JPH07115530B2 - Recording device - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a recording device such as a printer or a facsimile.

[Prior art]

A recording device such as a printer or a facsimile device records a print pattern formed of a dot matrix on a sheet (recording medium) such as paper or a plastic thin plate while driving a recording head based on print data. Generally, ROM that receives print data from a host device such as a computer and operates a keyboard, DIP switch, etc. and a CPU (microprocessor)
Based on the program stored in, the CPU is configured to control the recording operation while processing these.

In such a recording apparatus, various errors (malfunctions) may occur, and when an error occurs, this is displayed to warn.

When an error message is displayed, the user determines the error type and handles the error.

Further, as the type of error of the recording device, for example, a font error (information error of characters or the like), an IC error such as a ROM error or a RAM error, or an operation error such as carriage return can be cited.

By the way, in the conventional recording apparatus, when an error occurs, the LED (Light-Electric-Diode) blinks or lights up, or a buzzer or a bell sounds to warn of the error.

However, in such a conventional method, there are cases in which it is impossible to distinguish the type of error, and there is a problem that error processing cannot be performed quickly and appropriately.

〔Purpose〕

It is an object of the present invention to provide a recording apparatus which can solve the problems of the prior art, improve the usability for the operator, and enable quick and accurate error processing.

〔Overview〕

The recording apparatus of the present invention includes an error detection unit that detects an error state, a warning unit that issues a predetermined warning according to error information output from the error detection unit, and a sheet that detects whether or not a sheet is loaded. When an error state is detected by the detection means and the error detection means, when the sheet detection means detects that a sheet is loaded, an error message corresponding to the error is recorded on the sheet, The above-described object is achieved by providing a control unit that causes the warning unit to warn when the sheet detection unit detects that the sheet is not loaded.

As a result, the notification process when an error occurs is changed according to the seat loading state, an error message is recorded on the sheet when the sheet is loaded, and a warning means is used when the sheet is not loaded. Warning.

〔Example〕

 The present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 illustrates the schematic structure of a recording apparatus suitable for carrying out the method of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, a sheet (recording medium) 1 such as a sheet of paper or a plastic thin plate is backed up by plastic 2,
The platen 2 also serves as a conveyance roller that is rotated by a motor (not shown) via the platen shaft 3.
The sheet 1 is guided by its peripheral surface and conveyed in the direction of arrow A.

A guide shaft 4 and a guide rail 5 are installed in front of the platen 2 in parallel with the platen 2, and the carriage 6 is guided and supported by the guide shaft and the guide rail, and is reciprocally driven in the arrow B direction by a motor (not shown). The carriage 6 has a recording head 7 mounted thereon, and the carriage 6
The recording is performed on the sheet 1 while driving the recording head in synchronization with the movement of.

The recording head 7 is driven by energizing a plurality of dot forming means provided therein based on print data.

Note that FIG. 1 illustrates a case of a wire dot type recording apparatus, in which an ink ribbon cassette 8 is mounted on a carriage 6.

FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of a control system of the recording apparatus shown in FIG. In FIG. 2, the CPU 1 of the recording apparatus receives print data from the host machine 12 through the print data receiving unit 13.

RAM11, control ROM15 and CGROM16 for character pattern storage are installed in the CPU11.
A control program is stored in 15.

The recording head 7 is driven by a head controller 19 and a head driver that operate with a timing signal from a timer 18.
Via CPU 20, it is controlled by CPU 11 in synchronization with movement of carriage 6 and conveyance of sheet 1.

In addition, the CPU 11 has a switch input, a home position detection signal, a recording head temperature detection signal, and other operational information signals.
21 is input through the input port 22, the CPU 11 writes various control signals and display signals to the output port 23 based on these information signals, and various motors, various LEDs, etc. according to the signal from the output port. Driver for driving 24
Is controlled.

In the above recording devices, font errors (errors in print data such as character information), ICs such as RAM14 and ROM15,16
Various errors such as errors or drive errors such as carriage movement and sheet feeding may occur, and various error processes can be performed in response to these errors.

However, according to the present invention, when the above-mentioned error occurs, an error message corresponding to the type of the error is recorded on the sheet 1.

Data corresponding to various errors can be stored in the control ROM 15, and when an error occurs, the CPU 11 determines this and reads the data corresponding to the error from the control ROM, and the head controller 19 and the head driver 20 are read. The recording head 7 records an error message corresponding to the sheet 1 via the recording head 7.

The display content of this error message can be freely set as long as it can be identified by the user.
Number display type such as "No.1 error", "No.2 error", etc., and a method to check the type of error by collating the manual etc. separately, or a method to record a document in which the type of error can be read directly Can be adopted.

In addition to the above error message recording, blinking or lighting of the LED or warning means such as a buzzer or a bell can be activated at the same time.

Further, when the sheet 1 is not set, the above error message cannot be recorded as it is, so the warning means is controlled to give a warning, and further, for example, the recording head 7 is moved to the central portion of the recording apparatus. It is preferable to warn the user that there is no seat and the occurrence of an error, and prompt seat setting and error handling by a specific operation that is easy to recognize.

The recording location of the error message (printing position on the sheet 1) can be freely set. For example, in the case of a pin feed type sheet having a feed hole (continuous sheet such as fan hold paper), the feed hole is provided By recording on the tractor part (outer part of the perforation, etc.), it is possible to realize a display method that does not affect the actual recording and is easy to see.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing the operation procedure of the error display method described above.

In FIG. 3, when the recording apparatus is started to operate in step 100, it is determined in step 101 whether or not there is an error, and the type of error is determined. If there is an error, the process proceeds to step 102 to determine whether or not the sheet 1 exists. If it is determined that there is a sheet, the process proceeds to step 103, and an error message is recorded on the sheet by the above-mentioned display method.

Next, at step 104, it is judged if the error message has been canceled. If the error is released, the process proceeds to step 105 to perform the next process. If the error is not removed, the error process is performed and the detection in step 104 is repeated until the error is released.

If it is determined that there is no error in step 101, step 1 directly
Go to 05 and perform the next processing.

If there is no sheet 1 in step 102, step 1
Proceeding to 06, the user is not present with the seat 1 by performing a specific operation for warning that there is no sheet, for example, moving the recording head 7 to the center of the recording device while giving the warning by the warning means. Prompt seat setting and error handling, such as warning that an error has occurred. After that, the process proceeds to step 104, it is determined whether or not the error is released, and the above-described operation procedure is executed.

The present invention is also applicable to a line-type or page-print type recording device for recording one line or page at a time, as well as a serial type recording device in which a recording head is moved by a carriage 6 as shown in FIG. It can be applied similarly.

Further, the present invention can be widely applied regardless of a difference in recording method such as a wire dot type, an ink jet type, or a thermal type, and can be similarly applied to a recording apparatus using a plurality of recording heads such as color printing.

〔effect〕

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, when an error occurs in the recording apparatus, an error message corresponding to the error is recorded on the sheet when the sheet is loaded, and therefore, the error is dealt with. The processing can be performed quickly and accurately, and even if a seat is not loaded, the warning means warns the operator, so that the operator can be notified of the occurrence of an error and the usability is significantly improved. Can be made.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view illustrating a recording apparatus suitable for implementing the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a control system of the recording apparatus suitable for implementing the present invention, and FIG. It is a flow chart which illustrates an operation procedure of a control system at the time of carrying out the present invention. 1 …… Sheet, 7 …… Recording head, 11 …… CPU, 15 ……
Control ram.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An error detecting means for detecting an error state,
Warning means for issuing a predetermined warning according to error information output from the error detection means, sheet detection means for detecting whether or not a sheet is loaded, and error state detected by the error detection means At this time, when the sheet detecting means detects that the sheet is loaded, an error message corresponding to the error is recorded on the sheet, and the sheet detecting means detects that the sheet is not loaded. And a control means for causing the warning means to give a warning when the recording apparatus is present.