JP2691637B2 - Bar code printer - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a bar code printing apparatus that prints a bar code pattern at a predetermined position on a document based on input bar code data, and a common bar code even if the printer apparatuses have different resolutions. By using data to eliminate slippage of the form and ensuring compatibility of print data, it is possible to ensure the printing accuracy of the barcode by self-selecting the barcode of a size that can be printed by each printer. The bar code printing device that prints a bar code pattern at a predetermined position on the document based on the bar code data that is input and prints character data before and after this bar code pattern Code data
The bar code data is composed of code arrangement information in which bar code contents to be printed on a document are arranged, and frame information consisting of a frame width and a frame length as a virtual frame in which the bar code pattern is to be printed. A data analysis section 1 for analyzing the code sequence information and outputting the code sequence information and the frame information; a barcode pattern memory 2 storing a barcode pattern; and a pattern from the barcode pattern memory based on the code sequence information. Pattern output unit 3 for selecting and outputting the barcode pattern, and based on the frame information, determines the size of the barcode pattern to be printed in this virtual frame and outputs the horizontal width information and vertical length information of the barcode. A barcode position / size determining unit 4 that
Drawing unit 5 that creates a barcode image to be printed from the barcode pattern, the width information, and the height information, and a bitmap memory 6 that stores the barcode image.
In addition, when determining the print position of the barcode image, the inside of the virtual frame is designated and the character data is printed before and after the outside of the virtual frame.

[Industrial applications]

The present invention relates to a bar code printer, and more particularly to a bar code printer that prints a bar code pattern at a predetermined position on a document based on input bar code data.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, there are the following bar code printers that print a bar code on a predetermined position of a form or the like based on the input bar code data. This is based on the input barcode data, as shown in FIG. 5, the barcode 20 and the character string 19 displayed by the barcode, and the character strings 21 and 22 necessary before and after this barcode 20. It is to be printed. The bar code data 29 input here is, for example, as shown in FIG. 6, and character string data 23 before bar code printing, a control symbol 24 indicating the start of bar code designation,
It is composed of a specified value 25 of the horizontal width of the barcode (the number of horizontal dots of one bar), a specified value 26 of the vertical length of the barcode, the content 27 of the barcode, and the character string data 28 after printing the barcode. By inputting such bar code data 29, a bar code with a predetermined width and vertical length at a predetermined location.
20 and the character string 19 displayed by the barcode, and predetermined characters 21 and 22 are printed before and after the character string 19.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

By the way, the above-described barcode printing is performed by a dot printer or the like, but such a printer may have different dot densities, that is, resolutions depending on the model, and the same barcode may be printed by the same data. Sometimes you can't. That is, a thick line of a barcode is represented by 4 dots and a thin line is represented by 2 dots in one printer, whereas a thick line of the same thickness is represented by 3 dots in a different printer.
The thin line is displayed with 1 dot, which means that if you print a barcode with the same number of dots specified, the horizontal width of the entire barcode will be different, which will cause the character print position following the barcode to shift. Because it will be.

Therefore, according to the present invention, even when common data is used by printer devices having different resolutions, the print data can be prevented from being misaligned without affecting the barcode and the subsequent character print position. It is an object of the present invention to provide a barcode printing device that is compatible and can secure the printing position accuracy of a barcode.

[Means for solving the problem]

In the present invention, as a means for solving the above problems, as shown in FIGS. 1 (1) and (2), a bar code pattern is formed at a predetermined position on a document based on the input bar code data. In a bar code printer that prints character data before and after this bar code pattern, the bar code data to be input, the bar code contents in which bar code contents to be printed are arranged, and the bar code described above inside. A data analysis unit 1 that is composed of frame information including a frame width and a frame length as a virtual frame for printing a pattern, and analyzes the barcode data to output the code array information and the frame information. A barcode pattern memory 2 storing a barcode pattern, and selecting a pattern from the barcode pattern memory based on the code arrangement information. -The pattern extraction unit 3 that outputs a code pattern and the bar code position that determines the size of the bar code pattern to be printed in this virtual frame based on the frame information and outputs the horizontal width information and vertical length information of the bar code A size determining unit 4, a drawing unit 5 for creating a barcode image to be printed from the barcode pattern, the width information and the height information, and a bitmap memory 6 for storing the barcode image. When the print position of the barcode image is specified, the inside of the virtual frame is specified and the character data is printed before and after the outside of the virtual frame.

[Action]

According to the present invention, input bar code data is composed of code arrangement information for designating data to be printed on a document and frame information for designating a virtual frame in which the data is to be printed. The data is analyzed to obtain the code sequence information and the frame information.

Then, the bar code position / size determining unit 4 adjusts the horizontal width (horizontal magnification) of the bar code so that the bar code pattern including the combination of the black bar and the white bar fits within the virtual frame indicated by the frame information. The drawing unit 5 creates a barcode image in a print format composed of a black bar and a white bar based on the above information. The barcode image created in this way is arranged and printed so as to fit within the virtual frame based on the frame information, and characters are printed after the virtual frame.

As a result, in the conventional processing, when the resolution of the printer is different, the size of the barcode is not constant, and the print position of the character data printed before and after this barcode may be displaced. The code is always printed in the designated virtual frame. In this way, even with the same bar code data, each printing device self-selects the size of the bar code that can be printed within the virtual frame, thereby determining the bar code printing range and The print position of the character data before and after is constant.

〔Example〕

An embodiment of a bar code printer according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1, FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 show an embodiment of the bar code printer according to the present invention. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the barcode printing apparatus has code array information for designating the data to be printed on the input barcode data and a virtual frame for printing the data inside. A data analysis unit 1 that is composed of designated frame information, analyzes the bar code data and outputs code array information and frame information, a bar code pattern memory 2 that stores a bar code pattern, and the code array. A pattern extracting unit 3 that selects a pattern from the barcode pattern memory based on information and outputs a barcode pattern, and a bar that outputs horizontal magnification / vertical length information and arrangement information of the barcode based on the frame information. Drawing for creating a bar code image to be printed from the code position / size determining unit 4, the bar code pattern, and lateral magnification and vertical length information. 5, and a bit map memory 6 for storing the bar code image.

In this embodiment, the bar code data 37 is, as shown in FIG. 3, character string data 31 before bar code printing, a control symbol 32 indicating the start of bar code designation, and a frame in which the bar code is printed. The horizontal width 33 of the virtual output frame, the vertical length 34 of the barcode output virtual frame, the content 35 of the barcode, and the character string data 36 after the barcode is printed.

When this bar code data is input, the data analysis unit 1 analyzes this data and outputs the bar code array and frame information. The pattern extracting unit 3 reads the barcode pattern from the barcode pattern memory 3 based on the barcode arrangement information and outputs it to the drawing unit 5. Further, the barcode position / size determining unit 4 receives the frame information and outputs the horizontal magnification, the vertical length information and the array information to the drawing unit 5.

The horizontal magnification, the vertical length information and the layout information are created by the barcode position / size determining unit as follows.

As shown in FIG. 4, if the vertical length of the virtual barcode frame, the horizontal width of the barcode output frame, the vertical length of the bar, the height of the lower character, etc. are defined, the horizontal magnification = the horizontal width of the barcode output frame (apparatus resolution conversion value )
/ Bar code character basic width x number of characters X offset = [width of bar code output frame (device resolution conversion value)-(bar code character basic width x magnification x number of characters)] / 2 Y offset = 0 bar vertical length = bar Calculated by the vertical length of the code output frame minus the height of the lower character, and output.

Then, the drawing unit 5 outputs the barcode and the character to be printed to the bitmap memory 6 based on these information, and the printing unit (not shown) prints the barcode and the character based on this data. .

FIG. 2 shows a bar code and a character string printed by the bar code printer according to this embodiment. In this example, the barcode 41 and the character string 45 of the content displayed by the barcode are the designated virtual barcode output frame 42.
The character strings 43 and 44 to be printed inside the bar code and before and after the bar code are printed before and after the bar code virtual output frame 42, and are not printed inside the bar code virtual output frame 42.

Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the bar code printing position is specified inside the bar code virtual output frame, so that the bar code is specified even if the printer resolution is different. The printing accuracy of the bar code is printed in the frame, the slip of the form is eliminated by the same bar code data, the compatibility of the print data is secured, and the bar code of the size that each printer can print is selected by itself. Can be secured.

〔The invention's effect〕

As described above, according to the present invention, when bar code data is input to print a bar code at a predetermined position and a character is printed in the vicinity of the bar code, the bar code position is designated and the bar code is placed inside the bar code. Even if the resolution of the printing device is different, the bar code is printed within the specified virtual frame even if the resolution of the printing device is different. And the printing positions of the character data before and after do not shift. In this way, the compatibility of print data between printers is ensured, and each printer prints before and after the barcode by selecting the printable barcode within the virtual frame. As a result, the printing positions of the characters to be printed are constant and the printing position accuracy is improved. For example, it is not necessary to redesign a form for a printing apparatus having a different resolution.

[Brief description of the drawings]

1 (1) and 1 (2) are the principle diagrams of the present invention, and FIG.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a printing example of an embodiment of the bar code printing device according to the present invention, FIG. 3 is a diagram showing bar code data used in the embodiment of the bar code printing device according to the present invention, and FIG. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the operation of the barcode position / size determining unit in the example, FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a conventional example of printing a barcode, and FIG. 6 is a diagram showing conventional barcode data. . 1 ... Data analysis unit 2 ... Bar code pattern memory 3 ... Pattern extraction unit 4 ... Bar code position / size determination unit 5 ... Drawing unit 6 ... Bit map memory 11 ... Virtual frame

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-63-76087 (JP, A) JP-A-2-103192 (JP, A) Actual opening 1-1-166546 (JP, U) Actual opening Sho-63- 178182 (JP, U)

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. Based on the input bar code data,
In a bar code printer that prints a bar code pattern at a specified position on the document and prints character data before and after this bar code pattern, input bar code data is a code that arranges the bar code contents to be printed on the document. It is composed of array information and frame information consisting of a frame width and a frame length as a virtual frame in which the barcode pattern is to be printed, and the barcode data is analyzed to analyze the barcode sequence information and the frame information. And a bar code pattern memory (2) storing a bar code pattern, and selecting a bar code pattern from the bar code pattern memory based on the code arrangement information. A pattern extraction unit (3) to output and a barcode to be printed in this virtual frame based on the frame information A bar code position / size determination unit (4) that determines the size of a turn and outputs horizontal width information and vertical length information of the barcode, and should print from the barcode pattern, the horizontal width information, and the vertical length information. It has a drawing section (5) for creating a barcode image and a bitmap memory (6) for storing the barcode image, and when designating the printing position of the barcode image, it is performed by designating within the virtual frame. A bar code printing device, which prints character data before and after the outside of the virtual frame.