JPH02134064A - Serial printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To read a picture with high accuracy without requiring cost especially by loading an image scanner onto a carrier of a printer so as to attain the scanning. CONSTITUTION:An image scanner 1 is made attachable/detachable in place of a recording head. When the recording head is loaded, the recording head is driven synchronously with a control signal supplied to the recording head and the image sensor of an image scanner head 2 is driven synchronously with the control signal when the image scanner 1 is loaded. Thus, the signal path to drive synchronizingly is not required to be provided individually. Thus, highly accurate reading is attained without incurring cost increase.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a serial printer, and more particularly to a serial printer that has a removable recording head and can be equipped with an image scanner in place of the recording head.

[Prior Art] In a conventional serial printer equipped with an image scanner function, both a recording head and an image scanner are mounted on a carrier, and the control of the recording head and the image scanner are controlled by respective signal lines. They were done separately and independently. Furthermore, even if the recording head is configured to be used interchangeably with an image scanner, its control, signal transmission, data processing, etc. are performed independently.
was. FIG. 8 shows a block diagram of a conventional example. here,
A central processing unit (CPtl) provided in the printer 100
) 101 is connected to a host 103 such as a computer or a word processor via an interface section 102, and data is exchanged through various signal lines. Further, the CPU 10I includes a display operation section 104 having a display lamp and key switches for various operations, and a ROM 10.
5 and a storage unit 107 including a RAM 106 are connected thereto. The ROM 105 stores a control program, a CG (character generator), and the like, and the RAM 106 includes a reception buffer that temporarily stores data transferred from the host 103.

Furthermore, the CPt 1101 drives the paper feed motor 111 , via the paper feed motor drive circuit 108 , the carrier motor drive circuit 109 , and the head motor drive circuit 110 based on various data and signals input from the host 103 .
The carrier motor 112, head 113, etc. are controlled. Furthermore, when controlling the image scanner 120,
The image sensor 115 is driven by the sensor drive circuit 116 based on a synchronization signal from the timing signal generation circuit 114, and an image is read. In this way, the signal from the image sensor 115 is stored as data in the RAM 118 via the A/D converter 117, and then sent to the CPU.
It is processed by l0I and the binarization circuit 119 and sent to the host 103 via the interface section 102.

Note that no control signals are exchanged between the printer 100 and the image scanner 120, and the post 103 finely controls both the printer 100 and the scanner 120 to synchronize the movement of the printer 100 and the reading by the image scanner 120. There are also some that allow you to do so.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, although such conventional serial printers are superior in that they can be used as both a printer and an image scanner, as mentioned above, there are Different data processing circuits and signal lines are required for each purpose, and those data processing circuits and signal lines are completely unnecessary for users who do not need an image scanner. This point is the same even for types with interchangeable recording heads and image scanners, and unless control signals are sent and received between the printer and image scanner, synchronization is performed via the host, which makes it difficult to read with high precision. The problem was that it was difficult.

An object of the present invention is to focus on the above-mentioned conventional problems, and in order to solve the problems, it is possible to mount an image scanner on the carrier of a printer and scan it, thereby producing high-precision images at low cost and without special cost. The objective is to provide a printer that can read the .

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an image scanner having a function of processing read signals from an image sensor, which can be attached and detached in place of the recording head, and which can be attached to the recording head. The recording head is sometimes driven in synchronization with a control signal supplied to the recording head, and when an image scanner is attached, the image sensor is driven in synchronization with the control signal.

[Function] According to the present invention, by simply replacing an image scanner with a recording head and layering it on a carrier, a control signal to be sent to the recording head is sent to the image scanner, and the image scanner is synchronized with this control signal. Since the sensors can be driven, there is no need to provide separate signal paths for synchronously driving them as in the conventional case.

[Examples] Examples of the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 2 shows an embodiment in which a wire is used to transmit data read by a scanner head to a computer using an image scanner according to the present invention, and here the image scanner is shown installed in place of the recording head. In FIG. 2, 1 is an image scanner, 2 is an image scanner head consisting of an image sensor and a light source (not shown), 3 is a signal line for transmitting read data to a computer, and 4 is a recording head or a head of the image scanner 1. 5 is a guide shaft thereof, 6 is a flexible cable that transmits a print signal to either the head or the scanner, and 7 is a platen that holds the original document 8 to be read. FIG. 3 shows the carrier 4 with the head removed. Reference numeral 9 denotes a contact portion thereof, and in this example, the same contact is used for the recording head and the image scanner, and furthermore, a printing control signal for the recording head is used as a synchronization signal for the image sensor as will be described later.

FIG. 1 shows a control system block diagram of this example. In FIG. 1, 30 is a printer section. The central processing unit ((:PII)) 10 of the printer unit 30 connects to a host 1 such as a computer or a word processor via an interface unit 11.
2, and data is sent and received through each f-fold signal line. CPU10 has an indicator lamp and key switch 5 for various operations.
A display operation section 13 having a display and the like, and a ROM 14
A storage section 16 including a RAM 15 is connected. R
The OM 14 stores a control program, a CG (character generator), and the like, and the RAM 15 includes a reception buffer that temporarily stores data transferred from the host 12. Here, the CPU10 controls the paper feed motor drive circuit 17 based on various input data and signals.
, a paper feed motor 20 . via a carrier motor drive circuit 18 and a head motor drive circuit 19 . carrier motor 2
1 and the head 22. In the image scanner 1 installed in place of the head 22, the contact portion 9
The image sensor 24 is driven by sending the printing control signal obtained through the synchronous signal to the image sensor driving circuit 23 as a synchronization signal. The signal thus read by the image sensor 24 is stored in the RAM 2B via the A/D converter 25. On the other hand, scanner 1's C
The PUl 27 connects to the host 12 via the interface unit 28.
The data stored in RAM26 is connected to C
After being processed by the PU 27 and the binarization circuit 29, it is sent to the host 12 as image data via the interface unit 28.

FIG. 4 shows a timing chart of each signal output during reading. A is a signal indicating the beginning of one line, B is a signal indicating the beginning of main scanning by the image sensor 24, C is a main scanning synchronization signal, D is an image signal that is binarized after being read by the image sensor 24, Signals A, B, and C are sent from the printer section 30 as printing control signals. That is, signal A is sent at the beginning of one line,
Next, a signal B indicating the beginning of main scanning is transmitted, and then data is read in synchronization with a synchronization signal C following a predetermined number of dummy synchronization signals. The data thus read can be processed as described above and sent directly to the host 12 via the signal line 3. Note that the signal lines for transmitting the signals A, B, and C are not necessarily signal lines for transmitting signals related to printing, but are for signals transmitted to the recording head 22, for example, in the case of an inkjet printer, for detecting the remaining amount of ink. It may also be a signal line for the purpose.

As shown in FIG. 5, for example, if the signal line 3 for transmitting read data is fastened with a clip 31 to the top of the printer lid 30^ which is opened upward, the carrier 4 will be guided! 1i
It is possible to prevent the signal line 3 from interfering with the printer main body when moving along Il15.

The locking portion secured by the lip 31 is not limited to the printer M30A, and a dedicated support may be used.

FIG. 6 shows a second embodiment in which data from an image scanner I is transferred to a printer using a recording medium such as a RAM card.

In FIG. 6, reference numeral 40 denotes a read/write recording medium card such as a RAM card, which can store data read by the image scanner 1. Therefore, after reading is completed, the card 40 may be removed from the scanner 1, set in a card reader (not shown) connected to a computer, and the data may be sent to the computer. This embodiment has the advantage that there is no need to connect the image scanner and the computer with a line. Another advantage is that if a plurality of cards are prepared, the read image data can be stored as many times as there are cards.

As a third embodiment (d), although not shown, the scanner body may include a storage device. According to this embodiment, after reading is completed, the scanner can be removed from the printer, set in a reader connected to a computer, and data can be sent to the computer.

FIG. 7 shows a fourth embodiment of the invention. This example is an example in which data transfer is performed wirelessly.

In FIG. 7, 50 is a wireless antenna, through which data can be sent to a receiver (not shown) connected to the computer. In this example, the first
There is no need to connect the scanner and computer with a wire as in the second embodiment, and there is no need to remove the RAM card or scanner body and reconnect it to the reader as in the second and third embodiments.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the serial printer of the present invention, the signals that control the recording head are used as they are to control the image scanner, and the read data is transferred to the computer without passing through the printer. Because you can
A printer to which an image scanner that enables highly accurate reading can be applied can be provided without increasing costs.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the image scanner installed according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a timing chart of data reading according to the first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 5 is a perspective view for supplementary explanation of the first embodiment of the present invention; FIGS. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing how the image scanners according to the third and fourth embodiments of the present invention are installed, and FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a conventional example. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Image scanner, 2... Scanner head, 3... Signal line, 4... Carrier, 7... Platen, 8... Reading original, 9... Contact part, 10.27 ...cpu. 19... Head drive circuit, 22... Head, 23... Image sensor drive circuit, 24... Image sensor, 30... Printer section. Figure 5 Figure 6

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1) An image scanner equipped with a function of processing a read signal from an image sensor is made removable in place of the recording head, and when the recording head is attached, the recording head is activated in synchronization with a control signal supplied to the recording head. and the image sensor is driven in synchronization with the control signal when the image scanner is attached.