JPH06115165A - Tape printing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To attempt to perform printing on the whole width of a tape without any omission of data by starting printing of a dot pattern prepd. by synthesis of a bit image data which have been received before by means of a printing starting means when it is judged by a judging means that if the next received bit image data is synthesized, it exceeds the printable range. CONSTITUTION:When bit image data are received, a height calculating means 29 calculates the whole height of a dot pattern prepd. by synthesizing the bit image data have been received. In addition, a judging means judges the height of the dot pattern after synthesis whether it exceeds or not the range being printable on a tape when the next receiving bit image data is synthesized on the result calculated by the calculating means. Then, the print starting means 29 starts printing of a dot pattern prepd. by synthesis of the bit image data having been received before when the judging means 29 judges that the synthesis of the successively received bit image data exceeds the printable range.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention receives bit image data sent from an external device in a plurality of lines,
The present invention relates to a tape printer that prints a dot pattern obtained by combining bit image data of a plurality of lines on a tape having a predetermined width.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Heretofore, there has been known a tape printer for printing character data on a tape having a predetermined width. Such a tape printer has a function of printing data transmitted from an external device on a tape. When executing this function, it is not possible to print over the tape width, so if character data is sent for the number of printable lines, create a dot pattern based on the character data sent up to that time, and then Dot pattern printing was started.

[0003]

However, when it is desired to print bit image data for printing a picture or a graphic transmitted from an external device by dividing it into a plurality of lines, the bit image data includes a line feed amount or a line feed. Since the height varies, if it is determined whether or not printing is possible only by the number of lines, the dot pattern may extend beyond the tape width when the line feed amount and the height of one line are large. It was For example, if the setting is 7 lines, there arises a problem that a part of the data D1 to D7 (D5 to D7) is missing as shown in FIG. 8A.

On the contrary, when the line feed amount of the bit image data and the height of one line are small, there is still a margin in the tape width, but when the number of lines reaches the set number, they are combined as a unit. Then, the dot pattern printing may be started. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8B, the small bit image data D1 that should originally be printed as one piece
There is a problem that 1 to D23 are divided into two and printed up to 7 lines (D11 to D17) and thereafter (D18 to D23).

Further, when the height of one line is high and there is bit image data composed of, for example, about 3 lines, if the number of print lines is set to, for example, 7 lines, this is not yet judged as the print start state. However, there was also a problem that the trigger to start printing was not given. In this case, printing is started only after the data of four lines is received. As a result, there is a problem that the data of four lines received later does not fit in the tape and is eventually lost.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a tape printer capable of printing the full width of the tape without losing the data regardless of the format of the bit image data sent. And

[0007]

The tape printer according to the present invention, which has been made to achieve the above object, receives bit image data sent from an external device in a plurality of lines, and receives the bit image data. A tape printer that prints a dot pattern composed of bit image data on a tape of a predetermined width, and when the bit image data is received, the total height of the dot pattern composed of the bit image data received so far. When the bit image data to be received next is combined with the height calculation means for calculating the height calculation means, the height of the combined dot pattern can be printed on the tape. The judgment means for judging whether or not the range is exceeded, and when the next received bit image data is combined by the judgment means, the printable range is exceeded. When it is determined that, characterized in that it comprises a print starting means for starting the printing of the synthesized dot pattern and the bit image data received so far.

According to this tape printer, when the bit image data sent from the external device divided into a plurality of lines is received, the total height of the dot pattern obtained by combining the bit image data received up to that time is determined. If the printable range on the tape is exceeded, printing of a dot pattern that combines the bit image data received up to that point is started.

Therefore, when the line feed amount of the bit image data or the height of one line is large, the portion that exceeds the print range is moved to the next print. On the contrary, if the line feed amount of bit image data or the height of one line is small, printing does not start even if a considerable number of lines are sent, and the small figure is divided into many lines and the bit image data is If it is created, it will not be divided even though it can be printed in one batch.

[0010]

[Embodiments] Next, preferred embodiments of the tape printer of the present invention described above will be explained. This embodiment is a case where the present invention is applied to an English-only tape printer 1 capable of printing a large number of characters such as alphabetic characters and symbols on a printing tape (printing medium) 5.

As shown in FIG. 1, a keyboard 3 is provided in the front part of the main body frame 2 of the tape printer 1, and a printing mechanism PM is provided in the main body frame 2 behind the keyboard 3 and the keyboard 3 is provided. Behind 3 is provided a liquid crystal display (LCD) 22 capable of displaying characters and symbols. Further, on the right side surface of the main body frame 2, an interface (RS for receiving transmission data from an external device is provided.
232C) terminal 4 is provided.

The keyboard 3 includes a character input key for inputting alphabets, numbers and symbols, a cursor movement key 50, a return key 5 for line feed or decision.
1, interface key 5 to set the communication function
2 or format key 53 and power ON / OFF
A power key and the like for F are provided.

Next, the printing mechanism PM will be briefly described with reference to FIG. 2. A rectangular tape storage cassette CS is detachably attached to the printing mechanism PM, and the tape storage cassette CS is transparent. Width of about 2 films
Tape spool 6 around which 4mm printing tape 5 is wound
And a ribbon supply spool 8 around which the ink ribbon 7 is wound.
And a take-up spool 9 for taking up the ink ribbon 7,
A supply spool 11 in which a double-sided tape 10 having the same width as the printing tape 5 is wound with a release paper outside and a joining roller 12 for joining the printing tape 5 and the double-sided tape 10 are rotatably provided. Has been.

A thermal head 13 is erected at a position where the printing tape 5 and the ink ribbon 7 overlap each other, and the thermal head 13 holds the printing tape 5 and the ink ribbon 7 together.
A platen roller 14 that presses the printing tape 5 and the double-sided tape 10 against the joining roller 12 are rotatably supported by a support 16. The thermal head 13 is provided with a heating element group consisting of 128 heating elements arranged in a vertical direction corresponding to the width of the printing tape 5 of about 24 mm.

Therefore, by driving the tape feed motor 24 (see FIG. 3) in the predetermined rotation direction, the joining roller 12 and the take-up spool 9 are driven in synchronization with each other in the predetermined rotation direction to form 128 heating element groups. When energized, characters and bit images are printed on the printing tape 5 by a plurality of dot rows (up to 128 dots) almost completely in the tape width, and the printing tape 5 is a state in which the double-sided tape 10 is joined. Then, the tape is fed in the tape feeding direction A.
For details of the printing mechanism PM, see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-106.
See Japanese Patent No. 555.

A cassette discriminating member 17 for setting the type of the tape accommodating cassette CS, that is, the tape width of the accommodated printing tape 5 is attached to the bottom wall of the tape accommodating cassette CS. A cassette discrimination sensor 18 (see FIG. 3) including a photo interrupter for detecting a provided protruding piece (not shown) is attached to the main body frame 2. Therefore, the tape width can be detected based on the discrimination signal from the cassette discrimination sensor 18. Also, the tape width is "6 mm",
Various tape storage cassettes CS around which the printing tapes 5 of “9 mm”, “12 mm”, and “18 mm” are wound are prepared separately.

The tape storage cassette CS that stores the printing tapes 5 having a width other than the width of 24 mm is mounted on the tape printing apparatus 1 in the same manner as the tape storage cassette CS that stores the printing tape 5 having a width of 24 mm. . Then, by defining which heating element in the heating element group is to generate heat according to the width of each printing tape 5, the width of the printing tape 5 mounted on the printing tape 5 will be substantially full. Printing is performed.

Next, the control system of the tape printer 1 is shown in FIG.
The block diagram of FIG. A display R for outputting display data to the keyboard 3, the cassette discrimination sensor 18, and the liquid crystal display (LCD) 22.
Display controller (LCDC) 2 with AM
3, a communication interface 19 for receiving data transmitted from an external device, a drive circuit 25 for driving the thermal head 13, and a tape feed motor 24.
And a drive circuit 26 for driving the control circuit C and the input / output interface 27 of the control device C, respectively. The control device C includes a CPU 29, an input / output interface 27 connected to the CPU 29 via a bus 28 such as a data bus, a CGROM 30, ROMs 31, 32, and a RAM.
And 40.

CGROM (pattern data memory) 30
In FIG. 5, dot pattern data for display is stored in association with code data for each of a large number of characters. ROM (outline data memory) 31
In order to print the character, the outline data (outline data) that defines the outline of the character for each of a large number of characters is a typeface (Gothic typeface,
It is classified according to Mincho typeface, etc.) and stored in association with code data. Each of the large number of outline data stores the size of the print image in the vertical direction and the size of the print image in the horizontal direction.

The ROM 32 stores a program for operating the tape printer 1. RAM40
The text memory area 41 stores the code data of characters and symbols input from the keyboard 3, and
Character data or bit image data received from an external device is stored. The print buffer area 47 stores the data of the print dot pattern that has been image-developed. Further, the RAM 40 is provided with a work area for temporarily storing the calculation result calculated by the CPU 29, a buffer, an area for a counter, a pointer, and the like.

Next, regarding the operation of the tape printer 1,
This will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. Here, it is assumed that the tape printer 1 is equipped with a tape storage cassette CS that stores a printing tape having a width of 24 mm. A personal computer is connected to the RS232C terminal 4. In this state, when the power is turned on by operating the power key, the tape printer 1 starts its operation.

When the operation is started, first, each data in the RAM 40 is initialized according to the program of the ROM 32 (S10). Then, it is determined whether or not a key input is made from the keyboard 3 (S20). If there is any key input, the process exits S20, and it is determined whether the detected key input is the operation of the interface key (I / F key) 52 (S30). The operation of the I / F key 52 is RS2
This means that an interface mode (I / F mode) capable of receiving data via the 32C terminal 4 should be set.

If it is the operation of the I / F key 52, the I / F mode process described later is executed (S40). On the other hand, I /
When it is determined that the input is not the F key (S30: N
O), it is determined whether or not the print key is operated (S50). If it is a print key operation, print processing is executed (S60). S5
If "NO" is obtained even in the process of 0, it is determined whether or not the input is a character key (S70). If it is a character key input, the character data is stored in the text memory (S
80). On the other hand, if it is not a character key input, various processes corresponding to the key operation are executed while determining whether or not the key operation is for a cursor movement or other processing (S90).

Next, the I / F mode process will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. In the I / F mode process, the process of collectively developing the character data and bit image data received from the personal computer for several lines and printing them as a dot pattern is repeated.

First, the text memory area 41 is initialized (S200), and it is determined whether or not data is received from the personal computer (S210). S210
If "NO" is determined in the process of step S23, it is determined whether or not a key input is made on the tape printer side (S22).
0).

Here, the key input on the tape printer side, which is related to the I / F mode processing, is an input for setting the number of lines that triggers the start of printing and a key for turning off the I / F mode. There is input. Therefore, in S220, "YE
If it is determined to be "S", it is determined whether or not it is a key input for line setting (S230).
It is determined whether or not the key input is for turning off the / F mode (S240).

In these determinations, in S230, "YE
If it is determined to be "S", a line number setting process is executed (S
250), and returns to S210. Further, in S240, "YE
If it is determined to be "S", the I / F mode process is terminated and S20 of FIG. 4 is executed. Here, the line number setting process is for setting the number of lines that gives a printing trigger, that is, how many lines of character data are received, the images are collectively developed into a dot pattern, and the timing to start printing is given. Processing. In the present embodiment, when a tape having a width of 24 mm is mounted, it is possible to set up to 7 lines.

On the other hand, when the data from the personal computer is received (S210: YES), it is judged whether or not the data is the data instructing the line feed (S26).
0). If the data does not indicate a line feed, it is determined whether the data indicates a line feed amount setting (S27).
0). If it is not the data for instructing the line feed amount setting, either, it is bit image data or character data, so these are stored in the text memory area 41 (S280). On the other hand, if the data is an instruction to set the line feed amount (S270: YES), the line feed amount is set in the work area (S290).

Here, the line feed data is always added to the end of one line of character data and bit image data. The line feed amount data is data which is added immediately before the line feed data of the bit image data and gives information about how many dots lower than the position to start printing the next line.

On the other hand, if it is line feed data (S2
(60: YES), it is determined whether or not there is character data in the text memory area 41 (S300). If the character data is not included, the height D of the dot pattern when the bit image data received up to the previous time is combined
T (dot pattern height) is calculated (S310). The dot pattern height DT is the height H of each line of the bit image data (8 bits in this embodiment, which is smaller than the height of one line of character data), and the line feed amounts R1, R2.
, Rn is calculated by the following formula.

[0031]

[Equation 1]

Then, the dot pattern height D when the bit image data for one row to be received next is also combined
T'is calculated (S320), and it is determined whether it falls within the maximum dot height DTmax determined from the relationship with the mounted tape width (S330). The maximum dot height DTmax is specified by the cassette discrimination sensor 18 discriminating the cassette type at the time of initialization processing of the main routine.

Here, a concrete example of the calculation by the equation 1 is shown in FIG.
It shows in (A). Now, assuming that data for 6 lines is received, the line feed amount R attached to each bit image data is
, R2, ..., R6 and the height H of one row of bit image data, DT = (R1 + R2 + R3 + R4 + R
5) Calculated as + H. And DT '= DT + R
It can be calculated as 6.

The dot pattern height DT 'thus calculated exceeds the maximum height DTmax (DT'> DT).
If it is determined that the value is max), the process proceeds to S350 (S33
0: NO), the dot pattern height DT 'is the maximum height DT
When it is determined that the value is equal to or less than max (DT ′ ≦ DTmax), the process returns to S210 (S330: YES).

On the other hand, if it is determined that the text memory area 41 contains character data (S300:
(YES), it is determined whether or not the total number of lines of the character data and the bit image data received so far has reached the set number of lines (S340). If the set number of lines has not been reached, the process returns to S210, but if the set number of lines has been reached, S is performed.
Proceed to 350. In S350, the text memory area 4
All the data in 1 is image-developed into a dot pattern and stored in the print buffer area 47. Then, after the image printing is executed according to the dot pattern thus developed (S360), the data in the text memory area 41 is cleared (S370).

With the above-described configuration, when all the received data are character data, a trigger to start printing is given every time the data for the number of lines set in the line number setting process is received. On the other hand, when all the received data are bit image data, the dot pattern height DT ′ when the bit image data received up to that time are combined is sent regardless of the number of rows, and the data is sent next. If the maximum bit height DTmax is exceeded if the incoming bit image data is combined, an opportunity to start printing is given. Therefore, bit image data can be printed to the maximum as long as the tape width allows.
And some data may be protruding and missing,
There is no need to print things that do not need to be printed separately.

When the bit image data and the character data are mixed and sent, the timing for starting printing is given according to the number of line feeds. This is because the height of one line of character data is larger than the height H of one line of bit image data in the present embodiment, so there is a portion that is not printed when the taller one is used as a reference. This can be done without it.

The embodiment of the present invention has been described above.
The present invention is not limited to these examples, and it goes without saying that the present invention can be implemented in various modes without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, when character data and bit image data are mixed, the height of the character data is MH and the line feed amount between the character data is MR.
In such a case, the calculation may be performed according to the following formula.

[0039]

[Equation 2]

In the embodiment, the height of one line of bit image data is fixed to 8 bits, which is lower than the height of one line of character data, but the height of one line of bit image data is fixed. It may be higher than the height of the character data, or may be different. If the dot pattern height is different, the dot pattern height can be calculated by, for example, the following Expression 3 instead of Expression 1.

[0041]

[Equation 3]

According to Equation 3, specifically, the calculation is performed as shown in FIG. 7 (B).

[0043]

As described above in detail, according to the tape printer of the present invention, no matter what format the bit image data is sent, the tape data is printed in the full width of the tape without being lost. be able to.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the overall configuration of a tape printer as an example.

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of a printing mechanism of a tape printer as an example.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a control system of the tape printer as an example.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a main routine in the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of an I / F mode processing routine in the embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of an I / F mode processing routine in the embodiment.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a method of calculating a dot pattern height according to the embodiment.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing a conventional problem.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... tape printer, 2 ... main body frame, 3 ...
..Keyboard, 4 ... Terminal, 5 ... Printing tape, 13 ... Thermal head, 17 ... Cassette discrimination member, 18 ... Cassette discrimination sensor, 19 ... Communication interface, 22 ... Displays, 24
... Tape feed motor, 27 ... Input / output interface, 28 ... Bus, 29 ... CPU, 30 ...
・ CGROM, 31, 32 ... ROM, 40 ... R
AM.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A tape printer which receives bit image data sent from an external device divided into a plurality of lines and prints a dot pattern obtained by combining the bit image data of a plurality of lines on a tape having a predetermined width. When the bit image data is received, a height calculation means for calculating the total height of the dot pattern obtained by combining the bit image data received so far, and a result calculated by the height calculation means Determining means for determining whether or not the height of the combined dot pattern exceeds the printable range on the tape, and the bit received next by the determining means. When it is determined that the printable range will be exceeded when the image data is combined, the dot pattern created by combining the bit image data received up to that point A tape printing apparatus, comprising: a printing start means for starting printing of a tape.