JPH0620077A - Character width calculating system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve the efficiency of character width calculation and to shorten the time required for calculation of the character width of the same character. CONSTITUTION:This system is characterized by providing a bar code printer, which registers.respective width values of wide black and white bare and narrow black and white bars of each print object code in a first register means 2, with a second register means 4 which has a number information area 4A for each of wide black and white bars and narrow black and white bars as a part of pattern data corresponding to each print object code and an operation means 6 which operates the product between the number of each bars obtained by referring to the second register means 4 with the print object code and the corresponding width value in the first register means 2 and calculates the sum of products and using the sum outputted from the operation means 6 to expand a character to a character expansion area.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a character width calculation method which uses the number of bars forming a character to calculate the character width.

Bar code printers are used in point-of-sale information management systems (POS systems) and the like. This bar code printing device expands and stores, for each print data received from the host computer, pattern data (hereinafter referred to as a character, which corresponds to a bar code) representing a bar code in the bar code printing device and stores the bar code data. I try to print the code. In developing the character, it is necessary to calculate the width of the character that constitutes the character.

[0003]

2. Description of the Related Art The schematic construction of the bar code printer is as follows.
As shown in FIG. 7, the interface adapter (hereinafter referred to as A
It is called DP. ) 32 and a printing mechanism controller 34 that analyzes print data and control commands from the ADP 32 and performs actual print processing and operation processing. Under the control of the MPU 36, the ADP 32 controls reception of print data and a control command from the host computer 30, converts it into a data stream that can be understood by the print mechanism controller 34, and transfers the data stream to the print mechanism controller 34. To do. A program for causing the MPU 36 to perform the control is stored in the ROM 38 in advance. The RAM 40 is used for the control. The printing mechanism controller 34 analyzes the print data and the control command received under the control of the MPU 42, expands the character pattern and the character corresponding to the print data on the bitmap memory (BMM) 44, and the expanded bit pattern. Print operation according to the above. A program that causes the MPU 42 to cause the control is registered in the ROM 46 in advance. Also, when there is any change on the side of the barcode printer, the status is notified to the ADP 32.

Bit map memory 44 for the character
The pattern table 50 (see FIG. 8) stored in the RAM 48 is provided in the expansion to the above, and is required from the barcode pattern table 50 according to the print target code transferred from the ADP 32 as described above. And read the pattern data from the host computer 3
The character corresponding to the print target code transferred from 0 is developed on the BMM 44 and used for printing.

[0005]

When the character is developed on the BMM 44, the width of each bar forming the character must be calculated. As a calculation method, there is a method of simply totaling the bar widths of the bars. This is because the wide black bar and white bar that make up the character and the flexibility when changing the widths of the narrow black bar and white bar are lacking, so the wide black bar and white bar that make up the character are lacking. There is also a method of simplifying the calculation of the character width by defining the widths of the narrow black bar and the white bar. The calculation of the character width by this method is
It is as follows. For example, the configuration of the barcode forming the number "0" ($ 30) is as shown in FIG. 9A, in which the width value of the wide black bar (WB) is 6, and the width of the narrow black bar is 6. If the width value of (NB) is 2, the width value of the wide white bar (WS) is 3, and the width value of the narrow white bar (NS) is 1 [unit dot], the width of the character “0” is As shown in FIG. 9B. Note that the pattern data of the number “0” ($ 30) has been conventionally configured as shown in FIG. 10, and an 8-bit bar identification information area as shown in FIG. 8 in a partial area for storing the pattern data. Is provided, and the bar width information is represented by bit 0 and bit 1 in the bar identification information area, and the black / white bar identifier is represented by bit 7.

In this conventional character width calculation method, each bar width can be changed by changing the set value of each bar width of the character, but as shown in FIG. 9B, it is set in advance. The width of each bar must be added in order. Therefore, it takes time to calculate the width of one character, and the calculation efficiency is poor. Further, even when the same character is designated continuously or frequently, the process as shown in FIG. 9B must be repeated for each designation.

The present invention was created in view of such a technical problem, and in addition to improving the calculation efficiency of the character width, it is possible to shorten the calculation time of the character width of the same character. Its purpose is to provide a calculation method.

[0008]

FIG. 1 shows a principle block diagram of the invention according to claim 1, and FIG. 2 shows a principle block diagram of the invention according to claim 2.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1, the width values of the wide black bar and the white bar, and the narrow black bar and the white bar that form the bar code are set for each code to be printed. In the bar code printer registered in the first registration means 2, as a part of the pattern data corresponding to the print target code, a wide black bar and a white bar, and a narrow black bar and a white bar number information area Second registration means 4 having 4A for each print target code, the number of bars for each bar obtained by referring to the second registration means 4 with the input print target code, and the first registration means 2 And a calculation means 6 for calculating the sum of the respective products and the corresponding width value, and the calculation means 6 is used for expanding the character into the character expansion area.
It is characterized by using the sum output from.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 2, the width values of the wide black bar and the white bar and the narrow black bar and the white bar forming the bar code are set for each print object code. In the bar code printer registered in the first registration means 2, as a part of the pattern data corresponding to the print target code, a wide black bar and a white bar, and a narrow black bar and a white bar number information area Second registration means 4 having 4A and a character width registration area 4B for each print target code
And the second registration means 4 with the inputted print target code.
And a calculation means 6 for calculating the product of the product of the number of bars for each bar obtained by referring to and the corresponding width value of the first registration means 2 and outputting the sum. When the character width has not been registered in the character width registration area 4B of the second registration means 4, the sum output from the calculation means 6 is registered in the character width registration area 4B, and the sum is also registered in the character width registration area. When the character width is already registered in 4B, the character width is used for expanding the character in the character expansion area.

[0011]

According to the first aspect of the invention, the number information area 4A corresponding to the print target code input to the barcode printing apparatus is referred to, and the wide black bar and the white bar, and the narrow black bar and the white bar are displayed. The number information about the bar is read. Further, the width values of the wide black bar and the white bar and the narrow black bar and the white bar are read from the first registration means 2.

The product of the read number information and the width value corresponding thereto is calculated by the calculating means 6, and the sum of these products is calculated by the calculating means 6. Therefore, the calculation required to calculate the character width can be speeded up.
The sum is used to develop the character (corresponding to the bar code) in the character development area.

In the invention according to claim 2, the second aspect
When the character width is not registered in the character width registration area 4B of the registration means 4, the sum output from the calculating means 6 is registered in the character width registration area 4B, and the sum is registered, and when the character width is registered, the character width registration is performed. Area 4B
The character width of is used to expand the character to the character expansion area for the input print target code. Therefore, the calculation processing time of the character width can be shortened.

[0014]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of the invention according to claims 1 and 2. This embodiment is a printing mechanism controller of a barcode printing apparatus, and corresponds to the printing mechanism controller 34 shown in FIG. Other components are the same as those in FIG. 7. Therefore, the MPU 20 shown in FIG.
7, the bit map memory 22 is the bit map memory 44 of FIG. 7, and the ROM 24 is the ROM 46 of FIG.
Corresponding to. The memory 26 and the memory 28 correspond to the RAM 48 shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 shows the structure of the registered contents of the pattern table provided in the memory 26. The print target code, which is the indexing means of the pattern table, is the above-mentioned numeral “0”.
($ 30) or the number "1" ($ 31). In addition to the conventional pattern data area 30 for each print target code, there is a number information area 32 and a character width registration area (reserve) 34 newly provided in the present invention. The number information area 32 includes a wide black bar (WB), a narrow black bar (NB), and a wide white bar (W) that form a character in which a print target code is represented by a geometric pattern.
S) and the number of narrow white bars (NS) are registered for each bar (see FIG. 5A). The character width registration area 34 is, for example, 2 bytes and is initially 0000 (H).
Is set, and the calculated character width is registered after the character is calculated (see (A) of FIG. 5). (H) is 16
Indicates that it is a decimal display.

The ROM 46 calculates the character width,
A program (see FIG. 6) for performing the registration process is stored. Further, when the WB, NB, WS, and NS values (the number of dots) in the barcode printing apparatus are determined in the memory 28, for example, WB, NB, WS, etc. as shown in the memory 28 of FIG. And NS values are registered in advance separately from the bar configuration of each character.

3 and 4, the memory 28 corresponds to the first registration means 2 of FIGS. 1 and 2, and the number information area 32 of the memory 26 is the number information area 4A of FIGS.
Corresponding to. Character width registration area 34 of the memory 26
Corresponds to the character width registration area 4B in FIG. 2, and the memory 26 corresponds to the second registration means 4 in FIGS.
The MPU 20 and the program that executes step S3 of the processing flow of FIG. 6 correspond to the computing unit 6 of FIGS. 1 and 2.

A character width required for developing a print target code transferred from the host computer according to the first and second aspects of the present invention as a character (corresponding to a bar code) on the bit map memory 22. An example of the calculation processing of the number "0" will be described.

When the calculation process of the character width is started for the numeral "0", the character width registration area 34 of the pattern table is first referred to (see S1 in FIG. 6). If 0000 (H) is not stored in the character width registration area 34 (see negative in S1 of FIG. 6), the value registered in the character width registration area 34 is set as the character width for the print target code (FIG. 6). See S2).

0000 in the character width registration area 34
If the value of (H) is stored (Yes in S1 of FIG. 6), the number information area 32 is read. An example of the pattern data of the numeral "0" is shown in FIG. The product of the number of each bar read from the number information area 32 and the number of dots of the bar width corresponding to the number is obtained, and each of the products is added (see S3 in FIG. 6). An example of the calculation is shown in FIG. The sum is used as the character width of the numeral "0" to develop the character. Since the calculation of the character width is a product-sum operation, the character width calculation efficiency is improved.

Further, the sum is the character width registration area 34.
Is registered (see S4 in FIG. 6). The registered character width is used as the character width of the number "0" that appears in the subsequent printing of the barcode. Once the character width is registered, when printing the same print target code thereafter, the print target code can be expanded into characters without repeating the above-described arithmetic processing. The calculation processing time of the character width is shortened.

In the above embodiment, the case in which the character width registration area 34 is also provided has been described, but the character width may be calculated each time without the character width registration area 34.

[0023]

As described above, according to the present invention, the character width is multiplied by the product of the set value of each bar and the corresponding number,
Since the sum is calculated, the calculation time of the character width can be shortened. Further, if the character width is registered, the processing time required for printing the barcode can be shortened.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 is a principle block diagram of an invention according to claim 1;

FIG. 2 is a principle block diagram of an invention according to claim 2;

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an embodiment of the invention according to claim 1 and claim 2;

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration of a pattern table used in the embodiment of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a configuration of pattern data of a numeral “0” and calculation of a character width.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a processing flow of the embodiment shown in FIG.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a configuration of a conventional barcode printing apparatus.

8 is a diagram showing a part of a pattern table used in the barcode printing apparatus shown in FIG.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a structure of pattern data of a numeral “0” and calculation of a character width according to a conventional method.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing pattern data of a numeral “0”.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 First Registration Means 4 Second Registration Means 4A Number Information Area 4B Character Width Registration Area 6 Arithmetic Means 20 MPU 22 Bitmap Memory 24 ROM 26 Memory 28 Memory

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. The width values of a wide black bar and a white bar, and a narrow black bar and a white bar constituting a bar code are registered in a first registration means (2) for each print target code. In the barcode printing apparatus, a wide black bar and a white bar, and a number information area (4A) for each narrow black bar and a white bar are provided for each print target code as a part of the pattern data corresponding to the print target code. 2 registration means (4), and the second registration means (4) with the input print target code
And a calculation means (6) for calculating the product of the number of bars for each bar obtained by referring to and the corresponding width value of the first registration means (2) and calculating the sum of the respective products. A character width calculation method, wherein the sum output from the calculating means (6) is used for expanding the character into the character expansion area. 2. The width values of the wide black bar and the white bar and the narrow black bar and the white bar forming the bar code are registered in the first registration means (2) for each code to be printed. In a bar code printing apparatus, a wide black bar and a white bar as a part of pattern data corresponding to a print target code, and a number information area (4A) and a character width registration area (4A) for each narrow black bar and white bar.
Second registration means (4) having B) for each print target code
And the second registration means (4) with the input print target code
And an arithmetic means (6) for taking the product of the number of bars for each bar obtained by referring to and the corresponding width value of the first registration means (2), and calculating and outputting the sum of the respective products. The character width registration area (4) of the second registration means (4) is provided.
When the character width is not registered in B), the sum output from the calculating means (6) is registered in the character width registration area (4B), and the sum is also registered in the character width registration area (4B). A character width calculation method, wherein the character width is used to expand the character in the character expansion area when the character width is already registered.