JPH04366663A - Label printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To change a bar code size in accordance with the number of message printing lines without changing a label size and to eliminate an unnecessary space part to effectively use.a label. CONSTITUTION:In a flag memory, '0' or '1' is set in accordance with a message printing line number 3 or 4. The content of the flag memory is checked, and whether the size of a bar code to be printed on a label is increased or decreased is determined. Based on the determination, a bar code is developed on a printing buffer in a dot pattern.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a label printer that prints a message on label paper and also prints a bar code for identifying a product to issue a label.

0002

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in this type of label printer, the number of message print lines and the bar code size are fixed depending on the size of the label.

0003

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] For this reason, if the size of the barcode printed on the label is to be increased, for example, it is necessary to change the size of the label to a larger size label. Furthermore, when printing a message with fewer lines than the permissible number of lines to be printed, there is a problem in that unnecessary blank spaces are generated.

[0004] Accordingly, the present invention makes it possible to change the barcode size according to the number of lines printed in a message without changing the label size, and moreover, it is possible to effectively use the label surface without creating unnecessary blank areas. The company aims to provide a label printer.

[0005]

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention provides a label printer that prints a message on label paper and also prints a bar code for identifying a product to issue a label. A barcode size determining means is provided which increases the barcode size to be printed according to the judgment of the number of printed lines by the judgment means, increasing it when the number of printing lines is small and decreasing it when the number of printing lines is large.

[0006]

[Operation] In the present invention having such a configuration, when the number of lines of a message to be printed on label paper is small, the size of the barcode to be printed increases accordingly;
Furthermore, when the number of lines of messages printed on label paper is large, the size of the printed barcode becomes smaller accordingly.

[0007]

Embodiments Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

In FIG. 1, 11 is a CPU (central processing unit) that constitutes the main body of the control unit, 12 is a program memory in which program data for the CPU 11 to control each part is stored, and 13 is characters to be printed, bar codes, etc. A character generator 14 generates pattern data, and 14 is a random access RAM (random access・Memory), 15 is a PL that sets the product number, product name, unit price, expiration date, and additive code for each product as shown in Figure 2.
The U memory 16 is an additive message memory in which additive codes and various additive messages are set as shown in FIG.

Further, 17 is a print buffer memory in which data to be printed is developed in a dot pattern, and 18 is a CRT.
A display controller 20 controls a display 19 to display various data, a keyboard controller 20 controls a keyboard 21 equipped with various keys used for label printing, etc., and captures key signals; 22 a controller for label paper; A printer controller 24 controls a dot-type printer 23 that prints the product name, unit price, weight, price, date of processing, additive message, and barcode, respectively.A printer controller 24 is connected to a weighing section 25 that weighs the product. This is a scale unit interface that takes in weight data from 25.

[0010] The CPU 11 has the program memory 1.
2.Character generator 13, RAM14, PLU
It is electrically connected to the memory 15 , additive message memory 16 , print buffer memory 17 , each controller 18 , 20 , 22 and the scale interface 24 via a bus line 26 .

[0011] When a product is weighed in the weighing unit 25 and a designation operation and a label issuing operation for the product are performed using the keyboard 21, the CPU 11 stores the corresponding product number, product name, and unit price from the PLU memory 15. At the same time as reading, the weight data is taken in from the weighing section 25, and the price is calculated from the unit price and weight, and each of these pieces of information, that is, the product number,
Along with the product name, unit price, weight, and price, the date of processing, which is today's date, is developed in a dot pattern in the print buffer memory 17 in a format to be printed on label paper. Then, the printer controller 22 is controlled to cause the printer 23 to print on label paper and issue the first label. Next, the CPU 11
The additive message creation process shown in FIG. 4 is performed, followed by the barcode creation process shown in FIG. 5.

[0012] The additive message creation process first begins with the PL.
The additive code corresponding to the product number, product name, etc. that has just been recalled is read from the U memory 15. Then, based on the read additive code, a corresponding additive message is read from the additive message memory 16.

At this time, it is determined whether there are 3 or 4 lines printed in the additive message, and if it is 3 lines, "0" is set in the flag memory 14a, and if it is 4 lines, "1" is set in the flag memory 14a. ”. (Determination means) Develops the read additive message in a dot pattern into the print buffer memory 17 in a format to be printed on label paper.

The barcode creation process is carried out in the flag memory 1.
Check the set contents of 4a and check if the flag is "0" or "1".
” determines the barcode size. That is, when the flag is "0", the barcode size to be printed is determined to be a large size, and when the flag is "1", the barcode size to be printed is determined to be a small size. (Barcode size determination means)

Then, the barcode is developed in a dot pattern into the print buffer memory 17 in a format to be printed on label paper. That is, they are arranged and developed vertically with respect to the additive message. Then, the printer controller 22 is controlled to cause the printer 23 to print on label paper and issue a second label.

In the embodiment with such a configuration, when the weighing unit 25 weighs the product and the keyboard 21 specifies the product and issues a label, the PLU
The corresponding product number, product name, and unit price are read from the memory 15, weight data is taken in from the weighing section 25, and the price is calculated from the unit price and weight. And these product numbers,
The product name, unit price, weight, price, and processing date are developed as a dot pattern in the print buffer memory 17 in a format to be printed on label paper. Then, the printer 23 is controlled by the printer controller 22, and the data in the print buffer memory 17 is printed on the label paper. In this way, the first label as shown in FIG. 6(a) is issued.

Next, the additive code corresponding to the product number, product name, etc. that has just been called out is read from the PLU memory 15, and the additive message memory 16 is read based on the additive code.
The corresponding additive message is read from.

At this time, if the additive message has three printed lines, "0" is set in the flag memory 14a, and if there are four printed lines, "1" is set in the flag memory 14a. Then, the read additive message is printed in the print buffer memory 1 on the label paper.
7 is developed as a dot pattern.

Next, a bar code specifying the product to be printed on the label paper is developed as a dot pattern in the print buffer memory 17 in a format for printing on the label paper.

At this time, if "0" is set in the flag memory 14a, it is determined that three lines are to be printed, and a large-sized barcode is developed in the print buffer memory 17. Then, the printer 23 is controlled by the printer controller 22, and the data in the print buffer memory 17 is printed on the label paper. In this way, as shown in FIG. 6(c), a second label is issued on which a three-line additive message A1 and a large barcode B1 are printed.

Further, if "1" is set in the flag memory 14a, it is determined that four lines are to be printed, and a small-sized barcode is developed in the print buffer memory 17. Then, the printer 23 is controlled by the printer controller 22.
is controlled, and the data in the print buffer memory 17 is printed on the label paper. In this way, as shown in FIG. 6(b), a second label is issued on which a four-line additive message A2 and a small barcode B2 are printed. Note that the first label is attached, for example, to the top surface of the packaged product, and the second label is attached to the bottom surface.

[0022] In this way, when the number of lines of the additive message printed on the label paper is as small as 3 lines, the barcode size is increased, and when the number of lines of the additive message is as large as 4 lines, the barcode size is increased. Since the barcode is printed in a smaller size, the barcode can be printed in different sizes on label paper of the same size. Furthermore, there is no needless blank space between the additive message and the barcode, and the label surface can be used effectively.

[0023] In the above embodiment, the product name is printed on the first label paper, and the additive message and bar code are printed on the second label paper.
We have described the so-called two-sheet label that is printed on the second sheet of label paper, but it is not necessarily limited to this.The product name, additive message, barcode, etc. are all printed on one sheet along with the unit price, weight, price, etc. It may also be printed on label paper.

Further, in the above embodiment, the additive message is 3
Although we have described a case where the barcode size can be changed in two ways depending on the number of rows and four lines, it is not necessarily limited to this, and the number of lines of the additive message can be changed to three or more ways and the barcode size can be changed in three ways accordingly. It may be changed more than that. Further, although the above embodiments have been described in which an additive message is printed as a message, it is needless to say that the present invention is not necessarily limited to this.

[0025]

[Effects of the Invention] As described in detail above, according to the present invention, the barcode size can be changed according to the number of lines printed in a message without changing the label size, and there is no need to create unnecessary blank spaces. Therefore, it is possible to provide a label printer that can effectively use the label surface without any problems.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

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

FIG. 2 is a partial diagram showing the configuration of a PLU memory in the same embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a partial diagram showing the configuration of an additive message memory in the same embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing additive message creation processing by the CPU of the same embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing barcode creation processing by the CPU of the same embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a label issued in the same embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11... CPU, 14a... Flag memory, 15... PLU memory, 16... Additive message memory, 17... Print buffer memory, 23... Printer.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a label printer that prints a message on a label paper and prints a bar code vertically aligned with the message to identify a product to issue a label, a determination means for determining the number of lines to print the message; The barcode size determining means is provided for increasing the size of the barcode to be printed depending on the judgment of the number of lines to be printed by the judgment means, increasing the size of the barcode to be printed when the number of lines to be printed is small, and decreasing it when the number of lines to be printed is large. label printer.