JPH05197854A - Print controller for ticket printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To ensure the accurate print to a proper medium. CONSTITUTION:A ticket type code detecting means 11 detects the type code of a ticket instructed by a host device 20. Meanwhile, a medium size detecting means 12 detects the size of a print medium 23 set to a printer. Then, a comparing means 13 compares the medium size shown by the ticket type code with the medium size detected by the means 12. When no coincidence is obtained between both sizes, a warning means 14 gives a warning to an operator. Thus the operator never prints the necessary information to a wrong medium.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a print control device for a ticket issuing printer which prints several kinds of media.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Ticket issuing printers are widely used, for example, in ticket reservation systems for tickets such as boarding tickets and airline tickets, and coupon tickets such as accommodation tickets. Since such a ticket issuing printer issues securities having monetary value such as tickets and coupons, certainty of operation in the printing work by the operator is required.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of a print control procedure of a conventional ticket issuing printer. In the reservation ticketing system, tickets are issued at the final stage of reservation and ticketing operations. In this case, first, after the ticket-issuing printer receives print data from the higher-level device (step S21), only the presence / absence of the medium is confirmed (step S22). If there is no medium, the operator is prompted to set the medium, whereby the operator sets the medium (step S23), and if it is confirmed that there is the medium (step S22), printing is started (step S24). ..

[0004]

However, the above-mentioned conventional techniques have the following problems. That is, in the conventional ticket issuing printer, when printing the print data sent from the host device, the printing operation is started only by judging the presence or absence of the medium. Therefore, when the print data and the medium size are different, as shown in FIG. It caused some trouble. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of an example of erroneous printing by conventional print control. It is assumed that the print data of the medium 1 is sent to the ticket issuing printer. However, it is assumed that the set medium is the medium 2 having a narrower width than the medium 1. Then, a line break is printed by the write margin over function. For this reason, there is a problem in that the printing is uneven as illustrated.

The present invention has been made by paying attention to the above points. Even if the print data and the medium size are different, the ticket issuing printer can judge this, display it to the operator, and print it on an appropriate medium. An object of the present invention is to provide a print control device for a ticket issuing printer.

[0006]

A print control device for a ticket issuing printer according to the present invention is set in a ticket type code detecting means for detecting a ticket type code of a ticket instructed to be issued by a higher-level device and the ticket issuing printer. A medium size detecting means for detecting the size of the medium, a comparing means for comparing the medium size indicated in the bill type code with the medium size detected by the medium size detecting means, and a comparison result by the comparing means. A warning means for issuing a warning when the size of the print medium does not match the bill type code is provided.

[0007]

In the print control device of the ticket issuing printer of the present invention, the ticket type code detecting means detects the ticket type code of the ticket instructed to be issued by the higher-level device. On the other hand, the medium size detecting means detects the size of the medium set in the ticket issuing printer. Then, the medium size indicated by the bill type code is compared with the medium size detected by the medium size detecting unit by the comparing unit. When the size of the print medium does not match the bill type code as a result of the comparison by the comparison means, the warning means issues a warning to the operator. This prevents the operator from accidentally printing on other types of media.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a print control device for a ticket issuing printer according to the present invention. The illustrated print control device 10 includes a bill type code detection means 11, a medium size detection means 12, a comparison means 13, a warning means 14, a print start position control means 15, and a print control means 16. The ticket type code detecting means 11 detects the ticket type code of the ticket instructed to be issued by the higher-level device 20. More specifically, the ticket type code detecting means 11 reads out the size of the paper indicated in the electronic message sent from the higher-level device 20 or detects it by a correspondence table storing the paper size corresponding to the ticket type code. To do.

The medium size detecting means 12 detects the size of the print medium 23 set in the ticket issuing printer.
The medium size detecting means 12 includes a vertical direction detecting sensor 21.
And a lateral direction detection sensor 22. Details of these will be described later. The medium size may be determined by detecting both the vertical size and the horizontal size of the print medium 23. For example, when there is no different horizontal size with the same vertical size, or vice versa. Can detect the medium size by only one of the vertical direction detection sensor 21 and the horizontal direction detection sensor 22.

The comparing means 13 compares the medium size indicated by the bill type code with the medium size detected by the medium size detecting means 12. As a result, it is determined whether or not printing is performed on the print medium having the size corresponding to the bill type code. The warning unit 14 issues a warning to the operator when the size of the print medium does not match the bill type code as a result of the comparison by the comparison unit 13. This warning means 1
4. More specifically, it may be one that sends a display message to the display to the higher-level device 20, or one that sounds an audible alarm provided in the ticket issuing printer. The print start position control means 15 is a medium size or bill type code detection means 1 detected by the medium size detection means 12.
The initial position of the print head 24 is determined according to the medium size corresponding to the bill type code detected by 1. The print control unit 16 drives and controls the print head 24 so that the print data sent from the higher-level device 20 is transferred to the print medium 2.
Print on 3.

FIG. 4, FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 are detailed explanatory views of the configuration of the vertical direction detection sensor. In the sensor shown in FIG.
The size in the vertical direction of the print medium made of continuous paper as shown in FIG. 5 can be detected. In the sensor shown in the figure, as shown in FIG. 6, the size in the vertical direction of one continuous ticket of the medium is identified by the hole position obtained by cutting off the points a and b which are one corner of the medium. That is, the print medium is sent by the LF pulse motor 31 driving the platen 34 via the drive pulley 32 and the reduction gear 33 while being fed by the pin tractor 30. During this period, the vertical direction detection sensor 21 continuously repeats switching from ON to OFF at points a and b shown in FIG. Therefore, the size of one ticket can be detected by measuring the time from the start of turning on the vertical direction sensor 21 to the start of the next time.

7 and 8 are detailed explanatory views of the configuration of the lateral direction detection sensor. As shown in FIG. 7, the lateral direction detection sensor 22 includes, for example, four sensors D1 to D4. Therefore, for the horizontal size,
It can be known from the output of each sensor when the print medium is loaded and set. That is, as shown in FIG. 8, when the sensors D1 and D2 are on and the sensors D3 and D4 are off, it can be determined that the medium 1 is set. When all the sensors D1 to D4 are on, it can be determined that the medium 2 is set. In other cases, it can be determined that a medium other than the mediums 1 and 2 has been set, or that the medium has not been set correctly.

FIG. 9 is a flow chart for explaining the processing procedure of medium judgment in the present invention. First, when print data is received from a host device (step S1), the presence or absence of a medium is determined (step S2). When there is no medium, change the printer status from online to offline (step S
3) Notify the paper end alarm (step S)
4). For example, the paper end alarm lamp of the printer is turned on, or an alarm IPT or the like is given to the host device.
Then, wait until the medium is set (step S
5) When the setting is completed (step S6), the paper end alarm is released (step S7). When the offline state is switched to the online state (step S8,
S9), the medium size is detected (step S1).
0). The detection of the medium size is performed by detecting the longitudinal direction and the lateral direction of the medium with a sensor as shown in FIGS. 4 and 7.

On the other hand, the bill type code is detected (step S
11). The ticket type code is information indicating the type of medium sent together with the print data.The printer refers to the printable areas in the vertical and horizontal directions from the ticket type code from the table prepared in the memory. Then, set the horizontal write margin, the number of characters per line, the number of lines per ticket, and so on.

Then, the medium size and the bill type code are compared (step S12). When the medium size and the bill type code are different, the online mode is switched to the offline state to notify that the medium needs to be changed (step S13), and a paper alarm is notified (step S).
14). For example, the paper alarm lamp is turned on, and the alarm IPT to the host device is activated. Then, it waits until the medium is converted (step S15), and when the replacement is completed (step S16), the paper alarm is released (step S17). Next, it waits for the operator to switch from the offline state to the online state (step S18), and when it comes online (step S1).
9) Return to step S2 for determining the presence or absence of the medium. In this way, the medium determination processing flow is repeated until the medium size and the bill type code match, and if they match, the printing operation is performed (step S20).

[0016]

As described above, according to the print control device of the ticket issuing printer of the present invention, the print operation is started after the medium size and the print data are collated.
It is possible to print reliably on a medium of an appropriate size,
It is possible to prevent erroneous printing and ticket issuance. In this case, when the medium is a cash voucher, it may not be possible to redo printing after erroneous printing, so such a reliable printing effect is great.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a print control device for a ticket issuing printer of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a print control procedure of a conventional ticket issuing printer.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of an example of erroneous printing by conventional print control.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of details of a configuration of a vertical direction detection sensor.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a configuration of continuous paper.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of details of a configuration of continuous paper.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of details of a configuration of a lateral direction detection sensor.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of a reference table used for horizontal direction detection.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a medium determination processing procedure according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 print control device 11 note type code detection means 12 medium size detection means 13 comparison means 14 warning means 15 print start position control means 16 print control means 20 host device 21 vertical direction detection sensor 22 horizontal direction detection sensor 23 print medium 24 print head

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A ticket type code detecting means for detecting a ticket type code of a ticket instructed to be issued by a higher-level device, a medium size detecting means for detecting a size of a medium set in the ticket issuing printer, and the ticket type. A comparing means for comparing the medium size indicated by the code with the medium size detected by the medium size detecting means, and a warning when the size of the print medium does not match the bill type code according to the comparison result by the comparing means. A print control device for a ticket issuing printer, characterized in that a warning means for issuing is provided.