG. 5, the flash ROM 77 can be accessed regardless of whether a transport error, motor driver temperature abnormality, thermal head temperature abnormality, or buffer error occurs, so the firmware rewrite command, log acquisition command, and setting All of the value acquisition commands are set to be executable. On the other hand, when a memory error occurs, there may be an abnormality in the flash ROM 77 itself. Therefore, to avoid further damage to the firmware and the severity of symptoms, a firmware rewrite command, log acquisition command, and setting value acquisition None of the commands are set to run.
Further, a command related to the operation of the processing means is set to be executable when no error has occurred in the processing means operated by the command. Specifically, when a conveyance error occurs, the inkjet print command, thermal print command, and auto cut command are set to be unexecutable. However, if the control unit 70 is configured to distinguish and detect a transport error related to the check 4 and a transport error related to the thermal roll paper, the thermal print command and the auto-cut command are used when the transport error of the check 4 occurs in the command table 77a. It can be set to be executable, and an inkjet printing command can be set to be executable when a thermal roll paper transport error occurs. When the motor driver temperature abnormality occurs, the motor cannot be operated, and therefore, any of the inkjet printing command, the thermal printing command, and the auto cut command is set to be unexecutable. On the other hand, when the thermal head temperature abnormality occurs, printing by the inkjet head 10 is possible and the operation of the cutter unit 66 is also possible, so that the inkjet print command and the auto cut command are set to be executable.
When the command received from the host computer 5 in the offline state after the error detection is a command set to be executable in response to the detected error in the command table 77a, the control unit 70 executes the command. To do. Also, commands that are set to be unexecutable in the command table 77a and commands that are not defined in the command type field of the command table 77a are not executed.
That is, the control unit 70 functions as a command filter by referring to the command table 77a, and executes only the command that passes through this filter.
As described above, the medium processing apparatus 1 executes a command using the command table 77a for a command that does not cause a damage to a mechanism unit or a memory related to the error or a serious abnormality when an error occurs. It is set to be possible. According to the command table 77a, it is possible to set whether to execute each error type and each command type. For this reason, some operations can be executed even when an error occurs without causing a failure or a serious abnormality of the medium processing apparatus 1.

Of the errors of the medium processing apparatus 1 exemplified above, the excess capacity of the waste tank, the abnormal temperature of the motor driver 73, the abnormal temperature of the thermal head 65, the buffer error, the memory error, etc. can be resolved naturally by leaving them alone. Is not an error that can be expected, nor is it an error that users can easily resolve. When these errors occur, they usually require specialist work. For this reason, the controller 70 detects these errors as “unrecoverable errors”.
On the other hand, errors such as a transport error, ink out of the ink cartridge 45, paper out of the roll paper storage unit 62, cover open, and the like are removed by the user using the media processing apparatus 1 from the jammed paper or the ink cartridge 45. It can be resolved from an unrecoverable error because it can be resolved without the need for an expert to replace the heat-sensitive roll paper or close the cover 12.

In the command table 77a, whether each command can be executed or cannot be executed may be set separately for non-recoverable errors and other errors.
In addition, when an error is detected, the control unit 70 shifts to an offline state only when the error is an unrecoverable error, and is set to be executable in the command table 77a among the commands received from the host computer 5. The command may be executed. In this case, when an error that is not an unrecoverable error is detected, the normal offline state or busy state is entered, and a recovery by a manual operation by the user, a power on / off operation, or a reset switch operation is waited for. Also good.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the medium processing apparatus 1, and shows the operation of the control unit 70 when an error is detected.
The operation illustrated in FIG. 6 is started as an interrupt process when the control unit 70 detects an error, regardless of whether the processing unit is processing, for example, regardless of the operation state of the medium processing apparatus 1.
When detecting the occurrence of an error (step SB1), the control unit 70 shifts to an offline state (step SB2), notifies the host computer 5 of offline, and can receive a command transmitted from the host computer 5. Maintain state. The control unit 70 determines the type of error detected in step SB1 (step SB3), and stores information including the type of error in the log area 77b (step SB4).

Here, the control unit 70 waits for reception of a command from the host computer 5 (step SB5). When the command is received (step SB5; Yes), the received command is temporarily stored in the reception buffer 79. From the command table 77a (step SB6), it is determined whether or not the received command is an executable command (step SB7).
When the received command is set to be unexecutable for the error type determined at step SB3 in the command table 77a, and when the command is not set in the command table 77a (step SB7; No) The control unit 70 discards the received command (step SB8) and returns to step SB5. When discarding a command, the command stored in the reception buffer 79 is deleted.
On the other hand, when the received command is set to be executable for the error type determined in step SB3 in the command table 77a (step SB7; Yes), the control unit 70 executes the received command ( Step SB9), the process is terminated.

As described above, the medium processing apparatus 1 according to the embodiment to which the present invention is applied is configured to be connectable to the host computer 5, and the MICR head 35 is used as processing means for processing the check 4 or heat-sensitive roll paper as the medium. Inkjet printer unit 44 equipped with inkjet head 10, front surface CIS unit 47 and rear surface CIS unit 48, thermal printer unit 60 equipped with thermal head 65, and the like. When an error occurs, the state shifts to an offline state in which the operation of the processing means is stopped while maintaining a state communicable with the host computer 5, and an operation is stopped due to an error, that is, an offline state after the error is detected. Commands that do not require processing means to operate When receiving from Yuta 5 executes the command.
Thereby, even if an error occurs, a command transmitted from the host computer 5 can be executed, and it is possible to cope with the host computer 5 by acquiring information about the error. As a result, errors can be dealt with promptly, and the influence on work efficiency can be suppressed to a lesser extent. Further, even if the command is executed, the processing means in which the error has occurred is not operated, so there is no possibility of causing a more serious error or failure.

In the conventional media processing device, depending on the content of the error, for example, when an unrecoverable error occurs, the medium processing device becomes busy and does not receive commands sent from an external device such as a host computer. . In such a case, an external device cannot communicate with the media processing device to obtain information such as the location where an error has occurred, so an expert can remove the control board of the media processing device and analyze the memory. It was necessary, and it took time and effort to analyze and recover from errors.
On the other hand, the medium processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is set to be executable in the command table 77a illustrated in FIG. 5 while shifting to an offline state and maintaining a state where a command can be received even if an error occurs. When the received command is received, the command is executed. For example, even if an unrecoverable error such as a buffer error or a thermal head 65 temperature error shown in FIG. Since logs can be acquired, error cause analysis and recovery can be performed promptly. Furthermore, even if an unrecoverable error occurs, the setting value stored in the flash ROM 77 and the program can be rewritten, so that an error caused by an inappropriate setting value can be quickly eliminated. As a result, it is possible to suppress a decrease in work efficiency when an error occurs.

  In addition, the medium processing apparatus 1 includes a plurality of processing units including the inkjet head 10, the thermal head 65, the motor driver 73, the cutter unit 66, and a conveying unit, and the control unit 70 operates the processing unit in which an error has occurred. If the command is not necessary, the command transmitted from the host computer 5 can be executed. For example, when an error occurs, for example, a command for instructing the operation of the processing means in which no error has occurred is executed. However, the processing can be continued so as not to make the error serious, and the influence on work efficiency can be suppressed to a lesser extent.

  The control unit 70 executes the command when the command received from the host computer 5 in the offline state after the error detection is a preset executable command. Therefore, the executable command is preset. Therefore, it is possible to set so that the command is executed within a range that does not adversely affect the processing means and the like, and the command that affects the processing means in which the error has occurred is not executed. In addition, for example, it is possible to set a command useful for error resolution to be executable, while not setting an unnecessary command.

In the medium processing apparatus 1, a command that can be executed when an error occurs and an error type are set in association with each other by the command table 77a. Since the command table 77a can set an executable command for each error type, the setting of an executable command and a command that cannot be executed can be optimized for each error type.
Further, the control unit 70 may shift to an offline state when the error that has occurred is an unrecoverable error. In this case, the host computer 5 is used to appropriately deal with the unrecoverable error. And can be dealt with promptly.

  The above-described embodiment is merely an aspect of the present invention, and can be arbitrarily modified and applied within the scope of the present invention. In the above-described embodiment, the medium processing apparatus 1 uses the MICR head 35, the ink jet printer unit 44 including the ink jet head 10, the front surface CIS unit 47, and the back surface CIS as processing means for processing the check 4 or the thermal roll paper as the medium. The configuration including the unit 48 and the thermal printer unit 60 including the thermal head 65 has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the configuration includes only a part of these functions. Of course it is possible. Further, the types of errors detected by the control unit 70 are not limited to those listed above, and all errors detected as errors that hinder the operation of the medium processing apparatus 1 are included. Further, for example, in the above embodiment, the description has been given of the structure in which the processing means of the MICR head 35, the inkjet head 10, and the CIS unit are sequentially arranged on the conveyance path W of the medium processing apparatus 1. The arrangement order and the specific structure are not limited to this. Further, for example, each functional block shown in FIG. 3 can be arbitrarily realized by cooperation of hardware and software, and does not suggest a specific hardware configuration. Furthermore, the function of the control unit 70 may be provided in another device externally connected to the medium processing device 1. Further, each step of each flowchart shown in FIGS. 4 and 6 may be executed by executing a program stored in an externally connected storage medium.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Medium processing apparatus, 4 ... Check (medium), 5 ... Host computer (external apparatus), 10 ... Inkjet head, 44 ... Inkjet printer unit (processing means), 47 ... Surface CIS unit (processing means), 48 ... Back CIS unit (processing means), 60 ... thermal printer unit (processing means), 65 ... thermal head, 70 ... control unit (error control means), 77 ... flash ROM, 77a ... command table, 77b ... log area, 78 ... RAM, 79. Reception buffer.

Claims (6)

A medium processing apparatus configured to be connectable to an external apparatus and provided with processing means for processing a medium,
In the event of an error, comprising an error control means for maintaining the communicable state with the external device and stopping the operation of the processing means,
When the error control means receives a command from the external device that does not require the operation of the processing means in a state where the error has occurred and the operation is stopped, the command is executed.
A medium processing apparatus.   The error control means executes the command when the command received from the external device in the state where the error has occurred and the operation is stopped is a preset executable command. The medium processing apparatus according to claim 1.   The medium processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a command that can be executed when the error occurs and the type of the error are set in association with each other.   2. The error control unit, when the generated error is an unrecoverable error, maintains a state in which communication with the external device is possible and stops the operation of the processing unit. 4. The medium processing apparatus according to any one of items 1 to 3. A method of controlling a medium processing apparatus configured to be connectable to an external apparatus and provided with processing means for processing a medium,
When an error occurs, the state of communication with the external device is maintained and the operation of the processing unit is stopped. With this operation stopped, a command that does not require the operation of the processing unit is issued. If received from the device, execute the command,
A method for controlling a medium processing apparatus. A program that is configured to be connectable to an external device and that can be executed by a control unit that controls a medium processing apparatus including processing means for processing a medium,
The control unit
When an error occurs, the state of communication with the external device is maintained and the operation of the processing unit is stopped. With this operation stopped, a command that does not require the operation of the processing unit is issued. A program that, when received from an apparatus, functions as error control means for executing the command.

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