JP2887990B2 - Media handling equipment - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printing density management method for a passbook handling device or the like used in a bank or the like, and more particularly to an ink ribbon by counting the number of printing pixels in a predetermined area of a printed passbook or the like. The present invention relates to an ink ribbon density management method that allows the user to know when to replace the ink ribbon.

In recent years, passbook handling devices such as bookkeeping machines have become widespread in financial institutions such as banks. In such devices, in order to guarantee the print density of transaction media such as passbooks to be passed on to customers, the devices themselves carry out transactions. Each time a density control is performed to check the density level of the final print line, since the method of reading hyphens etc. at a specific position of printing, the print format is limited, and the final print line , It is inconvenient to use a printer whose final print line changes like a passbook. Therefore, a method for easily controlling the density is desired.

[0003]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional method will be described below with reference to FIGS. The same reference numerals indicate the same objects throughout the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 9, the bookkeeping machine includes an apparatus main body 2 having an insertion slot 1 into which a passbook 5a is inserted, a keyboard 3 for inputting a customer's account number and transaction details, and an operation processing content. (Hereinafter, referred to as a CRT) 4 on which information is displayed. The apparatus main body 2 is connected to a host computer (hereinafter, referred to as a host) (not shown) by a line.

FIG. 10 shows an internal side view of the passbook printer. As shown in the figure, a transport path 6a, feed rollers R1 to R6 for transporting the passbook 5a, a sensor S1 for detecting the tip of the passbook 5a, a read / write (hereinafter referred to as R / W) unit 7, a read sensor 8a, and a printer unit 9a. R / W section 7 is a passbook
Read / write the recorded data of the magnetic stripe (hereinafter referred to as MS) 5a.

The reading sensor 8a is a charge-coupled device (CCD)
A self-scanning optical sensor composed of
The hyphen (may be another character or symbol) on the last line of the already printed line detection and discharge passbook 5a is read.

The printer section 9a includes a print head 10a and a platen 10b. An ink ribbon 11a supplied from a ribbon cassette (not shown) is set on the front of the print head 10a. The feed rollers R1 to R3 are connected to a pulse motor (hereinafter referred to as a motor) M1.

Therefore, when the teller inserts the bankbook 5a from the insertion slot 1 in the direction of arrow A, the sensor S1 detects the leading end of the bankbook 5a and starts transporting the bankbook 5a. The record data including the account number and the deposit balance is read, and further conveyed, as shown in FIG. 11, the print page and the hyphen of the already printed line are detected by the read sensor 8a, and the next printable line is detected by the printer unit 9a. Is set to

Then, when the transaction contents such as the deposit amount are inputted from the keyboard 3, the read information of the R / W unit 7 and the transaction contents are notified to the host, and the printing balance from the host is transmitted to the passbook 5a by the printer unit 9a. Is printed. When printing is performed over a plurality of lines, a line feed operation is performed and printing is performed. When printing is performed on the last line of the page during printing, the page is sent to a page turning section (not shown), and the page is turned and printed again.

When printing is completed, the feed rollers R1 to R3 are driven in the reverse direction, and the passbook is fed in the direction of arrow B.
The account balance and the like are recorded in S and are discharged from the insertion slot 1. At this time, scanning is performed by the reading sensor 8a from the leading end (the lower end in the figure) of the passbook 5a to be discharged, and the lowermost line (when the printable line setting described in FIG. 11 is set, the number of already printed lines is counted and stored. The number of newly printed lines is added thereto, and the number is subtracted from the total number of lines of the page to obtain the number of remaining lines.), And the hyphen of the entry data is read, and the print density level is detected.

That is, the gradation of the print image data read by the reading sensor 8a is sliced at the set slice level and converted into "1" or "0" for determination. If the print is detected by the reading sensor 8a, it is determined that the density is within the allowable limit. If the print is not detected, a notification such as a display of an ink ribbon density defect is displayed on the CRT 4 to urge the replacement of the ink ribbon 10a, and the printing is not performed much. Prevents being delivered to customers in a thin state.

In an apparatus having no page turning section, the passbook 5a is once ejected and reinserted. At the time of this ejection, the print density is detected. Printing and density management are performed in this manner.

Further, in this apparatus, in addition to the passbook 5a, a single form such as a slip and a certificate are printed, and the printing density is similarly managed.

[0014]

According to the above conventional method, since the hyphen in the last line printed is detected by the reading sensor to determine the density level, the position of the hyphen corresponds to the reading sensor. There are operational restrictions on the print format, and it is necessary to always manage where the last print line is located, which is cumbersome to control.For example, as in the case of a passbook, the last line on which a transaction is printed However, there is a problem that the control is more troublesome for those which constantly change.

According to the present invention, without managing the final print line,
An object of the present invention is to provide an ink ribbon density management method capable of performing density control with simple control by printing in a print area after a position where printing is started.

[0016]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the principle of the present invention. In the figure, 5 is a print medium, 11 is an ink ribbon, 9 is a printer unit for transferring the ink of the ink ribbon 11 to the print medium 5 for printing, and 8 is characters and symbols printed on the print medium 5 by the printer unit 9. Reading means 13 for scanning and reading the pixels in the predetermined area, counting means 13 for counting the sum of the pixel number data in the read predetermined area, 17
Is a storage means for storing in advance a determined pixel number corresponding to the number of print lines , and 18 is a number corresponding to the sum of the pixel number data counted by the counting means 13 and the number of print lines stored in the storage means.
This is a comparing means for comparing the determined number of pixels determined as described above.

Therefore, as a result of the comparison by the comparing means 18, the sum total of the pixel number data is determined by the determination pixel determined corresponding to the number of print lines.
When the number is smaller than the number, it is configured to notify that the ink ribbon is thin .

[0018]

The character and symbol images printed on the print medium 5 are read by the reading means 8 and the sum of the pixel number data in the printed predetermined area of the print medium 5 is counted by the counting means 13. The sum is compared with the number of determined pixels corresponding to the number of print lines stored in the storage means 17, and the sum is smaller than the number of determined pixels corresponding to the number of print lines.
Sai Sometimes, by notifying the ink ribbon is thin, always it is not necessary to manage the last print line as in the conventional method, it is possible to easily print density management.

[0019]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment in which the present invention is applied to the printing density control of a bookkeeping machine described in the conventional example (corresponding to claim 1).
Will be described with reference to FIGS. The same reference numerals indicate the same objects throughout the drawings.

The passbook 5a, the reading sensor 8b, the pixel counter 13a, and the comparison judging unit 18a in FIG. 2 correspond to the printing medium 5, the reading unit 8, the counting unit 13, and the comparing unit 18 in FIG.
The determination pixel number table 16 and the setting unit 17a correspond to the storage unit 17 in FIG.

FIGS. 5 (a) to 5 (c) show examples of printing on the passbook 5a for ordinary deposits, the passbook 5a for time deposits, and in / out slips.
In the drawing, a range a indicated by a one-dot chain line indicates a reading range according to the present invention, and a range b indicated by a two-dot chain line indicates faint printing that cannot be read or printing of a different color.

A method for managing the ink density in printing on such a medium will be described below. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a range related to the present invention.
12 comprises a CPU and a control program not shown,
The CPU controls each unit according to the control program to perform ink density management.

The reading sensor 8b is a self-scanning optical sensor composed of a CCD, and reads pixels by scanning a print. FIG. 4A shows a case where a pixel is read by, for example, scanning eight times for one line of printing.

The data conversion unit 80 is configured such that the reading sensor 8b
The electric signal of the print image read from the image is sliced according to the pixel slice level and converted into pixels. Pixel counter
13a counts the number of pixels n ₀ of pixels converted by the data conversion unit 80. FIG. 4B shows an example of counted pixel number data. Here, the sum of the number of pixels in 1 to 8 scans is the number of pixels n ₁ for _one line, and this is summed up by the number of print lines to obtain the number of pixels n ₀ .

The line counter 14 counts the number K of printed lines read by the reading sensor 8b when the printable lines of the passbook 5a are set in the printer unit 9a, and stores the transaction data printed on the passbook 5a by the printer unit 9a. Is counted.

The already printed line number memory 15 stores the already printed line number K counted by the line counter 14. The judgment pixel number table 16 is a memory in which each judgment pixel number N ₀ (corresponding to the first set value in claim 1) corresponding to the number of print lines G (1, 2,...) Is stored in advance.

The setting unit 17a is a memory judgment pixel number N ₀ corresponding to the linage G counted by the line counter 14 is set is read from the determined pixel number table 16. The comparison determination unit 18a calculates the number of pixels counted by the pixel counter 13a.
n ₀ is compared with the determination pixel number N ₀ set in the setting unit 17a, the pixel number n ₀ is determined whether or less determined pixel number N _0, and notifies the main control unit 12.

When the number of pixels n ₀ is equal to or _smaller than the number of determination pixels N ₀ , the notifying section 19 outputs a C signal based on a notification signal transmitted from the main control section 12.
The ink ribbon density defect is displayed and notified on RT4. Since it has such a configuration and function, the operation will be described below with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 3 by taking as an example the case of printing the passbook 5a of the ordinary deposit of FIG. 5A. Here, the number of printed lines in the figure is not used, and description will be made with the number of already printed lines K and the number of new printed lines G.

First, when the passbook 5a is set in the printer section 9a, the number of already printed lines K is counted by the line counter 14 and stored in the already printed line number memory 15. Next, the transaction data is printed by the printer unit 9a, and the number of printing lines G
Is counted by the row counter 14.

The main control unit 12 sets the setting unit 17a reads out the time setting value N ₀ corresponding from the judgment pixel number table 16 based on the number of printing lines G. When the R / W unit 7 records and discharges the update data such as the deposit balance in the MS of the passbook 5a and discharges the data, the number of printed lines K stored in the number of already printed lines memory 15 is read and the number of already printed lines of the page is read. K
The scanning is read by the reading sensor 8a from the printing of the next line.

The image data read is the number of pixels is counted by the pixel counter 13a, when it counts up to the number print line G, and sends the pixel number n ₀ to the main control unit 12. The main control unit 12 sends the number of pixels n ₀ to the comparison and determination unit 18a, and reads out the number of determination pixels N ₀ set in the setting unit 17a and sends it to the comparison and determination unit 18a.

The comparison / determination section 18a determines the number of pixels n ₀ and the number of determination pixels.
When N ₀ is compared, a signal outside the allowable limit is transmitted to the main control unit 12 when n ₀ <N ₀ , and a signal within the allowable limit is transmitted to the main control unit 12 when n ₀ ≧ N ₀ .

When the main control unit 12 receives the out-of-tolerance signal, it sends a notification signal to the notification unit 19 as a print density defect,
The notifying unit 19 notifies the CRT 4 by displaying the replacement time of the ink ribbon 11a. When a signal within the allowable limit is received, the print density is determined to be good, and no notification signal is transmitted.

In the above example, the case where all the pixels of the new print line number G are counted has been described. However, a method of counting only a predetermined number of lines may be used. When the determination pixel number N ₀ for one row and two rows is set in the determination pixel number table 16, or when one row is set, the determination pixel number table 16 becomes unnecessary, and the determination pixel number N You only need to set ₀ .

As described above, when the replacement time of the ink ribbon 11a is notified, the operator replaces the ink ribbon 11a by using the customer's interrupted time or the like. In addition, according to this method, it is possible to detect a case where the ink ribbon 11a has come off during printing and printing of transaction data has been omitted.

FIG. 6 shows another embodiment (corresponding to claims 2 and 3). FIG. 6 differs from the embodiment described with reference to FIG. 2 in that the embodiment counts all the pixel numbers n ₀ of the image data read from the predetermined print area and compares it with the determination set value N ₀ . it counts the number of pixels n ₁ in each row that has been adapted to compare the determined set value the maximum number of pixels that.

That is, in the block diagram of FIG. 6, the main control unit 12a includes a CPU and a control program (not shown), and the CPU controls each unit according to the control program to perform ink density management.

The pixel counter 13b counts the number of pixels n ₁ in the row of pixels converted by the data conversion unit 8b. That is, it is the number of pixels obtained by summing 1 to 8 scans in FIG. The print line number memory 20 stores the print line number G counted by the line counter 14.

The row unit pixel number data memory 21 stores the number n ₁ of pixels of each print line counted by the pixel counter 13b up to the number G of print lines. Maximum pixel row sensing unit 22 detects the maximum pixel number n _max from the pixel number n ₁ of each print line that is stored in the row pixel count data memory 21.

The setting section 17b is a memory in which the number of decision pixels N ₁ (corresponding to the second set value of claim 2) is set in advance.
Having such a configuration and function, the operation will be described next with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

First, when the passbook 5a is set in the printer unit 9a, the number of already printed lines K is counted by the line counter 14 and stored in the already printed line number memory 15. Next, the transaction data is printed by the printer unit 9a, and the number of printing lines G
Is counted by the line counter 14 and stored in the print line memory 20.

When the R / W unit 7 records and discharges update data such as a deposit balance in the MS of the passbook 5a and discharges the data, the number K of printed lines stored in the number-of-printed-lines memory 15 is read, and the number of pages already printed is read. After the number K of printing lines, scanning is performed by the reading sensor 8b for reading.

The read image data is a pixel count.
The number of pixels is counted by the data 13b, and the number of pixels n per row is n₁Mark
Up to the character line number G is sequentially stored in the line unit pixel number data memory 21.
You. Therefore, the maximum pixel row detecting unit 22 stores the data
Number of pixels n per line of print line number G stored in memory 21₁From
A large pixel print line is detected and the maximum number of pixels n _maxThe ratio
It is sent to the comparison judgment unit 18a.

[0044] Therefore sent from the setting unit 17b determines the number of pixels N ₁ to the comparison determination unit 18a. Comparison determination unit 18a compares the determined number of pixels N ₁ to the maximum number of pixels n _max, n _max <a print density tolerance limits outside signal if N _1, acceptable limits in the signal if n _max ≧ N ₁ The main control unit 12
Send to a.

When the main control unit 12a receives the out-of-tolerance signal, it sends a notification signal to the notification unit 19 as a print density defect, and the notification unit 19 notifies the CRT 4 of the replacement time of the ink ribbon 11a. I do. When a signal within the allowable limit is received, the print density is determined to be good, and no notification signal is transmitted.

FIG. 8 shows the pixel number data of the image read when the print density is good (when all the prints in the figure are printed at once) and when the print density is low, as indicated by the * mark in the figure. In the case of ordinary deposit, line 02, in the case of time deposit, line 05,
At the time of in / out slip, the data of the 02 line is compared with the number of determination pixels.

By the way, in the conventional method (though the data is a density gradation), the data of the 03rd line at the time of ordinary deposit, the 06th line at the time of time deposit, and the 06th line at the time of deposit and withdrawal are compared with the print density judgment value. I was

Here, the number of pixels per line is counted, and the print line having the maximum number of pixels is detected to determine the number N _{1 of} determined pixels.
However, in the printing of the in-out / out slip or certificate shown in FIG. 5C, the lines may be skipped, or the line intervals may not be uniform.

In such a case, the number of pixels in a group of pixels (corresponding to line printing) in the sub-scanning direction of the image data read by the reading sensor 8a is counted, and the number of pixels in the above-described different embodiment is counted. it can be coped with by a number of pixels n ₁ in each.

In this manner, the replacement time of the ink ribbon 11a is notified, so that the density of the ink ribbon 11a can be managed without managing the last line of printing, and the control can be simplified. In addition, since the method of reading all prints in a predetermined area instead of reading hyphens or the like at a specific position, restrictions on the operation of the print format are reduced.

In the different embodiments described above, the maximum number of pixels n _max
Having described the case of comparing detected and a determination pixel number N ₁ rows with, sequentially comparing the number of pixels n ₁ and determining the number of pixels N ₁ of each row was found rows of n ₁ ≧ N ₁ A method may be adopted in which the print density is determined to be good at the time and the processing is terminated, and the same effect can be obtained.

In the above example, a case has been described in which pixels of all prints of the new print line number G are counted, but a method of counting only a predetermined number of lines may be used.

[0053]

As described above, according to the present invention, the sum of the pixel number data in the predetermined area read by the reading means is counted (claim 1) and the determination image determined in accordance with the number of print lines is determined.
Compared to the prime number, the judgment sum determined according to the total number of printing lines
When the number is smaller than the prime number, it is notified that the ink ribbon is thin , or the number of pixels in each group of the number of printing lines is counted from the number of pixels in the predetermined area read by the reading means. To detect the group location with the maximum number of pixels,
It compared with a predetermined determination number of pixels that set the maximum number of pixels previously, sometimes in the maximum number of pixels is smaller than a predetermined determination number of pixels
By notifying that the ribbon has become thinner, it is not necessary to manage the final print line as in the conventional method, so that control can be simplified and the restrictions on the operation of the print format are reduced. There is.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the principle of the present invention.

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

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of an embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view of an embodiment.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of printing by a bookkeeping machine.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a different embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a different embodiment.

FIG. 8 is an illustration of a different embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view illustrating a bookkeeping machine to which the present invention is applied;

FIG. 10 is an internal side view showing an outline of a passbook printer.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

5 is a printing medium, 5a is a passbook, 8 is reading means, 8a and 8b are reading sensors, 9, 9a is a printer section, and 11 and 11a.
Is an ink ribbon, 13 is a counting means, 13a is a pixel counter, 16 is a determination pixel number table, 17 is a storage means, 17a and 17b are setting sections, 18 is a comparison section, 18a is a comparison and determination section,

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A medium handling apparatus provided with a printer unit for printing on a print medium by transferring ink on an ink ribbon, comprising: a reading unit for scanning and reading an image of characters and symbols printed by the printer unit; counting means for counting the total number of pixels of the image section has been read, and serial <br/>憶means for storing in advance the number of determined pixels determined in accordance with the number of printing lines, the number of printing lines newly printed Scan the image in the specified area of
I, the determination image in which the sum total value of the number of pixels counting means has counted, corresponding to the indicia shaped number of lines stored in said <br/> storage means
Provided comparing means for comparing the prime, the result of comparison by the comparison means, read
The sum of the number of pixels of the image of the number of print lines corresponds to the number of print lines.
When the number of the judgment pixels is smaller than
Media handling instrumentation, characterized in that to inform the user that you are made to
Place . 2. The printing device according to claim 1, wherein the counting unit is configured to newly print each print.
The image in the predetermined area of the row is counted as the number of pixels for each group location, and the row position indicating the maximum number of pixels for each group location is detected.
A maximum pixel row detection unit that stores the predetermined number of determination pixels set in advance; and the comparison unit determines a row position indicated by the maximum pixel detection unit.
Sum value of the number of pixels in the group location and the fixed determination pixel number
And the result of the comparison by the comparing means, the maximum pixel detecting means
The sum of the number of pixels at the group location at the row position indicated by
When the number of pixels is smaller than the
2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein
Media handling equipment .