JPH07137354A - Printer with bar code reader - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To set a printing format in accordance with paper only by simply setting the paper in a printer even when a document printing is to be made on label paper or the like in a complicated format. CONSTITUTION:Bar code information for assigning a printing format is previously formed on special paper, such as label paper. When the paper is inserted to a thermal printer 6, a bar code reader 7 reads the bar code information from the paper. A CPU 1 retrieves a format table 10-3 in accordance with the bar code information read by the bar code reader 1 and automatically sets appropriate format information in a format setting memory 10-4.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a word processor,
The present invention relates to a printing device including a barcode reader in a personal computer or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, in a document processing apparatus such as a word processor, when printing arbitrary document data on a special paper such as various labels or tack seals whose printable area is restricted in advance, It was necessary to make detailed settings for complicated print formats.

[0003]

However, the setting of such a print format is very complicated and troublesome, and there are many mistakes, which put a heavy burden on a general user. Therefore, conventionally, when performing label printing, by using dedicated paper that has been specified in advance by the manufacturer,
Document processing devices that do not require print format settings are also known, but in this type, the types of paper that can be supported are limited, so when performing document printing using new paper. Of course, it was necessary to set a new print format accordingly. An object of the present invention is to make it possible to set a print format corresponding to a sheet of paper even when printing a document in a complicated format such as a label sheet by simply setting the sheet in the printer.

[0004]

The means of the present invention are as follows. (1) The printer is a thermal printer or the like that prints on a specific sheet on which barcode information for designating a print format is recorded. Here, the specific paper is a special paper such as a label or a tack sticker whose printable area is regulated in advance. (2) The bar code reader is added to this printer, and its installation position may be inside or outside the printer, and the installation position does not matter as long as it is added to the printer. Here, for example, when the specific paper set in the printer is conveyed by the paper feed roller in the printer, the barcode information may be read from the paper as the paper moves. In the case of a serial printer, the print head is equipped with a bar code reader,
The barcode information may be read from the paper as the print head moves. (3) The format setting means sets the print format for the sheet based on the barcode information read from the specific sheet by the barcode reader.

[0005]

The operation of the means of the present invention is as follows. Now, when printing a title or the like on a video label sheet attached to the back of a video cassette, it is assumed that the print format, such as character size and digit pitch, is recorded in advance by bar code information on the video label sheet. To do.
Here, when this label paper is inserted into the printer, the barcode reader reads the barcode information from this label paper. Then, the print format is set based on the barcode information. In this state, when the document printing is started, the document data is printed on the label paper according to the set print format. Therefore, even when a document is printed in a complicated format such as label paper, it is possible to set the print format according to the paper simply by setting the paper in the printer.

[0006]

[First Embodiment] A first embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a word processor with a bar code reader. A CPU 1 is a central processing unit for controlling the overall operation of the word processor, and an input unit 3 and a CRT which are peripheral devices according to an input / output control program stored in a ROM 2.
Input / output control is performed on the display unit 4, the floppy disk 5, the thermal printer 6, and the barcode reader 7. The ROM 2 is a fixed memory that stores character font data in addition to various programs.

The input section 3 is a character key which is usually provided,
With a configuration that has cursor keys, execution keys, conversion keys, etc.,
The input control unit 8 converts the input key operation signal into a key code and holds the key code, and the CPU 1 accesses the key code held by the input control unit 8 and if it is a text code, a document creating process is performed. The text code is converted into display data and written in the video RAM (VRAM) 9, and the text memory 10-in the RAM 10
Store in 1. In this case, when the CPU 1 writes the document data in the video RAM 9, the display control unit 11 makes the video RA
M9 is accessed to display and output on the text screen of the CRT display unit 4. When a document save command is input from the input unit 3, the CPU 1 reads the content of the text memory 10-1 and gives it to the external storage control unit 12 to register it in the floppy disk 5. Further, in response to the disk read command, the CPU 1 fetches the document data in the floppy disk 5 via the external storage controller 12 and loads it into the text memory 10-1. Further, the CPU 1 gives the document data in the text memory 10-1 to the printer control unit 13 in response to the print command and causes the thermal printer 6 to print out the data. In this case, the CPU 1 prints the document according to a preset print format. Make it print.

The bar code reader 7 is a thermal printer 6
It is fixedly installed in the thermal printer 6
When the paper inserted therein is conveyed inside the thermal printer 6, the bar code information is read from the paper.
That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the paper P inserted from the paper insertion port 21 is conveyed into the printer as the paper feed roller 22 rotates, and the bar code reader 7 is provided below the paper feed roller 22. Is installed, the sheet passing through the bar code reader 7 is irradiated with light, and the bar code information is read according to the intensity of the reflected light. The paper P passing through the bar code reader 7 is fed by the paper feed roller 22.
And is sent to the print head 23.

Here, the paper P is a special paper such as various labels and tack seals, and for example, the paper P as shown in FIG.
In addition to a horizontally long print area A for five lines surrounded by ruled lines, bar code information B is printed and formed in the upper left portion of the paper along the vertical direction of the paper. The barcode information B is information for designating a print format for the paper, for example, information for defining a character size, a digit pitch, and the like.

The RAM 10 has a structure including a work memory 10-2, a format table 10-3, a format setting memory 10-4, etc. in addition to the text memory 10-1, and the format table 10-3 is as shown in FIG. It is configured. That is, the format table 10-3 stores setting information for setting the formats corresponding to various format codes. In addition to the line spacing code and the column spacing code, the modification type code as shown in FIG.
Character size change code, font code, shaded code,
Corresponding to a format such as an underline code, setting information such as a digit position where the format is set is stored. The format code is recorded on the paper P as bar code information. The format setting memory 10-4 is a memory for setting a print format at the time of printing a document, and normally format information arbitrarily input from the input unit 3 is set, but in the present embodiment, various labels and tack stickers are used. When printing on a special sheet such as is specified, the CPU 1 searches the format table 10-3 based on the barcode information read from the special sheet by the barcode reader 7 and finds the corresponding format information in the format table. It is read from 10-3 and automatically set in the formatting memory 10-4.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a printing process executed in response to a print command. First, in step S1, it is checked whether or not printing on a predetermined special paper is designated, and printing on a normal paper is performed. When designated, the document data stored in the text memory 10-1 is read and converted into character font data for printing in the same manner as usual, and this document data is preset in the formatting memory 10-4. Thermal printer 6 according to the set format
To print out (step S2).

On the other hand, when the printing on the special paper such as various predetermined labels is designated, the data to be printed is already stored in the text memory 10-1 (step S3). ), Paper feed roller 22
Drive the paper P and insert the paper P into the paper insertion port 21.
The paper is fed (step S4) and the bar code reader 7 is activated (step S5). Upon receipt of the barcode information read by the barcode reader 7, the CPU 1 recognizes this barcode information (step S6), and as a result, if a barcode error reading error is detected, the CPU 1 informs that fact. (Step S14), the paper is ejected (step S13). On the other hand, when recognizing that the barcode information has been normally read, the setting format currently set in the formatting memory 10-4 is saved in the work memory 10-2 (step S7). Then, the format table 10-3 is searched based on the barcode information normally read by the barcode reader 7, the corresponding format information is read from the format table 10-3 (step S8), and this format information is formatted. Set in memory 10-4 (step S
9). As a result, the print format for the special paper is automatically set in the format setting memory 10-4.

In this state, in step S10, the document data in the text memory 10-1 is printed according to the print format set in the format setting memory 10-4. Then, the document printing is performed until all the print target data in the text memory 10-1 is printed and the end of printing is detected in step S11. Here, when the end of printing is detected, the print format saved in the work memory 10-2 is written in the format setting memory 10-4, and is automatically restored to the print format before the printing on the special paper is started ( Step S12). After that, the paper is discharged (step S13).

As described above, in the present embodiment, the bar code information for designating the print format is printed on a special paper such as various labels in advance, and the bar code information is incorporated into the thermal printer 6. Barcode reader 7
Since the corresponding format information is read from the format table 10-3 based on this barcode information and set in the format setting memory 10-4, the document printing can be performed in a complicated format such as label paper. Even in the case of carrying out, by simply setting the paper in the printer, it becomes possible to set the print format according to the paper. Further, since the barcode reader 7 is fixedly set in the thermal printer 6, the barcode reader 7 reads the barcode information from the sheet when the sheet is conveyed into the printer. No special function for moving the reader 7 is required, and the barcode reader 7 may be incorporated in the conventional printer.

[0015]

[Second Embodiment] FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the second embodiment. In the first embodiment, the bar code information printed on a special paper such as a label is printed vertically in the upper left part of the paper. However, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the bar code information B is laterally printed on the upper portion of the paper. Here, in the case where the thermal printer 6 is a serial printer, by installing the barcode reader 7 on the print head, barcode information can be laterally formed on the upper portion of the paper. If the bar code information is printed and formed in the lateral direction of the paper in this way, the bar code information can be formed over a plurality of lines as shown in FIG. Formatting is possible.

In the first embodiment, the format table 10 is based on the bar code information formed on the paper.
-3 is accessed and the corresponding bar code information is read out and automatically set. However, if the bar code information content is the print format itself, the format table 1
0-3 becomes unnecessary. Further, although the bar code reader 7 is incorporated in the thermal printer 6 in the above embodiment, the bar code reader 7 may be set in the vicinity of the sheet insertion port of the thermal printer 6. Further, in the above embodiment, the bar code information is printed in advance on the paper, but the bar code label may be attached to the paper. Further, in each of the above embodiments, the bar code information is recorded on the front surface (print surface) of the paper, but it may be recorded on the back surface of the paper. Further, a special moving mechanism for moving the bar code reader may be provided so that the bar code reading operation is independently performed without interlocking with the printer operation.

[0017]

According to the present invention, bar code information for instructing a printing format is formed in advance on a special paper such as various labels, and the bar code information is installed by a bar code reader installed on the printer side. Since the print format is automatically set for scanning on special paper, even when printing a document in a complicated format such as label paper, simply load the paper in the printer and the print format corresponding to that paper is printed. Can be set to.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block configuration diagram of a word processor with a barcode reader.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the installation position of a barcode reader 7 incorporated in the thermal printer 6.

FIG. 3 is a view showing a special sheet such as a label.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration of a format table 10-3.

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining various format codes.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing print processing.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing special paper according to a second embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 CPU 2 ROM 3 Input Unit 6 Thermal Printer 7 Bar Code Reader 8 Input Control Unit 10 RAM 10-1 Text Memory 10-2 Work Memory 10-3 Format Table 10-4 Format Setting Memory 14 Bar Code Control Unit

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A printer for performing printing on a specific sheet on which barcode information for designating a print format is recorded, a barcode reader attached to the printer, and the specific sheet by the barcode reader. A format setting unit for setting a print format for the sheet based on the bar code information read from the unit, and printing on the specific sheet according to the print format set by the format setting unit. A printer with a bar code reader characterized by: 2. The bar code reader is adapted to read bar code information from the specific sheet when the specific sheet set in the printer is conveyed into the printer. The printing device with the described barcode reader. 3. The bar code reader according to claim 1, wherein the bar code reader is installed in a print head in a printer, and bar code information is read from the specific paper when the print head is moved. Printer with code reader.