JP2532393B2 - Label issuing device - Google Patents

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a label issuing device using a label printer with a scale that sells a fresh food or the like in a supermarket with a measured value.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, when a fresh food or the like is sold in a supermarket or the like, a label printer provided with a scale is often used for weighing and selling. In general, such label printers are mostly used in a stand-alone state, but in recent years, there has been an increasing demand for systematization.

In such a label printer, the PLU provides various information necessary for label printing such as product number, unit price, and product name.
(Price / Look / Up) For each product as data
The PLU data is stored in advance in the PLU memory and the PLU data of the product is called when actually weighing the product. For example, in the meat department and fish department in supermarkets, each label printer has a large number of built-in PLU memories storing PLU data. In order to realize the above-described systemization, there is an in-line system in which a plurality of label printers are connected to an external storage device such as a store controller. The PLU memories of such a number are built in, and batch setting or partial setting / changing of the PLU memories is performed by batch in-line. In addition, the number of labels issued, the total weight,
A total memory for storing the total amount and the like is also provided.

However, in such a conventional system, each label printer has a large amount of PLU memory and total memory used by the label printer,
Even the PLU data having contents common to each label printer has a PLU memory and a total memory for each label printer, resulting in waste.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention To eliminate such waste of PLU memory and total memory, eliminate all PLU memory for each label printer,
It is conceivable that an external storage device such as a file controller is provided with a PLU file for PLU data, and the PLU data is inquired to the external storage device for each label issuance and priced according to the response PLU data. Even with such a configuration, there is no particular problem in normal use, but there is a problem that a line conflict occurs at the time of inquiry and processing time is required. In addition, according to this method, if an external storage device fails or a line failure such as an in-line cable occurs, the PLU file cannot be used, and all label printers cannot perform weighing and pricing. I will end up. Even in this case, if the data such as the product name and the unit price is input by key operation in the manual operation, there is no possibility that the data cannot be used.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of such a point, and the number of the memory for PLU data and the memory for total data required in the entire system is reduced to a necessary minimum to prevent a line failure or the like. It is an object of the present invention to obtain a weighing system capable of performing weighing and pricing in a small amount.

Means for Solving Problems A label which is in-line connected in real time with a file controller having a first PLU file that stores a large number of PLU data, and which has a product name, unit price, etc. printed based on the PLU data received from the file controller. In a label issuing device having a plurality of label printers that issue and send this label-issued data to the file controller, a second PLU file that stores a significantly smaller number of PLU data than the first PLU file. Is provided for each label printer, and calling means for calling PLU data from the first PLU file is provided. When the called PLU data is already stored in the second PLU file, the second PLU file is called. When the PLU data stored in is updated and is not stored in the second PLU file The PLU data is ordered in the second
PLU file update means for storing the oldest PLU data in the second PLU file when the second PLU file is full, and when the PLU data is called in the offline state, the second PLU file is deleted from the second PLU file. Issuing control means for calling the PLU data and issuing the label and storing it in the total memory that stores this label-issued data, the data stored in the total memory when returning from the offline state to the online state is stored in the file controller. A transmitting means for transmitting is provided.

Action Weighing and pricing work can be done from the label printer side first.
The PLU data is inquired to the file controller having the PLU file, and the PLU data is called while storing the PLU data in the second PLU file in the label printer. As a result, when a failure such as a disconnection of the line with the file controller occurs and the system goes into an offline state, the label printer is set to the second PL of its own.
The PLU data for the PLU memory held in the U file is priced by self-inquiry processing, and the issued number of sheets, total weight, total amount, etc. at that time are stored in the total memory. Then, when returning to the online state, it is automatically added to the first PLU file of the file controller, and is restored so that accurate data management can be performed.

Embodiment An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. First,
Fig. 2 shows the system configuration of the in-line system configuration. A plurality of label printers 2 and 3 are connected inline by a real-time system (loop system) to one file controller (FC) 1 as an external storage device. There is. Here, each of the label printers 2 and 3 has an electronic scale and has a function of issuing a weighted label, but the label printer 2 is for a back room and the label printer 3 is for a store. is there. To explain the in-line connection, the in-line cable 4 of this embodiment is HDLC (high level data link control), SD.
It is connected by LC (synchronized data link control) or a procedure based on these. That is,
As an in-line system, there is also a multi-drop system in which label printers each having a PLU memory are connected to a personal computer, etc. by a batch method, but in this system in-line system, another label printer interrupts while communicating with a specific label printer. Is impossible and takes a long time to process. In this respect, according to the real-time in-line system of the present embodiment, even if there is communication between the specific label printer 2 or 3 and the file controller 1, another label printer 2 or 3 can interrupt. .

Here, the file controller 1 has a first PLU file 5 as shown in FIG. This PLU
In File 5, 1 item is item number, item name, unit price,
It is configured as a PLU including other memories. Such a PLU file 5 is used for all the label printers 2, 3
Each PLU data is stored in advance in a large number N of PLU memories 6 that can be used in, and is collectively managed. For example, up to N = 2000 items (generally, thousands to tens of thousands) of PLU data can be registered. It is said that.

On the other hand, a backup memory 7 as a second PLU file is provided in each of the label printers 2 and 3.
The backup memory 7 is composed of a plurality of n PLU memories 8 including a total memory 9, and n is an extremely small number as compared with the number of the PLU memories 6 of the PLU file 5.

In such a configuration, the operation will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. First, after turning on the power, each memory and I / O
The initialization is performed, and the process proceeds to the main routine. In this main routine, first, the mode is determined. Here, the modes include a label issuing mode, a setting mode, an inspection mode, and the like. If the mode is set to the issuing mode, the process proceeds to the following control. In this issuance mode, if any label printer 2, 3 is set to the PLU product number calling mode and there is a key input, the calling means operates and the label printer 2, 3 side sends the file controller 1 to the file controller 1. The PLU data of the product number is inquired. When a response is sent from the file controller 1 to the inquiry from the label printers 2 and 3 through the in-line cable 4, the response PLU data is stored in the backup memory 7 in the label printers 2 and 3.
It is searched whether it is already stored as the LU memory 8.
In this case, if the backup memory 7 is the first,
Since the data of U is not stored, the P
Since there is no LU data, the response PLU data is stored in the PLU memory 8 including the backup memory 7 as it is. Then, if the response is for the PLU data that has already been stored, the data in the PLU memory 8 of the corresponding product number is updated to the latest data and stored. The PLU data inquiry and the storage in the backup memory 7 are performed in the same manner. However, in this storage, the backup memory 7 sequentially orders the PLU memories 8 from the oldest to the newest. In FIG. 1, the subscripts _{1 to} n for the PLU memory 8 indicate that they are old in order from 1. Then, after this, the backup memory 7 to the PLU memory 8
When the product number is called and the label is issued, a print buffer for printing the label is created, and the issue control means executes the label print / issue.

The back-up memory 7 of the label printers 2, 3 has an extremely low capacity (the number of PLU memories 8 that can be stored), and the label printers 2, 3 side inquires of the file controller 1 about PLU data. When the response PLU data is to be stored in the PLU memory 8 including the backup memory 7, the backup memory 7 may be already full. Thus when-back up-memory 7 is full, the stored contents converting unit oldest contents of PLU memory 8 ₁ is deleted by the ordering of PLU memory 8 in-back up-memory 7, the PLU memory 8 ₁ that this deletion On the other hand, the response PLU data from the file controller 1 is stored as the latest PLU data. The processing indicated by "oldest PLU deletion" and "new PLU storage" in FIG. 3 is performed by the storage content conversion means. Then, the order of the PLU memories 8 in the backup memory 7 is changed so that the PLU memory storing the response PLU data becomes the latest one. That is, the PLU memory 8 ₁ storing this latest response PLU data is changed from No. 1 to No.
8n, and similarly, the second oldest one is the oldest one, the third oldest one is the second, and the order of each PLU memory 8 is changed.

In this way, the called PLU data is already in the second P
This second PLU when stored in the LU file
The PLU data stored in the file is updated, and the second PLU
When the PLU data is not stored in the LU file, the PLU data is ordered and stored in the second PLU file, and when the second PLU file is full, the oldest PLU data is deleted. Executed by.

Therefore, although the capacity of the backup memory 7 of each label printer 2, 3 is small and limited, the data of the oldest PLU memory is replaced with the latest PLU data and stored when it becomes full. Each label printer can be used for calculation and pricing work that is not limited to capacity.
No problem occurs due to the extremely small memory capacity of the backup memory 7 of 2,3.

The contents of the backup memory 7 are transmitted to the file controller 1 and the contents of the PLU file 5 are constantly rewritten.

Further, since each label printer 2, 3 is equipped with such a back-up memory 7, even if the in-line cable 4 is cut off, the file controller 1 is broken, or the like, the influence is minimized. can do. That is, when such a failure occurs, the label printer 2,
Even if the 3rd side makes an inquiry about the PLU data to the file controller 1, there is no response to the inquiry. In this case, the label printers 2 and 3 that have made an inquiry store their product numbers in the backup memory 7 that they own.
The PLU memory 8 is searched (see FIG. 4) to call the PLU data from the PLU memory 8 of the product number and issue the label. In other words, the PLU data for the PLU memory 8 already stored in its own backup memory 7 can be used for the label printer 2, 3 regardless of the system failure.
The weighing and pricing work is performed by its own processing, and the total number of labels issued, total weight, total price, etc. are stored in the total memory.

Therefore, each of the scale-equipped label printers 2 and 3 is provided with an automatic addition switching switch (not shown). Therefore, as described above, the operation when the processing is performed in the offline state to the online state is
It will be described with reference to the drawings. That is, the automatic addition process is performed when the online state is established.

First, if the previous process is online, the process returns and the automatic addition process is not performed, but if it is offline, it is checked which switch the automatic addition switching switch is switched to. The fact that the automatic addition switching switch is not ON means that the automatic addition processing described later is not performed, and therefore the process returns with the contents of the back-up memory 7 of the label printers 2 and 3 saved. Then, if the automatic addition switch is on, check whether the contents of the total memory are "0" for each PLU, and send the total memory that is not "0" to the total memory of the file controller 1 as addition data. To do. Then, the contents of the transmitted total memory are cleared to zero. Then,
The same operation is repeated until all PLU memories 8 are completed. In this way, labels were issued while offline.
At the same time that the total data of the PLU comes online, it is transmitted to the file controller 1 by the transmitting means and added to the total memory of the file controller 1.

In this embodiment, the file controller 1 and the plurality of label printers 2 and 3 have been described as an in-line system in which they are always connected in-line by the in-line cable 4. However, the file controller 1 and the label printers 2 and 3 are connected in this way. It does not need to be always connected, and the point is that it is similarly applicable as long as the system configuration allows both to be connected at the time of data transfer.

EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION Since the present invention is configured as described above, in a state where the label printer with scale and the file controller are communicating in real time by online connection,
When the line printer goes offline due to a failure such as a disconnection of the line with the file controller, the label printer allocates the PLU memory of its own second PLU file.
The PLU data is priced by self-inquiry processing, and the number of sheets issued, total weight, total amount, etc. at that time are stored in total memory, and the first PLU of the file controller is automatically restored when the online status is restored. It can be added to the file, which allows accurate management of the total data.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 is a block diagram conceptually showing data processing, FIG. 2 is a system configuration diagram, FIG. 3 is a flow chart, and FIG. 4 is label printer self-processing. FIG. 5 is a block diagram of time, and FIG. 5 is a flow chart of automatic addition processing. 1 ... File controller, 2,3 ... Label printer (label printer with scale), 8 ... PLU memory

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A real-time in-line connection with a file controller having a first PLU file storing a large number of PLU data, and issuing a label on which product name, unit price, etc. are printed based on the PLU data received from the file controller. In a label issuing device having a plurality of label printers for transmitting the label-issued data to the file controller, an extremely small number of PLU data are stored for each label printer as compared with the first PLU file. A second PLU file, calling means for calling the PLU data from the first PLU file, and when the called PLU data is already stored in the second PLU file, the second PLU file is stored in the second PLU file. When the stored PLU data is updated and it is not stored in the second PLU file , PLU data is stored in the second PLU file in order, and the PLU file updating means for deleting the oldest PLU data when the second PLU file is full, and the PLU data is called in the offline state. In this case, issuing control means for calling the PLU data from the second PLU file to issue a label and storing the label issued data in the total memory for storing the label issued data, and the total memory when returning from the offline state to the online state A label issuing device comprising: a transmitting unit configured to transmit the data stored in the file controller to the file controller.