JPH03295674A - Control of printing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To ensure that printing efficiency can be improved significantly by allowing another different kind of document/journal to be printed next to be set to a printing position using a document/journal drive system designated by next drive control data during the process to print some kind of document/ journal. CONSTITUTION:A printing device 1 receives print data sent from a host computer 34, and a printing control part 2 receives print data through a communication control part 33. If the first document/journal drive system 11 is designated by drive control data D1, any appropriate document/journal if fed and set to a printing position using the first document/journal system 11. If next drive control data DX is present, the printing control part 2 prints data of a single sheet of document/journal based on document/journal data D2 and stores the next drive control data DX in a next drive control data storage area 3 temporarily. If the second document/ journal drive system 12 is designated by the next drive control data, the printing control part 2 feeds an appropriate document/ journal for the second document/journal drive system 12 using said drive system 12, while printing is performed using the present first document/journal drive system 11.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION <Industrial Application Field> The present invention relates to a method for controlling a printing device that prints on a plurality of types of forms such as airplane boarding passes and train seat reservation tickets.

<Prior Art> As shown in the perspective view of FIG. 4, this type of printing device has two document drives, first and second, which individually feed multiple types, for example, two types of documents P□ and P2. System 11.12 and form P
Printing form data on x, Px - Print head 13 of the stand
There are some that have this. In this printing device, two platens 14 and Is corresponding to the respective forms P, .

The two form drive systems 11.12 respectively drive the platen 14.15, form motors 16, 17, form p,
Bin tractor 1 engaging the perforation of , p
8, 19, and the rotation of the motors 16 and 17 is controlled by the platen 14.
belt 20.21 conveying to platen 15; It is composed of gears 22a, 22b, 23a, and 23b that transmit the rotation of Is to the bin tractors 18 and 19.

Therefore, when the form motors 16 and 17 are rotated, each platen 14. The forms P□ and P2 attached to Is are placed on the platen 14. Is and fed separately by bin tractors 18,19.

On the other hand, the printing head 13 is provided so as to be moved by a head drive system 24 while facing the platen 14, 15. That is, the print head 13 is mounted on a carriage 25, and the carriage 25 is mounted on the platen 1.
It is movably supported on a shaft 26 parallel to the axis of 4.15. Then, by running the running belt 27 attached to the carriage 25 by the head motor 28, the print head 13 is moved, and the print head 13 prints on the forms P□, P2 via the ribbon 29. .

Further, as shown in the block diagram of FIG. 5, the conventional printing device 30 of this type includes a printing section consisting of a plurality of form drive systems and one head drive system, for example, the two form drive systems 11.
12 and a head drive system 24, a print control section 32 and a communication control section 33 are provided. Then, print data is provided from a host device 34 such as a terminal device to the print control section 32 via the communication control section 33.

Conventionally, in travel agencies, etc., printing devices 30 having the above configuration are used.
For example, when printing consecutively on forms P1 or P2 corresponding to various fields in order to issue airline boarding passes or reserved seat tickets on trains, the host device 34 prints out the print as shown in FIG. Data was sent to this printing device 30 for control.

The print data for one sheet of the form is the drive control data DI, the form data D2. It is configured by serially arranging device control data D3. The drive control data DI is used for initial setting of the printing device, and is used for the two form drive systems 1.
It is specified which of the two is used for printing. The form data D2 consists of character codes that specify characters to be printed on the form. Further, the device control data D3 instructs the printing device to print the feet of the form and indicates the end of printing data. Following this print data for the form, print data for the next form to be printed, that is, drive control data Dla, form data D2a, and device control data D3a are set.

As shown in the flowchart of FIG. 7, when the print data is given to the printing device 30, the printing control section 32 of the printing device 30 first controls the form drive system specified by the drive control data D1 to print the first form. It is determined whether the drive system 11 or the second form drive system 12 is used (step S-21). Next, the designated form drive system 11 or 12 drives the form P.
1 or P2, and form data D2.
Printing is performed for each sheet based on the data, and the device control data D
By receiving 3, printing and feet are completed and the form PI or P2 is stopped at the end position (S-2
2-25 or 5-26-29). After that, the next form −
It is determined whether there is print data for the sheet (S-30), and if there is, the above operation is repeated.

<Problems to be Solved by the Invention> However, in the conventional control method, despite being equipped with a printing device or multiple document drive systems that feed multiple types of documents individually, When printing continuously on a certain type of form, it is difficult to start printing another type of form until it stops at the end position after printing a certain type of form, which can be extremely difficult. There was a problem with poor printing efficiency.

<Means for Solving the Problems> The present invention is a control method proposed to solve the above-mentioned problems. , the next drive control data specifying the form drive system to be used for the next printing is given.

<Operation> According to the above control method, while a certain type of form is being printed, another type of form to be printed next is set in advance to the printing position by the form drive system specified by the next drive control data. It is possible to leave it there.

<Example) Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings.

multiple form drive systems that feed multiple types of forms individually;
The control method of the present invention for a printing device having two printheads is characterized by print data provided from a host device such as a terminal device to the printing device. FIG. 1 shows the structure of the print data.

This figure 1 shows print data for two sheets. It should be noted that configuration data that is the same as the print data in the conventional example shown in FIG. 6 will be given the same reference numerals and a description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in the figure, this print data includes drive control data D that specifies which of multiple form drive systems is used to perform printing.
Next drive control data Ox that specifies the form drive system to be used for the next printing is inserted between form data D2 to be printed on the form corresponding to the specified form drive system. Of course, if the print data is only for one sheet of paper, this next drive control data DX portion will be blank.

As an example of the printing device, the conventional printing device shown in FIG. 4 will be used. However, as shown in the block diagram of FIG. 2, the print control unit 2 of the printing device 1 in this embodiment that receives the print data is provided with a next drive control data storage area 3 that stores the next drive control data DX. It is being Other components in the configuration of the printing device 1 in this embodiment that are the same as those in the conventional example are given the same reference numerals and explanations thereof will be omitted.

Next, the operation of the printing device l according to the control method of the present invention is as follows.
This will be explained with reference to the flowchart in FIG.

First, upon receiving print data sent from the printing device 1 or the host device 34, the print control unit 2 receives the print data via the communication control unit 33, and selects the form or form P to be printed.
1 or P2, that is, the form drive system specified by the drive control data DI is the first form drive system 11 or the second form drive system 12.
(Step 5-1). If the designation is the first form drive system 11, the first form drive system 11
Feet the corresponding form P and set it at the printing position (initial setting, 5-2).

Next, determine whether there is next drive control data DX 5-3
), if there is no form, prints the number of sheets of the form based on the form data D2, and after finishing the printing operation based on the device control data 03, prints the printed form, in this case form P. Stop at the end position (S-4 to 6)
. After that, although there was no next drive control data DX, it is necessary to judge whether new print data has been received 5-7)
, if there is, return to step 1 above; if not, the operation ends.

In step 3 above, if there is next drive control data DX, printing for one sheet of the form is performed based on the form data D2 (S-8), and the next drive control data DX is stored as the next drive control data. Store it in area 3 once,
It is determined whether the form drive system specified by this data DX is the first form drive system 11 specified by the drive control data DI or another second form drive system 12 (S-9).
.

The designation of the next drive control data DX is the drive control data DI.
If the second form drive system I2 is different from the specification of and set it to the printing position (S-10
), and after finishing the printing operation by receiving the device control data D3, the form PI of the first form drive system 11 that has finished printing is stopped at the end position (S -
11,12). This completes the printing based on the print data for one sheet of the form.

Thereafter, based on the print data for the next form sheet, printing is performed on the form P2 by the operations of steps 3 to 6 described above, but the drive control data Dl in this print data is
Since a is the same as the next drive control data DX, and the form P2 has already been set at the printing position by the data DX, the printing operation based on the form data D2a will be started immediately. Therefore, the operating time is reduced accordingly. After finishing the printing operation on the form P2 based on the device control data D3a, the printed form P2 is stopped at the end position.

If the print data for one page of the form in the above method contains the next drive control data D that specifies the form drive system for the three-page form.
If Xa has been inserted, based on the determination in step 3, the operations from step 8 onwards will be repeated.

At this time, the next drive control data DXa is temporarily stored in the next drive control data storage area 3 in place of the next drive control data DX in the previous print data.

In step 9 above, if the form drive system specified by the next drive control data DX stored in the next drive control data storage area 3 is the same first form drive system 11 as specified by the drive control data DI. In other words, if the next form to be printed is the same type of form P1 as the form currently being printed, after finishing the printing operation based on the device control data D3, the first form that has been printed is Drive system 1
Immediately set the next form P1-sheet to the printing position without stopping the first form P1-sheet at the end position (S
-13,14). Therefore, in this case as well, form P.

Since the system does not stop, operating time is shortened. Then, based on the print data for the next sheet, the operations from step 3 described above are repeated to perform printing.

Note that even if the form drive system designated by the drive control data DI in step l is the second form drive system 12,
The operation is similar to that of the first form drive system 11. That is, the first form drive system 11 in the above series of operation descriptions may be replaced with the second form drive system 12, and the second form drive system 12 may be replaced with the first form drive system. Therefore, the explanation will be omitted.

In addition to the control method of the present invention, it is also possible to
It is also possible to provide a fourth, . . . , a larger number of printers, thereby making it possible to adapt the printer to a printing device that can handle more types of forms.

<Effects of the Invention> As described above, the control method of the present invention can be used when consecutively printing on multiple sheets of different types.

When printing moves to the next form, that form has already been set at the printing position, so the next printing operation starts immediately. Furthermore, when printing successively on the same type of forms, after printing on - sheets of forms is completed, the next form is set to the printing position without stopping the printed form, so that the next printing is done. The transition is quick.

That is, according to the control method of the present invention, the printing efficiency can be greatly improved by taking advantage of the functions of a printing device equipped with a plurality of form drive systems that individually feed a plurality of types of forms.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of print data in an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a printing device in the embodiment, FIG. 3 is a flowchart in the embodiment, and FIG.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a printing device. FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a printing device in the conventional example, FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the structure of print data in the conventional example, and FIG. 7 is a flowchart in the conventional example. l... Printing device, 11.12... Form drive system. 13--Print head, 34--Host device. DI, Dla... Drive control data. D2. D2a... form data. DX, DXa--Next drive control data.

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A host device sends the above data as print data to a printing device equipped with multiple form drive systems that individually feed multiple types of forms and one print head that prints form data on the forms. In a control method that provides drive control data specifying which of a plurality of form drive systems is used to perform printing, and then provides form data to be printed on the form corresponding to the specified form drive system, printing from a host device is performed. A method for controlling a printing device, characterized in that next drive control data specifying a form drive system to be used for the next printing is provided to the device between the drive control data and the form data. (2) In the method for controlling a printing device according to claim 1, if the form drive system specified by the next drive control data is different from the form drive system specified by the drive control data,
During printing, the form drive system specified by the next drive control data sets the next form corresponding to that form drive system in advance at the printing position, and the form drive system specified by the next drive control data is set in advance by the form drive system specified by the next drive control data. If it is the same as the specified form drive system,
A method for controlling a printing device, characterized in that after printing is completed, the next form is set in a printing position without stopping the form on which printing has been completed.