JPH0646767B2 - Fax machine - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a facsimile apparatus, and more particularly to a facsimile apparatus having a reading function for reading image information and a receiving function for receiving image information.

[Prior Art] A thermal recording device has been used in a conventional facsimile apparatus. As is well known, in a facsimile apparatus, recording is performed by pressing a heat-sensitive paper against a heat-sensitive recording head in which heat-generating elements are arranged in a line, driving the heat-generating elements according to received data, and applying heat energy.

In a facsimile apparatus, a method is known in which scanning line density is switched and transmitted in order to efficiently transmit image information according to the purpose. For example, two-step scanning line density of 7.7 lines / mm called fine mode and 3.85 lines / mm called standard mode are known in the apparatus of international standard. Since the switching of the scanning line density is performed by changing the scanning density by moving the recording paper or the recording head, when the same applied electric energy is applied to the recording head in the fine mode and the standard mode, the recorded characters are recorded. , Of course, the density of the image becomes darker in the fine mode,
Standard mode will look lighter.

Also, in the facsimile machine, the reading speed of the other party, G
2, the cycle in which the image data for one line can be obtained (hereinafter referred to as the recording cycle) is different according to the transmission mode used, such as G3, various data processing such as halftone image processing, and the compression processing time. There is a characteristic of coming. Therefore, the heat storage amount of the print head fluctuates according to the print cycle, and as a result, there is a problem that a constant print density cannot be obtained depending on the transmission mode, the image processing method and the like.

Conventionally, a device that changes the heat generation energy according to the scanning line density or a device that is configured to perform heat generation driving a plurality of times according to the recording cycle is known, but both generate heat only according to one condition. Since control was being performed, only insufficient control was possible.

[Objective] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and is capable of always recording characters, images, and the like with a constant density even when the recording density and the cycle of input data are changed. The purpose is to provide.

[Configuration of the Invention] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention has a reading function for reading image information and a receiving function for receiving image information, and a recording medium is provided according to the read image information and the received image information. In a facsimile machine capable of recording, a recording means for recording on a recording medium, an input means for inputting a plurality of types of modes, and a recording cycle in the sub-scanning direction of the mode input by the input means are predicted. It is possible to determine which of the determined recording cycles it belongs to and the recording density in the sub-scanning direction. When determining the recording density and the recording cycle, the recording cycle is prioritized and the determined sub-recording A configuration having a control unit capable of controlling energy supplied to the recording unit for recording according to the recording density in the scanning direction and the recording cycle in the sub-scanning direction is adopted.

[Examples] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on examples shown in the drawings. In the embodiment described below, the heating elements are sequentially heated according to the input data that has been subjected to the predetermined processing, the image information is sequentially heated according to the scanning lines, and the image information is recorded for each scanning line. More specifically, a facsimile device, more specifically, a facsimile device that sequentially heats a heating element in response to data input and records image information for each scanning line, according to a recording density and a recording period related to a data input period. The facsimile apparatus is provided with means for controlling the applied energy applied to the heating element.

FIG. 1 shows the structure of a recording unit of a facsimile apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, the reference numeral 1 designates a feed roller, which conveys the thermal paper 4 wound on the roll 3 to the thermal heads 2 in which the heating elements are arranged in a row in a press-contact manner one scanning line at a time. . The heating element of the thermal head 2 is driven to generate heat according to the input data in accordance with the conveyance of the recording paper, and dot recording is performed on the thermal paper 4.

On the other hand, FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control system of a facsimile apparatus having the mechanism of FIG. Here, only the part relating to the recording control is shown, and other known configurations are omitted.

In FIG. 2, reference numeral 11 denotes a main controller 11 for controlling the entire facsimile apparatus, which is composed of a well-known microcomputer, a memory element and the like. The main control unit 11 also controls an image reading unit (not shown), a communication control unit, a scan display unit, and the like. Reference numeral 12 denotes an input unit, which inputs image data received from the reading unit in a so-called copy mode in which a document image is read and recorded by the reading unit and from the communication control unit when an image is received. The input data is transferred to the recording control unit 13 under the control of the main control unit 11, and the thermal head 1
4 is converted into image data having a configuration capable of directly driving.

The data converted by the recording control unit 13 is controlled in timing by the main control unit 11 according to the balance with other processing, and is sent to the thermal head 14 via the driver 15. At this time, the driver 15 converts the image data into a voltage level and a pulse width that can directly drive the thermal head 14.

The thermal head 14 is the same as that shown by reference numeral 2 in FIG. 1, but a thermistor 14 'is attached to a part of it, and the temperature of the thermal head 14 is detected via this thermistor 14'. The detection signal is fed back to the recording control unit 13. The recording control unit 13 determines the driving energy of the thermal head 14 applied from the driver 15 based on the detected temperature information.

The drive energy is controlled by controlling the drive voltage, current, or drive pulse width. However, in the following, the drive energy is controlled by adjusting the drive pulse width. The drive pulse width is not limited to the temperature detected by the thermistor 14 ', but is controlled by the recording control unit 13 according to the control of the main control unit 11.
It is configured to be adjusted by. In terms of hardware, the above configuration is no different from the conventional configuration, so the conventional configuration can be used as it is.

In this embodiment, the main control unit 11 controls the drive pulse width according to the data input period to the input unit 12, that is, the recording period and the scanning line density. FIG. 3 shows an example of the recording control routine of the main controller 11. Here, the copy operation, halftone image processing, and fine mode scanning line density changing processing are considered as factors that can change the recording cycle, and the recording pulse width is controlled depending on whether or not these processings are performed. Also, here G
Considering mainly the 3 facsimile procedures, the control according to various processes performed in G3 and the standard mode is illustrated.

When entering the recording routine, the main controller 11 first detects the temperature of the thermal head 14 using the thermistor 14 'in step S1 of FIG. Then step S2
Then, the basic pulse width to be applied to the thermal head 14 is determined according to the detected temperature of the thermal head 14, that is, the amount of accumulated heat.

Succeedingly, in a step S3, it is determined whether or not the communication mode is G2. If the communication mode is G2, step S
At 3 ', the pulse width is corrected according to the G2 mode. Since the recording cycle is longer than that in G3 in the G2 mode, the recording pulse width is set to be long in consideration of the temperature drop of the thermal head.

If step S3 is denied, ie, the device is G3
If it is in the mode, it is determined in step S4 whether or not the copy operation is performed. This determines whether or not to perform a so-called copy operation in which the image data read by the reading unit is recorded as it is by reading an operation state of a switch or the like of the operation unit. If the copy is not performed, the process is performed as it is, and if it is performed, the process proceeds to step S4 ', the pulse width is corrected according to the copy operation, and the process proceeds to step S5.

In the case of the copy operation, since the read image data is recorded without compression processing, the decoding time is unnecessary and the recording cycle is shortened. Therefore, in step S4 ', correction is performed to shorten the drive pulse width.

Succeedingly, in a step S5, it is determined whether or not the halftone image processing is performed. This determines whether or not the process of recording the received or read image as a halftone image is performed by reading the operation state of the switch of the operation unit or the state of the communication control unit. If the halftone image processing is not to be performed, it is as it is, and if it is to be performed, the process proceeds to step S5 ', the pulse width is corrected according to the halftone image processing, and the process proceeds to step S6.

In the case of the halftone image processing, since the data decoding time is required and the recording cycle becomes long, the correction for increasing the drive pulse width is performed in step S5 '.

Next, in step S6, it is determined whether or not recording is performed in the fine mode. This determines whether or not to record the record data in the fine mode with a recording density twice as high as that in the standard mode by reading the operation state of the switch of the operation section or the state of the communication control section. When the fine mode recording is not performed, the recording is performed as it is in the standard mode, and when the fine mode recording is performed, the process proceeds to step S6 'to correct the pulse width according to the fine mode and then to step S7. Move.

In the case of the fine mode, the density becomes higher than the standard as described in the section of the conventional example. Therefore, in consideration of this, in step S6 ', the correction for shortening the drive pulse width is performed.

In step S7, the final drive pulse width for the thermal head 14 is determined based on the pulse width corrections performed in steps S3 'and S4' to step S6 '. Thereafter, in step S8, the image data is sequentially sent to the thermal head 14 line by line, and the thermal recording operation is performed based on the input data.

As described above, it is possible to record characters, images, etc. at a constant density in any recording mode having any recording density and recording cycle. In the above, the drive energy of the thermal head was controlled by the pulse width control.
It goes without saying that the driving energy can be controlled by controlling the current, the number of pulses, the number of times of driving, or the like.

Further, in the above, the three factors of copy, halftone processing, and fine mode are exemplified as the factors that change the recording cycle. However, if there is a recording mode that can change the cycle, such as a hard copy of the contents of the image memory, this should be used. The drive energy can be controlled by detecting it.

As is clear from the above description, according to the present embodiment, in the facsimile apparatus that sequentially causes the heating element to generate heat in response to data input and records the image information for each scanning line, the recording density and the data input period are related. Since a structure is provided that controls the energy applied to the heating element according to the recording cycle, the characters, images, etc. are recorded at a constant density regardless of the recording mode with any recording density and recording cycle. It is possible to provide an excellent facsimile device that can do the above.

[Effect] As described above, according to the present invention, in controlling the energy supplied to the recording means, it is possible to determine the recording density in the sub-scanning direction and the recording cycle in the sub-scanning direction of a plurality of types of modes. Therefore, when the recording density and the recording cycle are discriminated, the recording cycle is preferentially discriminated, so that the operation procedure according to the recording cycle can be quickly performed. That is, according to the present invention, since the recording cycle is prioritized for the determination, when the determined recording cycle is, for example, the G2 mode, the predetermined pulse width control can be immediately performed, and the determined recording cycle is For example G2
In modes other than the mode, control can be performed in consideration of the recording density as well, so that more accurate energy supply control can be performed, and thus high-quality recording can be obtained.

Moreover, according to the control means of the present invention, it is possible to determine which of the predetermined recording cycles the recording cycle in the sub-scanning direction belongs to. Therefore, for example, the recording cycle can be performed without adding a configuration such as a timer. Can be determined.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory view schematically showing the mechanical structure of a recording unit of a facsimile apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the structure of a facsimile apparatus having the apparatus of FIG. 1, and FIG. FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing the processing procedure of the main control unit in FIG. 2, 14 ... Thermal head 11 ... Main control unit, 12 ... Input unit 13 ... Recording control unit, 15 ... Driver

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A facsimile apparatus having a reading function for reading image information and a receiving function for receiving image information, and capable of recording on a recording medium according to the read image information and the received image information. A recording means for performing a plurality of modes, an input means capable of inputting a plurality of types of modes, a predetermined recording cycle to which the recording cycle in the sub-scanning direction of the mode input by the input means belongs, and the sub-scanning The recording density in the direction can be discriminated, and when the recording density and the recording period are discriminated, the recording period is preferentially discriminated, and the discriminated recording density in the sub-scanning direction and recording in the sub-scanning direction are discriminated. A facsimile apparatus comprising: a control unit capable of controlling energy supplied to the recording unit for recording according to a cycle. 2. The facsimile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of types of modes are a standard mode and a fine mode. 3. The facsimile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined recording cycle is a copy mode or a reception mode. 4. The facsimile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined recording cycle is G2 mode or G3 mode. 5. The facsimile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined recording cycle is whether or not a halftone is detected.