JPH10275062A - Recording device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily execute the necessary operation checks via a host device and also to easily confirm these check results by a simple operation and with no restriction given to the types and times of those checks by checking the operations of a recording device based on the instructions given from the host device. SOLUTION: A recording device 1 is switched to a check operation mode from its normal recording operation, and a host device 2 generates the instruction commands via an instruction command generation means. These instruction commands are sent to the device 1 via a communication means 3 set between both devices 1 and 2. Then the internal operations of the device 1 are checked by an operation check means and these check results are sent back to the device 2 via the means 3. Thus, it's possible to easily check the operations of the device 1 via the device 2 without requiring any complicated constitution nor operation that uses a switch, etc., and also to easily confirm the operation check results of the device 1 via the device 2.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a recording apparatus for recording on a recording material by recording means, and more particularly, to a recording apparatus communicably connected to a host device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A recording apparatus having functions such as a printer, a copying machine, and a facsimile, and used as an output device (peripheral device) such as a composite electronic device including a computer or a word processor, or a workstation, is based on recorded information. An image (including characters and symbols) is recorded on a recording material such as paper or a plastic thin plate. The recording apparatus can be classified into an ink jet type, a wire dot type, a thermal type, a laser beam type and the like according to a recording method.

In a serial type recording apparatus that performs recording while performing main scanning in a direction intersecting the conveying direction (sub-scanning direction) of the recording material, the recording material is set at a predetermined recording position, and is then applied to the recording material. By combining the recording operation by the recording means moving along with the transport operation of feeding the recording material in a direction crossing the moving direction of the recording means, recording over a desired range of the recording material is performed. On the other hand, in a line-type recording apparatus that performs recording only by sub-scanning in which a recording material is fed in the transport direction, the recording material is set at a predetermined recording position, and recording is continuously performed for one line at a time. By feeding a predetermined amount of paper (pitch feed), an image over a desired range of the recording material is recorded.

Among the above recording apparatuses, an ink jet type recording apparatus (ink jet recording apparatus) performs recording by discharging ink from a recording means (recording head) onto a recording material. It is easy, can record high-definition images at high speed, can record on plain paper without requiring special processing, running cost is low, and because it is a non-impact method, there is little noise, and It has the advantage that it is easy to record a color image using multicolor inks. Above all, a line type using a full multi-type recording means in which a large number of discharge ports are arranged in the paper width direction can further increase the recording speed.

[0005] In particular, an ink jet type recording means (recording head) for discharging ink by using thermal energy,
Through a semiconductor manufacturing process such as etching, vapor deposition, sputtering, etc., an electrothermal converter, an electrode,
By forming the liquid path wall, the top plate, and the like, it is possible to easily manufacture a device having a high-density liquid path arrangement (discharge port arrangement), and to further reduce the size. On the other hand, there are various requirements for the material of the recording material,
In recent years, ordinary recording materials such as paper and resin thin plates (OHP
Etc.), the use of thin paper or processed paper (paper with bunch holes, perforated paper for filing, paper of any shape, etc.) has come to be required.

A recording apparatus having functions such as a printer, a copying machine, and a facsimile can transmit and receive various data such as command information, recording information, and detection signals to and from a host apparatus including a computer, a word processor, and various electronic devices. Connected and used.

As a method of checking the operation of a recording device (printer device) which is a peripheral device of such a host device, there is a method of storing a check step in a ROM (Read Only Memory) in advance. In this method, a check operation stored in the ROM is read out by performing a specific operation at the time of checking, and a check operation is performed based on the read out. In consideration of the case where only a part of the check process is executed, the program of each part is incorporated, and only a part is extracted and executed by setting a specific switch.

[0008]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional check method, the check content is determined by the R in the recording apparatus.
Since it is stored in the OM, it is impossible to change the check content. In addition, if you want to perform only part of the check, you need to set a specific switch.However, you need to increase the number of switches so that you can perform a certain number of types. It gets complicated. Furthermore, the type of operation that can be performed depends on the number of switches, and selection is restricted.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of such technical problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a simple operation that is not restricted by the type and number of operation checks, and is required from a host device. It is an object of the present invention to provide a recording apparatus capable of easily executing a simple operation check and easily confirming an execution result.

[0010]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a recording apparatus for recording on a recording material by a recording unit based on information from a host device.
A switching unit for switching from a normal recording operation to a check operation mode, a command generation unit for generating an instruction command on the host device, a communication unit for transmitting and receiving information between the host device and the recording device, and an operation inside the recording device. Operation checking means for checking, and display means for displaying an execution result of the operation check on the host device, and checking the operation of the recording device by issuing a command from the host device,
The check result is sent back from the recording device to the host device.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the first aspect, the operation check means is provided with a function of checking a normal operation, and the check result is generated, so that more detailed information can be obtained. It is an object of the present invention to provide a recording device which can transmit the data to a host device.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on embodiments shown in the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a recording apparatus and a host apparatus suitable for applying the present invention. In FIG. 1, 1 is a recording device, 2 is a host device such as a computer, 3 is communication means for connecting the recording device 1 and the host device 2 so as to be able to transmit and receive, 4 is a switch on the recording device 1 and 5 is a recording device. A connected AC adapter (AC outlet).

As the communication means 3, for example, IEEE
The cable specified in 1284 is used.
Serial cable and USB specified by RS-422,
IEEE 1394 or the like may be used. The host device 2 and the recording device 1 exchange information by the communication means 3.

FIG. 1 shows a case where the recording apparatus 1 is an ink jet recording apparatus, and its recording means (recording head).
Is an ink jet recording means for ejecting ink using thermal energy, which comprises an electrothermal converter for generating thermal energy. Further, the recording head performs recording by discharging ink from discharge ports by utilizing a pressure change generated by growth and shrinkage of bubbles caused by film boiling caused by thermal energy applied by the electrothermal transducer. is there.

FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view schematically showing the structure of the ink discharge section of the recording means (recording head). In FIG. 2, a plurality of discharge ports 82 are disposed at a predetermined pitch on a discharge port surface 81 facing a recording material such as a recording sheet with a predetermined gap (for example, about 0.3 to 2.0 mm). Are formed, and an electrothermal converter (heating resistor, etc.) 85 for generating energy for ink discharge is provided along the wall surface of each liquid path 84 connecting the common liquid chamber 83 and each discharge port 82. Have been. The plurality of ejection openings 82 are arranged in a direction intersecting with the moving direction (main scanning direction) of the recording unit (or the carriage).
They are arranged in columns (in some cases, multiple columns).

In this way, the corresponding electrothermal transducer 85 is driven (energized) based on the image signal or the ejection signal to cause the ink in the liquid passage 84 to boil, and the pressure generated at that time causes the ink from the ejection port 82 to be discharged from the ejection port 82. A recording means (recording head) for discharging the ink is constituted.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration that functions in the normal recording mode of the recording apparatus 1 in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 shows an internal configuration that functions in the checking operation mode of the recording apparatus 1 in FIG. FIG. 3 and 4, reference numeral 6 denotes a control system for controlling the printing apparatus 1 in the normal mode, and 7 denotes a transmitting / receiving means (communication means) of the printing apparatus 1 used for information exchange with the host apparatus 2.
Reference numerals 8, 9, and 10 denote peripheral systems that control each part of the recording apparatus 1, 11 denotes a driving unit controlled by the peripheral system 10, and 12 denotes a control system in an operation check mode. In the operation check mode in FIG. 4, the peripheral system 8 is included, and the driving unit 11 is directly controlled without using the peripheral system 10.

That is, in the normal mode of the recording apparatus 1,
As shown in FIG. 3, the control system 6 in the normal mode, the transmission / reception means 7 on the recording device 1 side used for information exchange with the host device 2, and the peripheral systems 8, 9 each controlling each part of the recording device 1 10. Each component of the drive unit 11 controlled by the peripheral system 10 operates. On the other hand, in the check operation mode of the recording apparatus 1, as shown in FIG.
The components of the transmitting / receiving means 7 on the side, the peripheral system 9 for controlling the recording apparatus 1, the control system 12 in the operation check mode, and the drive unit 11 controlled by the control system 12 operate. In this check operation mode, the drive unit 11 is directly controlled by the control system 12 in the operation check mode without using the peripheral system 10.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure in the host device and the printing apparatus when the operation check of the printing apparatus to which the present invention is applied is executed. Next, a procedure for executing the operation check will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. First, in step b401, the recording apparatus 1 is switched from the normal mode to the operation check mode. Switching to the operation check mode is performed by a method of combining the switch 4 on the recording apparatus 1 with the AC outlet 5, a method of transmitting a specific character string from the host apparatus 2, or the like. As another switching means, there is a method of providing a hidden switch, or a method of short-circuiting a specific portion inside.

When the mode is switched to the check operation mode in step b401, an operation check command is generated on the host device 2 in step a401. The method for generating the operation check command is described in
Although it depends on the software operating on the above, if it is used instead of the conventional operation check, a method of preparing a command on the software in advance may be adopted,
When performing a partial operation check, a method of inputting a command each time may be adopted.

The data of the operation check command generated on the host device 2 is transmitted to the recording device 1 (step a402). This command data is sent to the recording device 1 via the communication means 3 (FIG. 1), and received by the transmission / reception means 7 on the recording device 1 (step b40).
2). The received command data is sent from the transmission / reception means 7 to the control system 12 in the operation check mode. The control system 12 interprets the command data, and performs an operation check separately for the one that can process the data in the operation system, the one that uses the peripheral system 9 or the one that controls the drive unit 11 (step b4
03).

Next, when the control system 12 in the operation check mode prepares the execution result of the operation check, the transmitting / receiving means 7 of the recording device 1 transmits the check result (execution result) to the host device 2 (step b40).
4). This check result is transmitted through the communication means 3 (FIG. 1) and received by the host device 2 (step a40).
3). The host device 2 interprets the received execution result (check result) and displays it by an appropriate display means (step a404). In this case, how to interpret the interpreted execution result depends on the software operating on the host device 2, but it is desirable to display the internal information of the recording device 1 in as much detail as possible.

The control system 6 in the normal mode shown in FIG.
Or, the control system 12 in the operation check mode of FIG.
A function of checking a normal operation such as a recording operation and generating a check result may be provided. By providing such a function, it is possible to transmit a check result of a normal operation to the host device 2 through the communication unit 3, and to obtain a recording device capable of transmitting more detailed information to the host device. Can be The host device 2 may display the check result of the normal operation.

According to the embodiment described above, the recording apparatus is switched from the normal recording operation to the check operation mode by using the mode switching means, and an instruction command is generated by the instruction command generation means on the host device. A configuration in which an instruction command is transmitted to a recording device using a communication unit between the device and the recording device, an operation inside the recording device is checked using an operation check unit, and a check result is sent back to the host device using the communication unit. Therefore, the operation check of the recording device can be easily performed from the host device without requiring a plurality of configurations and operations such as using switches, and the type of the operation check can be freely determined and changed on the host device. In addition, it is possible to easily confirm the execution result of the operation check of the recording device on the host device.

In the above embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to an ink jet recording apparatus has been described as an example. However, the present invention is applicable to other recording methods such as a wire dot method, a thermal method, a thermal transfer method, and a laser printing method. The present invention can be similarly applied to a recording apparatus of the system, and the same effect can be achieved. Further, the present invention uses a serial-type recording device that moves the recording unit with respect to the recording material to perform recording, or a line-type recording device that has a length that covers the entire width or a part of the recording material. The present invention can be similarly applied to any printing method such as a line-type printing apparatus that prints only in the sub-scanning, and can achieve the same effect.

Further, the present invention uses a recording apparatus for recording with one recording means, a color recording apparatus using a plurality of recording means for recording in different colors, or a plurality of recording means for recording in the same color and different densities. The present invention can be similarly applied to a gradation recording apparatus and a recording apparatus in which these are combined, and can achieve the same effect.

Further, in the present invention, in the case of an ink jet recording apparatus, a configuration using a replaceable head cartridge in which a recording head and an ink tank are integrated, a recording head and an ink tank are separated, and a tube for supplying ink is provided between the recording head and the ink tank. The arrangement and the like can be applied to any arrangement of the recording head and the ink tank, such as the arrangement of connection with the same, and the same effect can be obtained.

In the case of an ink jet recording apparatus, the present invention can be applied to, for example, an apparatus using a recording means using an electromechanical transducer such as a piezo element. The present invention brings about an excellent effect in an ink jet recording apparatus using a recording means of a discharge type. According to such a method, it is possible to achieve higher density and higher definition of recording.

[0029]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the first aspect of the present invention, in a recording apparatus for recording on a recording material by recording means based on information from a host device, a check operation is performed from a normal recording operation. Switching means for switching to a mode, command generation means for generating an instruction command on the host device, communication means for transmitting and receiving information between the host device and the recording device, operation checking means for checking the operation inside the recording device, Display means for displaying an execution result of the operation check on the host device, wherein the operation of the recording device is checked by issuing an instruction from the host device, and the result of the check is sent back from the recording device to the host device. Therefore, the required operation check can be easily performed from the host device with a simple operation without being restricted by the type and number of operation checks. It can be, recording apparatus is provided which can be easily confirmed execution results.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the first aspect, the operation check means has a function of checking a normal operation and generates a check result. In addition, a recording device capable of transmitting more detailed information to the host device is provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a recording device and a host device suitable for applying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view schematically illustrating a structure of an ink ejection unit of a recording unit of the recording apparatus in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an internal configuration that functions in a normal mode of the recording apparatus in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating an internal configuration that functions in a check operation mode of the printing apparatus in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure in the host device and the printing apparatus when performing an operation check of the printing apparatus to which the present invention is applied.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Recording device (printer etc.) 2 Host device (computer etc.) 3 Communication means between a recording device and a host device 4 Switch 5 AC adapter 6 Normal mode control system 7 Transmission / reception means 8 Peripheral system 9 Peripheral system 10 Peripheral system 11 Drive Part 12 Operation check mode control system

──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code FI H04N 1/23 101 H04N 1/23 101Z

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A recording device for recording on a recording material by a recording device based on information from a host device, a switching device for switching from a normal recording operation to a check operation mode, and a command for generating an instruction command on the host device. Generating means, communication means for transmitting and receiving information between the host device and the recording device, operation checking means for checking the operation inside the recording device, and display means for displaying the execution result of the operation check on the host device. A printing apparatus, comprising: checking the operation of a printing apparatus by issuing a command from a host apparatus; and sending a result of the check back from the printing apparatus to the host apparatus. 2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the operation check means has a function of checking a normal operation, and generates a check result. 3. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording unit is an inkjet recording unit that performs recording by discharging ink. 4. The recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said recording means is an ink jet recording means provided with an electrothermal converter for generating thermal energy used for discharging ink. 5. The recording apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the recording means discharges the ink from a discharge port using film boiling generated in the ink by thermal energy generated by the electrothermal transducer.