JPH06115759A - Printing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To supply papers matched with a number of pages by detecting at a glance a residual amount of papers, and preventing an output from being interrupted due to paper use out or the like during printing in the case of small amount of papers set relating to a number of printing pages, in a printing device. CONSTITUTION:By scanning a thickness direction of papers by a scanner sensor relating to printing papers 1, a thickness thereof is detected, to output a signal of representing the thickness of the printing papers 1, and the signal detected by this scanner sensor 2 is output to a main control part 3. In the main control part 3, the signal of representing the thickness of the printing papers is converted into an (m) bit data of representing a residual amount of papers, and in order to display the converted (m) bit data in a scale value of representing a number of sheets of papers, the (m) bit data is output and also performing a display command relating to an LCD display part 4. In the LCD display part 4, the (m) bit data output by the main control part 3 is converted into a display data of displaying a number of the residual amount of papers by a scale value, and a number of the residual sheets of papers is displayed as a scale value on an LCD of the LCD display part 4.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an output device used for information processing, and more particularly to a printing device having a cathode ray tube (hereinafter referred to as LCD) for displaying the number of sheets.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional printing apparatus will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a conventional printing apparatus.

A conventional printing apparatus, as shown in FIG.
Light emitting unit 5 mounted perpendicular to the surface of printing paper 1
A light receiving section 6 for detecting the light output from the light emitting section 5, a main control section 7 for identifying the light receiving state of the light receiving section 6, and a light receiving section 6
When the main control unit 7 detects that the light has been received at, it is determined that the paper has run out and L is displayed to indicate that the paper has run out.
It has a CD display unit 4, and the LCD display unit 4 informs the operator only whether or not there is a sheet.

[0005]

In the above-mentioned conventional printing apparatus, since only the presence / absence of the loaded paper is displayed, when the number of loaded paper is smaller than the number of pages to be printed, After printing is started, there is a shortage of paper, and the paper has to be replenished and the printing has to be interrupted.

An object of the present invention is to detect the thickness of a sheet by scanning in the thickness direction of the sheet, constantly display the remaining amount of the sheet on the display unit, and to make the remaining amount of the sheet visible at a glance. ,
To provide a printing apparatus which solves the above-mentioned drawbacks and supplies paper according to the number of pages without interrupting the output due to paper shortage during printing when the number of sheets set for printing is small. Especially.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A printer according to the present invention includes a scanner sensor for detecting the thickness of a sheet and outputting a signal indicating the thickness of the sheet, and a signal output from the scanner sensor for the number of remaining sheets. A main control unit for converting and outputting to m-bit data indicating the, and an LCD display unit for converting m-bit data output by the main control unit into data for displaying the number of remaining sheets in a scale and displaying on the LCD. have.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of display of the remaining amount of paper in the printing apparatus of the present embodiment, and FIG. FIG. 2B is a diagram showing a display example of the remaining amount state of the paper before the printing output of the printing apparatus of FIG. FIG. 2C is a diagram showing a display example of the remaining amount state of the paper after the printing output of a plurality of sheets of the printing apparatus of the present embodiment.

In FIG. 1, the printing apparatus according to the present embodiment includes a printing paper 1, a scanner sensor 2 that detects the thickness of the printing paper 1 and outputs a signal indicating the thickness of the printing paper 1, and a scanner sensor 2. A main control unit 3 for converting the output signal into m-bit data representing the number of remaining sheets and outputting the data;
An LCD display unit 4 is provided which converts m-bit data output from the main control unit 3 into display data for displaying the number of remaining sheets in a scale and displays the data on an LCD.

Here, the printing paper 1 is mounted on the printing apparatus. Scanner sensor 2 for mounted printing paper 1
Detects the thickness of the printing paper 1 by scanning in the thickness direction of the paper, and outputs a signal representing the thickness of the printing paper 1. Then, the signal detected by the scanner sensor 2 is output to the main control unit 3. The main control unit 3 converts the signal indicating the thickness of the printing paper 1 into m-bit data indicating the remaining amount of paper, and displays the converted m-bit data on a scale amount indicating the number of paper sheets. The display unit 4 outputs m-bit data and issues a display command. The LCD display unit 4 converts the m-bit data output from the main control unit 3 into display data for displaying the remaining number of sheets of paper in a scale amount, and displays the remaining number of sheets of paper on the LCD of the LCD display unit 4 in the scale amount. Display as.

Here, FIG. 2 is a display example of the remaining amount of paper in the printing apparatus of this embodiment, and FIG. 2A shows the remaining amount of paper before print output. Paper 1
1 is first mounted on the 150-sheet printing apparatus.

In the display example shown in FIG. 2, the thickness of the remaining number of sheets is displayed on the LCD as it is,
The scale value is in increments of 50.

Thereafter, FIG. 2B shows a display example when printing 50 sheets, and FIG. 2C shows a display example when printing 100 sheets.

Each switch (SW) in FIG. 2 is not particularly related to the description of the printing function of this embodiment, but SEL
SW is a switch for switching online / offline of the printing apparatus. Ejection SW is a switch for starting printing by pressing when there is data to be printed in the printing apparatus in the online state. Menu SW is A switch for selecting a mode (function) of the printing apparatus.

[0016]

As described above, the printing apparatus according to the present invention prints in advance by scanning the thickness direction of the paper to detect the thickness of the paper and constantly displaying the remaining amount of paper on the display unit. You can immediately check the remaining amount of paper according to the number of pages to be printed, and it is possible to supply paper that satisfies the number of pages to be printed before printing. There is an effect that it can be improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a display example of a remaining amount state of paper of the printing apparatus of this embodiment. FIG. 2A is a diagram showing a display example of the remaining amount state of the paper before the print output of the printing apparatus of this embodiment. FIG. 2B is a diagram showing a display example of the remaining amount state of the paper after the printing of a plurality of sheets by the printing apparatus of this embodiment. FIG. 2C is a diagram showing a display example of the remaining amount state of the paper after the printing of a plurality of sheets by the printing apparatus of this embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a conventional printing apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 printing paper 2 scanner sensor 3,7 main control unit 4 LCD display unit 5 light emitting unit 6 light receiving unit

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A scanner sensor that detects the thickness of a sheet and outputs a signal that indicates the thickness of the sheet, and a signal that is output from the scanner sensor is converted into m-bit data that represents the number of remaining sheets and then output. And a LCD display unit for converting m-bit data output from the main control unit into data for displaying the number of remaining sheets in a scale and displaying the data on a cathode ray tube (LCD). And printing device.