JP2868413B2 - Printer device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printer device, and more particularly to a printer device that performs printing while moving a print head in a digit direction.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, the following methods have been mainly used for diagnosing a printing operation of a printer device such as an impact dot printer device which performs printing while moving a print head in a digit direction.

[0003] The actual movement of the print head is visually confirmed and diagnosed on the spot. The actual movement of the print head is video-recorded and diagnosed collectively later. The logic analyzer is used to analyze the printing mechanism control unit and the logic unit.

[0004]

Among the conventional methods for diagnosing printing operations, the other methods perform diagnosis based on only the printing result already performed, so that the optimum printing operation is normally performed. There was a problem that it was difficult to ascertain whether or not it was.

In addition, the above-described method has a problem that it is difficult to make a clear distinction between a failure in the printing mechanism itself and a failure in the printing mechanism control unit and the logic unit and diagnose the failure. The present invention solves these problems and makes it possible to easily confirm the movement trajectory of the print head, and to easily perform a diagnosis of a printing operation without using a special measuring device. It is an object of the present invention to provide a device, particularly a printer device that performs printing while moving a print head in a digit direction.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is configured as follows. (1) In a printer device which performs printing while moving a print head in the digit direction, a print data storage means for storing print data transferred from a host computer, and print data held by the print data storage means in print line units. And a line developing means for storing the result, and a print start position and an end position, and a print head speed are calculated for each print line based on the data held by the line developing means. The start / end position to be held, the head speed calculation / holding means, and the start / end position
Head movement trajectory creation / holding means for creating and holding a movement trajectory of a print head along with speed information based on data held by the head speed calculation / holding means, and data held by the head movement trajectory creation / holding means And a head movement trajectory display means for displaying the movement trajectory of the print head based on the above.

(2) In the above (1), a print mechanism built in the printer is used as the head movement locus display means, and the movement locus of the print head is printed and displayed on printer paper.

(3) In the above (1), the data held by the head movement locus creating / holding means is transferred to a host computer via an interface, and a display on the host computer side is used as the head movement locus display means. The moving track of the print head is displayed on the display.

(4) In the above (2) or (3),
The movement trajectory of the print head is displayed so as to be distinguished between a print portion where print data exists and a space portion where print data does not exist.

(5) In the above (2) or (3),
When the movement locus of the print head extends outside the printable area of the printer paper, the width in the digit direction is reduced to display the movement locus of the print head.

(6) In the above (2) or (3),
The movement trajectory of the print head is displayed separately for the print section where print data exists and the space section where print data does not exist, and the head speed in the print section and the head speed in the space section are displayed together. I do.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a basic configuration of the present invention. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a printer according to the present invention, 2
Is MPU, 3 is ROM, 4 is printing mechanism, 5 is RAM, 6
Is print data storage means, 7 is line development means, 8 is start / end position / head speed calculation / holding means, 9 is head movement trajectory creation / holding means, 10 is an interface, and 11 is a host computer.

The MPU 2 controls each part of the printer device 1 and processes commands and print data transferred from the host computer 11 via the interface 10. The ROM 3 stores various instructions executed by the MPU 2.

The printing mechanism 4 is a mechanism for actually performing printing, and includes a print head, a carrier motor, a line feed motor, and a driver control unit for controlling them.

The RAM 5 is a work area for storing various instructions and data to be executed by the MPU 2, and is a feature of the present invention.
The start / end position / head speed calculation / holding means 8 and the head movement trajectory creation / holding means 9 are set in this area.

[0016]

The operation of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 1 showing the basic configuration of the present invention. The print data transferred from the host computer 11 is stored in the print data storage 6.

The print data stored in the print data storage means 6 is developed by the line developing means 7 in print line units, and the result is held. The start / end position / head speed calculation / holding unit 8 calculates the print start position and print end position and the print head speed for each print line based on the data held by the line developing unit 7, and calculates the result. Hold.

The head movement trajectory creating / holding means 9 creates and holds the movement trajectory of the print head together with the speed information based on the data held by the start / end position / head speed calculation / holding means 8.

The movement locus of the print head is displayed based on the data held by the head movement locus creating / holding means 9.
This is performed by the head movement trajectory display means. There are the following two head movement locus display means. That is, the print mechanism 4 built in the printer is used as the head movement path display means, and the movement path of the print head is printed on printer paper and displayed.

The data held by the head movement trajectory creating / holding means 9 is transferred to the host computer 11 via the interface 10, and a display of the host computer 11 is used as the head movement trajectory display means.
The movement locus of the print head is displayed on the display.

As described above, according to the present invention, the movement locus of the print head is displayed on the printer paper or on the display, so that the following effects are realized. Since the movement trajectory of the print head is specifically known, it can be easily confirmed whether or not the printing operation is optimal.

Whether the printing is one-way printing or two-way printing can be determined at a glance. Changes in speed up and speed down when the print head moves can be seen. This shows how the print head affects the vertical and horizontal perforations of the continuous form and the vicinity of the sprocket.

Before actual printing, it is possible to predict the quality of the printing result. When a printing error occurs, it is possible to determine whether the printing mechanism and the printing mechanism control unit are defective or the logic unit is defective.

[0024]

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 21 is a printer device according to the present invention,
22 is an MPU, 23 is a ROM, 24 is an input / output port, 2
5 is a driver control unit, 26 is an operator panel, 27 is a print head, 28 is a carrier motor, 29 is a line feed motor, 30 is a RAM, 31 is a print buffer, 32 is a print buffer, 33 is a print block buffer, and 34 is speed management. A buffer, 35 is a head movement trajectory buffer, 36 is an interface control unit, and 37 is a host computer.

The operation of the printer according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG. First, an operation performed by the MPU 22 that has received a command from the host computer 37 via the interface control unit 36 will be described.

The command is analyzed. As a result of the analysis, if the data is print data, a print buffer 31, a print buffer 32, and a print block buffer 33 are created on the RAM 30. Each buffer is
It has the following contents.

The print buffer 31 stores print data, where character editing is performed. Print buffer 32
Holds print data obtained by expanding the print data stored in the print buffer 31 in print line units.

The print block buffer 33 holds position information including a print start position and an end position of print data expanded in print line units, and print head speed information.

As a result of the command analysis, in the case of a character modification command, flags and registers necessary for character modification are set. As a result of the command analysis, in the case of a print start command, printing is executed.

The operation performed by the MPU 22 has been described above. Next, the operation of the printer will be described separately for the normal printing mode and the head movement trajectory mode.

[Operation in Normal Print Mode] The MPU 22 receives print data from the host computer 37 via the interface control unit 36.

The MPU 22 is connected to the host computer 3
7 is stored in the print buffer 31 on the RAM 30. When the MPU 22 receives the print command command after repeating the above operations, the MPU 22 performs character editing based on the print data stored in the print buffer 31. The print data stored in the print buffer 31 is developed for each print line, and a print buffer 32 is created.

The driver control unit 25 sets the carrier motor 28 in a state of waiting for a stop. Position information including a print start position and a print end position held by the print buffer 32,
Then, the printing block buffer 33 is created by calculating the speed information of the printing head.

The head speed control information for one line is calculated from the print start position information and the end position information of the print data expanded in print line units held by the print block buffer 33 and the print head speed information. The management buffer 34 is created.

The driver control unit 25 includes the print head 2
7. The printing mechanism including the carrier motor 28 and the line feed motor 29 is activated to execute one-line printing. The print buffer 32, print block buffer 33, and speed management buffer 34 are cleared for printing the next line.

The above operations 1 to 5 are repeated. [Operation in Head Movement Trajectory Mode] The MPU 22 receives a head movement trajectory display command from the operator panel 26 or from the host computer 37 via the interface control unit 36.

The MPU 22 that has received the head movement locus display command stores the print data transferred from the host computer 37 in the print buffer 31 on the RAM 30.

When receiving the print command command, the MPU 22 edits characters based on the print data stored in the print buffer 31. The print data is simplified by dividing it into, for example, three types of “kanji”, “ANK”, and “image”.

The print data stored in the print buffer 31 is developed for each print line, and a print buffer 32 is created. The driver control unit 25 sets the carrier motor 28 in a state of waiting for a stop. The print block buffer 33 is created by calculating the position information including the print start position and the print end position held by the print buffer 32 and the print head speed information.

The head speed control information for one line is calculated from the print start position information and the end position information of the print data expanded in print line units held by the print block buffer 33 and the print head speed information. The management buffer 34 is created.

For the edited data on the print buffer 31, print head speed information is added to a print portion where print data exists and a space portion where print data does not exist, and a head movement trajectory buffer 35 is created.

A speed management buffer that determines the head speed for printing one line of the head movement trajectory data held by the head movement trajectory buffer 35 is created (this is different from the speed management buffer 34 described above). is there).

The driver control unit 25 controls the print head 2
7, a printing mechanism including the carrier motor 28 and the line feed motor 29 is activated to print one line of the head movement locus.

To print the next line, the print buffer 32, print block buffer 33, and speed management buffer 34 are cleared. The above-mentioned operations are repeated.

In the above description, an example in which the head movement locus is printed using the printing mechanism built in the printer device 21 has been described. However, the data held by the head movement locus buffer 35 and the head movement locus data The data stored in the speed management buffer for determining the head speed for printing one line is printed by the interface control unit 3.
6 to the host computer 37 to display the head movement locus on the display screen of the host computer.

Next, a specific printing example of the head movement locus will be described with reference to FIG. 3 showing the relationship between the temporal change of the head speed and the locus mode printing. FIG. 3A shows a printing example. That is, as an example, “kanji”, “ANK”, “T
An example of printing character strings "AB (control code)" and "print" is shown. However, “TAB (control code)” is not actually printed.

FIG. 3B shows kanji, ANK, and TA
FIG. 9 shows a temporal change of the head speed and a head movement locus when there are three types of head speeds B. FIG. The curve above the time axis is the change over time in the head speed, and the one shown below is the head movement trajectory. Of the head speed, v
_T is TAB velocity, v _A is ANK velocity, v _K is a kanji speed. As can be seen, relation that _{v T> v A> v K} .

The head movement locus includes print data.
The print area is displayed as a rectangle, indicating that there is no print data.
The pace part is indicated by a straight line. In addition, the printing section and
In the space, the corresponding head speed is the TAB speed
(V_T) Is the T, ANK speed (v _A) Is A, Kanji speed (v
_K) Are also displayed as K.

FIG. 3 (c) shows the temporal change of the head speed and the locus of the head movement when there are two types of head speeds of kanji and ANK. The curve above the time axis is the change over time in the head speed, and the one shown below is the head movement trajectory. Of the head speed, v _A is AN
K velocity, v _K is a kanji speed. As you can see from the figure,
relationship that v _A> v _K.

The head movement trajectory is indicated by a square in a print portion where print data exists, and a straight line in a space portion where no print data exists. In the printing portion and the space portion, the corresponding head speed is displayed together with the ANK speed (v _A ) as A, and the kanji speed (v _K ) as K.

FIG. 3D shows a temporal change of the head speed in the case of the locus mode printing. As can be seen from the figure, the head speed when printing the head movement trajectory is constant and set to the kanji speed (v _K ) or the ANK speed (v _A ). The reason for this is that in printing the head movement trajectory, a kanji or ANK is not actually printed, but a rectangle representing a print portion where print data exists and a straight line representing a space portion where print data does not exist are printed.

Next, a specific example of head movement locus printing obtained by implementing the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 4 showing an example of a head movement locus printing mode. FIG. 4 (a)
Indicates a mode in which the head movement trajectory is printed while distinguishing between the printing section and the space section. An actual print example is shown on the left side, and a head movement locus print example is shown on the right side. As can be seen from the figure, the head movement trajectory is represented by a square in a print portion where print data exists, and a straight line in a space portion where no print data exists.

FIG. 4B shows a mode in which printing is performed with the head movement locus reduced. An actual print example is shown on the left side, and a head movement locus print example is shown on the right side. As can be seen from the figure, in the actual print example shown on the left side, the print head moves out of the effective print area of the printer paper in the digit direction as shown by the dotted line. Since such printing is inappropriate, printing of the head movement trajectory is performed with the digit direction reduced in order to clearly show this fact. Therefore, the rectangle representing the print portion where the print data exists is reduced in the digit direction and displayed, and the straight line representing the space portion where the print data does not exist is reduced in the digit direction and displayed short.

FIG. 4C shows a mode for recording the head speed in each of the printing section and the space section. The upper part shows an actual print example, and the lower part shows a print example of head movement locus. As can be seen from the figure, the head movement trajectory is represented by a square in a print portion where print data exists, and a straight line in a space portion where no print data exists. Then, in the corresponding position of the square representing the print part and the straight line representing the space part,
T representing TAB speed, A representing ANK speed, and K representing Kanji speed are displayed.

The example of printing the head movement locus using various modes has been described above. In the printer apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. The data stored in the speed management buffer that determines the head speed for printing one line of the head movement trajectory data is transferred to the host computer 37 via the interface control unit 36, and is displayed on the display screen of the host computer as shown in FIG.
The same head movement locus as that shown in (a), (b), and (c) can be displayed. This makes it possible for the host computer to diagnose the printer device.

[0056]

According to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained in a printer device, particularly in a printer device which performs printing while moving a print head in the digit direction.

Since the movement locus of the print head is specifically known, it can be easily confirmed whether or not the printing operation is optimal. At a glance, it can be determined whether the printing is one-way printing or two-way printing.

The change in speed-up or speed-down when the print head moves can be seen. This shows how the print head affects the vertical and horizontal perforations of the continuous form and the vicinity of the sprocket.

Before actual printing, it is possible to predict the quality of the printing result. When a printing error occurs, it is possible to determine whether the printing mechanism and the printing mechanism control unit are defective or the logic unit is defective.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a basic configuration of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a relationship between a temporal change of a head speed and trajectory mode printing.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a head movement locus print mode.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Printer apparatus 2 MPU 3 ROM 4 Printing mechanism 5 RAM 6 Print data storage means 7 Line development means 8 Start / end position / head speed calculation / holding means 9 Head movement locus creation / holding means 10 Interface 11 Host computer

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Fields surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁶ , DB name) B41J 29/42 B41J 19/18 B41J 29/46

Claims (6)

(57) [Claims] In a printer device for performing printing while moving a print head in a digit direction, a print data storage means for storing print data transferred from a host computer, and print data stored in the print data storage means are printed. Based on line expansion means for expanding the data in line units and holding the results, and data held by the line expansion means,
Start / end position / head speed calculation / holding means for calculating print start position and end position and print head speed for each print line, and holding the results, and start / end position / head speed calculation / hold A head movement trajectory creating / holding means for creating and holding a movement trajectory of a print head along with speed information based on data held by the means, and a printing operation based on data held by the head movement trajectory creation / holding means; A printer device comprising: a head movement trajectory display unit for displaying a head movement trajectory. 2. The printer device according to claim 1, wherein a print mechanism incorporated in the printer device is used as head movement trace display means, and the movement trace of the print head is printed on printer paper and displayed. 3. The head moving trajectory creating / holding means according to claim 1, wherein the data held by said head moving trajectory creating / holding means is transferred to a host computer via an interface, and a display of the host computer is used as the head moving trajectory display means. A printer device for displaying a movement locus of a print head on the top. 4. The printer device according to claim 2, wherein the movement trajectory of the print head is displayed separately in a print portion where print data exists and a space portion where print data does not exist. 5. The printer according to claim 2, wherein, when the movement locus of the print head extends beyond the printable area of the printer paper, the width in the digit direction is reduced to display the movement locus of the print head. apparatus. 6. A print head according to claim 2, wherein the movement trajectory of the print head is displayed separately in a print portion where print data exists and a space portion where print data does not exist, and the head speed and space in the print portion are displayed. A printer device for displaying the head speed in a unit in accordance with the head speed.