JPH0531474B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Summary] When the printer is set to the setting print mode, setting item data and its content data are printed out using soft copy character data of those data whose settings have been confirmed. did.

[Industrial application field]

The present invention relates to a printer, and more specifically, to a printer.
The present invention relates to a printer that can print out characters in a set print mode.

Some printers allow you to perform initial settings such as print quality, etc., but since it is essential to perform these settings, it is necessary for the printer to be equipped with a means to perform these operations smoothly. .

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, this type of setting is performed as follows. As shown in FIG. 4, when the operation mode of the main control unit 10 of the printer becomes the setting print mode,
Prior to this, the setting information (setting items) set in the setting switch 12, for example, print quality items, are read under the control of the main control unit 10, and the setting item contents are read out from the print setting information memory 14 according to the data. After data, such as printing quality specification data and setting items, are written to the line buffer 16, the main control section 10 controls the line feed control section 18 and the space control section 20, and also controls the print control section 22, thereby writing the data into the line buffer 16. A hard copy of the written data is obtained. In FIG. 4, 24 is an interface section connected to the host computer, and 26 is a receiving buffer.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

However, because the hard copy is in binary format, it is not immediately readable by an operator. Therefore, when it is desired to change the above-mentioned settings, it takes time and effort to utilize the previous setting state. Also, there was a lack of a means to confirm the settings.

In order to solve this inconvenience, it is possible to output the above-mentioned hard copy in character format, but in order to do so, it is necessary to convert the binary information into character format to a system that can output the above-mentioned binary format hard copy. It becomes necessary to equip an information conversion system necessary only for outputting information.

The present invention was created in view of such problems, and at least confirms the soft copy of the setting item characters and prints the hard copy using character data for outputting the setting item characters and their content characters and their soft copies. The object of the present invention is to provide a printer capable of outputting in character format.

[Means for solving problems]

FIG. 1 shows a principle block diagram of the present invention. As shown in this figure, the printer of the present invention obtains setting item code data and setting item content code data from the setting information providing means 2 by the main control means 1 in response to switching of the operation mode to the setting printing mode. A display 5 provided in the printer for printing code data on the printing unit 4, a display control means 6 for displaying character data in character format on the display 5, and a display control means 6 for displaying character data in character format on the display 5, and a a conversion means 7 that converts the setting item code data and the setting item content code data supplied from the main control means 1 into character data and supplies it to the main control means 1 and the display control means 6;
The main control means 1 is provided with a printing start means 8 for causing the printing unit 4 to print character data supplied from the main control means 1 to the main control means 1.

[Effect]

When the operation mode of the main control means 1 of the printer is set to the setting print mode, the main control means 1 passes the setting item code data and setting item content data from the setting information providing means 2 to the converting means 7. These code data are converted into character data by the conversion means 7. The converted character data is displayed in character format on the display 5 to provide the operator with a means of confirming settings regarding certification, while the character data being displayed is also supplied to the printing unit 4. It is used to output the hard copy.

〔Example〕

FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, the printer includes a main controller 10 and a display controller 3.
0. In addition to being connectable to a character data memory 32 for display display and a setting information printing control section 34, a display 5 such as an LCD is connected to the display control section 30, forming a characteristic part of the present invention. Since the other components are the same as those described in the [Prior Art] section, the same reference numerals will be given to them and the description thereof will be omitted. The main control section 10 and the setting information printing control section 34 correspond to the main control means 1 in FIG.
0 and character data memory 32 for display
corresponds to the display control means 6 in FIG. 1, the display 5 is the display device 5 in FIG.
2 and the print setting information memory 14 correspond to the setting information providing means 2 in FIG. 1, and the line feed control section 18, print control section 22, space control section 20, and line buffer 16 correspond to the printing section 4 in FIG.

The operation of the printer configured as described above will be explained below.

When the operation mode of the main control unit 10 of the printer is switched to the setting print mode (step 100 in FIG. 3), the main control unit 10 reads the setting item code data set in the setting switch 12 and responds to this data. Text data is transferred from the display display character data memory 32 to the display control unit 30.
and display it in character format on Display 5.
This is used as a means for the operator to confirm the settings. In parallel with this display, the display character data memory 32 is enabled to use the character data by the setting information printing control section 34.

Character data (102 in FIG. 3) that has thus become available for use by the setting information print control unit 34
is sent to the printing section 4 via the main control section 10, with or without an instruction from the printer operation panel, from which the hard copy is output (104 in FIG. 3).

The setting item code data used to supply the character data to the display control unit 30 is also provided for the main control unit 10 to read setting item content code data corresponding to the data from the print setting information memory 14. (106 in Figure 3). Then, the read setting item content code data is used in the same manner as the setting item code data described above, and character data corresponding to the data is passed from the display display character data memory 32 to the display control unit 30, which controls the display control unit 30. Based on this, a character format display is made on the display 5, and the character data provided for the display is made available to the setting information printing control unit 34 (108 in FIG. 3).

In this way, character data that can be used by the setting information print control section 34 is transferred to the main control section 10 according to instructions from the printer operation panel or without it.
is sent to the printing unit 4 via the printer 4, from which a hard copy is output (110 in FIG. 3).

When such printing has been performed for all items necessary for setting, the operating mode of the main control section 10 becomes the normal printing mode (112 in FIG. 3).

Note that other modifications than the above-described embodiments are also possible within the scope of converting character data used for setting confirmation, which is the gist of the present invention, into a hard copy.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, the setting information is displayed as a soft copy to confirm settings and prevent setting errors, and the setting information in character format is also displayed on the hard copy. It can also be used to output software copies. Therefore, it contributes to smooth setting changes.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a block diagram of the principle of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 3 is a flowchart explaining the operation of the embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 4 is a configuration diagram of a conventional printer. . In FIG. 1, 1 is a main control means, 2 is a setting information providing means, 4 is a printing section, 5 is a display, and 6 is a display control means. In FIG. 2, 10 is a main control unit, 12 is a setting switch, 14 is a print setting information memory, 30 is a display control unit, 32 is a character data memory for display display, 5 is a display, 34 is a setting information print control unit, 16 is a line buffer, 18 is a line feed control section, 20 is a space control section, and 22 is a print control section.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. In response to switching of the operation mode to the setting print mode, the main control means 1 obtains setting item code data and setting item content code data from the setting information providing means 2, and prints these code data. A printer for printing part 4 includes: a display 5 provided in the printer; a display control means 6 for displaying character data in character form on the display 5; and a main control means responsive to the set print mode. converting means 7 converting the setting item code data and setting item content code data supplied from 1 into character data and supplying the converted data to the main control means 1 and the display control means 6; A printer characterized in that a printing start means 8 is provided for causing the character data supplied to the means 1 to be used for printing by a printing section 4.