JPH05147301A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To adjust feed automatically and largely by comparing feed designated to one line and reference feed when there is an underline-assigned character in the printing data of one line. CONSTITUTION:When processing is started by a central processor, a start address area ADD is set to the front end address 0 of an image buffer, and command reception from a host equipment is stood by through a communication interface. The content of a line feed area LF is transferred to a work area WR on a data completion code, and an underline flag F is examined. Since the edition of a line, in which there is no underline-assigned character, is completed when F=0 holds, the content of the work area WR is added to the content of the start address area ADD, and the next command reception is weighted. Since the edition of a line, in which there is an F-line assigned character, is completed when F=1 holds, the content of the work area WR and preset reference feed are compared.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printer capable of adjusting the feed amount of one line by externally designating the line feed amount.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional printer of this type, when a character is printed with an underline designation while the designated value of the line feed amount is small, the underline sometimes overlaps with the character on the next line. Therefore, when performing character printing with underline designation, it is necessary to set a large line feed amount to secure a sufficient line spacing.

However, when printing a line with an underlined character and a line with no underlined character, if the overall line feed amount is set large so that the underline does not overlap with the character on the next line, there is no underline. There was a problem that the line spacing became too large. For this reason, when printing a line with an underlined character, the command to change the line feed amount is first given, the printing is controlled, and then the command to return to the original line feed amount is given and then the underline is given. It controlled the printing of non-printed characters.

[0004]

As described above, in the conventional printer of this type, when a line with an underlined character and a line without the underlined character are printed, a command for changing the feed amount is given according to the line. If it is not, a certain line spacing cannot be obtained, and the processing becomes complicated and high-speed processing cannot be performed.

Therefore, according to the present invention, the feed amount can be automatically adjusted to a large amount so that a sufficient space can be obtained for a line on which character printing with underline designation is present. An object of the present invention is to provide a printer that can secure a required line spacing without giving a command to change the amount, and can simplify the process and speed up the process.

[0006]

According to the present invention, in a printer in which the feed amount of one line can be adjusted by designating the line feed amount from the outside, is there a character with an underline designation in the print data of one line? An underline presence / absence determining means for determining whether or not there is a feed amount for comparing the feed amount designated for the corresponding one line with a preset reference feed amount when the determination means determines that there is an underline designation character. The comparison means and the feed amount compulsory adjustment means for forcibly setting the feed amount for the corresponding one line to the reference feed amount or more when the designated feed amount is equal to or less than the reference feed amount are provided.

[0007]

With this configuration, when printing a line with an underlined character, the designated feed amount of one line, that is, the feed amount of a line without an underlined character is the reference feed amount. Even if it is below, it is forcibly adjusted to exceed the reference feed amount. Therefore, the feed amount of the line with the underlined character automatically becomes larger than the feed amount of the line without the underlined character, the required line spacing is obtained, and the underline becomes the character of the next line. There will be no overlap.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration. 1 is a CPU (central processing unit) that constitutes the main body of the control unit, and 2 is the above-mentioned C.
A ROM (read only memory) in which program data for controlling each unit of the PU 1 is stored, 3 is a CG (character generator) ROM for storing bit image data of various characters, and 4 is shown in FIG. In addition to the image buffer 41 in which the print data is bit-mapped, various memory areas such as a start address area ADD, a line feed amount area LF, a margin amount area MR, a modification code area M, a work area WR, and an underline flag F are provided. Formed RAM (random access
Memory 5) is a communication interface for receiving print data sent from a host device (not shown), 6 is an I / O port for inputting / outputting various signals, and these are mutually connected by a bus line 7. ing.

In the I / O port 6, for example, a thermal dot type print head 8, a carriage motor 9 for mounting the print head 8 and operating a drive system of a carriage that reciprocates in the main scanning direction, and a printing paper as a sub-device. A paper feed motor 10 and the like for operating a feed system that conveys at a predetermined pitch in the scanning direction is connected.

Therefore, the CPU 1 is program-controlled to execute the processing shown in FIG. That is, when this process is started, first, the start address area ADD is set to the head address "0" of the image buffer 41. Next, it waits for a command to be received from the host device via the communication interface 5.

When an LF (line feed) set command having a data format as shown in FIG. 4A is received, the designated line feed amount X contained in the command is used as the line feed amount area LF. And the specified margin amount Y in the margin amount area MR and waits for the next command reception.

When a print command having a data format as shown in FIGS. 4B to 4D is received, the underline flag F is first reset to "0". Next, the data included in the command is sequentially read and processed.

Incidentally, in the print command, ESC
Is a control code, and following this control code, a modifier code of a print character (for example, 0 ... No underline designation, 1 ... Underline designation) is set. DA is a data end code. The other characters "A", "B", "C", ... Are character codes of print characters.

That is, when one data read from the print command is the control code ESC, the character modification code following it is stored in the modification code area M. Then, the next one data is read.

In the case of a character code, the CG ROM
Bit image data of the corresponding character from 3 (size: 24
(Dots × 24 dots) is read. Then, the bit image data is edited from the address position where the content of the margin amount area MR is added to the content of the start address area ADD in the image buffer 41. After editing one character, the contents of the modified code area M are checked. Here, in the case of [M = 1], since an underline is designated, the underline (width: 2 dots) is edited below the edited character data with an interval of 2 dots. Further, the underline flag F is set to "1". Then, the next one data is read. In the case of [M = 0], since there is no underline designation, the above-mentioned underline editing processing is passed, and the next one data is immediately read.

In the case of the data end code, the contents of the line feed amount area LF are moved to the work area WR. Next, the underline flag F is checked (underline presence / absence determining means). Here, in the case of [F = 0], since the editing of the line in which the underlined character does not exist is completed, if the content of the work area WR is added to the content of the start address area ADD, the next command is received. stand by.

On the other hand, in the case of [F = 1], since the editing of the line in which the underlined character exists is completed, the contents of the work area WR and the preset reference feed amount (“36” in this embodiment). And) (feed amount comparison means). Only when the content of the work area WR is smaller than the reference feed amount, the work area W
The contents of R are forcibly changed to the reference feed amount (feed amount forced adjustment means). After that, if the content of the work area WR is added to the content of the start address area ADD, the next command reception is awaited.

In this embodiment having such a structure,
When trying to obtain the print result as shown in FIG. 5, the print data is the line feed specified amount X = 3 for the LF command.
2, the margin designated amount Y = 4 (FIG. 4A). In the print command of the first line, character codes "A", "B", and "C" are added to the modification code = 0 (no underline designation) (FIG. 4 (b)). In the print command on the second line, the character codes “D” and “E” are added to the decoration code = 1 (the underline is specified), and subsequently the character code “F” is added to the decoration code = 0. (FIG.4 (c)).
In the print command of the third line, the character codes "G", "H", and "I" are added to the modification code = 0 (FIG. 4 (d)).

When the above various commands are transmitted from the host device and received via the communication interface 5, data processing for the LF command is first performed. That is, "32" is set in the line feed amount area LF and "4" is set in the margin amount area MR. The start address area ADD is "0".

Next, data processing for the print command for the first line is performed. That is, the modified code area M
When "0" is set to, the characters "A", "B",
“C” is [ADD + MR] = 4 in the image buffer 41
The bitmap is expanded from the dot. The bit image data of one character is 24 dots × 24 dots.

The work area WR is read in response to the reading of the data end code DA in the print command.
The line feed amount “32” is written into the line A, and at this time, the underline flag F remains reset to “0”, so that the start address area ADD becomes [0 + 32] = “32”.

Next, data processing for the print command for the second line is performed. That is, with the modification code area M initially set to "1", the character "D",
“E” is [ADD + MR] = 3 in the image buffer 41.
The bitmap is expanded from the 6th dot. At this time, since the content of the modification code area M is "1", the underline flag F is set to "1" and the underline is edited by opening two dots below the characters "D" and "E". To be done. By the way, the width of the underline is 2 dots. Next, with the modification code area M set to "0", the character "F" is displayed in the image buffer 41 as [ADD + MR] = 3.
Bitmap expansion is performed following the character "E" from the sixth dot.

Then, the work area WR is read in response to the reading of the data end code DA in the print command.
The line feed amount "32" is written in, but since the underline flag F is set to "1" at this time, the content of the work area WR is forcibly changed to "36",
The start address area ADD is [32 + 36] = “68”
Becomes

Next, data processing for the print command of the third line is performed. That is, the modified code area M
With "0" set to, the letters "G", "H",
“I” is [ADD + MR] of the image buffer 41 = 7
The bitmap is expanded from the second dot.

The work area WR is read in response to the reading of the data end code DA in the print command.
Since the line feed amount "32" is written in the line, and the underline flag F is reset to "0" at this time, the start address area ADD becomes [68 + 32] = "100".

After the above data processing is completed, the print routine is started, the drive of the print head 8, the carriage motor 9 and the paper feed motor 10 is controlled, and the contents of the image buffer 41 are printed out on a print sheet. ..

In this case, the lower margin of the character on the first line has a line feed amount of 32 dots on the first line, an upper margin of 4 dots, and a character size of 24 dots, so [32-4-24]. = 4 dots. The upper margin of the character on the second line is 4 dots. Therefore, the line spacing between the first line and the second line is 8 dots.

On the other hand, the lower margin of the character on the second line has a line feed amount of 36 dots on the second line, an upper margin of 4 dots, and a character size of 24 dots.
[36-4-24] = 8 dots. However, since an underline is drawn with a width of 2 dots with a space of 2 dots below the character, the lower margin is 4 dots. The upper margin of the character on the third line is 4 dots. Therefore,
The line spacing between the second line and the third line is also 8 dots.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, lines having no underline designation character printing are printed with a predesignated line feed amount, and existing lines are predesignated. When the line feed amount is less than 36 dots, it is automatically adjusted to a large value up to 36 dots for printing, so it is possible to always secure sufficient line spacing regardless of the presence or absence of an underline. Even if the specified value of is small, the underline will not overlap with the character on the next line. Therefore, when creating print data, it is not necessary to add a command to change the feed amount in consideration of the presence or absence of an underline, so that the data creation work can be performed efficiently, and the processing on the printer side is simplified and high-speed processing is possible. ..

Although the serial printer has been described in the above embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be a line printer. Further, the type of head is not limited to the thermal type, and the same applies to the inkjet type and the like. Of course, various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0032]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, it is possible to automatically adjust the feed amount to a large amount so that a sufficient line spacing can be obtained for a line where character printing with underline designation is present. Therefore, it is possible to provide a printer that can secure a required line spacing without giving a command to change the feed amount in consideration of presence or absence of an underline, and can simplify the process and speed up the process.

[Brief description of drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a memory configuration diagram of a RAM in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing main control of the CPU in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a data format diagram of various commands used in the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a print result when data processing of various commands shown in FIG. 4 is performed.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... CPU, 3 ... CG ROM, 5 ... Communication interface, 8 ... Print head, 41 ... Image buffer.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An underline presence / absence determining means for determining whether or not there is a character with an underline designation in print data of one line in a printer capable of adjusting the feed amount of one line by externally designating the line feed amount. When the determination means determines that there is an underlined character, the feed amount comparison means compares the feed amount specified for the one line with a preset reference feed amount, and the comparison means specifies the feed amount. A printer comprising: a feed amount compulsory adjusting unit for forcibly setting the feed amount for one line to be equal to or larger than the reference feed amount when the feed amount is smaller than the reference feed amount.