JPH0349974A - Recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable a recording size to be easily varied with the same type of an apparatus by a method wherein during the time from shift input of a specific color data to a shift register to their shift output, the number of clocks is counted and a printing length of a recording element line is decided from the counted content. CONSTITUTION:A specific data generation part 21 puts a 'black' dot data '1' on a rear of a continuous dot data line wherein a 'white' dot data '0' continues by a maximum estimate printing length or over to be shift inputted in series to a shift register 12. A specific data detection part 2 detects the 'black' dot data '1' from the dot data to be shift outputted in series from the shift register 12. A counting part 23, when the 'black' dot data '1' is outputted from the specific data generation part 21, starts counting of clock CK and when the specific data detection part 22 detects the 'black' dot data '1', stops counting. A size decision part 24 decides a printing length of a recording element line 11 i.e., a recording size, and outputs that the recording size corresponds to any one of A4, B4, or A3.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a recording device used, for example, in a print recording section of a facsimile machine.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION For example, in recent facsimile machines, products of the same model with different recording sizes have been made available in order to meet the various demands of customers. The recording device installed in this type of facsimile machine has basic components such as the control section as common as possible, and can support multiple recording sizes by simply changing some parts such as the recording head section. This is advantageous in terms of manufacturing, maintenance, etc. (see, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 128276/1983).

Therefore, in the conventional recording apparatus of this type, as shown in FIG. It has an information setting section 3 and a size determining section 24' that determines the recording size of the recording head 1 from the size information transmitted via a plurality of signal lines Lk that transmits the set size information. Based on the determination result of the section 24', the recording operation of image data is controlled according to the size of the recording head 1 (A4, B4, A3). This makes it possible to provide multiple types of recording devices with different recording sizes based on the same model.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, with this configuration, there is a problem in that setting the recording size and attaching the recording head become troublesome.

The above problem arises for the following reasons.

That is, first, when installing the recording head,
There was also the trouble of having to also set the recording size of the recording head.

Moreover, the setting of the recording size is often mistakenly or forgotten by the operator.

Second, multiple signal lines are required to transmit the set size information to the size determination section, which congests the wiring around the recording head and makes it difficult to install or replace the recording head. This was causing trouble.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a recording device that can easily change the recording size of the same model without requiring troublesome settings and installation work. With the goal.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides dot data of a specific color to a multi-stage shift register into which image data printed by a recording element array is serially shifted and inputted in synchronization with a clock. A color different from this specific color is placed after the continuous dot data string on the maximum expected print height and is serially shifted and input, and the dot data of the above specific color is input from the dot data that is serially shifted and output from the shift register. is detected, the number of clocks is counted from when the data of the specific color is shifted into the shift register until it is shifted out, and the print length of the recording element array is determined from the counted contents. It has the following configuration.

According to the present invention, with the above-described configuration, the print length of the recording head, that is, the recording size, can be determined directly from the number of stages of the shift register in the recording head without depending on the settings, and the information source for this size determination is Since it can be extracted from the serial shift output of the above shift register with fewer signal lines,
Without the need for troublesome settings or installation work,
It becomes possible to easily change the recording size of the same model.

Embodiment FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of a recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which 1 is a thermal recording head, and 2 is a control section for controlling the recording operation by this recording head IK.

The thermal recording head 1 includes a recording element array 11 that prints image data Pin consisting of a dot data array, and the image data Pin printed by this recording element array 11 is clocked C.
A multistage shift register 12 (Sl-Sn), etc., which is serially shifted and inputted in synchronization with K, is incorporated. In the same figure, Sin and 5out are the shift register 1
2 serial shift inputs and serial shift outputs, 81
-Sn each indicate a shift stage to which dot data for each recording element is transferred.

In addition to the normal control function of controlling the recording operation, the control unit 2 has a specific data generation unit 21, a specific data detection unit n1 counting unit, a size determination unit 24, etc. as an initial control function when starting to use the device. Built-in software.

Here, as shown in FIG. 2, the specific data generation unit 21 generates a dot data string in which "black" dot data "1" and "white" dot data "0" are continuous on the maximum expected print height. , and serially shifted into the shift register 12.

The specific data detection section 2 detects "black" dot data "1" from the dot data serially shifted and output from the shift register 12.

The counting section n starts counting the clock CK when the "black" dot data "1" is issued from the specific data generating section 21, and the specific data detecting section n starts counting the clock CK when the "black" dot data "1" is issued from the specific data generating section 21. By stopping the counting when detecting this, the number of clocks CK from when dot data "1" of the specific color "black" is shifted into the shift register 12 until it is shifted out is counted.

The size determination unit determines the printing length, that is, the recording size, of the recording element array 11 from the count of the counting unit, and determines that the recording size is A4. B4. It outputs which of A3 it corresponds to. This determination result is used within the control unit 2 as control information for the recording operation.

The operation of the recording apparatus configured as described above will be described below.

FIG. 2 shows an example of the operation of the main parts of the recording apparatus shown in FIG. 1 in the form of a waveform chart.

1 and 2, when the power is first turned on, the specific data generating section 21 continuously generates "0" dot data in synchronization with the clock CK. This "O" dot data is serially shifted one dot at a time to the shift register 12 in the recording head 1 in synchronization with the clock CK.

At this time, the "O" dot data is continuously emitted to at least a length corresponding to the expected maximum recording size. For example, A4. If three types of recording sizes, B4, A3, are assumed, a "0" dot data string having a length corresponding to the width of the largest recording size, A3, is issued.

Accordingly, shift stages S1 to S in the shift register 12
All n are written to "0".

After this, a 1-bit long “1” is sent from the specific data generation unit 21.
Dot data is issued and shifted into the shift register 12 in series. At the same time, the counter starts counting the clock CK. Further, the specific data detection section n starts the operation of detecting "1"don't data from the serial shift output of the shift register 12.

When the "1" dot data is sequentially transferred through each shift stage 81 to Sn in the shift register 12 in synchronization with the clock CK and output from the shift output 5out, the output "1" dot data is transferred to the above-mentioned one. Detected by specific data detection unit B.

When the specific data detection section n detects "1" dot data, the counting operation of the counter is stopped. Accordingly, the counting section n counts the number of shift stages n of the shift register 12, that is, the number of dots printed by the recording element array 11. Here, if the pitch of the printing dots is predetermined, the content counted by the counter will represent the printing length of the recording head 1.

Therefore, the size determining unit U determines that the recording size of the currently installed recording head 1 is A4. B4. It is possible to determine which width of A3 it is.

The control unit 2 controls the recording operation according to the recording size determined as described above.

As described above, in the recording apparatus described above, the print length of the recording head 1, that is, the recording size, can be directly determined from the number n of stages of the shift register 12 of the recording head 1. At this time, the information source for size determination can be taken out from the serial shift output S out of the shift register 12 using only one signal line L1. This makes it possible to easily change the recording size for the same model without complicating the work when installing the recording head 1 or making a mistake or forgetting to set the recording size.

Effects of the Invention As is clear from the above description, the present invention provides dot data of a specific color to a multi-stage shift register into which image data printed by a recording element array is serially shifted and inputted in synchronization with a clock. The dot data of a different color is serially shifted and inputted after a continuous dot data string longer than the maximum expected print length, and the dot data of the specific color is detected from the dot data that is serially shifted and output from the shift register. The number of clocks is counted from when the data of the specific color is shifted into the shift register until it is shifted out, and the print length of the recording element array is determined from the counted contents.
The printing length of the recording head, that is, the recording size, can be determined directly without depending on the settings, and the information source for this size determination can be extracted from the serial shift output of the shift register with a few signal lines, eliminating troublesome setting and installation work. This has the effect that the recording size can be easily changed with the same model without the need for the following.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a signal waveform chart of the same main part, and FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram of a conventional recording apparatus. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11... Recording element array, 12... Multi-stage shift register, 21... Specific data generating section, n-... Specific data detecting section, n... Counting section, U... Size determining section.

Claims (1)

[Claims] A recording element array that prints image data consisting of a dot data string, a multistage shift register into which the image data printed by this recording element array is serially shifted and input in synchronization with a clock, and a multistage shift register that prints dot data of a specific color. specific data generating means for serially shifting input into the shift register by placing it after a continuous dot data string of a different color than the maximum expected print length; and from the dot data serially shifted and output from the shift register. specific data detection means for detecting dot data of the specific color; counting means for counting the number of clocks from when the dot data of the specific color is shifted into the shift register until it is shifted out; and this counting means. and size determination means for determining the print length of the recording element array from the count contents.