JPH04319470A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To evaluate print result automatically, improve efficiency of printing work, and detect failure earlier by comparing an image data read by an image read means with a printing data in a print buffer so as to evaluate print accuracy. CONSTITUTION:When a printing work is started in a state that a printing data to a receipt is stored in a print buffer, the printing data in the print buffer is printed on a receipt paper by a print head 20. The print result is read out immediately by an image sensor 25 and the read data is stored in a read buffer. When the printing by the print head 20 with respect to the whole print data in the print buffer is completed and the whole printed data are read out by the image sensor 25, the data in the print buffer is compared with the data in the read buffer. Thus, accuracy of printing on a sheet paper can be evaluated automatically and in real time.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printer used for printing receipts on electronic cash registers.

0002

2. Description of the Related Art In conventional electronic cash registers, dot printers have been widely used as printers for printing receipts 1 as shown in FIG. However, the store name and logo printed at the beginning of the receipt require a huge amount of data and take time to print, so this has generally been dealt with by stamping.

On the other hand, thermal printers using thermal heads have the advantage of better printing quality and faster printing speed than dot printers. For this reason, thermal printers have recently been used instead of dot printers as receipt printers for electronic cash registers. In this case, even if a thermal printer is used to print the store name and logo, high speed can be ensured.

0004

[Problem to be Solved by the Invention] However, whether the receipt is printed using a dot printer or a thermal printer, the operator must visually check the issued receipt to evaluate the printing result. I had no choice but to check.

[0005] Furthermore, even when printing a store name or logo mark on a receipt using a printer, a huge amount of print data must be set in advance, and the setting work is very troublesome.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a printer that can automatically evaluate printing results, improve the efficiency of printing operations, and detect failures at an early stage. Another object of the present invention is to provide a printer that can easily set a large amount of print data such as graphics and reduce the burden on the operator.

[0007]

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention provides a printer that applies a voltage to a print head based on print data in a print buffer and prints on paper that is guided to a print position of the print head by a conveyance mechanism. An image reading means provided downstream from the printing position to read the image recorded on the paper, and an accuracy evaluation means for evaluating the printing accuracy by comparing the image data read by the image reading means and the print data in the print buffer. This is what I prepared.

In addition to the above configuration, an image buffer for storing image data is provided, and mode specifying means for specifying an image information input mode is provided, and when the image information input mode is specified, the image read by the image reading means is Data is stored in an image buffer and used as at least part of print data.

[0009]

[Operation] With the present invention having such a configuration, the image printed on the paper by the print head is read by the image reading means, and is compared with the print data in the print buffer to automatically evaluate the print accuracy. Ru.

Furthermore, when the image information input mode is designated, the image read by the image reading means is stored in the image buffer and used as at least a part of the subsequent print data.

[0011]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a receipt printer installed in an electronic cash register will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic cash register, and 11 is a CPU (central processing unit) constituting the main body of the control section. Then, bus line 1 is connected to this CPU11.
2, the RO in which program data etc. are stored in advance
M (read only memory) 13, RAM (RAM) in which a memory area for storing various variable data is formed.
Random access memory) 14, a keyboard controller 16 into which key signals are input from a keyboard 15 provided with various keys for product registration, and a display device that drives and controls a display device 17 for displaying product prices, etc. A controller 18, a printer controller 22 that drives and controls a print head 20, a paper feed motor 21, etc. incorporated in a printer 19 that prints on receipt paper, and an I/O port 23 are connected.

Here, a line thermal head is used as the print head 20. Further, as the paper feed motor 21, a stepping motor that can freely rotate in forward and reverse directions is used.

The I/O port 23 includes a mode switch 24 for selecting various business modes such as "registration", "payment", and "setting", an image sensor 25 for reading the image printed on the receipt paper, A paper sensor 26 for detecting the presence or absence of receipt paper is connected to each of them. Here, the image sensor 25 is the print head 2.
A line sensor with a resolution equivalent to 0 is used.

FIG. 2 is a mechanical diagram of the main parts of the printer 19.
31 is a roll of receipt paper; 32 is a feed roller 32 which rotates counterclockwise as the paper feed motor 21 rotates; 33 is a presser roller disposed opposite to the feed roller 32; and 34 is the paper feed motor 21. A reverse feed roller 35 rotates clockwise due to the reverse rotation of the reverse feed roller 34, and 35 is a holding roller of the reverse feed roller 34. The reverse feed roller 34 and the press roller 35 are provided near the receipt issuing port 36. A cutter 37 for cutting the receipt paper 31 is provided inside the reverse feed roller 34. Further, the image sensor 25 and its press roller 38 are provided inside the cutter 37, and the print head 20 and its press roller 39 are provided further inside.

Thus, the receipt paper 31 is conveyed in the direction of the receipt issuing port 36 while being sandwiched between the feed roller 32 and the presser roller 33 which are rotated by the normal rotation of the feed motor 21, and the printing position by the print head 20 and the image sensor are 25, the image reading position by the cutter 37, and the reverse feed roller 34 and the presser roller 3.
5 and is discharged from the receipt issuing port 36. At this time, printing is performed by the print head 20 at the printing position, characters, etc. on the receipt are read by the image sensor 25 at the image reading position, and the receipt is cut by the cutter 37 at the cutting position. .

Here, the distance between the printing position by the print head 20 and the reading position by the image sensor 25 corresponds to n steps of the feed motor 21. Further, the distance between the reading position by the image sensor 25 and the contact position between the reverse feed roller 34 and the presser roller 35 corresponds to a step.

FIG. 3 shows the main memory structure formed in the RAM 14. This RAM 14 includes a print buffer 41 that stores print data for one receipt, a read buffer 42 and an image buffer 43 that store image data read by the image sensor 25, and buffer pointers p, q, s and a region 44 of a feed counter r are formed.

The CPU 11 is programmed to execute the printing operation shown in FIG. That is,
When the printing job starts, first, the buffer pointer p is initialized to "1" in ST (step) 1, and then ST
2, the output of the paper sensor 26 is checked. If no receipt paper is detected, a message to the effect that there is no paper error is displayed on the display 17, and this task is ended.

[0020] If receipt paper is available in ST2, ST
3, the print data stored in the p-th line of the print buffer 41 is read out, the print head 20 is operated, and the
Controls line receipt printing. Next, in ST4, the feed motor 21 is driven one step in the normal rotation direction to feed the receipt paper 31 forward by one step. At this time, in ST5, the buffer pointer p is updated by "+1", and in ST6, the updated pointer p is
, the printing position by the print head 20 and the image sensor 2
5 is compared with the number of steps n corresponding to the distance from the reading position. If the relationship [p<n] holds true, then the printing start position on the receipt paper 31 has not yet reached the reading position by the image sensor 25, so the processes of ST2 to ST5 are repeated.

Receipt printing for each line is thus repeated, and if the relationship [p≧n] is established in ST6, the printed area of the receipt paper 31 is detected by the image sensor 25.
Since the reading position has been reached, ST7 reads (p-n
+1) and set it as the buffer pointer q. and,
In ST8, one line of image data read by the image sensor 25 is stored in the q-th line of the read buffer 42. (Image reading means)

Thereafter, in ST9, the buffer pointer p and the final line number N of the print buffer 41 are compared. And if the relationship [p≦N] holds, then
Since print data that has not been printed yet remains in the print buffer 41, the processes of ST2 to ST8 are repeated.

On the other hand, if the relationship [p>N] holds in ST9, all the print data in the print buffer 41 has been printed, so in ST10, the buffer pointer q and the last line of the print buffer 41 are Compare with the number N. Then, if the relationship [q≦N] is established, there is a printed area on the receipt paper 31 between the print head 20 and the image sensor 25, so the steps from ST4 to
Repeat the process of ST8.

If the relationship [q>N] is established in ST10, then the image sensor 25 has read all of the print data in the print buffer 41 printed on the receipt paper 31 and stored it in the read buffer 42. ST
11, the data in the print buffer 41 and the data in the read buffer 42 are compared. And both buffers 4
If the data in 1 and 42 match, the print head 20
Since the print data in the print buffer 41 can be accurately printed out, the printer recognizes that the printer is normal and ends this work. On the other hand, both buffers 41 as ST11
, 42 do not match, the print head 20 was unable to accurately print out the print data in the print buffer 41, so a printer error is recognized and a message indicating a printer error is displayed on the display 17. Display it and finish this task. (Accuracy evaluation means)

Furthermore, the CPU 11 is programmed to execute the image input task shown in FIG. That is, when the reading key provided on the keyboard 15 is input as ST21, it is recognized that the mode is for inputting image information. Here, the reading key functions as a means for specifying the image input mode.

Then, in ST22, the output of the paper sensor 25 is checked, and if it is confirmed that no receipt paper 31 is detected, the feed counter r is initialized to "0" in ST23. Next, in ST24, the feed motor 21 is driven one step in the reverse direction. At this time, in ST25, the feed counter r is
+1" and the updated counter r as ST26.
and the number of steps a corresponding to the distance from the contact position between the reverse feed roller 34 and the presser roller 35 to the reading position by the image sensor 25. Here, [r<
a], the processes of ST24 and ST25 are repeatedly executed. Then, in ST26, [r=
a], then as ST27, (r-
a+1) and set it as the buffer pointer s, ST28
One line of image data read by the image sensor 25 is stored in the sth line of the image buffer 43. Thereafter, the processes of ST24 to ST28 are repeated.

When the feed counter r reaches a+b (b>0) in ST29, the feed motor 21 is driven in steps (a+b) in the forward rotation direction in ST30, and this process is completed.

In this embodiment configured as described above, when the printing operation is started with the print data on the receipt stored in the print buffer 41, the print buffer 41
The print data inside is printed on the receipt paper 3 by the print head 20.
1 is printed, the print result is immediately read by the image sensor 25, and the read data is stored in the read buffer 42. And print buffer 4
The printing by the print head 20 has been completed for all the print data in the image sensor 2.
5, the data in the print buffer 41 and the data in the read buffer 42 are compared. Here, if the data in both buffers 41 and 42 match, it is recognized that the printer 19 is normal and the process moves on to the next job. However, for example, the print on the receipt paper 31 may be blurred or may not be printed at all. If they do not match, a message indicating a printer error is displayed.

As described above, according to this embodiment, since the printing accuracy on the receipt paper 31 is evaluated automatically and almost in real time, a failure of the printer 19 can be discovered at an early stage. Furthermore, since the operator no longer has to worry about checking the printing accuracy of issued receipts, printing operations can be processed more efficiently.

Further, in this embodiment, when the reading key provided on the keyboard 15 is input with the receipt paper 31 removed, the image information input mode is entered, and the feed motor 21 is driven in reverse and the image sensor is activated. The image data read by 25 is stored in an image buffer 43.

Therefore, as shown in FIG.
Prepare a sheet-like paper 2 with a desired store name or logo image drawn in the area 2a having a length b from the upper edge, and insert it from the upper edge side from the receipt issuing opening 36,
Its upper edge is connected to the reverse feed roller 34 and its presser roller 3.
5. Bring it into contact with the contact position with 5. In this state, specify the image information input mode. Then, area 2 of paper 2 above
The image of the store name or logo drawn in a is read by the image sensor 25 and stored in the image buffer 43.

The store name or logo image data stored in the image buffer 43 can be printed at the beginning of the receipt by programming to incorporate it into the beginning of the receipt print data. Therefore, even if the image data is complicated to input, such as a store name or logo mark, input settings can be easily made by simply drawing a desired image on a predetermined paper 2 and using the image information input mode.

Note that the present invention is not limited to receipt printers, but can be applied to various printers. It goes without saying that the present invention can also be applied to dot printers. It goes without saying that various other modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention, such as evaluating printing accuracy only when a specific key is input.

[0034]

As described in detail above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a printer that can automatically evaluate printing results, improve the efficiency of printing operations, and enable early detection of failures. Further, according to the invention corresponding to claim 2, a huge amount of print data such as figures can be easily set, and the burden on the operator can be reduced.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic cash register that is an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a mechanical diagram of the main parts of the printer in the same embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a main memory configuration diagram of RAM in the same embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing control of printing operations by the CPU in the same embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the control of the CPU in image input work in the same embodiment.

FIG. 6 is an example of paper used for image input work in the same embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of issuing a receipt.

[Explanation of symbols]

19...Printer, 20...Print head, 21...Feed motor, 25...Image sensor, 41...Print buffer, 4
2...read buffer, 43...image buffer.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A printer that operates a print head based on print data in a print buffer and prints on paper that is guided to a print position of the print head by a conveyance mechanism, the printer comprising: an image reading means for reading the image recorded on the paper, and an accuracy evaluation means for evaluating the printing accuracy by comparing the image data read by the image reading means and the print data in the print buffer. A printer characterized by: 2. An image buffer for storing image data is provided, and mode specifying means is provided for specifying an image information input mode, and when specifying the image information input mode, the image data read by the image reading means is transferred to the image data. 2. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the print data is stored in a buffer and used as at least a part of print data.