JP3167712B2 - I / O device - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an input / output device used for a terminal device of a facsimile machine, a printer, or the like, and more particularly to an improvement in the quality of a printed image.

[Prior Art] An input / output device that is compact in size using an input / output unit in which a reading unit in which a plurality of light receiving elements are arranged and a recording unit in which a plurality of heating elements are arranged has been developed. Kaisho 61-
It is used in facsimile machines and the like as shown in Japanese Patent No. 285861 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 63-108854.

Since the resistance values of the heating elements provided in the recording unit of the input / output device vary, in a facsimile apparatus or the like, the current flowing through each heating element is adjusted according to the resistance value to obtain a predetermined dot diameter. Like that.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in the conventional input / output device, even if the current flowing through the heating element of the recording unit is adjusted for each heating element as described above, the surrounding area of the input / output device is not affected. If the temperature is low, the recorded dot diameter becomes small, and if the ambient temperature is high, the dot diameter becomes large, and the recorded dot diameter changes depending on the surrounding environment.

In addition, some types of thermal recording paper have different sensitivities depending on the types. If recording papers having different sensitivities other than the designated recording paper are used, the recorded dot diameter also changes.

If the dot diameter changes as described above, or a part of the heating element or the like of the recording unit is broken, and the dot is missing,
There is a disadvantage that the quality of the recorded image is degraded.

The present invention has been made in order to solve such disadvantages, and even when a change in the use environment occurs, or when using a recording paper that is not specified, it is possible to always record with an optimum dot diameter. It is another object of the present invention to provide an input / output device capable of performing self-diagnosis of missing dots.

[Means for solving the problem]

An input / output device according to the present invention uses an input / output unit in which a recording unit and a reading unit are integrated, and uses image information read by a reading unit of a dot pattern output on recording paper to be used from the recording unit, and predetermined image information. Image information determining means for comparing the optimum dot diameter data and estimating the size of the dot diameter output from the printing unit, and a current for changing a current value supplied to the heating element of the printing unit based on the result determined by the image information determining means. And a variable means.

Further, it is preferable that the image information judging means also judges the presence or absence of dot missing based on the image information read by the reading section of the all black pattern output on the recording paper used from the recording section.

[Action]

In the present invention, the appropriateness of the dot diameter is estimated from the image information of the recorded dot pattern, and the current supplied to the heating element is varied so that the optimum dot diameter can always be obtained based on the estimated result.

Further, based on the image information obtained by reading the all-black pattern output on the recording paper, the presence / absence of dot missing is also diagnosed.

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the input / output unit 1 is configured by integrating a recording unit 2 and a reading unit 3. The control unit 4 includes an image information determining unit 5 for determining image information read by the reading unit 3 and a current varying unit 6. This input / output unit 1 and control unit
4. The memory 7 and the operation unit 8 are connected by a bus line.

The recording unit 2 and the reading unit 3 of the input / output unit 1 are located within the nip width L of the platen roller 11 as shown in the apparatus configuration diagram of FIG. 2 and the arrangement diagram of FIG. element
Numeral 12 is arranged at a stage subsequent to n lines from the luminous body 13 of the recording unit 2. A thermosensitive recording paper 14 is fed between the input / output unit 1 and the platen roller 11 by a feed roller 15, and characters and images are recorded by the recording unit 2. The recorded recording paper 14 is the cutter 16
The paper is then discharged by the paper discharge rollers 17. The original sent from the original table 18 is read by the reading unit 3.

The operation of optimizing the dot diameter printed on the recording paper 14 by the input / output device configured as described above will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

First, the current value supplied to the heating element 13 of the recording unit 2 is set to the minimum design value (step S1). The heating element 13 is heated by the minimum current value, and a dot pattern 21 is formed on the recording paper 14 fed by the feed roller 15 and the platen roller 11 as shown in FIG. 5A (step S2).

Next, the light receiving element 12 of the reading unit 2 adjacent to the heating element 13
The dot pattern 21 of the recording paper 14 is immediately read with
The read image information 22 as shown in FIG.
3). The read image information 22 is stored in the image information determination unit 5 of the control unit 4.
Sent to The image information determining means 5 sends the read image information 22
Is compared with reference data corresponding to the optimum dot diameter stored in the memory 7 in advance, and it is determined whether or not the dot diameter of the dot pattern 21 of the recording paper 14 is the same as the optimum dot diameter (step S4). .

At this time, when it is determined that the dot diameter of the dot pattern 21 is smaller than the optimum dot diameter, the determination signal is sent to the current varying means 6. The current varying means 6 sets a large current value to be supplied to the heating element 13 of the recording unit 2 according to the transmitted signal (step S5). Then, a large current is again supplied to the heating element 13 to form the dot pattern 21 on the recording paper 14.

This operation is repeated until the dot diameter of the dot pattern 21 becomes the same as the optimum dot diameter. When the dot diameter of the dot pattern 21 becomes the same as the optimum dot diameter, the current value at that time is set to the heating element 13 of the recording unit 2. To perform the subsequent recording (step S6). Here, the read image information determined by the image information determination means 5 may be multi-valued data or binary data.

In the above embodiment, the case where the dot diameter of the read image information is estimated by the image information determination means 5 has been described.
The state of the heating element 13 can be determined by estimating the dot diameter of the read image information and determining the overall state of the read image information.

Next, the operation when the image information determining means 5 determines the state of the heating element 13 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

First, as shown in FIG. 7A, the recording section 2 of the input / output unit 1 causes the recording paper 14 to output the all-black pattern 23 (step S11). At this time, it is assumed that the dot diameter output to the recording paper 14 has been optimized, and there is no white spot in the sub-scanning direction.

The all black pattern 23 of the recording paper 14 is used as a light receiving element of the reading unit 3.
Immediately read at 12 and the read image information 24 shown in FIG.
Get. The read image information 24 is sent to the image information determining means 5 to determine whether or not there is a missing dot (step S1).
2). In this case, if a part of the heating element 13 of the recording unit 2 is broken, a blank portion 23a is generated in the all black pattern 23 as shown in FIG. At a white level and the other parts at a black level.

As a result of determining the state of the read image information 24 by the image information determination means 5, it is determined that the read image information 24 has a white level (step S1).
3) The facsimile apparatus determines that the heating element 13 in that part is damaged, sends a determination signal to the operation unit 8, and displays on the display of the operation unit 8 that the heating element in the recording unit is damaged. Is notified to the user (step S14). The user of the facsimile apparatus or the like can request repair by this display, and can prevent the quality of the recorded image from being deteriorated.

〔The invention's effect〕

As described above, according to the present invention, the image information of a recorded dot pattern is immediately read, the appropriateness of the dot diameter is estimated from the read image information, and the optimum dot diameter can always be obtained based on the estimated result. Since the current supplied to the heating element is made variable, an image can always be recorded under optimum conditions even if the ambient temperature changes or the sensitivity of the recording paper varies, and the image quality can be improved. .

Also, read the all black pattern output on the recording paper,
By performing self-diagnosis of the presence or absence of dot missing based on the image information, it is possible to detect and report the damage of the recording unit, so that it is possible to prevent the image quality from deteriorating.

[Brief description of the drawings]

1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the apparatus of the above embodiment, FIG. 3 is a layout diagram of a recording unit and a reading unit of an input / output unit, and FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the above embodiment, FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of another embodiment, and FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the embodiment of FIG. It is. 1; input / output unit, 2; recording unit, 3; reading unit, 4; control unit, 5;
Image information determining means, 6; current varying means, 7; memory, 8; operating section, 11; platen roller, 12; light receiving element, 13; illuminant, 14;
Recording paper.

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] In an input / output device using an input / output unit in which a recording unit and a reading unit are integrated, image information read by a reading unit of a dot pattern output on recording paper to be used from the recording unit is determined in advance. Image information determining means for comparing whether or not the dot diameter of the dot pattern of the recording paper is the optimum dot diameter by comparing the calculated optimum dot diameter data with the optimum dot diameter data. A current varying means for changing a current value supplied to the recording medium, and varying a current value supplied to the heating element of the recording section until the dot pattern of the recording paper becomes the same as the optimum dot diameter, thereby forming a dot pattern on the recording paper. An input / output device characterized by repeating output and reading by a reading unit. 2. An input / output apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said image information judging means judges a missing dot based on image information read by a reading section of an all black pattern outputted on a recording paper used from a recording section.