JPH04276817A - Printer for issuing continuous numbers - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable a printer to print successive numbers independently at all times by providing the printer with a counter function for increasing or decreasing continuous number data to be printed in the printer and with a function for making the printer hold the data without power supply. CONSTITUTION:Internal controller 2 is equipped with a register and an arithmetic section, and has a counter function for incrementing continuous data every time printing is issued by a printer 1. A memory device 3 can hold this continuous data and can print the continuous data on a label or the like using a printing apparatus through communication with an external controller 5 without being supplied with power, thereby being able to secure the independence of continuous numbers without issuing printing the same number even within a short period of time, and further to manage continuous numbers by operating the external controller 5.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printer device capable of issuing consecutive numbers.

0002

2. Description of the Related Art In order to smoothly perform product quality control and warranty management, it is common practice to assign serial numbers to each product or product lot. Conventionally, data such as the starting number of a serial number, steps to increment or decrement, and the number of sheets to be printed are given to the printer from an external control computer, and the printer prints serial numbers on labels etc. based on this data. ing.

0003

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] In the conventional serial number issuing printer device, the external control computer has a function to control the serial numbers such as the start number of the serial numbers. When used in combination with a printer, there was a risk of issuing two or more copies of the same number. Furthermore, when a plurality of external control computers and a plurality of conventional printers are combined, the above-mentioned danger becomes even greater. Furthermore, at the time of issuing consecutive numbers, it was difficult to confirm whether duplicate numbers had been issued.

0004

[Means for Solving the Problems] In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a serial number issuing printer device that can guarantee that the serial numbers printed and issued are completely independent serial numbers. In order to achieve this, an internal control device has a counter function that increments or decrements the serial number data each time printing is issued, a storage device that can hold the serial number data without power supply, and a storage device that is based on the serial number data held in the storage device. The present invention is characterized in that a serial number issuing printer device is constructed from a printer equipped with a printing device for printing serial numbers, and an external control device communicably connected to the printer.

[0005] The internal control device can be easily constructed using a part of a one-chip computer used as a control device for a normal printer. Further, as the storage device, EE
PROM (Electrically Erasable
e and Programmable Read O
nly Memory ) is highly reliable and suitable.

[0006] The serial number may be printed using numbers, or may be printed using a bar code. By printing serial numbers using barcodes, it is possible to read the serial numbers mechanically, and it is possible to provide a serial number issuing printer device that facilitates searching, communication, inspection, etc.

[0007] Furthermore, by configuring data such as the printing position of serial numbers and the type of printing font to be sent from an external control device to the printer, it is possible to obtain a serial number issuing printer device that does not lose flexibility in printing format. .

[0008] Furthermore, if the storage device is configured to hold a plurality of independent serial number data, and data for selecting which serial number data is to be used is sent from the external control device to the printer, it is possible to Therefore, it is possible to provide a serial number issuing printer device that can print and issue another set of serial numbers.

Furthermore, the serial numbers printed by the printing device based on the serial number data held in the storage device may use all of the serial number data as is, but may use a part of it or undergo certain processing. You may also use one with the addition of . By configuring the number character string to be printed to include a check character, it is possible to provide a serial number issuing printer device with further improved reliability.

0010

[Operation] According to the present invention, the printer side is provided with a counter function that increments or decrements the serial number data each time a print is issued, and also has a function that can hold the serial number data without power supply. It becomes possible to print and issue independent consecutive numbers.

[0011]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 is a block diagram of main parts in an embodiment of the present invention. Reference numeral 1 denotes a printer for issuing serial numbers, which includes an internal control device 2, a storage device 3, and a printing device 4.

Reference numeral 5 denotes an external control device, which is connected to the printer 1 and communicates between the two.

As the internal control device 2, an ordinary one-chip microcomputer (specific example, 6418 manufactured by Hitachi, Ltd.) is used.
0) is used. As storage device 3, serial E
An EPROM (specific example, BR93C46 manufactured by ROHM Co., Ltd.) is used. As the printing device 4, a thermal transfer type line thermal head is used. As the external control device 5, a personal computer (specific example, Panacom M800 manufactured by Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.) is used, and this external control device 5 and the internal control device 2 of the serial number issuing printer 1 are communicably connected ( Specific example, RS-232C).

The internal control device 2 includes a register and an arithmetic unit, and has a counter function for incrementing serial number data each time the printer 1 issues a print. Consecutive number data uses 16 digits, from 0 to 9,99.
It can count up to 9,999,999,999,999. Normal product production does not exceed this value, but if this value is exceeded, it is set back to 0. This is because, in practice, the second 0 starts after a considerable period of time, so it is easy to treat the first series of numbers and the next series of numbers as different.

The storage device 3 is capable of holding the serial number data without power supply, and specifically, 16 digits of 0 are written first. The serial number data stored in the storage device 3 can be directly printed on a label or the like by the printing device 4 through communication from the external control device 5. It is also possible to print using a part of the serial number data in the storage device 3, or to print after adding certain processing. For example, it is possible to limit the number of digits or add a specific alphabetic character string to the beginning of the consecutive numbers. A specific alphabetic character string can be used as a device code for the printer 1 when a plurality of printers 1 for issuing serial numbers are used.

When the first page is printed using this device, even if it is a test print before shipping, the storage device 3
The serial number data is calculated and written by the internal control device 2, and the last digit is changed to 1. Thereafter, in the same manner, the serial number data in the storage device 3 is incremented each time one page is printed (it is also possible to configure it so that it is decremented). The external control device 5 can read the serial number of the printer 1 if necessary, but cannot rewrite it.

[0017] If a power outage or the like occurs when writing to the storage device 3, it is conceivable that data cannot be written accurately. However, since the serial number data is, for example, 16 bytes or less and the time required to write it is short, by using an AC-DC converter for the power supply of the printer 1, even in the event of a power outage, it can be done within the discharge time of the electrolytic capacitor. It is possible to finish writing normally.

FIG. 2 shows a flowchart of the operation of the serial number issuing printer device.

First, the printer 1 receives a command from the external control device 5 (step #1). The contents of this command include print data, data such as print position, print font, etc., and also include a command as to whether or not to print consecutive numbers. Next, serial number data is read from the storage device 3 (step #2). after that,
Determine whether or not to print consecutive numbers (step #3)
, if so, the printing device 4 issues a printout including the serial numbers (step #4), and if not, the printing device 4 issues a printout that does not include the serial numbers (step #5). Next, in either case, the serial number data is incremented (step #6). After that, write new serial number data to the storage device 3 (step #7),
Finish a series of actions. Since the storage device 3 can hold serial number data without power, the serial numbers will not be interrupted even if the power is turned off.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the serial number data is incremented even when serial numbers are not printed, but the serial number data is incremented only when serial numbers are printed. It may be configured as follows.

[0021]

According to the present invention, serial numbers are managed by a printer for issuing serial numbers, and the serial number data is automatically incremented or decremented as the serial numbers are printed, and the serial number data is ignored. Since it is also maintained by the power supply, the same number will not be printed in a short period of time, and the independence of consecutive numbers is guaranteed. Moreover, since printing can be controlled by an external control device such as a personal computer and the serial number issuing function described above can be carried out, it is possible to manage the serial numbers by operating the external control device in the same way as in the past.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

[Fig. 2] 1 of operations of the serial number issuing printer device of the present invention
3 is a flowchart showing an example.

[Explanation of symbols]

Claims (4)

[Claims] Claim 1: An internal control device having a counter function that increments or decrements serial number data each time a print is issued, a storage device that can hold the serial number data without a power supply, and a storage device that stores the serial number data held in the storage device. A serial number issuing printer device comprising a printer equipped with a printing device that prints serial numbers based on a base number, and an external control device communicably connected to the printer. 2. The serial number issuing printer device according to claim 1, wherein the serial number is printed using a bar code. 3. The serial number issuing printer device according to claim 1, wherein data on the printing position of the serial number and the type of printing font are transmitted from an external control device to the printer. 4. The serial printer according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of independent serial number data are held in the storage device, and data for selecting which serial number data to use is transmitted from an external control device to the printer. Number issuing printer device.