JP2528684Y2 - Multicolor recording device - Google Patents

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a multicolor recording apparatus for performing data control when performing multicolor thermal recording.

2. Description of the Related Art Recently, a thermal recording apparatus has been developed which is capable of performing color recording using a thermal recording paper which develops a multicolor by changing a heating amount.

Conventionally, in such a thermal recording apparatus, recording of each color is performed in a time-division manner when recording is performed for each line by driving a thermal head. For example, 2 of black, which is a low energy color developing side, and red, which is a high energy coloring side.
It is one which is adapted to perform the recording by color, and a recording period T _R of the recording period T _B and a red black provided as shown in FIG. 3 for each recording of each line, first in T _B period After to perform the recording by black gives black recording data for one line to the thermal head, so as to perform recording by the red giving red recording data for one line to the thermal head during the next T _R period ing.

However, such a conventional recording means has a recording period of T _B + T _R even when there is no black or red recording data at the time of recording for each line, and it takes a long time for color recording. It has become.

In FIG. 3, when the recording of both black and red is performed on the first line 1, the recording of only black is performed on the second line 12, and the third line 13 is performed. Shows a case where recording of only red color is performed, and a case where neither black nor red recording is performed on the fourth line l4.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and when performing recording for each line by driving a thermal head, recording of each color is performed in a time-division manner. An object of the present invention is to provide a multi-color printing apparatus capable of effectively shortening the time required for color printing by skipping a printing period when there is no data.

In order to achieve the object, the present invention provides a multicolor printing apparatus which performs printing by giving print data of each color for one line to a print head in a time-division manner when printing each line. First color information storage means for storing color print data, second color information storage means for storing second color print data for each line, and all data stored in the first color information storage means First determining means for determining whether or not the data is recording data; second determining means for determining whether or not all data stored in the second color information storage means is non-recording data; Means and said second
Control means for reading a result of the judgment by the judging means and controlling the printing operation; only the first color information storage means has print data based on the results of judgment by the first judging means and the second judging means. If it is determined that the first color recording data is read out and given to the recording head to perform the recording operation, the recording operation is immediately shifted to the next line recording operation. When it is determined from the result of the determination that only the second color information storage means has print data, only the print data of the second color is read and given to the print head to perform a print operation. After that, control is immediately performed to shift to the recording operation of the next line.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the multicolor printing apparatus according to the present invention, respectively reads the black recording data D _B and red recording data D _R through the multiplexer 2 under the control of the control circuit 1 as shown in Figure 1 in parallel lines Stored in memory 31, 32,
A determination circuit 41 provided for each of the line memories 31, 32,
At 42, it is determined whether or not the data contents stored in each of the line memories 31, 32 are all non-recording white data, and the control circuit 1 reads each determination result.

The control circuit 1 reads each of the determination result by the respective decision circuits 41 and 42, then the recording data D _B of each color stored in the line memories 31 and 32, when the D _R is not either an all white data is stored first reads the black recording data D _B stored in the line memory 31 to perform the recording by black given to the thermal head (not shown) via a multiplexer 5 and then to the line memory 32 It reads red recording data D _R given to the thermal head through the multiplexer 5 to perform recording by the red to the same line.

Further, the control circuit 1 uses the judgment circuit 42 to
When only the red recording data D _R stored in is determined to be all white data, the line memory 31 at that time
Only read by black recording data D _B stored given to the thermal head through the multiplexer 5 to perform the recording by black, by skipping a recording cycle with the next red to terminate the color recording in the line.

Further, the control circuit 1 uses the determination circuit 41 to
Thermal head when only the black recording data D _B stored is determined to be all white data, via the multiplexer 5 reads only the red recording data D _R stored at that time in the line memory 32 to To skip the previous black recording cycle, immediately perform red recording, and end color recording on that line.

The control circuit 1, if the determination circuit 41 and 42 of the line memory 31, 32 to the stored colors are recorded data D _B of the, D _R is determined that both are all white data, the by the line reads the red record data D _R which is stored in the black recording data D _B or the line memory 32 is stored in the memory 31 provided to the thermal head through the multiplexer 5, black or red all-white data when Only the recording cycle is executed, and the recording in that line is completed.

FIG. 2 shows a recording cycle according to the present invention. If In the first line 1 which has made a record of both the black and red, in the second line l2 when the red recording data D _R has to perform the recording only black in all white data, If in the three-line l3 is black recording data D _B has to perform the recording of only red in all white data, in the fourth line l4 any black recording data D _B and red recording data D _R The case of all white data is shown.

1, the line memories 33 and 34 and the judgment circuits 43 and 44 are separately provided, and while the recording control on a certain line is performed as described above, the black recording data D on the next line is controlled. _B, red recording data D _R is stored in the line memories 33 and 34, thereby enabling real-time processing is carried out each determination of whether or not all white data by each judgment circuit 43.

According effect Thus the present invention, the recording data D _B of each color for each one line, in which a time division manner to perform the recording based on the D _R, the recording cycle in the absence of black or red recording data Since the recording is skipped and the recording immediately proceeds to the next line, the time required for color recording can be effectively reduced.

Comparing the black recording period T _B and the red recording period T _R, it is usually T _B <T _R , and especially when there are few red recording portions in one page, recording takes less than half of the conventional time. become able to.

The present invention is not limited to the case of performing color recording using two colors of black and red, and the same applies to the case of performing color recording of three or more colors by increasing the number of line memories and the number of determination circuits accordingly. Needless to say, it can be carried out at any time.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a multicolor printing apparatus according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a view showing an example of a printing cycle in the embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a printing cycle in conventional color printing. FIG. 1 ... Control circuit, 2,5 ... Mux, 31-34 ...
Line memory, 41-44 ... Judgment circuit

Claims (1)

(57) [Scope of request for utility model registration] 1. A multi-color printing apparatus which performs printing by giving print data for each color for one line to a print head in a time-division manner when printing for each line.
First color information storage means for storing color print data, second color information storage means for storing second color print data for each line, and all data stored in the first color information storage means First determining means for determining whether or not the data is recording data; second determining means for determining whether or not all data stored in the second color information storage means is non-recording data; Means for controlling the recording operation by reading the judgment result by the second judgment means, and only the first color information storage means is used for the recording data based on the judgment results by the first judgment means and the second judgment means. When it is determined that the print data has the first color, only the print data of the first color is read out and given to the print head to perform the print operation. Means and When it is determined that only the second color information storage means has print data based on the result of the determination by the second determination means, only the second color print data is read out and given to the printhead to perform a printing operation. A multi-color printing apparatus which controls so as to immediately shift to the printing operation of the next line after the printing.