JP4106822B2 - Printing apparatus, initialization method, and information recording medium - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a printing apparatus (printer), a method for initializing the printing apparatus, and a computer-readable information recording medium in which a program for controlling the printing apparatus is recorded. The present invention relates to a technique for adjusting an initialization process and an initialization process performed in response to a reset request from a host device.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, printing device initialization processing is performed when the printing device starts operating due to power-on, or when a reset request sent by a host device such as a host computer or POS terminal is received. A printing apparatus has been proposed.
[0003]
By the way, a system in which power is supplied to both the host apparatus and the printing apparatus at the same time by linking the power to the printing apparatus is widely used in POS (Point Of Sales) systems and the like. In such a system, when the host apparatus is powered on and operated, first, the host apparatus BIOS (Basic Input Output System) transmits a reset request to the printing apparatus, and then An OS (Operating System) operating on the host apparatus transmits a reset request to the printing apparatus, and an application program operating on the OS transmits a reset request to the printing apparatus. Therefore, when a conventional printing device is used in such a system, a reset request is repeatedly sent from the host device before the initialization process of the printing mechanism started by turning on the power is completed. End up.
[0004]
When the printing apparatus receives the reset request, the CPU in charge of general control of the printing apparatus is reset. In this case, the operation of the CPU is stopped, and all the I / O ports are in a high impedance state. Therefore, the CPU is activated in response to power-on, and the initialization process being executed is interrupted.
[0005]
(Problems associated with interruption of initialization processing)
Here, for example, the following processing is included in the initialization of the printing apparatus.
[0006]
Initializing control circuits such as a CPU (central processing unit) that controls the printing device and a RAM used as a buffer for communication with the host device
・ Phase matching of various stepping motors such as stepping motors that move the print head in the row direction
・ Cleaning process to ensure print quality by cleaning the print elements of the print head
・ Alignment processing to move the print head to the reference position in the row direction
Of these, the time required for the initialization process of the control circuit and the phase matching process of the stepping motor is relatively short, whereas the time required for the print head cleaning process and the print head alignment process is relatively long. It is.
[0007]
In particular, the cleaning process required when the ink-jet printing method is adopted for the print head includes a step of sucking out the ink from the print head using a vacuum pump, so that a large amount of ink is consumed. In addition, since it takes time until the vacuum pump actually starts after the operation of the vacuum pump is started, it is wasteful to stop the cleaning process halfway once started. Furthermore, when the operation stops halfway, the suction amount becomes ambiguous, and it is necessary to start again from the beginning. Accordingly, the amount of suction in this case is increased compared to the case where the suction process is performed without interruption.
[0008]
(Problems associated with repeated initialization)
In addition, when the reset request is generated many times, the initialization process is performed many times in response to each reset request. In this case, there are the following problems. That is, the print head alignment process needs to move the print head by driving the stepping motor and rotating the gear train including the gears connected to the stepping motor. Wear progresses. In addition, since the position of the print head at the time of starting the process cannot usually be known, the print head may collide with the stopper during the process, and the print head is damaged by repeating this process. there is a possibility. Furthermore, since a large amount of ink is consumed in the above-described cleaning process, by repeating this, ink is wasted, and the replacement time of the ink cartridge is accelerated.
[0009]
FIG. 1 shows how redo occurs. FIG. 1A is an explanatory diagram showing the progress of processing when the printing apparatus is turned on alone or when the printing apparatus is turned on when the host apparatus is operated in advance.
[0010]
When the power is turned on, the stepping motor phase matching process 101 is executed first, then the print head alignment process 102 is executed, the print head cleaning process 103 is executed, and then the host is executed. The process proceeds to a normal operation 104 in which the print command transmitted by the apparatus is received.
[0011]
FIG. 1B is an explanatory diagram showing the progress of processing in a conventional printing apparatus when the printing apparatus and the host apparatus are connected and the power of both is turned on almost simultaneously to start operation.
[0012]
FIG. 1B shows that the reset signal is transmitted by rising after the reset signal output 105 of the host device falls. That is, it corresponds to the time when the recesses 106, 107, 108 of the reset signal output 105 receive the reset signal.
[0013]
Since the printing apparatus receives the reset signal 106 transmitted by the BIOS of the host device during the execution of the alignment process 102 after executing the stepping motor phase alignment process 101, the alignment process 102 is interrupted. The phase matching process 101 and the position matching process 102 are restarted from the beginning.
[0014]
Next, the execution of the print head cleaning process 103 is started. During the process, the reset signal 107 transmitted by the OS of the host apparatus is received. Therefore, the cleaning process 103 is interrupted, and the phase matching process 101, the position alignment process 102, The cleaning process 103 is repeated from the beginning.
[0015]
Furthermore, since the reset signal 108 transmitted by the application of the host device is received during the cleaning process 103 that has been redone, the cleaning process 103 is interrupted, and the phase matching process 101, the positioning process 102, and the cleaning process 103 are restarted from the beginning.
[0016]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The present invention has been made to solve these problems, and a reset request to the printing apparatus generated by the host apparatus immediately after the power is turned on interrupts the initialization process of the printing apparatus performed in response to the power being turned on. It is an object of the present invention to prevent unnecessary consumption of consumables in the printing apparatus and a decrease in durability of the printing apparatus that occur in the case of printing.
[0017]
In order to achieve the above object, a printing apparatus according to the present invention is a printing apparatus that performs printing on a recording medium using a print head in accordance with data received from a host device. In response to a reset request from the host device The printer is initialized accordingly. reset An initialization controller; A first time which is set in response to the reset request that has occurred most recently and is a predetermined time from power-on A first timer for measuring a predetermined time, The reset Before the measurement of the first predetermined time by the first timer ends, the initialization controller Performs control circuit initialization and stepping motor phase matching processing in response to the reset request. Perform initialization processing Yes, After the measurement of the first predetermined time by the first timer is completed Performs print head cleaning and print head alignment processing in response to the reset request. Initialization processing is performed.
[0018]
According to such a configuration, reset The initialization controller waits until a predetermined time elapses after the printing device starts operating. In response to a reset request from the host device that is generated (considered as a reset request immediately after the host device is powered on) Does not cause any problems even if it is interrupted such as initialization of control circuit or phase adjustment of stepping motor First After a certain period of time has elapsed, problems occur due to interruptions such as print head cleaning or print head alignment. First An initialization process can be performed. Therefore, by setting the predetermined time according to the time when the reset request from the host device is completed, the occurrence of the above-described problem due to the interruption of the initialization process performed in response to power-on to the printing device is avoided. be able to.
[0023]
In addition to the above configuration, the printing apparatus of the present invention corresponds to the nonvolatile memory that stores time data corresponding to the first predetermined time, and the first predetermined time stored in the nonvolatile memory. And a data update circuit for updating time data to be performed.
[0024]
As a result, the predetermined time is changed according to the characteristics of the host device, that is, the period in which reset requests that occur immediately after the power is turned on frequently, and the predetermined time is set even after the printing device is turned off. Therefore, even when the host device is replaced, the above effect can be obtained.
[0025]
Further, in this case, a command detector that detects a predetermined command from the data received from the host device is provided, and the data update circuit performs the time according to the predetermined command detected by the command detector. It is also possible to update data. According to such a configuration, the host device can set the optimum setting value for the predetermined time through the interface with the printing device in accordance with its own characteristics. Such a function of the host device is desirably incorporated into a basic program such as BIOS that operates on the host device.
[0026]
Alternatively, in this case, a reset detection circuit that detects a final reset request at start-up that is a last reset request among reset requests that are generated in response to the start-up of the host device, and the printing device according to the reset detection circuit And a second timer for measuring an elapsed time from the start of the operation to the final reset request at the time of start-up, and the data update circuit, based on a time measurement result of the second timer, Update may be performed. With this configuration, the printing apparatus can set the optimum value for the predetermined time based on the time until a reset request that frequently occurs when the host apparatus is turned on. Such a learning function can flexibly cope with the replacement of the host device.
[0027]
In this case, the reset detection circuit includes a third timer that measures a second predetermined time longer than the first predetermined time after the printing apparatus starts an operation, and the third timer uses the third timer. The last reset request generated before the measurement of the second predetermined time may be detected as the final reset request at the time of activation. Thereby, the maximum value of the predetermined time can be defined as the second predetermined time, and the predetermined time can be set within a range not exceeding this. As a result, the start time of the second initialization process can be prevented from being delayed indefinitely, and the startup time of the printing apparatus can be defined.
[0028]
In these cases, it is preferable that the data update circuit generates the time data by adding a predetermined time to the time measurement result of the second timer and stores the time data in the nonvolatile memory. As a result, even if there is some variation in the characteristics of the host device, this can be absorbed and a stable initialization operation can be realized.
[0032]
Each of the above-described printing apparatuses of the present invention is also recognized as a method for initializing the printing apparatus, and has the same effect. Further, the initialization method of the present invention is preferably realized using a computer. Therefore, the present invention includes a computer-readable information recording medium storing a program code for realizing each initialization method. .
[0033]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, embodiment described below is for description of the present invention, and does not limit the scope of the present invention. Therefore, those skilled in the art can employ other embodiments in which each of these elements or all of the elements are replaced with equivalent ones, and these embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. It is.
[0034]
(Example 1)
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the printing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The power-on initialization controller 2 is a controller that initializes the printing apparatus 1 in response to power-on. The first timer 6 starts timing at the start of the operation of the printing apparatus 1 by turning on the power, and notifies the power-on initialization controller 2 after a predetermined time has elapsed. First, when the power is turned on, the power-on initialization controller 2 starts the first initialization process 4. As will be described later, the first initialization process 4 includes a process that can be performed in a very short time, such as initialization of the control circuit. When the first initialization process 4 is completed, the power-on initialization controller 2 waits for a notification from the first timer 6 that a predetermined time has elapsed. If there is such notification, the power-on initialization controller 2 starts the second initialization process 5. The second initialization process includes a print head alignment process that requires a relatively long time, and a print head cleaning process for an inkjet printer. When the second initialization process 5 ends, the printing apparatus 1 enters a normal printing process standby state, and performs a printing process according to the print data received from the host apparatus.
[0035]
On the other hand, when a reset request is received from an external device such as a host device, the reset initialization controller 3 initializes the printing device 1 in response to the reset request. At this time, the reset initialization controller 3 performs a third initialization process 7 according to the output of the first timer 6 when a predetermined time has not elapsed since the power was turned on. As will be described later, like the first initialization process, the third initialization process includes a process that ends in a short time, and preferably does not include a process that causes inconvenience due to the interruption of the process. Further, the third initialization process can be the same as the first initialization process. As a result, it is possible to perform initialization processing at the same level as when the power is turned on in response to a reset request, and the reliability of the printing apparatus 1 can be improved. Further, the reset initialization controller performs a fourth initialization process after a predetermined time has elapsed since the power was turned on according to the output of the first timer 6. The fourth initialization process is performed alternatively to the third initialization process. In addition to the third initialization process, the print head positioning process and the inkjet head cleaning which require a relatively long time. This includes processing equivalent to the second initialization processing such as processing. Here, the fourth initialization process may be a combination of the first and second initialization processes.
[0036]
Further, a predetermined time measured by the first timer can be stored in the nonvolatile memory 9 and the predetermined time can be changed by the data changing circuit 10. In this example, the received data received from the host device is interpreted by the command detector 11, and when a predetermined command for instructing the change of the predetermined time is detected by the command detector 11, the command or its parameter is used. The predetermined time can be changed accordingly.
[0037]
Next, the circuit configuration of the printing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a circuit block diagram showing a circuit configuration of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The interface 202 provided in the printing apparatus 1 receives a control command transmitted from the host apparatus 220. The CPU 203 interprets the control command received by the interface 202 and drives the printing mechanism 204 to print characters and graphics on a recording medium such as paper. In addition to the control command, the host device 220 transmits a reset request via the interface 202. In this example, the reset request is transmitted as an external reset signal, but may be transmitted as a reset request command. However, if the operation of the CPU 203 is not normal, such a command may not be executed normally. Therefore, it is desirable that the reset request command or the external reset signal be interpreted by a circuit independent of the CPU.
[0038]
In this example, the external reset signal 214 is input to the CPU 203 and detected, and is also input to the reset circuit 213. The reset circuit 213 is a circuit that outputs a reset pulse 215 of a predetermined time to the reset terminal of the CPU 203 after the power supply voltage becomes normal when power is supplied to the apparatus, and causes the CPU 203 to perform a reset operation. Generally used as an IC. However, in this example, a reset pulse is also generated in response to an external reset signal from the interface 202. This is to avoid the runaway of the CPU 203 by outputting the reset pulse 215 having a predetermined width even when the pulse width of the external reset signal is extremely short. This can be realized, for example, by wired-ORing a negative logic external reset signal from the interface circuit to the monitoring voltage terminal of the power supply monitoring circuit.
[0039]
Further, by generating the reset pulse 215 after delaying the external reset signal 214 for a predetermined time, the external reset signal directly input to the CPU 203 can be used as the reset notice signal. That is, since the CPU 203 is given the above-mentioned predetermined time from the detection of the external reset signal 214 to the reset by the reset pulse 215, necessary processing during this period, for example, setting of a flag indicating the occurrence of an external reset, etc. It can be carried out. This delay time can be easily configured by a timer circuit or a counter circuit in addition to the delay line. In addition, since the predetermined time can be used more effectively by detecting the external reset signal 214 in real time, in this example, the signal is input to the NMI (Non-Maskable Interrupt) terminal of the CPU 203. ing.
[0040]
The processing executed by the CPU 203 is defined by a program stored in a ROM (Read Only Memory) 205. When the printing apparatus 1 is turned on, the CPU 203 executes a program stored in the ROM 205 from a predetermined address in response to a reset pulse 215 from the reset circuit 213. In this case, the program stored in the ROM 205 may be once read into a RAM (Random Access Memory) 206 and the read program may be executed. Thereby, processing to be executed such as reset processing can be dynamically changed and executed.
[0041]
The CPU 203 develops an image of characters and graphics to be printed in the RAM 206, and drives the printing mechanism 204 according to this image. When expanding a character image from a character code, font information stored in the ROM 205 is used.
[0042]
An RTC (Real Time Clock) 207 can measure the current time in units of seconds, for example. The CPU 203 is connected to the RTC 207 via an I / O port or a bus, and can read the current time at any time. An RTC integrated circuit having a timer function has also been developed. According to this, if the CPU 203 sets a time in advance, an interrupt request is output to the CPU 203 at that time. The nonvolatile memory 208 such as flash ROM and EEPROM (Erectrically Erasable Programmable ROM) can rewrite the stored information from the CPU 203 while the power of the device is supplied, and various setting information can be stored even if the power is not supplied. Hold. Such a function can be realized even if a battery backup circuit is added to an SRAM (Static RAM) or the like.
[0043]
The printing mechanism 204 includes a print head 209, a carriage motor 210 for moving the print head 209 in a direction parallel to the row, and a recording medium feed motor 212 for conveying the recording medium. By using a stepping motor as these motors, high positioning accuracy can be obtained, and print quality is improved. Of course, combinations of other DC motors and encoders can be used. Further, when an ink jet type is used as the print head 209, the suction pump 211 is used to perform the operation of sucking out the thickened ink that has accumulated in the print head 209 due to nonuse for a long time, that is, for cleaning. Necessary.
[0044]
The ROM 205 functions as an information recording medium that records a program for controlling the printing apparatus 1. Further, when the ROM 205 is replaced with a rewritable EEPROM, the contents can be updated from the host device 220, so the host device 220 including the internal storage device itself, a CD-ROM (Compact Disk ROM used by the host device 220). ) An external storage device 221 such as a hard disk or a floppy disk can also be an information recording medium in which a program for controlling the printing apparatus 1 is recorded. Further, when the host device downloads the control program via the computer network 222 such as the Internet, such a network itself and its server can be included in the information recording medium of the present invention. As will be apparent from the following description of the operation, the power-on initialization controller 2 of this example includes a reset circuit 213, a CPU 203 and a memory (ROM 205, RAM 206), and the reset initialization controller 3 includes an interface 202, a reset circuit 213, It consists of CPU203 and memory. The first timer 6 includes an RTC 207, a CPU 203, and a memory. The nonvolatile memory 9 is composed of the EEPROM 208, the data changing circuit 10 is composed of the CPU 203 and the memory, and the command detector 11 is composed of the CPU 203 and the memory.
[0045]
Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 4, a control procedure (operation start process) when the printing apparatus 1 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is turned on and starts operating will be described. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the procedure. As described above, when the printing apparatus 1 is powered on, the reset circuit 213 generates the reset pulse 215 after the power supply voltage is stabilized. The reset pulse 215 remains active until the power supply voltage reaches a predetermined value, and after a predetermined time has elapsed since the power supply voltage has reached a predetermined value, that is, the CPU 203 is connected to the internal circuit. After the time necessary for performing the predetermined initialization elapses, the reset pulse 215 becomes inactive, and the CPU 203 starts execution after step S401 in FIG.
[0046]
In step S401, it is inspected whether the reset factor is caused by an external reset signal or by power-on. This is determined based on, for example, an external reset flag that is set when the CPU detects the external reset signal 214. However, since this flag needs to be reset when the power supply is stopped, use a memory element that guarantees the initial state when the power is turned on, or stores it in the EEPROM and stops the power supply. It is necessary to devise such as erasing the storage area.
[0047]
In this example, in the NMI processing that is activated in response to the external reset signal 214, the external reset flag and the time when the NMI is generated are stored in the EEPROM 208. In step S401, the external reset flag is checked, and if it is set, it is determined that it is an external reset, and if it is reset, it is determined that it is a power-on reset. Further, the reset time and the NMI activation time are compared, and if it is not a predetermined value corresponding to the delay time, it is determined that the power-on reset is performed regardless of the external reset flag. As a result, the post-determination can be prevented even when a power-on reset occurs immediately after the external reset signal 214 is input.
[0048]
If it is determined that the power-on reset is performed, a timer (first timer) is started in S407, and a first initialization process is performed in S408. As described above, the first initialization process 4 includes only a process that does not cause a problem even if it is interrupted, such as initialization of a control circuit and alignment of stepping motors used as the carriage motor 210 and the recording medium transport motor 212. included. In step S409, based on the first timer, it is determined whether a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of the operation of the CPU 203 by turning on the power, and the CPU 203 waits until the time elapses. If it is determined that the time has elapsed, in S410, the second initialization process 5 includes processes that may cause problems due to interruption, such as cleaning of the print head 209 and positioning of the print head 209 by the carriage motor 210. I do. Thereafter, it is determined whether or not the first and second initialization processes are normally performed (S411), and the process proceeds to an abnormal process (S412) or a normal process.
[0049]
In this example, the first timer is configured using the RTC 207. That is, the current time is read from the RTC and stored in S407, the elapsed time is calculated from the difference between the current time obtained from the RTC and the stored time in S409, and compared with a predetermined value. Yes. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and a predetermined time is set in step S407 by using an RTC having a timer function, and a predetermined time elapses in response to an interrupt request from the RTC generated at the time. A flag to that effect may be set, and the flag may be inspected in step S409. In addition, the first timer can be configured using a counter or timer that is not affected by the reset of the CPU 203.
[0050]
On the other hand, if the external reset is determined, the external reset flag is reset, and it is determined based on the first timer 6 whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed since the power was turned on (S402). If the predetermined time has not elapsed, the third initialization process is performed in step S403, and the process proceeds to step S409 to wait for the elapse of the predetermined time. If the predetermined time has elapsed, the fourth initialization process corresponding to the external reset signal 214 is executed (S404). Then, it is checked whether or not the initialization process has been normally completed (S405). If there is an abnormality, the abnormality process is performed (S406). If not, the process proceeds to the normal process and printing from the host device 220 is performed. Predetermined print processing is performed in accordance with an instruction or the like.
[0051]
In the abnormality process (S406, S412), the display device such as an LED provided in the device is driven to blink, or the host device 220 is notified through the interface 202.
[0052]
FIG. 7 shows an example of initialization of the printing apparatus after the power is turned on in this example. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the progress of processing when the printing apparatus of the present invention is turned on and starts operating.
[0053]
Explaining in comparison with FIG. 1 (b), the first initialization 4 (step S408) is executed every time the external reset signal 214 is received (106, 107, 108). 5 (step S410) is not executed. The second initialization process 5 (step S410) is executed after the first predetermined time 401 has elapsed. For this reason, the second initialization process that causes the wear of the mechanism and the large consumption of ink does not need to be executed many times. On the other hand, the printing apparatus can be initialized as quickly as possible according to the operating environment of the connected host device or the like. Can be executed.
[0054]
For the predetermined initialization waiting time and the predetermined threshold time, fixed values stored in the ROM 205 can be adopted, and a plurality of values are stored and selected from these values by changing the dip switch. Embodiments that employ these values can also be taken.
[0055]
If the printing apparatus 1 receives a reset signal from the host apparatus 220 after shifting to the normal printing process, the fourth initialization process 8 is immediately executed as in the conventional printing apparatus.
[0056]
In the first and second embodiments, the ink jet method is adopted for the printing mechanism unit. However, the present invention is not limited to this method, and the dot impact method, electrophotography is used for the printing mechanism unit. A method, a thermal method, etc. can also be adopted. Even in these methods, when the initialization process includes a process that takes time or does not want to be executed many times, the present invention can be applied as the second initialization process.
[0057]
(Example 2)
FIG. 5 shows a functional block diagram of a printing apparatus according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention. In addition, the same reference number is attached | subjected to the same structure as the printing apparatus of 1st preferable embodiment, and description is abbreviate | omitted.
[0058]
The improvement in the present embodiment is a configuration in which the first predetermined time to be set in the first timer 6 is changed. That is, in this example, it has the 2nd timer 12 which starts according to power-on, and time-measures 2nd predetermined time, The input timing of a reset request | requirement and this 2nd timer 12 The first predetermined time is determined by comparing with the predetermined time, and the first predetermined time stored in the nonvolatile memory 9 is updated via the data change circuit 10.
[0059]
The hardware configuration of the printing apparatus 1 of this example can be realized by the same configuration as that in the first preferred embodiment shown in FIG. This is because the second timer 12 of this example can be realized by the RTC 207, the CPU 203, and the memory. Therefore, the description of the hardware configuration in this example is omitted.
[0060]
Hereinafter, a method for initializing the apparatus in the printing apparatus 1 of this example will be described with reference to FIG. Note that most of the flowchart shown in FIG. 6 is the same as the flowchart shown in FIG.
[0061]
When the printer 1 is turned on, the reset circuit 213 generates a reset pulse 215, and the processing shown in FIG. 6 is started accordingly. First, in step S401, it is determined whether the cause of the reset is power on or external reset. This process is the same as the process in the first embodiment. If it is determined that the power-on reset is selected, the second timer 12 is started together with the first timer 6 in step S601. Then, as in the first embodiment, the first initialization process is executed (S408).
[0062]
On the other hand, if it is determined in step S401 that it is an external reset, it is checked in step S602 whether the second timer 12 has counted the second predetermined time. Here, if the time measurement of the second predetermined time has not ended, the first predetermined time to be timed by the first timer is updated in step S603. That is, the time value of the second timer 12 is set as the first predetermined time. However, since this value may be further changed in response to an external reset that occurs thereafter, it is not immediately used as the set value of the first timer that is currently measuring at this time, and the next This is used when counting by the timer 1, that is, at the next power-on reset. Thereafter, in step S402, it is inspected whether or not a first predetermined time has elapsed since the power was turned on. If the second predetermined time has elapsed in step S602, the process proceeds to step S402 without updating the first predetermined time.
[0063]
With this process, the first predetermined time that is the set value of the first timer 6 corresponds to the latest external reset that has occurred from the time the power is turned on until the second predetermined time elapses. Determined. That is, it is determined as a value obtained by adding a predetermined margin (4 seconds in this example) to the time from when the power is turned on to when the external reset occurs. Thus, the shortest time can be set as the first predetermined time according to the characteristics of the occurrence of continuous reset when the power is turned on of the host device to which the printing apparatus is connected. Therefore, the start timing of the second initialization process can be advanced as much as possible, and the initialization process can be completed early.
[0064]
Note that the second predetermined time in this case is set to a longer time in consideration of the time during which the above-described continuous reset at power-on can occur. However, when the continuous reset occurs for a long period of time, if the second predetermined time is set to a long time in consideration of this, the start time of the second initialization process is delayed, and accordingly, the power-on reset is performed. The end of the initialization process due to will be delayed. In order to avoid this, in this example, the second predetermined time is set to a time that is normally considered to be allowed as the end time of the initialization process, that is, one minute.
[0065]
Although the initialization control method of the printing apparatus 1 of the present example is different from the first embodiment in the above points, the points other than those described above, that is, the processing after step S408 and the processing after step S402 are the processing in the first embodiment. The description is omitted. Further, the second timer 12 can be configured in the same manner as the first timer 6 and will not be described.
[0066]
(Example 3)
In the first embodiment and the second embodiment, the first predetermined time is counted by the first timer 6 to divide the initialization process to be performed before and after the first predetermined time, thereby generating the continuous time generated when the host device is turned on. Fixed reset issue. However, according to this embodiment, since the second initialization process cannot be started until the first predetermined time has elapsed, the rising time of the printing apparatus, that is, the time required for the printing process to be performed is that amount of time. Becomes longer. Therefore, when it is not necessary to perform the processing corresponding to the second initialization described above, for example, when it is not necessary to clean the print head at power-on, or when the host device has already started up, only the printing device is turned on. In such a case, it may be better not to perform the processing of the first embodiment or the second embodiment.
[0067]
This example corresponds to such a state, and the functional block diagram and circuit block diagram of the printing apparatus are the same as those in the first or second embodiment, but the initialization method is different. The operation of this example will be described below with reference to the flowchart showing the initialization method in FIG.
[0068]
When the printing apparatus 1 is powered on, the reset circuit 213 sends a reset pulse 215 for power-on reset to the CPU 203. The CPU 203 starts the processing of FIG. 8 in response to this reset pulse. In step S801, the reset mode of the CPU 203 is determined. That is, it is determined whether the reset process of the first embodiment or the second embodiment is performed or the conventional reset process is performed.
[0069]
This determination may be made by referring to a setting device (not shown) such as a DIP switch mounted on the printing apparatus 1, or the setting received as a control command from the host device in advance is stored in the EEPROM 208. You may refer to.
[0070]
If mode 1 is selected in step S801, it is determined that the reset process of the first embodiment or the second embodiment is selected, and the process proceeds to step S401. Thereafter, each process described in the first embodiment or the second embodiment is performed. If mode 2 is selected, a reset factor is determined in step S802. This process is the same as the process in step S401 described above.
[0071]
If the reset factor is power-on reset, first and second initialization processes are performed in steps S803 and S804, respectively. Since this process is normally performed continuously, it can be terminated before the first predetermined time elapses. Thereafter, it is determined whether or not the initialization process has been performed normally (S805). If not, the abnormal process S806 is executed. If the process is normal, the process proceeds to the normal process, and printing is performed in response to a print request from the host device. Process.
[0072]
On the other hand, if it is determined in step S802 that the external reset has been performed, the fourth initialization (S808) is performed, and the process proceeds to the abnormality process S810 or the normal process.
[0073]
In this example, the processing after step S401 is the same as the processing in the first embodiment or the second embodiment, and a description thereof will be omitted.
[0074]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, the present invention has the following effects.
[0075]
First, until a predetermined initialization waiting time elapses after the power is turned on and the operation is started, the initialization process of the print mechanism such as the print head is performed even if the reset request transmitted by the host device is received. Instead, the initialization process can be delayed by starting execution of the process after a lapse.
[0076]
Second, it is not necessary to repeat the cleaning process that consumes ink a plurality of times, so that the printing mechanism can be prevented from being worn and the operation cost can be reduced.
[0077]
Thirdly, it is not necessary to repeat the alignment process to move the print head by actually driving the train wheel such as the stepping motor or gear, thereby preventing the printing mechanism from being worn and reducing the operation cost. Can do.
[0078]
Fourthly, the time required for initialization can be shortened by executing in advance initialization processing that does not cause wear of the printing mechanism or ink consumption even if it is executed a plurality of times.
[0079]
Fifth, it is possible to shorten the time required for initialization by executing in advance a stepping motor phase matching process that does not cause wear of the printing mechanism or ink consumption.
[0080]
Sixth, the first predetermined time, that is, the initialization standby time, is stored in the printing apparatus in a nonvolatile manner, and the setting can be changed according to the operating environment.
[0081]
Seventh, the initialization waiting time can be set from the host device.
[0082]
Eighth, an appropriate initialization waiting time can be automatically learned by actually operating the printing apparatus with the host apparatus.
[0083]
Ninth, an information recording medium in which a program for controlling the printing apparatus is recorded can be easily distributed or sold as a software product independently of the printing apparatus. Also, if the program recorded on the information recording medium of the present invention is executed by the printing apparatus, the printing apparatus and the initialization method according to the above-described invention can be realized, and the above-described effects can be achieved.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the progress of initialization processing when a conventional printing apparatus is powered on and starts operating.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a first preferred embodiment of a printing apparatus according to the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a circuit block diagram of a preferred embodiment of a printing apparatus according to the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an initialization processing procedure in the first preferred embodiment of the printing apparatus according to the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a second preferred embodiment of a printing apparatus according to the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an initialization processing procedure in the second preferred embodiment of the printing apparatus according to the present invention.
FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a progress of processing when power is turned on and an operation is started in the printing apparatus of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an initialization processing procedure in the third preferred embodiment of the printing apparatus according to the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Printing device
2 Power-on initialization controller
3 Reset initialization controller
4 First initialization process
5 Second initialization process
6 First timer
7 Third initialization process
8 Fourth initialization process
9 Nonvolatile memory
10 Data change circuit
11 Command detector

Claims (8)

In a printing apparatus that prints on a recording medium using a print head in accordance with data received from a host apparatus,
A reset initialization controller that initializes the printing device in response to a reset request from the host device;
A first timer that measures a first predetermined time that is a predetermined time from power-on, which is set in response to the reset request that has occurred the latest ,
The reset initialization controller includes:
Wherein before the measurement terminates the first predetermined time by the first timer, have initialization and line initialization processing for performing phase combined process of the stepping motor control circuit in response to the reset request,
After completion of the measurement of the first predetermined time by the first timer , an initialization process for performing print head cleaning or print head alignment processing is performed in response to the reset request. apparatus. The printing apparatus according to claim 1.
A nonvolatile memory for storing time data corresponding to the first predetermined time;
A printing apparatus comprising: a data update circuit for updating time data corresponding to the first predetermined time stored in the nonvolatile memory. The printing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
A command detector for detecting a predetermined command from data received from the host device;
The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the data update circuit updates the time data in accordance with the predetermined command detected by the command detector. The printing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
A reset detection circuit for detecting a final reset request at startup which is a final reset request among reset requests generated in response to the activation of the host device;
A second timer for measuring an elapsed time from the time when the printing apparatus starts operating to the time of the final reset request at the start-up according to the reset detection circuit;
The data update circuit updates the time data based on a time measurement result of the second timer. The printing apparatus according to claim 4 .
The reset detection circuit includes:
A third timer for measuring a second predetermined time longer than the first predetermined time after the printing apparatus starts operating;
The printing apparatus, wherein the last reset request generated before the measurement of the second predetermined time by the third timer ends is detected as the final reset request at the time of activation. The printing apparatus according to claim 4 .
The data update circuit generates the time data by adding a predetermined time to the time measurement result of the second timer, and stores the time data in the nonvolatile memory. In a method for initializing a printing apparatus that performs printing on a recording medium using a print head according to data received from a host apparatus ,
A step of initializing the printing apparatus (e) in response to a reset request from the host device,
(F) measuring a first predetermined time, which is a predetermined time from power-on, which is set in response to the reset request that has occurred the latest,
The initialization step (e)
( G ) A step of performing an initialization process for initializing a control circuit or a stepping motor in accordance with the reset request before the measurement of the first predetermined time is completed in the step ( f ). When,
( H ) After completion of the measurement of the first predetermined time in the step ( f ), a step of performing an initialization process for performing print head cleaning and print head alignment processing in response to the reset request. An initialization method characterized by comprising: In a computer-readable information recording medium for storing a program code for realizing a method for initializing a printing apparatus that performs printing on a recording medium according to data received from a host device ,
The initialization method is:
A step of initializing the printing apparatus (e) in response to a reset request from the host device,
(F) measuring a first predetermined time, which is a predetermined time from power-on, which is set in response to the reset request that has occurred the latest,
The initialization step (e)
( G ) A step of performing an initialization process for initializing a control circuit or a stepping motor in accordance with the reset request before the measurement of the first predetermined time is completed in the step ( f ). When,
( H ) After completion of the measurement of the first predetermined time in the step ( f ), a step of performing an initialization process including a print head cleaning process and a print head alignment process in response to the reset request. An information recording medium comprising the information recording medium.

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